An apt description. Regardless of the media or anyone else blowing smoke up his arse, I see a just above average PL midfielder.Not at £100m +. He is incapable of being a straight replacement for Rodri as he needs someone to hold his hand. Unlike Rodri, he cannot do the holding role on his own so we would have to leave out De Bruyne, Foden or Bernardo. Also, he's a plodder and cannot think quickly enough for the way we play. He needs three touches whereas most of our squad need one.
We had Alvarez to back up Haaland so objectively it's not. We are as strong or stronger everywhere else...It's a stronger squad than we started last season with.
Overall the squad is stronger,remains to be seen whether playing a false 9 is weaker or stronger than Alvarez when Haaland doesn't play.We had Alvarez to back up Haaland so objectively it's not. We are as strong or stronger everywhere else...
It may be helpful for you to understand that the absence of cover in question is specifically for Erling & Rodri. (Gundo, Kova & Stones are not CDMs btw)
We had Alvarez to back up Haaland so objectively it's not. We are as strong or stronger everywhere else...
It's not his job to find the player. That's Txiki's job. He has every right, however, to question our need for a back up to Haaland. Many of our supporters feel the same, myself included. It's a valid concern...there's no need to be condescending when this is far from a cut and dried decision being made by the club...Do you have a couple of players in mind that would be happy to serve as ‘cover’?
Of course we have options. Are those options good enough to see us through were we to lose Haaland for any period of time? By see us through I'm talking about winning the Prem/CL. Hopefully it doesn't come to that.Although we do have Savinho to free up the position Foden or Kev would play, pushing them in either behind haaland, or instead of (with others like Grealish Gundo then also taking up different roles).
Look I want a second striker, and have committed to saying I expected one by the end of the window. If we don't end up with one though, we have options. And we also have January not far off if they happen to not work as expected.
I wasn’t being condescending, that’s your inference. I’m just intrigued as to what players other posters would have liked. I would have liked us to have signed Neves and Gimenez as cover, for example, but recognise that they would have been too expensive and unlikely to have been utilised ahead of others when Rodri and Haaland were available.It's not his job to find the player. That's Txiki's job. He has every right, however, to question our need for a back up to Haaland. Many of our supporters feel the same, myself included. It's a valid concern...there's no need to be condescending when this is far from a cut and dried decision being made by the club...
pep said he will return in january plus how much time it will take to get into sharpness, i wouldn't expect him to play till february at best, like with kevA reason why we might not be desperate to replace Alvarez with another striker is because we anticipate that Bobb is capable of playing that role. He’s always had an eye for goal, 33 goals and 36 assists, and while most people have viewed him as a winger, he is adept at playing centrally. If his injury had ruled him out for the season, we might have felt pressured to sign someone, but if we anticipate him returning by Christmas and showing the same pre-season form, then it makes sense to be patient
And I'm sure he's doing it. Maybe we feel we don't need a back-up and can deploy a false 9 again if/when needed. Maybe we have someone in mind that isn't be available at the moment so we've decided to wait rather than bringing in a stop-gap.It's not his job to find the player. That's Txiki's job
we often do a last minute approach that being revealed later in the season btw, wonder if we will try to test the waters this timeAlthough we do have Savinho to free up the position Foden or Kev would play, pushing them in either behind haaland, or instead of (with others like Grealish Gundo then also taking up different roles).
Look I want a second striker, and have committed to saying I expected one by the end of the window. If we don't end up with one though, we have options. And we also have January not far off if they happen to not work as expected.
I think with Gundo back and Kovacic in form we're more than well prepared to win some games w/o Rodri.Nobody in the current squad can replace Rodri as a 6 and none of the ones you mention is a natural pivot.
David James says hi!In blow out games we can play a false one and put Eddie in at the 9.
That said- is there a rule where you can't pull your 9, pop the goalie in there after a kit change and then put in your back up keeper?
Sorry I think Eddie's getting the tasket for goals and will need to be fed.
rather have Phil being one of the lads facing the goal, let Gundo take it.Foden played the false 9 position really well prior to Haaland joining. He's now a better player with more experience. He's not needed on the flanks anymore, so he can fill in for Haaland if required.
agree with this.I think with Gundo back and Kovacic in form we're more than well prepared to win some games w/o Rodri.
However, I don't think we're in the same position when it comes to alternatives to Haaland...I've seen nothing that tells me Savinho or Doku are suited to play as wide men in a false 9 system. Grealish was shit his first season here when we had no identifiable 9. Some are saying Foden but then we lose the top goal scoring AM in the Prem as a knock-on effect.
Not replacing Alvarez and going with no second 9 in the squad is a huge risk no matter how the club try to downplay it or some on here try to sugar coat it.
Let's keep it 100% real. If someone were doing an independent analysis of our side as it is, the lack of an identified second 9 would be considered a weakness and assessed as a high risk.
A false 9 being better than Alvarez in Haaland's place?Overall the squad is stronger,remains to be seen whether playing a false 9 is weaker or stronger than Alvarez when Haaland doesn't play.