Julian Weigl

[BlueAnorak]

A DM in the Premier League has to have some pace - FACT. If he hasn't then he's fucked - especially as a single DM/Pivot.
I like the player but I have huge concerns about his pace

 

[Larry Stranger]

As I see it, you simply don't need pacy destroyers in a well-functioning compact possession team - no need to defend large gaps if the team is positioned well enough. Kante would be absolutely useless in this City team. What you need is a good 'regista' with centerhalf capabilities.

And I think players at top level cannot be both pacy destroyers and good controllers as they usually develop their strong points to overcome deficiencies. Though Rijkaard may disagree - he was both brilliant passer and athletic DM in one package. But can't remember anyone else - 'pivot' is a relatively new role, in pre-Cruyff and pre-Sacchi era teams weren't as compact as nowadays, so the position simply didn't exist in its modern interpretation.

Diawara? I started to watch Napoli regularly this season, but he's a reserve player that is rarely used. So, I'll refrain from judgement for now. Guess he befefits from Sarri's system a lot, it's difficult to say how good he would be under Pep. Many BM members rate him highly though.

Read somewhere that City were scouting Diawara at Bologna but decided to pass on him.

I understand what you are saying and I too at first thought we need someone like Busquets rather than a destroying DM. However, look at this years squad and what we currently have now. It's either Dihno or Yaya in that position. Yaya is by far better at controlling the ball than Dihno. He is more of a Busquets or Weigl than is Dihno. Yet Pep prefers Dihno. I think he has figured for the PL you need someone quicker and a little more physical in that position than in other leagues. Look and when the opposition lumps the ball up and how many times Dihno is there winning or trying to win the ball in the air. He tries to knock it down and Silva or KDB sweep it up and knock it back to Ederson. I think that's the difference. I'm beginning to think that he is starting to prefer a player who is slightly more of a DM. That's not to say he would go for a Kante, but more of a quick physical player who has decent enough skill on the ball. Who he will go for I don't know.

 

[FCBarca]

A DM in the Premier League has to have some pace - FACT. If he hasn't then he's fucked - especially as a single DM/Pivot.
I like the player but I have huge concerns about his pace

Don't agree with this, at all. Pep, trust in Pep. Pep doesn't require his DM to have pace (Alonso & Busquets) but the primary reason Fernandinho is used over Yaya is more due to the Ivorian's lack of legs, not pace.

Weigl would be ideal for what Pep wants and it would appear that the player is interested in the prospect of coming as well

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Pep uses a DM who can pass, tackle, take a foul and protect his back two down the middle AND the flanks.

Dinho can do it all, quietly getting the job done, and making the players around him better by allowing them to concentrate on what they do best! No one thinks of Silva or KDB as hard nosed midfielders who you wouldn’t fancy meeting in the center circle for a 50-50!

 

[BlueAnorak]

Don't agree with this, at all. Pep, trust in Pep. Pep doesn't require his DM to have pace (Alonso & Busquets) but the primary reason Fernandinho is used over Yaya is more due to the Ivorian's lack of legs, not pace.

Weigl would be ideal for what Pep wants and it would appear that the player is interested in the prospect of coming as well

Disagree all you want, but the way teams defend deep and hit us at pace on the counter means pace IS required. Having at least one fullback with pace and a keeper who comes off his line quickly helps, but a single DM has to have a lot of pace in the Prem.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

Pace or not, I believe Weigl is an incredible footballer and would be a fantastic addition to the squad. Hopefully the mutual interest is very real.

 

[Rolee]

The way some are talking here you'd swear Weigl was Jan Molby. He has enough pace from what I've seen to play that role for us.

 

[adr2.8i]

The way some are talking here you'd swear Weigl was Jan Molby. He has enough pace from what I've seen to play that role for us.

jan molby would be a great addition to our squad! what a player. What a passer! And he wasnt always fat and slow! look at his pressing and determination to win the ball back!

 

[Rolee]

jan molby would be a great addition to our squad! what a player. What a passer! And he wasnt always fat and slow! look at his pressing and determination to win the ball back!

You're right, I should've said Jan Molby in his latter years. You get my point though.

 

[FCBarca]

Disagree all you want, but the way teams defend deep and hit us at pace on the counter means pace IS required. Having at least one fullback and a keeper who comes off his line quickly helps, but a single DM has to have a lot of pace in the Prem.

I haven't seen one case of the DM needing to be a pacy player coming into question, irrespective of the Premiership. Yes, it's always ideal to have every outfield player be fleet footed but a DM predicated on having pace for Pep? No

 

[Delphacito]

Pace you say? That’s it then let’s get Mohammed Salah as our DM. Quadruple + World cup winners confirmed.

 

[citizens_1976]

I really never understand when people say "you need pace", what does it even mean?!

You can have a player with as much pace in the middle of the park as he wants, but if he doesn't have a football brain than he is f***ed.

