19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

[freshie]

Left foot, right foot, work rate, first touch… guy has it all.. can’t blame pep for starting him every game even if it ruins the team balance.

First touch? Put the glue away

 

[eastmanc]

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.

 

[Chak19]

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.

What about Kovacic ? I know he was injured but isn't he fully fit now ?

 

[ScottSinclair]

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.

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]

What about Kovacic ? I know he was injured but isn't he fully fit now ?

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.

 

[Chak19]

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.

He was brilliant against Spurs in the cup, injuries have derailed him but he deserves another chance.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

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.

 

[WallyA]

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.

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.

 

[Vincennes Blue]

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.

 

[CΛL]

If Pep plays him one more time in midfield I’m gonna lose my mind

 

[Roachy]

The puzzle with this guy is he is ineffective on too many occasions. A few posters seem to suggest it's the position he finds himself in, which may well be true. I see him more in that 2nd striker role because he can be a real threat. The problem is that doesn't fit in with our team set up too often.

 

[Vincennes Blue]

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.

Is history repeating itself?

When Barça were marching on Europe, Pep had the idea of bringing in Cesc Fabregas, which seemed like a brilliant idea, and I think all Barça fans were super enthusiastic about the transfer. It was August 2011 and Barça had won the Champions League two months earlier.

Why am I telling you about it? Because the situation is eerily reminiscent of today's, and although Pep is a genius, he can also have very bad ideas and be stubborn. To make room for Fabregas, he shifted Iniesta (the best midfielder in the world at the time) to the left wing. The result was to completely unbalance the midfield and clearly destroy the team. It so destroyed the team that Pep left at the end of the season. Iniesta was quite prodigious on the left wing, but Fabregas, as strong as he was at Arsenal, didn't have what it took to play in Barça's midfield, because he didn't have the ability to turn around that Xavi and Iniesta had, the first touch, the dribbling or even the sense of positioning that the position demanded. He saw it wasn't working, but insisted on playing Fabregas, just as he insists on playing Alvarez in midfield. If he continues, it's going to be a disaster and we're likely to have a lot of unhappy players in the team: Foden, Bernardo, Kovacic and Nunes, who are all better than him in the midfield.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Would be great at the Serie A. Osimehin moves to PSG for 80m+ we can easily get 50m or more for Alvarez

 

[pudge]

Horrific touch, can't play the "10" role at all but Pep shoehorns him in there.

No Haaland? Fine, put him up front.

Haaland up front? Alvarez is on the bench

 

[Damanino]

when Pep says Alvarez plays because he deserves too is bit like saying Kovacic, Bernardo, Nunes doesnt deserve to play as a starter.
wonder where Alvarez would play now if we dont lose Gundo. would we bench Doku/Foden to fit him on the wing?

 

[Akira]

We have so many natural 10s in the team or at least players that qualify as a 10 (KDB, Foden, Nunes, Grealish, Bernardo...) that we see fit to shoehorn an out-and-out striker there.

 

[Akira]

Is history repeating itself?

When Barça were marching on Europe, Pep had the idea of bringing in Cesc Fabregas, which seemed like a brilliant idea, and I think all Barça fans were super enthusiastic about the transfer. It was August 2011 and Barça had won the Champions League two months earlier.

Why am I telling you about it? Because the situation is eerily reminiscent of today's, and although Pep is a genius, he can also have very bad ideas and be stubborn. To make room for Fabregas, he shifted Iniesta (the best midfielder in the world at the time) to the left wing. The result was to completely unbalance the midfield and clearly destroy the team. It so destroyed the team that Pep left at the end of the season. Iniesta was quite prodigious on the left wing, but Fabregas, as strong as he was at Arsenal, didn't have what it took to play in Barça's midfield, because he didn't have the ability to turn around that Xavi and Iniesta had, the first touch, the dribbling or even the sense of positioning that the position demanded. He saw it wasn't working, but insisted on playing Fabregas, just as he insists on playing Alvarez in midfield. If he continues, it's going to be a disaster and we're likely to have a lot of unhappy players in the team: Foden, Bernardo, Kovacic and Nunes, who are all better than him in the midfield.

Blast from the past. That Fabregas experiment was a disaster.

The days that it seemed like Pep's dream was to play 11 midfielders.

 

[bluethai]

He's a good striker, but his weak first touch isn't suited for our midfield, which deals with constant packed defences and quick pressing, leaving little time to control the ball. He's that easy target to steal from, especially when the ball bounces after his touch!

 

[Blu1]

Horrific touch, can't play the "10" role at all but Pep shoehorns him in there.

No Haaland? Fine, put him up front.

Haaland up front? Alvarez is on the bench

Or put him on wing and put foden in the middle. Seems the most logical system for me.

Foden wasted on wing
Alvarez wasted in middle

 

[upb78]

Or put him on wing and put foden in the middle. Seems the most logical system for me.

Foden wasted on wing
Alvarez wasted in middle

This is exactly what i've been saying for quite some time, let Foden deal with the central area, and move Alvarez to the right wing, otherwise if we keep playing Foden, KdB and Haaland like this, nothing will really work for either Alvarez or City.