Four Changes Tite Must Make as Brazil Boss

On Monday, Tite was finally confirmed officially as the new coach of the Brazilian national team. Following the country’s enormously disappointing performance at the Copa America Centenario, the former Corinthians boss has his work cut out for him.

While he will not be in charge for the Olympic Games, the 55-year-old’s first competitive test will be the September World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Colombia.

Here are four changes the new manager must look to implement.

Select a Goalkeeper with Experience

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Tite would be minded to start looking for a goalkeeper with more big-game experience following some fairly ropey displays from Alisson at the Copa America Centenario.

At 23 years of age and having recently signed for Italian club AS Roma from Internacional, the young man could have a big future in the game, but at present he does not look ready for the international stage. Some more experience across the back line could go a long way to easing the pressure on the defence.

It could be that Tite goes with an old favourite from his club days, and Cassio from Corinthians receives a call-up, although he is currently out of the first team at the Sao Paulo-based outfit.

Diego Alves has been on the fringes of the Selecao set-up for years without ever being fully invited to walk through the door and is another who will surely fancy his chances of getting a chance now that, in theory, a new manager coming in usually means the slate is wiped clean.

Alternatively, Botafogo stopper Jefferson may be recalled. Dropped by Dunga following an error in the opening World Cup qualifier against Chile, which Brazil lost 2-0, on the pitch at least, the veteran No. 1 has had a calmer temperament than his younger rival.

With bags of experience and the captain at Rio club Botafogo, the goalkeeper put in a string of solid performances for the Selecao, including a more than fine performance in a 2-0 win over bitter rivals Argentina. Following Julio Cesar after the 2014 World Cup, Jefferson had looked assured between the sticks.

On the contrary, Alisson has been far from convincing since coming into the side. He was at fault for Haiti’s goal in Brazil’s 7-1 and could even benefit in the long term from a period off from international duty to adapt to life in Italy with Roma.

Recall Thiago Silva

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Continuing with the defence, Tite could do worse than reintroduce Thiago Silva. In truth, this must be one of the most straightforward decisions the boss is ever likely to make in his career.

Thiago Silva, despite a 12-month absence from international football thanks to his supposed outburst that irritated former boss Dunga (link in Portuguese), remains the best and most consistent central defender Brazil have available.

Miranda is a fine deputy, but does not possess the same domineering presence as the Paris Saint-Germain captain. Indeed, Silva alongside club teammate Marquinhos for the Selecao could prove beneficial for both club and country as the pair build up an understanding in between the white lines.

Silva’s form has been exceptional in a season when PSG stormed the French league and reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. According to WhoScored.com, the 31-year-old committed less than a foul a game in the league, with that slight figure increasing to roughly a foul per game in the Champions League.

While defence was never a stringent criticism of the Dunga 2.0 era, with his sides generally finding goals far harder to score rather than keeping them out, to have someone of Silva’s quality and pedigree back in the squad can only be a positive.

He is on the pre-list for the upcoming Olympic Games, and Tite will no doubt be watching closely to see how smooth the former captain’s integration is.

Meanwhile Gil, who played under the newly presented national boss at Corinthians last season, may be trusted by his former club coach, but the simple truth is, Tite is short of leaders at the back. One he can definitely count on would be Thiago Silva.

Choose a Captain

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Should Silva indeed make it back into the Selecao fold, Tite will have to decide who to make his on-field general. Under Dunga, it was Neymar, who replaced Silva.

Without either at the Copa America Centenario, it is no understatement to say Brazil looked like they lacked leadership on the pitch, and there is a compelling case to be made for both players.

Silva, as discussed above, has the experience, and is a fine example of the old adage that a player at the back makes a more suitable captain, being able to observe the game as a whole. He does the job for Paris Saint-Germain and has previously fulfilled that role for Brazil.

Neymar, meanwhile, is the man in possession of the armband. He is the side’s standout player and already bears the responsibility of being the one to bail them out of trouble.

Does he really need the added responsibility of geeing up those around him, issuing directions and liaising with coaching staff in the midst of battle? Or would he thrive on it?

That remains doubtful, if his show of petulance at the Copa America in Chile is anything to go by. The Barcelona player earned himself a red card at the end of the 1-0 defeat to Colombia during the group stages, which effectively ruled him out for the rest of the tournament.

If Brazil are to start to bring through a younger generation of players—the likes of Marquinhos, Casemiro, Gabriel Jesus—then they will need a more mature example to follow than Neymar managed 12 months ago.

Find a Neymar Alternative

Andre Penner/Associated Press

Both Luiz Felipe Scolari and Dunga tried and failed. How to solve the problem of "Neymar-dependencia"—the Selecao’s seemingly inescapable reliance on one player to bail them out of trouble?

There is no getting away from the fact the 24-year-old is Brazil’s most potent force in the offensive third. But that should not prohibit Tite from working on a game plan for when he is deprived of his “craque.

The fact the side looked bereft of an attacking threat in the U.S. has already been well-documented on these pages, but the truth remains, Brazil still have a plethora of players capable of hurting teams.

The likes of Douglas Costa, Willian and Philippe Coutinho all have pivotal roles to play at their clubs and have been effective this past season, with the latter helping Liverpool all the way to the Europa League final.

According to WhoScored.com, Douglas Costa made nine assists in the Bundesliga last season, while Coutinho managed a hat-trick in the Copa America, albeit against Haiti.

Dunga tinkered and tested various formations and players in the No. 9, behind a target man as well as a floating, more flexible system, without coming up with a solution to a Neymar-less Brazil.

It is likely to be the new coach’s biggest dilemma. The Selecao with Neymar are a completely different proposition. Yet there will always be situations when they will be denied their No. 10, and Tite must be prepared for the worst.

His longevity in the post may well depend on it.