Denis Zakaria

ChicagoBlue said:
Doesn’t look better than the young Blues in the squad already!
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At 6` 3 and quick, you will find it hard to find one of our DM youth who could compete with him, but it is a fair point that was not his best performance or that we do not need a Rodri replacement just a back up. i know he is not top notch and that will show in his price, but he brings what we have not got in our squad, so i would buy. It is the old story for me A carpenter is a good joiner without the tools.
 
salfordbluetrue said:
At 6` 3 and quick, you will find it hard to find one of our DM youth who could compete with him, but it is a fair point that was not his best performance or that we do not need a Rodri replacement just a back up. i know he is not top notch and that will show in his price, but he brings what we have not got in our squad, so i would buy. It is the old story for me A carpenter is a good joiner without the tools.
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Size isn’t an asset if you don’t capitalize on it. Rodri does. Zakaria might be quick, but was Ferna? Busquets? Rodri?

The primary need in that role is to boss space, pass with precision and frequency. It is not speed.

Additionally, we are not in a position to add another foreign player into a squad role. Foreign players need to be able to “compete to beat” whomever currently plays their role. I’m not sure he’s the business...from what I’ve seen, which hasn’t been much, tbf.
 
ChicagoBlue said:
Size isn’t an asset if you don’t capitalize on it. Rodri does. Zakaria might be quick, but was Ferna? Busquets? Rodri?

The primary need in that role is to boss space, pass with precision and frequency. It is not speed.

Additionally, we are not in a position to add another foreign player into a squad role. Foreign players need to be able to “compete to beat” whomever currently plays their role. I’m not sure he’s the business...from what I’ve seen, which hasn’t been much, tbf.
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Size is an asset during Rodri`s time here we have hardly conceded from corners or crosses from free kicks, who ever comes in must have that boon as no one else at the club can do that, pace is the one thing that Rodri does not have, but passing is Rodri`s strength and we have lots of players and ex players that can do that. You are right Zakaria is not the business, but what he has what we have not.
 
He was the best player on the field in the first leg. I’d have him all day a Dinho’s replacement and he’d be a great challenge to keep Rodri motivated in the same way Walker and Cancelo do.
 
I much prefer Manuel Locatelli who we were also linked with (also a year younger)
 
Thaksinssoldier said:
He was the best player on the field in the first leg.
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Definitely not. He had a passable game in the second leg, but in the first one I would easily say that Neuhaus was their best player (and one that we have also been linked with. I bet Pep would love to have him)
 
Guscruz said:
Definitely not. He had a passable game in the second leg, but in the first one I would easily say that Neuhaus was their best player (and one that we have also been linked with. I bet Pep would love to have him)
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I was blown away by Zakaria in first leg, he single handedly kept them respectable. I’d recommend checking it out again. His work rate and timing was fantastic. City dealt with him far better in second leg.
 
Zakaria would be an excellent signing given age and profile. Not to mention he was easily the best Gladbach player alongside Neuhaus vs us. He's been consistent over the season as well. Has great ability to win the ball back and keep hold or distribute.
 
Thaksinssoldier said:
I was blown away by Zakaria in first leg, he single handedly kept them respectable. I’d recommend checking it out again. His work rate and timing was fantastic. City dealt with him far better in second leg.
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The way he left Rodri on his arse and almost singlehandedly got them into our box for arguably their best chances says something in itself.
 
Just throwing this out there, but I don’t think we will replace Fernandinho (if he leaves this summer) with another defensive midfielder. A few reasons why, firstly Gundogan is likely to revert back to being a 6 if the links to Grealish are accurate. Also, the incredible talent that is Romeo Lavia needs to be factored in. Why sign Zakaria and effectively block Lavia’s City pathway? It doesn’t make sense. We’d lose him and regret it. It makes far more sense to go next season with Rodri and Gundogan as the main options, with cover from Cancelo, Zinchenko, Doyle etc and then Lavia is 18 years old and probably starts training permanently with the first team like Foden was at that age. So yeah, no DM signing this summer is my preference. Effectively, Fernandinho is ‘replaced’ by Grealish, with Gundogan dropping deeper.
 
Tricky_Trev said:
Just throwing this out there, but I don’t think we will replace Fernandinho (if he leaves this summer) with another defensive midfielder. A few reasons why, firstly Gundogan is likely to revert back to being a 6 if the links to Grealish are accurate. Also, the incredible talent that is Romeo Lavia needs to be factored in. Why sign Zakaria and effectively block Lavia’s City pathway? It doesn’t make sense. We’d lose him and regret it. It makes far more sense to go next season with Rodri and Gundogan as the main options, with cover from Cancelo, Zinchenko, Doyle etc and then Lavia is 18 years old and probably starts training permanently with the first team like Foden was at that age. So yeah, no DM signing this summer is my preference. Effectively, Fernandinho is ‘replaced’ by Grealish, with Gundogan dropping deeper.
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Seen this idea floating around and I can’t get my head round it. Gundogan has been excellent in his attacking role and now people want to stick him at DM to accommodate Grealish? I’m confused.
 
hgblue said:
Seen this idea floating around and I can’t get my head round it. Gundogan has been excellent in his attacking role and now people want to stick him at DM to accommodate Grealish? I’m confused.
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Just a guess but I’ve said before that I suspect we may not even sign a traditional specialist DM to replace Ferna but look for someone who, like him, is a good all rounder/box to box player with both attacking and defensive attributes and who can be coached into the DM/deep lying role but retaining their other talents. Someone like Tielemans would fit that profile better than a destroyer type such as Ndidi.
 
LongsightM13 said:
Just a guess but I’ve said before that I suspect we may not even sign a traditional specialist DM to replace Ferna but look for someone who, like him, is a good all rounder/box to box player with both attacking and defensive attributes and who can be coached into the DM/deep lying role but retaining their other talents. Someone like Tielemans would fit that profile better than a destroyer type such as Ndidi.
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I like Tielemans a lot but he cannot defend.
 
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