The last time I caught up with Jamie Ralph, the all-round good bloke behind the Newell’s Old Boys English language Twitter account, he was feeling cautiously optimistic about the club’s early season form. A new president, new manager, and new players were combining to help Newell’s begin the campaign with some promising performances in the Copa de la Liga. “Things are looking up for now,” said Ralph. “But you never know with Newell’s.”

That note of pessimism proved wise. Newell’s missed out on the knockout stages of the Copa de la Liga by two points, have suffered an injury crisis that would clean Rob Price out of recycled limbs, and are now searching for another manager after Javier Sanguinetti resigned. After churning through four managers last season, it was hoped Sanguinetti could provide some necessary stability under the new regime. It had started so well, culminating in Newell’s winning the Clasico Rosarino at the home of their fierce rivals Rosario Central for the first time in six years — riot shields and grenades and all.

But a plethora of injuries robbed Sanguinetti of some of his more experienced players. Former Argentina international and club stalwart Leonal Vangioni, who has occasionally captained the side in his second spell at Newell’s after previously winning the Copa Libertadores with River Plate and playing in Serie A with Milan, has been ruled out until next year after rupturing his achilles. But the biggest problem has been in goal. Established number one Ramiro Macagno has not played since July. Newell’s were unbeaten in their opening seven matches of the league campaign before Macagno was injured. They lost three of their next four, including defeat in the second derby of the season. Shortly before Macagno’s injury, senior back-up Ivan Arboleda returned to Rayo Vallecano at the end of a loan spell. In their absence, eighteen-year-old reserve Franco Herrera proved more Bailey Peacock-Farrell than Illan Meslier.

Macagno’s injury coincided with a run of just one victory in thirteen league games, and Sanguinetti resigning after a 2-1 home defeat to Godoy Cruz — who themselves are no longer managed by former Leeds coach/Marcelo Bielsa’s tired translator, Diego Flores. It was a particularly cruel ending for Sanguinetti, who was confronted by a group of angry supporters after the match, despite our old mate Pablo Perez — officially recognised by FIFA as the world’s hardest footballer — providing the A-side to the Arctic Monkeys’ B-side Chun Li’s Spinning Bird Kick:

WHAT A GOAL. Pablo Pérez with one of the goals of the season for Newell’s https://t.co/QWxiRYWCI8

— Newell's Old Boys – English News (@Newells_en) August 27, 2022

Plans to quickly appoint a successor to Sanguinetti have been scuppered by anger from the fanbase. Alfredo Berti and Roberto Sensini have both played for and managed Newell’s in the past, but were dissuaded from taking the job due to the backlash from supporters.

The instability doesn’t seem to have done Newell’s much harm. In their two league fixtures since Sanguinetti’s exit, Newell’s have won twice under two different interim coaches. Gustavo Tognarelli presided over a 1-0 win at Velez Sarsfield, before Adrian Coria, who coached Lionel Messi in Newell’s youth team in the 1990s, took charge of a 2-0 win over second-placed Gimnasia. The latter victory featured a goal from forward Djorkaeff Reasco that was made for South American football commentators to scream over. For fans of tenuous Leeds links, Reasco’s father, Neicer, played left-back up against Aaron Lennon (for about five minutes) in Ecuador’s knockout defeat to England at the 2006 World Cup, so Djorkaeff is practically one of us. Sort of. In a way. Altogether now: ¡GOOOOLAZZZZZOO!

My God, what a goal. Djorkaeff ???? pic.twitter.com/BXXCQj5kx7

— Newell's Old Boys – English News (@Newells_en) September 11, 2022

The signing of goalkeeper Lautaro Morales on loan has been a huge factor in Newell’s improvement; the former Argentina youth international has been one of their best players in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the potential of the team has become apparent to any coach with an eye on taking over in the performances of a crop of talented young players.

Brian Aguirre started the season shining for Argentina Under-20s and has kept his place in the Newell’s side since making his debut this season. Cutting in from the left wing, Aguirre plays with the shoot-on-sight arrogance of a teenager not long removed from being the best footballer on the playground. With so many experienced players injured, twenty-year-old Juan Sforza has established himself in midfield and taken over as captain. True to form, Jamie Ralph is so excited by Aguirre and Sforza he tells me he doesn’t expect them to stay at Newell’s for long.

The latest update on the search for a new manager is that president Dr Ignacio Astore has had a Zoom call with Martin Palermo, he of ‘missed three penalties in one Argentina match under Bielsa’ fame. “He impressed, he’s someone that is a candidate,” said Astore. Just get someone else to teach the squad how to take pens, maybe.

Bielsa’s name is of course never far away from being linked with the job. Astore has essentially put out an open invitation to the man Newell’s named their stadium after. “If Bielsa wants to come back, the job, any job, is his,” said Astore. “This is his home.” But Ralph suggests the club won’t formally offer Bielsa the job. Bielsa is generous with what he earns, but given the amount of work he demands of himself, he is acutely aware of his and his coaches’ value, which is beyond what Newell’s can pay. Newell’s are unlikely to offer him the gig, Ralph says, “because they don’t want to put him in the position of having to refuse.”

Given the way things have gone for Newell’s in the last couple of weeks, who needs a permanent manager anyway? Continuity might be overrated if changing the head coach every week means the team keeps winning. Sure, we would all love the romance of Marcelo Bielsa managing one more time at the Estadio Marcelo Bielsa; maybe one more time is all we need. Give it Bielsa ‘til the end of the week, then let someone else have a go the week after. Who could say no to that? ⬢