Pirlo, Xavi, Busquets, Cambiasso, Makelele, Xabi Alonso, Lahm all didn't/don't have blistering pace, but they were all excellent readers of the game. You don't necessarily need pace when you have speed of thought. Players with intelligence can fill holes two steps before other players and anticipate what is going to happen on a football field a few seconds earlier than others. Weigl is a very very intelligent footballer, he would fit the Pep system like a dream. I understand that we could do with possibly a Fabinho type of player in midfield to give us that dominant physical power, strength and authority in midfield, but if we were to sign Weigl instead of someone like Fabinho, I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Barcelona played with a midfield 3 of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta and they were the best 3 players in a midfield trio I have seen in my lifetime off the ball and winning the ball back. Pep always says that he doesn't coach tackles and I am a firm believer that if you play as a team, close the spaces off for the opposition and press very well, you can win the ball back without having to make a tackle. Holland team in the 70s were renound for playing that way. Totaal Voetbal.

Sign him up I say, wonderful player and a wonderful addition to a star studded squad.

 

[PW]

If Pep is interested in the player and sees him as a vital piece of the jigsaw I would be surprised if the wheels aren't already in motion.

 

[Kompany is King]

Hope we sign Wiegl.
He would improve us, not easy to do that.

 

[Larry Stranger]

Pace is one thing, but is more about the physicality and winning aerial duels that made Pep change a little to deal with the PL. I think the one think Pep has leaned is how to deal with how opponents play especially when you press them up high. Where as La Liga or the Bundesliga they might try to play out more from the back, here it's pretty fair to say they do a lot of hoof ball. He even talked about it last season about winning the 2nd ball. It's because the teams here don't have as much quality on the ball to play out of danger plus you get closed down a lot faster here. So they resort to hoofing it. If you look at the stats of Dihno even compared to last season of how many aerial duels he's won this year is higher. I think Pep took a look at it and has defined this part of the English game that is a threat and has tried to nullify it as much as possible. I notice Dihno now, even Silva to an extent trying to win or even put off opponents from winning balls in the air whilst another player would try to mop up the 2nd balls to try to gain possession back. I also took Weigl's stats from last year and I know he did break his leg. It's really not that far off from Dihno's last season. I guess it will be up to Pep to decide if Weigl has the physicality to deal with the PL because I think he will be asked to try to win duels in the air regardless. This is why I don't think Gundogan would be a pivot. He doesn't have the height to deal with those kinds of balls. I put Kante in there for fun and I knew his numbers would be low since he's not a player with height. Chelsea do play a different way from us though.

 

[JimmyNJ]

I really never understand when people say "you need pace", what does it even mean?!

You can have a player with as much pace in the middle of the park as he wants, but if he doesn't have a football brain than he is f***ed.

Pirlo, Xavi, Busquets, Cambiasso, Makelele, Xabi Alonso, Lahm all didn't/don't have blistering pace, but they were all excellent readers of the game. You don't necessarily need pace when you have speed of thought. Players with intelligence can fill holes two steps before other players and anticipate what is going to happen on a football field a few seconds earlier than others. Weigl is a very very intelligent footballer, he would fit the Pep system like a dream. I understand that we could do with possibly a Fabinho type of player in midfield to give us that dominant physical power, strength and authority in midfield, but if we were to sign Weigl instead of someone like Fabinho, I certainly wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Barcelona played with a midfield 3 of Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta and they were the best 3 players in a midfield trio I have seen in my lifetime off the ball and winning the ball back. Pep always says that he doesn't coach tackles and I am a firm believer that if you play as a team, close the spaces off for the opposition and press very well, you can win the ball back without having to make a tackle. Holland team in the 70s were renound for playing that way. Totaal Voetbal.

Sign him up I say, wonderful player and a wonderful addition to a star studded squad.

Yea ALL this. Sign him up, in Pep we trust. Also wouldnt be surprisd if wheels were in motion.

As ridiculous as it sounds, when a player likes a teams page like this there are stats to back it up it seems!

 

[KCblue]

A DM in the Premier League has to have some pace - FACT. If he hasn't then he's fucked - especially as a single DM/Pivot.
I like the player but I have huge concerns about his pace

Don't agree with this, at all. Pep, trust in Pep. Pep doesn't require his DM to have pace (Alonso & Busquets) but the primary reason Fernandinho is used over Yaya is more due to the Ivorian's lack of legs, not pace.

Weigl would be ideal for what Pep wants and it would appear that the player is interested in the prospect of coming as well

Pep has said he's going to play his way. He adapted a bit to the league in the sense of which players he wanted (i.e. Walker), but for the most part this season's early success has been down to the players understanding and executing the system better. My point is, if Pep wants Weigl he'll try to sign Weigl. That's whether Weigl "can fit in the Premier League" or not.

 

[oldius]

We have been a bit obsessed with pace in the British game for a while. It's a valuable attribute but no replacement for intelligence and technique.

 

[bulldogblue]

Seem to remember Alonso doing alright when he played at Candlepool and he was certainly no speed merchant. This boy has similar,if not better qualities and reads the game very well. Get him signed Pep.

 

[BimboBob]

Don't agree with this, at all. Pep, trust in Pep. Pep doesn't require his DM to have pace (Alonso & Busquets) but the primary reason Fernandinho is used over Yaya is more due to the Ivorian's lack of legs, not pace.

Weigl would be ideal for what Pep wants and it would appear that the player is interested in the prospect of coming as well

I'd say he uses Fern more because if Yaya is on the pitch all balls go to him and he leisurely sprays them around. Fern breaks up the attack, gives the ball to Silva, KdB etc etc and we attack at pace.

Weigl, from what I have seen, does the 2nd option. Very much a Pep player.