19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

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eastmanc said:
I think Pep showed against Copenhagen that if everyone is fit Julian is going to be on the bench. Yesterday Bernie was carrying a knock on his ankle so he was on the bench if he had been fully fit he'd have played instead of Alvarez.
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What about Kovacic ? I know he was injured but isn't he fully fit now ?
 
eastmanc said:
I think Pep showed against Copenhagen that if everyone is fit Julian is going to be on the bench. Yesterday Bernie was carrying a knock on his ankle so he was on the bench if he had been fully fit he'd have played instead of Alvarez.
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I also feel we need Grealish on the pitch if Alvarez is starting. If Doku, Erling, Julian and Walker is all on the pitch there is just too many players on the pitch with a inconsistent touch and decision making going forward for our system to handle. They also somehow fail to make us collectively more direct and penetrative
 
eastmanc said:
I don't think Kova is in our best team. The side that started in Copenhagen is in my opinion our best starting eleven and I suspect Pep thinks so as well.
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He was brilliant against Spurs in the cup, injuries have derailed him but he deserves another chance.
 
What’s ultimately happening right now is Pep is playing him out of position just to try to keep him happy. A player as good as Alvarez cannot stay at a club as 2nd choice striker, so Pep is bending over backwards and shoehorning him in to try to make him something he isn’t in the hope he stays longer. But it’s hampering the team.

If Haaland is truly here for the long haul then, sadly, I think Alvarez would have to be sold. We can’t keep a top striker happy as an understudy. And we also shouldn’t pretend he’s good in midfield just so he can get on the pitch. Purely logically, it is actually more beneficial for the team if he was sold for big money and we bought a player who can actually play in the positions we need him to. Then the non-Haaland team (when he’s injured/rested) should see us use the false 9 again. That way we can keep everyone happy without having to shoehorn anyone in. That’s the head speaking, but I totally get it that the heart wants Alvarez to stay forever. For me, the only way he stays long term is if the reason he’s being shoehorned to be happy is actually that Haaland IS likely to go to Madrid in a year or two and we want Alvarez to still be here when that happens.
 
Tricky_Trev said:
What’s ultimately happening right now is Pep is playing him out of position just to try to keep him happy. A player as good as Alvarez cannot stay at a club as 2nd choice striker, so Pep is bending over backwards and shoehorning him in to try to make him something he isn’t in the hope he stays longer. But it’s hampering the team.

If Haaland is truly here for the long haul then, sadly, I think Alvarez would have to be sold. We can’t keep a top striker happy as an understudy. And we also shouldn’t pretend he’s good in midfield just so he can get on the pitch. Purely logically, it is actually more beneficial for the team if he was sold for big money and we bought a player who can actually play in the positions we need him to. Then the non-Haaland team (when he’s injured/rested) should see us use the false 9 again. That way we can keep everyone happy without having to shoehorn anyone in. That’s the head speaking, but I totally get it that the heart wants Alvarez to stay forever. For me, the only way he stays long term is if the reason he’s being shoehorned to be happy is actually that Haaland IS likely to go to Madrid in a year or two and we want Alvarez to still be here when that happens.
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Gonna disagree here.

I don't think the problem is that "Alvarez is a striker don't play him in midfield".

I think Alvarez CAN play with Haaland, if he plays behind him like Kevin does as the #10.

This HAS been successful this season, Alvarez has been good either as a striker or behind the striker.

The problem is when Kevin is also playing and you tell Alvarez to partner Rodri in the midfield 2:

THIS IS THE BIG ISSUE.

He should have either told Kevin to drop deeper, and let Alvarez press higher, but Pep doesn't want Kevin dropping too deep because of his goal threat.

Or dropped Alvarez.

Playing 2 out of those 3 should not cause any complains about minutes, that's perfectly good depth that should have all happy. Selling him is completely unecessary.
 
I like Julian Alvarez a lot as a player and I'm an unconditional Pep fan and supporter, but if Pep continues to play Kevin De Bruyne alongside Julian Alvarez we won't win any trophies this year. I was blown away by the fluidity of the team against Copenhagen when Julian wasn't on the pitch. The ball moved much faster, we were unpredictable and more beautiful to watch. Julian should only be lined up on the pitch under two conditions: either as a replacement for KDB, or in place of Erling Haaland, but never ever when those two are on the pitch. He clutters up the midfield more than anything else, and prevents Phil Foden from flourishing by being deployed on the left wing, which is not his position, or Bernardo Silva, whose feet he steps on. I think that Pep is doing coaching by refusing to put a world champion and winner of every possible trophy on the bench, and what's more, this world champion has an irreproachable attitude on the pitch.
 
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