It's Quiet - a new dawn

[kaz7]

Any sanchez/JFE news?

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Have been saying for two years we need an upgrade in centre midfield.

Our defence is completely exposed when we lose the ball and the other team breaks.

If Pep wants 3 at the back we need someone like Kante at Chelsea.

We don't have a good defensive midfield player imo and Fernandiho and Toure aren't really up to the job as both are more attack focused .

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

The problem is Pep vastly overrates Fernandinho.

+1

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Isn't he just.

No chance though.

We only have to see how much of a different player David Luiz is for Chelsea when not at centre half.

I think Stones and Luiz have very similar attributes and deficiencies.

 

[cookster]

Entirely different level to reading the game from centre back and a midfield screen, though?

Less pressure, knows he has the back-up behind. One thing is very clear, teams are happy to let Otamendi or Kompany have the ball, and we need someone who is five years younger than Yaya to come and receive.

Gundogan does not have the physical presence to put out the amount of fires this teams creates.

Physical presence, Kante?

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I don't think Stones has the legs to play DM/pivot in this team but you could also say the same about Yaya. In Yayas favour he is better on the ball than Stones will ever be. Stones for me, is a very sloppy passer for someone touted as being very good on the ball, theres a laziness that creeps in every now and again. Fernandino has the legs for the position but lacks the quality. Gundogan has the quality but as you say doesnt have the physical presence. Between the 4 of them they all have pieces of the jigsaw but none of them are the full package.

I think Stones is a wonderful passer of the ball and needs to be trusted to do it more.

Even Pep has said he has bigger balls than anyone else at the club.

 

[cookster]

Possibly, mate.

Having Stones as a touted midfield screen acts two-fold from my basic 40 year understanding of the game, admittedly.

It's a five-man midfield when Walker and Mendy are pushed high. It would allow Stones to be somewhere in between, becoming the third centre-back,midfield screen along with Vinny and Otamendi.

There is a major problem in these first few games, teams are letting Otamendi and Kompany have the ball, and it's too slow to move between the lines.

I quite like the idea of Bernardo in the 10 role, but I don't think that's a big issue, we have three/four guys who can do an excellent job, regardless of who is in it.

It's what is bringing up the rear we need to address. I do think the arrival of Sanchez will also get opponents to engage us more, as he backs himself to dribble past players.

The ball might break down a lot more but we have zero personnel who can take a man on to open up the space in front of packed defences.

KDB and Gundogan would be a perfect sitting 2 for me. 1 sits, 1 goes and rotate. All our best play recently comes when KDB sits deep.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Physical presence, Kante?

Should have separated the two. Kante lives for tackling and dispossessing, so he is a very physical player.

Gundogan is more of a 10 these days.

In his prime, that night he first came to us with Dortmund, he was the perfect midfielder.

 

[cookster]

Should have separated the two. Kante lives for tackling and dispossessing, so he is a very physical player.

Gundogan is more of a 10 these days.

In his prime, that night he first came to us with Dortmund, he was the perfect midfielder.

Really don't see Gundogan playing as a 10 for us. Either midfield in front of back 4 or part of a 2 in midfield.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

Really don't see Gundogan playing as a 10 for us. Either midfield in front of back 4 or part of a 2 in midfield.

I'm saying he eventually always gets involved as an additional ten, because the entire front six are parked on the edge of the 18-yard box.

Hence, there's fifty yards to run in behind us with one fast ball out on the counter.