Tugay One Cup
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I'd take him over Aouar. Might be older, might be more injury prone but he's levels above.
Thiago Alcantara
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That's where we are lacking in big CL games. Imagine a midfield 3 of Thiago, Bernardo and De Bruyne. That's a world class midfield. Games are won and lost in the middle of the park.
ninjamonkey
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I’d be quite happy for Liverpool to replace Wijnaldum with Thiago. There’s no doubting Thiago is the infinitely superior player but I don’t think he’s a better fit. Their game relies on having 3 midfield cloggers, they take one out for a cultured player and they instantly become more vulnerable without gaining much in return as all Thiago will be tasked with doing when on the ball is supplying the fullbacks with balls to cross into the box
There’s still the same deficiencies in that midfield as there would be replacing Thiago with Gundogan, namely a lack of pace and defensive protection.
There’s still the same deficiencies in that midfield as there would be replacing Thiago with Gundogan, namely a lack of pace and defensive protection.
Silva_Spell
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Neville Kneville
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I would be absolutely gutted if we signed this ****.
It's a total Pellegrini move for a cheapskate club.
We might as well get Gareth Bale while we're at it. And Suarez.
It's a total Pellegrini move for a cheapskate club.
We might as well get Gareth Bale while we're at it. And Suarez.
Neville Kneville
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You're over analysing this completely and trying to be overly clever for your own good. If you have the ball you don't need to chase it. The ball is with you, you're popping balls left and right and tiring an opposition down. Let the ball do the work, Bayern Munich are the perfect example.
Thiago is a superb fit for anyone, even Liverpool. A world class Midfielder is going to improve any team.
Clueless. And you're saying we should go for Denis Zakaria who will never ever be the same class as Thiago?
Baffling.
We are trying to win the Champions League, not target a top 6 finish.
Neville Kneville
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Clue: Thiago is on the downside of his career, plays in a high energy team which covers for him, has a record of injuries & would be ANOTHER player similar to the ones we already have for the position, except they are already PL players & he isn't.
It would be a pathetic, unimaginative, short term patchup job, taking a squad place from s younger player & the exact thing Pellegrini would do, if allowed, then fuck off & leave us with the shell, whilst other teams get younger & fitter.
Fucking dreadful idea.
Neville Kneville
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Liverpool don't have a player like that, in their squad & are full of athletes.
He would give them something different.
On the downside? He's just won the Champions League and was their best player in all of the clutch games! That's something our best player Kevin De Bruyne has never done.
I like Gundogan despite the abuse he gets on here, I think he's criticised because of the way Pep plays him and not because of the quality he has.
Lionel Messi is 4 years older, and you're saying that he'd be a patch up Job as well? Thiago could play for another 5 seasons at the highest level. If Liverpool sign him, I guarantee I'll be back on here to tell you that you've eaten your words.
If we can get Aouar I would go for him, but Thiago being available at 27m really is a no lose situation.
PannickAtTheDisco
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As we found out last season, at some point the opponent will win the ball back and if they only need it for 4 passes and 20 seconds to get a cheap goal because you're crap in the defensive transition, then the other 99% pales into insignificance.
Don't you think that's more down to the hole we have in defence and the inability of them to read danger and anticipate situations? Over analysing this completely.
Thiago, defensively is unbelievably underrated. To suggest you think he is someone who's just pretty on the ball is to my sense that you've not watched him enough. The work rate, reading of the game and defensive work he does outweighs everything our midfielders currently do.
Neville Kneville
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Yes, on the downside.
We DON'T HAVE a midfield or a setup like Liverpool or Bayern Munich & we DO HAVE 3 players already, for Thiago's position, two of whom will need replacing in the near future, as would Thiago, in our setup.
It doesn't matter if someone else can use him, they could probably use Bale as well & he woukd likely win them more games than Thiago.
Ridiculous, backward idea
PannickAtTheDisco
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It's because we don't have an A grade CB pairing and have moved away from a holding midfielder who sweeps up and can also play, in favour of one that can't move and can only play when the ball is given to them. No mobility, no energy, no press and we give up too many second balls, counter-attacking space and get isolated too easily. If you want a Thiago or Gundogan in the 8 you need a Fernandinho of a couple of years ago behind them. No surprise we start moving away from that and guys like Dave start to struggle significantly.
Liverpool would be more vulnerable, but it will be less of a problem as long as they have Fabinho or Keita to run round and sweep up, with their top class fullbacks covering and leaving VVD with little to do and saving himself for key moments. No surprise when they drop a level, as they did against us, they fell apart once that defence was put under consistent pressure and drawn into far more work than they normally get through.
Should have a job in football you with this over analysis.
You spoken to Pep on the phone recently? Haha
Neville Kneville
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Oh so Pep has fucking signed him then & disagrees ?
Hate childish shite comments like that.
Over analysing it. You should have a job in football you as a Top Tier Coach.
You're going off one game. Every team gets a good hiding at some point.
For me, you can play a high press, but not in one line as one ball beats the whole defence. Look at all the games we've been undone in, high press - ball over the top strikers running onto it. Same with United and the same with Liverpool at home. We got lucky they didn't score a few (in the 4-0). Trent hit a long ball over and Salah was running onto it. We have to have a player sweeping up the danger for this not to happen.
Lyon, Norwich, Arsenal, Wolves, Crystal Palace, United, Liverpool. There's nobody dropping back to sweep up the danger. You can't blame the defensive midfielders. The ball is being lumped over them. The system has to change and It's routine balls over the top that's undoing us, not clever tactical work. It's the basics of defending, quit with the over analysis- it's alot more simple that that.
Another example - Vardys goal at home- one ball over the top - running onto it and goal. Richarlison at home, long ball over the top he's running onto it because we are stuck in one line. Free kick Fernandes chips it over, one line is broken from one man. It's schoolboy defending and that's nothing to do with a counter press, lack of mobility etc. It's a stupid tactic.
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ninjamonkey
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There’s very little analysis and there’s really nothing clever in pointing out Liverpool play with three work horses in the midfield that allows their fullbacks to play as wingers and that they bypass the midfield more often than not in favour of the wings. Watch one half of any Liverpool game and that becomes abundantly clear.
How often do you see Liverpool play possession football and tire teams out passing them to death? You don’t. they press good sides into mistakes and pounce quickly and play the percentages bombarding the box with cross after cross.
World class players don’t automatically perform, they need to be in the correct setup to flourish, there’s examples of that everywhere. I’ve not even said Thiago would fail there, he would offer something different if they ever ditch the mourinho-like percentage tactics but for all his qualities they’d become weaker in other areas by replacing Wijnaldum with him
greasedupdeafguy
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God that’s shocking from Rodri.
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