Did you watch our game at Anfield? He kept the best winger in the league quiet. He also performed well at Old Trafford in the semi final. I think people have got it programmed in their brains that he can’t defend against decent opposition, when he’s proved that he can. Like I said, all full backs have bad moments or games, I can’t remember Zinchenkos last one. That’s why he deserves his place in the team.WIth due respect - I completely disagree. Zinchenko is a huge liability on defense against a quality RB.
I like his effort - and on offense he's OK-ish; not at all great though.
As someone available to fill out the squad against non top-notch opposition - Zinchenko is the man.
Against quality opposition - I hate it when Zinchenko is in our side - we're giving up a lot of defense on our left side.
OK - let's agree to watch the next few games that Zinchenko starts against quality opposition. Gentleman's bet - he's going be beaten multiple times by the opposing right winger/right back - either the RW/RB delivers a cross which he should have cut out - or worse still, the RW/RB beats him and goes inside towards goal; this sort of performance has occurred multiple times in the past.Did you watch our game at Anfield? He kept the best winger in the league quiet. He also performed well at Old Trafford in the semi final. I think people have got it programmed in their brains that he can’t defend against decent opposition, when he’s proved that he can. Like I said, all full backs have bad moments or games, I can’t remember Zinchenkos last one. That’s why he deserves his place in the team.
I was preaching to this about 4-5 yes s ago to lots of derision and laughs. :) The idea that good Midfielders with high defensive energy were better fullback candidates for City. I specifically highlighted both Delph and Zinchencko as possible great fullbacks for us. I'm happy many have come around to this thinking.The main idea is that - Zinchenko is the type of fullback that team needs right now..
Since Fabian Delph as a pioneer, Pep I think has found out that - you can have quality fullbacks like Mendy or Walker for example but that's not unique in this league and world. Because there are Lucas Dignes, Arnolds, Robertsons, Davises and similar players - who all do that standard fullback jobs: play wide, make crosses, run and etc.
But with Delph, Cancelo, Zinchenko - Pep has / had something unique and that's what makes the difference.
Thehehe problem of the modern football is that players and teams are becoming more and more equal. You can spend 300-400 millions and still couldn't win the league (like Chelsea this year) or even worse - couldn't make top 4 (Everton..), because the number of exceptional players and individuals, who are three or four or five times better than the others - is reducing year by year.
For this purpose you need revolutionary ideas and philosophy and that's what "inverted fullbacks tactic" is at this stage. In addition to Gabriel Jesus or Bernardo as False9 and Ederson with his amazing passing abilities and etc.
This point continues to evade so many of our fans with their "real or natural Left lback" claims. I remember trying to explain a few years ago (for those who wanted Angelino back for his good play in Holland) that Zinchencko will beat out Angelino when if we brought him back. And I really hoped we'd bring him back just to prove it. We did and now his in Germany. Playing great football I might add. But not the kind of football that would be better at City.Therefore - Zinchenko is more important and valuable than Lucas Digne or Robertson or Shaw or Davies or Chilwell or Tirney and etc. who are the standard fullbacks, not able to play in the middle.
Exactly! It's been hard to get folks to understand this. There are left backs who'd be fantastic here. But not all 'natural leftbacks" who are good will do well here.p.s That doesn't mean you can't "upgrade" zinchenko :D David Alaba for example.. But type of player is more important than the quality, which is relative..
WIth due respect - I completely disagree. Zinchenko is a huge liability on defense against a quality RB.
I like his effort - and on offense he's OK-ish; not at all great though.
As someone available to fill out the squad against non top-notch opposition - Zinchenko is the man.
Against quality opposition - I hate it when Zinchenko is in our side - we're giving up a lot of defense on our left side; in compensation we're gaining OK-ish offense. Not at all a good tradeoff.
God forbid a quality RB or RW might get a cross in or beats him in a one on one....Please show me a LB that has never been beaten.OK - let's agree to watch the next few games that Zinchenko starts against quality opposition. Gentleman's bet - he's going be beaten multiple times by the opposing right winger/right back - either the RW/RB delivers a cross which he should have cut out - or worse still, the RW/RB beats him and goes inside towards goal; this sort of performance has occurred multiple times in the past.
OK - let's agree to watch the next few games that Zinchenko starts against quality opposition. Gentleman's bet - he's going be beaten multiple times by the opposing right winger/right back - either the RW/RB delivers a cross which he should have cut out - or worse still, the RW/RB beats him and goes inside towards goal; this sort of performance has occurred multiple times in the past.
Most full backs in the league get beaten by the wingersOK - let's agree to watch the next few games that Zinchenko starts against quality opposition. Gentleman's bet - he's going be beaten multiple times by the opposing right winger/right back - either the RW/RB delivers a cross which he should have cut out - or worse still, the RW/RB beats him and goes inside towards goal; this sort of performance has occurred multiple times in the past.
Has he not just played against quality opposition ? People putting this boy down does my swede inOK - let's agree to watch the next few games that Zinchenko starts against quality opposition. Gentleman's bet - he's going be beaten multiple times by the opposing right winger/right back - either the RW/RB delivers a cross which he should have cut out - or worse still, the RW/RB beats him and goes inside towards goal; this sort of performance has occurred multiple times in the past.