Very good footballer and technical, would add energy. Possibly lacking a bit of stature and pace would be my main concern.Is Jacob Wright worth a punt.? I was talking to bloke who watches the academy regularly and he reckons he could do a decent job. Young legs if nowt else.
He has to change the playing style because we can’t control midfield with our currently available players. Don’t understand why he has not tried 442 with Haaland and Foden up front and a proper deep back four. Surely nothing to lose to at least try this. Teams have broken on us all season through the midfield.A few weeks after Rodri got injured Pep said he was going to come up with a plan of how to compensate the loss, and there were reports of the long hours he was spending in his office trying to plot the solution to our midfield
He hasn’t really done anything different bar play Kovacic, Silva and Gundogan in there, with Rico Lewis inverting into there when he plays and 1 game for Grealish.
Is there something wrong with the fitness trading regime or even the medical dept?We definitely need more energy in midfield. We can't press properly and can't cope with transitions. The players all look fatigued, which I also think is why we're having so many injuries. Need some younger legs in there.
Is there something wrong with the fitness trading regime or even the medical dept?
Or is it just age?
Why can’t Dias get fit?
Hard to put a finger on it, but I do think fatigue plays a big part in it. All these players have played a lot of games over the last few years, without a proper break. They are also older. Because we have had a run of injuries, players are coming back too soon.Is there something wrong with the fitness trading regime or even the medical dept?
Or is it just age?
Why can’t Dias get fit?
Reis can’t do worse than we are doing at present. I would risk him, despite his youth and inexperience.Reis and Stones are the only options at 6 to sort us out defensively for me. I think Pep has doubts about Stones physical condition to play that role presently. At the moment we don't have any legs in that position and are woeful coping with transitions. Reis looks to have pace and energy. He maybe our best option, but it is a risk bearing in mind his experience. I think it is a chance Pep is likely to take if no more signings arrive in that position.
Wouldn't need to do it all as jack can run as well thoughKova and leg work??? If he ran any slower he’d stop.
by my reckoning we now have:
Doku, Savinho, Marmoush, McAtee, Grealish (attacking, more wide)
KdB, Foden, Bobb, O'Reilly, Wright (attacking, more central)
Kovacic, Silva, Rodri, Nunes, Gunodgan (deeper/central role)
[Stones], [Lewis]
That's a lot of players. You feel for O'Reilly and Wright trying to push into that. and STILL i think we need a quality central mid.
I put Stones and Lewis, due to their history of either playing in mid or effectively playing in midfield, but they can effectively be ignored. Nunes is a midfielder but might have a future at right-back.....
Are we going to default to 6 midfielders if Haaland is injured/rested? or stick McAtee or Marmoush up top?
Marmoush can play as a 9.by my reckoning we now have:
Doku, Savinho, Marmoush, McAtee, Grealish (attacking, more wide)
KdB, Foden, Bobb, O'Reilly, Wright (attacking, more central)
Kovacic, Silva, Rodri, Nunes, Gunodgan (deeper/central role)
[Stones], [Lewis]
That's a lot of players. You feel for O'Reilly and Wright trying to push into that. and STILL i think we need a quality central mid.
I put Stones and Lewis, due to their history of either playing in mid or effectively playing in midfield, but they can effectively be ignored. Nunes is a midfielder but might have a future at right-back.....
Are we going to default to 6 midfielders if Haaland is injured/rested? or stick McAtee or Marmoush up top?
that sounds promising. I dont think we'll be looking at a back up striker any time soon then.Marmoush can play as a 9.
Add in Echeverri to the attacking central and Akanji alongside Stones & Lewis Pep said Stones wouldn't be used as a DM due to his injury record so more likely to be Akanji who Pep said he'd also consider if we ever get a full complement of CB's back fit.by my reckoning we now have:
Doku, Savinho, Marmoush, McAtee, Grealish (attacking, more wide)
KdB, Foden, Bobb, O'Reilly, Wright (attacking, more central)
Kovacic, Silva, Rodri, Nunes, Gunodgan (deeper/central role)
[Stones], [Lewis]
That's a lot of players. You feel for O'Reilly and Wright trying to push into that. and STILL i think we need a quality central mid.
I put Stones and Lewis, due to their history of either playing in mid or effectively playing in midfield, but they can effectively be ignored. Nunes is a midfielder but might have a future at right-back.....
Are we going to default to 6 midfielders if Haaland is injured/rested? or stick McAtee or Marmoush up top?
New legs for Kova? His top speed is 32.5 km/hr - KDB's 32.25, Jack's 31.91, Rodri's 31.66, Bernie's 29.43, Gundo's 28.33Kova and leg work??? If he ran any slower he’d stop.