Needs to go or be resigned to something like 1500 minutes and not 3000. Completely washed in the modern game. Adds absolutely nothing outside of recycling possession, and as we can all see isn’t as valuable as it has been. The games evolving. This pseudo 6 / pseudo 8 role is garbage.
I understand what you mean but I think that's just something Pep probably won't do, for reasons we both know.Why not just choose not to have one & win anyway ?
Someone at the club needs to do Pep a favour and sell Gundogan, as that's the only way he stops playing him. Maybe it's because he played a similar ole himself, but he just seems incapable of seeing what a liability he is and how little he offers to the team
Giving him that new contract might turn out to be the turning point for Pep at City tbh.
I understand what you mean but I think that's just something Pep probably won't do, for reasons we both know.
However he has been less afraid to stray from his usual stubborn philosophies since arriving at City. He's playing a fullback for physical reasons and 1-on-1 defending. He's more interested in having a physical DM who knows how to pass at the expense of a mega pure passer. This season he's become less sentimental with older players. He's less afraid to drop players (whether we agree with the decisions or not). We've played deeper and more defensive on more occasions than ever. We've used the long ball more than ever and not played it out the back as often under pressure.
I've suggested it elsewhere but I think there's issues with the squad that run deeper than we realise and Pep's been trying to paper over the cracks. Gundogan for all his issues represents some form of reliability that noone else can bring (to Pep). But it's forced Pep into trying more basic ideas and that could mean that yes, maybe he COULD choose to not have one like Gundogan and win anyway.
For me it's all about Rodri. I know he splits opinion but I think he's a star in the making. He reads the game really well and adds a certain crunch too. If we can make the kind of signings that support him then it's possible he can single handedly support the midfield and give us a means to not desperately need a controller as opposed to a highly technical runner. In fact in that case we already have a possible one in Bernardo.
I don't think it's likely Pep abandons the idea of a midfield controller, but if he's ever going to do it it's probably this season.
I suppose it comes down to the CB signing(s). At the end of 16/17, Silva and KDB were having struggles, Fernandinho wasn't our first choice DM and Stones was raising eyebrows. Then we sign Ederson and Walker, and all of a sudden our defence becomes solid and our 3 midfielders shine. So I guess we need that again. Aké is a good start.
1. Sorry what do you mean by utility player? Just for my own clarity.I see Rodri as a top quality utility player personally.
My problem with these other characters though, all of them including Kroos, Busquets, etc is they just aren't that good at the job they supposedly do, but they get lauded for doing it. Most of them aren't that good defensively but aren't that good going forward, either. They don't merit a job as either, they aren't box to box, there has been a role invented for them & it's shite imo.
They are totally reliant on the team covering all the stuff they can't do, to allow them to nick balls & play cute little passes, or more likely, completely inconsequential little passes & one or two cute ones per game, for which they get a fucking statue erected in their honour.
If you see & video of Glen Hoddle playing, ponce he may be, but he was often the most dangerous player on the pitch, not a fucking 'ball recycler'. He would have put 15 passes over that Bayern defence, if playing in Barca's midfield the other day, all first time & plopping dead in front of the runner.
These people are not 'playmakers' in my eyes & their days are over.
I agree, but Saint Henderson won POTY for essentially recycling possession... maybe Gundogan needs to shout a lot, clap more often and he’ll be a world beater?
He was a waste in the 1st half. Coz he was playing as a 2nd striker pushing up next to Gabby. But once Dihno was removed he moved back and played well.Irrespective of who likes him or whatever, does anyone know what his job was last night & why he in particular was chosen to do it ?
I assumed pre kickoff, he would be there to take the ball from our defenders under pressure, but that wasn't the case, they just used Garcia to pass from deep.
So what specialist role, was he playing last night ?
1. Sorry what do you mean by utility player? Just for my own clarity.
2. Yeah, I get what you mean. In the original post of mine you quoted I made the point that with Silva you had a player who controls but also poses a serious attacking threat in some form. That was the plus with Xavi, Iniesta, Modric, Fabregas, Thiago etc. And that Gundogan being a controller who doesn't pose an attacking threat leaves us in a weird spot (unless we have a 18/19 situation where everyone else is in form). But Pep's been successful with a rather strict ideology where midfield control is vital. Although as I said before I do think he's loosening his grip in ways unseen previously. That's why I said replacing Silva might be a problem, because you're almost looking for a unicorn. I think the adherence to a philosophy means he's more likely to try and improve the rest of the team to lessen any Gundogan issue, and it could work. Although we won't know until we see it. But again if he's ever going to say fuck it and buy a box to box it's likely to be now more than ever.
3. I do think your viewpoint is a bit extreme and you're being a bit harsh on the players in question. But I'm not saying this to disagree with you as I do agree with your general idea muchly it's just I wanted you to have a greater understanding of my position without any false illusions.