The pressure on Corinthians increases with each round, while the shortage of parts continues to compromise performance.
Corinthians is going through a difficult time in the Brazilian Championship. Dorival Júnior’s team suffered another defeat—this time to Red Bull Bragantino—and, in addition to instability on the field, faces serious offensive limitations.
The situation worsens for the match against Ceará, scheduled for Wednesday (16), at 7:30 pm (Brasília time), when the team will be without Ángel Romero and Memphis Depay, both suspended, and Yuri Alberto, still recovering from a spinal fracture.
The lack of options will force the coach to resort to untested alternatives. Talles Magno is expected to start, while Kayke and Gui Negão, who came through the youth academy, complete the offensive lineup. Héctor Hernández, who has lost his place, was not even included in the last round.
Urgent need for signings
The squad’s limitations are evident. Despite boasting players like José Martínez, Garro, Carrillo, and Depay, the team struggles to maintain performance when called upon to rely on the bench. The drop in substitution performance was evident in the 2-1 loss to Bragantino, their fourth consecutive winless game. Dorival himself acknowledged the urgency for new players. Without directly demanding the board, he made his expectations clear: “We have to look for options in the market that give us a wider range of options, so we can have a stronger squad.”
Structural Diagnosis and Financial Obstacles
The board, represented by Fabinho Soldado, is seeking reinforcements. However, the club faces serious financial difficulties. Without the capacity for immediate investment, negotiations depend on creativity and negotiating power. A recent example was the attempt to sign Biel from Sporting, which failed due to the high asking price. Carlos Vinícius, formerly of Fulham, was offered but is still under internal evaluation. So far, the only reinforcement this season has been full-back Fabrizio Angileri. Departures also affected the squad’s depth, such as the departures of Alex Santana and Igor Coronado.
Offensive Production and Attacking Statistics
Since taking over, Dorival has seen his team score just 12 goals in 12 games. Only against Internacional, in Itaquera, did Corinthians manage to find the net more than once. The coach himself linked the low productivity to Yuri Alberto’s absence: “What we need is what we had when Yuri was on the field, which were the goals.”
Internal Perspective and Coaching Discourse
Even given the limitations, the coach avoids direct criticism of the board. After the most recent defeat, he reiterated his focus on the current group and his commitment to planning: “I’m not constantly questioning why one thing or another hasn’t happened yet. The important thing is that the work is being done, and we have to value whoever is here.” The board, in turn, prioritizes the signing of wingers to fill the gap in the department. The pressure increases with each round, while the shortage of parts continues to compromise performance in the championship.
