19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

[Gabriel]

Stop blaming him for pep playing him out of position. He works his bollocks off, does the best he can and regularly ends up contributing. As he did again tonight.

I'm in the camp of he shouldn't be in midfield and you can't play him and kdb and haaland but it's pep that's playing him there.

Amen. There is a bench of players that Guardiola cannot rely upon, be it physically or tactically, so he is having to depend on players operating out of position and playing through injury and tiredness.

 

[decmancity]

You make an interesting point. Money for Leao or Oshimen. He’s not technical enough for a Pep team. How long will Pep be here?

Kane more of a Pep forward than Haaland, also.

Not sure id be rushing after someone like Leao with 3 goals to his name this year.

As for Kane, yeah mate we know, Pep chased him for two years, Harry bottled forcing the move and then weirdly wanted to run off to the german rags, fuck him.

 

[Blu1]

I really need somebody to explain him in this position.

All I see is a player who looks lost.
He’s not pressing
He gets in fodens way or haalands
He just becomes an extra body in attack which slows quick balls to haaland
He puts a lot of pressure on our only midfielder rodders as he doesn’t support him which creates kaos in defence

He’s a great striker but no way he should be starting games

I’m at a total loss what pep is trying with him.

Can anybody explain

 

[pride in battle]

I really need somebody to explain him in this position.

All I see is a player who looks lost.
He’s not pressing
He gets in fodens way or haalands
He just becomes an extra body in attack which slows quick balls to haaland
He puts a lot of pressure on our only midfielder rodders as he doesn’t support him which creates kaos in defence

He’s a great striker but no way he should be starting games

I’m at a total loss what pep is trying with him.

Can anybody explain

Dropped for Kovicic next game, we need to start controlling games again...

 

[decmancity]

Flashes of Tevez when he first joined but now all I see is Jesus without the offside propensity.

Its still in there, hes just been flogged by club and country for close to 18mths now.

 

[Blu1]

Dropped for Kovicic next game, we need to start controlling games again...

100% but I’m not sure pep will drop him. Rodders & Kova is a perfect balance for me

 

[Bluewonder]

I don't actually think he's an especially good player anyway, but continually playing him as an attacking midfielder is really negating his natural strengths.

He certainly isn't good enough to justify unbalancing the team in order to shoehorn him in.

 

[Bluewars]

Remember that gut-wrenching feeling in 20/21 when you saw Raheem Sterling's name in the starting line-up??

Yep..we're getting to that level with Julian..

 

[uwerosler28]

He's a back up striker to Haaland , who got excess game time due to vikings injury. We should not be pushing Phil wide right to accommodate him in CM.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Trying to force him into being some kind of utility player just wouldn't work. The frustrating thing here is that when the project completely tanks, he would be sold the same way Zinchenko and Jesus were sold. Just play the kid in his natural position! it's not just Alvarez, the same thing seems to be happening with Gvardiol also. If I had a melt down at the fruit section asking why my oranges don't taste like apples everyone would think I was crazy and rightfully so. You want oranges then buy oranges, you want an attacking midfielder then buy one or better yet play Foden (the most gifted attacking midfielder in the league) in his preferred position.