19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

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Frustrating this season. Not sure if he is going to get any better or is tired. Pep not playing him properly is also an issue.

We seen the same thing with Phil in the past and Rodri.

Not sure but I hope he can kick on again before the season ends. A talent no doubt but how good is yet to be known. Lost possession a lot today.
 
He had a bad game, no doubt about it, he still had some good actions that the vid didn't showed (on purpose probably)

Yet since day one a video can be made that he rarely was put in an advantage position to score frequently since he arrived to the club, his runs into space are vastly ignored the majority of times, sthg that happened/and happens to Erling too, but still the Norwegian is way more assisted by Kev, Silva, Foden and cia.

Now that he is even less used and played a new position every match, with his confidence and form going down, this was expected.

BTW in the game per se, I don't think any of the other offensive fellas was doing great at all and that's also due to the talent of Liverpool to press and then keep the ball.

Like I've said long ago, he ain't an Aguero or Tevez type of fella, in his best form he is more of a Muller type of one, that can move and influence from various positions but he is mainly a second forward with goals in him. He has to be use more when he pressures and when he runs into space and with the style City has, his hieracrcy in the team, he won't get that type of service that much. In a sense when you think about it, being a second forward and a striker in ocasions, he is the one playing more for the team than the team for him, when normally should be the other way around.
This can easily be showed in some attemps when loosing balance, or from long distances shots that in the past he would not have even tried it if he weren't feelimng that he has to grab from the neck every little chance he receives a ball in a more or less scoring position.
 
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Frustrating this season. Not sure if he is going to get any better or is tired. Pep not playing him properly is also an issue.

We seen the same thing with Phil in the past and Rodri.

Not sure but I hope he can kick on again before the season ends. A talent no doubt but how good is yet to be known. Lost possession a lot today.

Talking about frustrating season it's a bit over the top when he is in the top three providers in goals and assists of the team. But he definitly looks more nervous, more incline to loose the ball due to a certain degree of impatience that I do think comes from the scenario I've talked about in my prior post.
 
Got to be honest, I've wanted to see him on the wing for a while now, thought he could be a better fit there than as an 8/10. It did not work today, i wouldnt abandon the idea entirely after his second game there in the toughest match of our season though. His touch isn't great at the best of times but it was especially poor today and it got us into all manner of problems.
Kids got no pace whatsoever so not really gonna cut it wide. Yes Bernie can do a job there but as we all know his touch is ridiculous
 
Got to be honest, I've wanted to see him on the wing for a while now, thought he could be a better fit there than as an 8/10. It did not work today, i wouldnt abandon the idea entirely after his second game there in the toughest match of our season though. His touch isn't great at the best of times but it was especially poor today and it got us into all manner of problems.

Yeah but not on the left, he's been struggling too much with ball control, playing him on the left will only worsen this issue.
 
As bad as he was today, I do actually think away from home we should be considering him up top as a false 9 and dropping Haaland.
 
He should be on the bench coming in for Haaland If he’s not performing because we have no other attacker which is crazy considering we are the best team in the world .
We have no other attackers ? What do you think wingers are, what do attacking midfielders do ?
 
He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.
 
He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.

Yeah agree… I mentioned earlier the fundamental part of a Pep team is control in midfield. We don’t have that when we shoehorn him in to the team in a midfield (ish) role. All very odd as this has now been going on all season.
 
Think Kovacic and Doku didn't start because they've just come back from injury and we have a possible 18 games left! So pep looks at his squad and thinks who can he play it's either Alvarez Nunes or Bob and you can see why he went for Alvarez me personally would of started Bob but we know pep with his pecking order!
 
I really do think he should be primarily Haaland's back-up and trying to challenge him for that place in the starting line-up (or playing alongside him if we were to play a formation with 2 up front).

I don't mind him occasionally playing elsewhere.

But he's a striker and that should be where he's building his experience. It can't be doing his confidence or development much good to be playing in multiple other positions with varying levels of success.
 
I really do think he should be primarily Haaland's back-up and trying to challenge him for that place in the starting line-up (or playing alongside him if we were to play a formation with 2 up front).

I don't mind him occasionally playing elsewhere.

But he's a striker and that should be where he's building his experience. It can't be doing his confidence or development much good to be playing in multiple other positions with varying levels of success.
I think as a 10 and even as a winger there are probably games he will do well in, but this 100% wasn't in. Obviously Pep had thought of something but we know the strengths of Liverpool, its no secret, and we have seriously struggled with teams playing through us this season. Should have played safe with Kova and brought Alvarez on later if required.

One thing he needs to work on his first touch and awareness of his teammates, sometimes he looks like he's got it and other times he looks like the Argentinian Scott McTominay!
 
Square peg, round hole.
Stuck out on the left yesterday, lost possession constantly and offered little protection to Ake with Bradley a key threat down that side.

Pep needs to realise that he's Haaland's understudy as a striker and thats it. He's a very good striker don't get me wrong. Just not a midfielder or winger.
 
Didn't even give Ake protection yesterday ,giving away the ball don't know why he is being forced to that position .
 
Think Kovacic and Doku didn't start because they've just come back from injury and we have a possible 18 games left! So pep looks at his squad and thinks who can he play it's either Alvarez Nunes or Bob and you can see why he went for Alvarez me personally would of started Bob but we know pep with his pecking order!
I don't really agree, we've got 3 weeks off in the league now and just one FA cup game. If Kovacic can't play 2 in a week then he should have sat out Copenhagen. Pep just preferred Alvarez in this game for me. We should have gone with the extra control of Kovacic though imo.
 
He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.
I think there is an element of this and I have said previously that I think Alvarez plays too much. In fairness to Pep and Alvarez though, the lack of G/A from others is probably playing a part in the decision-making. For all the negatives of Alvarez being shoe-horned into the side, there is a flip side that he does score and assist more than his fair share. Maybe if the likes of Grealish, Bernardo and Doku (all playing in advanced positions) stepped up to the plate in that regard, the need to play Alvarez so much would lessen. We’ve lost the Mahrez and Gundo G/A this season and Alvarez is one of the few that is making up for that loss. I’ve not checked the stats but I wouldn’t be shocked and stunned if Alvarez has as many G/A as the others combined.
 
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