Very few will be surprised by the fact that CSA was relegated. Awful planning, questionable base squad, constant shifts on the directions… Alagoanos looked like an amateur team in most of their moves outside the pitch.
CSA signed with a total of 46 players during the season! A big part of them didn’t even last until the end of the campaign. The base from 2018’s Série B success was completely destroyed and, above all, CSA lacked an identity that could disguise the overwhelming lack of quality.
Marcelo Cabo was sacked after 9 rounds with only 1 win on the bag. Argel Fuchs was called and, after some initial problems, there was some hope for the team after a couple of good results in September and October.
Bringing Apodi to a winger position, and establishing a midfield trio with two hard-working men behing creative Jonathan Gomez proved to be a great move. Around round 24, Alagoanos were sitting above the red line and there were hopes for success.
However, reality kicked back again and with 8 defeats in the last 9 games CSA was unsurprisingly back to Série B.
Two episodes that illustrates the erratic nature of the club, this season: 3 rounds before the end of the season, and just coming from a moralizing away win over contenders Cruzeiro, coach Argel left to join the other contenders Ceará, while CSA still had chances of avoiding relegation.
Before that, with 5 matches to be played and 7 points gap to safe places, club let 3 players go on earlier vacation, two of them had been first team options in the previous rounds.
CSA will not be favourites for coming back to Série A, next season. Certainly not while they keep the horror-like management they showed this year.
