Bola Rolando: Operário is predictable, doesn't react and may end the Série B without new wins

The Operário Ferroviário reaches the final straight of the Serie B of the Brazilian Championship of 2026 surrounded by doubts, criticisms and concerns about the performance on the field. Even if the Phantom is in tenth place, with 48 points, it goes through a moment of drop in yield and runs the risk of ending the competition without getting a convincing reaction.

In the commentary on Tuesday (20), on the Portal BnT Online’s Ball Rolando program, the analysis was blunt: the Worker has become a predictable team, vulnerable defensively and excessively dependent on players who already show signs of physical and technical wear.

The next appointment will be on Friday (23), at 7.30 pm, in front of Athletic-MG, at Estádio Germano Krüger, at Ponta Grossa, for the opening of the 35th round.

Worker has 48 points, but performance worries

With only four matches remaining, the Worker can still reach mathematically 60 points. However, given the football presented in the last rounds, this possibility seems distant.

In the commentator’s assessment, the team will hardly exceed the 55-point mark until the end of the competition.

Worry increases in the face of recent performance. While opponents like Botafogo-SP have recovery in the final straight, the Phantom lost intensity, creativity and ability to react.

The scenario also practically removes the possibility of the club competing for access to the Série A, especially because of the distance from the first places and the need for a favourable combination of results.

Sides are the worker's Achilles heel

One of the most criticized points in the Bola Rolando was the defensive fragility on the sides of the field.

According to the analysis, the problem has followed the Worker since the passing of the technician Luizinho Lopes and remains without definitive solution under the command of Alberto Valentim.

Players Doca and Maguinho were directly questioned for the difficulty of exercising the function of defensive sides.

In the commentator’s evaluation, both present more offensive characteristics, acting as wards, but fail to offer the necessary protection to the defense.

"If we don't put people to score on the sides of the lawn, the Worker has a good chance of not winning any of the next four games," he warned.

The criticism also involves insistence on game systems that allow spaces for opponents to explore, especially teams that have fast ends and speed players.

Novorizontino and Sport, opponents who still appear in the path of the Ghost, were cited as examples of teams capable of exploiting these deficiencies.

Can Miranda and Zuluaga be the solution?

Despite the criticism, the commentator pointed to alternatives that are already part of the alvinegro cast.

Juan Zuluaga, who has experience playing for the right side during his career in Colombia, was mentioned as a possibility to reinforce the scoring.

Another defended name is Miranda, a player who also has defensive characteristics and experience as a defender and flyer.

In the evaluation presented, using one of these athletes on the side could help correct one of the team's most recurring problems.

"These two players solve the problem of the Worker. They’re inside the Operário Ferroviário and they’re not being harnessed where they could be harnessed,” he said.

The expectation is that Alberto Valentim will find solutions already for the confrontation against Athletic, avoiding that the same defensive errors continue to compromise the results.

Dependence of Boschilia and Caio Dantas exposes limitations of the cast

Another problem was the absence of offensive alternatives.

Without regularly counting on important players such as Gabriel Boschilia, the Worker lost creative ability and became even more dependent on individual plays.

Boschilia was named the team's main articulator and one of the best players of his Serie B position.

The lack of a substitute with similar characteristics evidences, according to the commentary, a deficiency in the planning of the cast.

In the attack, Caio Dantas appears as the main offensive reference available, while other players face physical problems or do not present the expected performance.

The analysis also questioned the recent performance of Indio, Neto Paraíba and Vinícius Diniz, which lost performance compared to other times of the season.

Physical Wear May Explain the Fall of the Ghost

In addition to tactical issues, the accumulated wear during the Brazilian calendar was presented as one of the main reasons for the drop in performance.

In the commentator’s assessment, several headliners reached the final straight of the Serie B showing signs of exhaustion.

The lack of greater rotation among the players would have contributed directly to the loss of intensity.

The program highlighted that teams able to maintain regularity until the end of the season usually have more balanced rosters, with enough alternatives to perform substitutions without compromising quality.

For the Worker, the discussion already exceeds the four remaining commitments and involves planning for 2027.

The need for a well-structured pre-season, physical recovery and reinforcements for specific positions appears as a priority to prevent the same problems from being repeated.

Serie B enters the decisive straight with dispute for access and relegation

As the Worker tries to regain his performance, Series B comes to the decisive moments.

Vila Nova, Novorizontino, Juventude and Fortaleza are among the main candidates for the two direct access positions. Criciúma, Atlético-GO, CRB and Sport also appear in the playoffs qualifying zone.

By 2026 regulation, the top two win direct access to the Série A, while the clubs between third and sixth place play the other two spots in knockout matches.

At the bottom of the ranking, Ponte Preta and América-MG have already had the relegation mathematically confirmed.

Londrina, with 29 points before Tuesday’s confrontation against Cuiabá, faces an extremely delicate situation and needs to win to continue with chances of remaining in Serie B.

Workers need to react before the season ends

For the commentator of Bola Rolando, the main challenge of the Worker is not only to win points, but to demonstrate that he still has the ability to compete at a high level.

Criticisms of the defensive system, lack of creativity and the drop in income of the incumbents put the work of Alberto Valentim under observation in this final straight.

The match against Athletic on Friday will be another opportunity to test changes, correct faults and regain confidence.

The warning, however, is clear: if the Worker continues to play in the same way, without correcting the problems on the sides and without finding offensive alternatives, it could end the Serie B accumulating negative results and leaving a worrying impression for 2027.

More than seeking a better position in the table, the Ghost needs to show that he has learned from the mistakes of a season marked by oscillations.

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