19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

[fuskarn]

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.

its a shit situation all around. if he only plays as a striker he will be warming the bench 80% of the season. if he plays else where, the team is worse and he is nowhere near effective. unless haaland leaves, its hard to see how you keep him happy when he could just start for most other teams at his best position.

 

[St.Pauli support]

Well tonight he bought Kev a rest as Nunes doesn't seem to be trusted at home vs Brentford.

Pep has to activate our bench more or we run out of steam too early I'm afraid.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Those are the games for him - easy ones (or what should be easy ones). Just make sure he doesn't start the proper ones

 

[hammersmithlad]

Well tonight he bought Kev a rest as Nunes doesn't seem to be trusted at home vs Brentford.

Pep has to activate our bench more or we run out of steam too early I'm afraid.

It really is quite baffling. Pep is normally one for rotation & saving legs for certain parts of the season but it’s clear Julian is out of form & more importantly looking knackered out there for the continuous shifts he’s put in.

As others have mentioned he really isn’t good enough to drop in midfield & pick out a pass. His strengths are in & around the box & banging goals in.

Putting Kovacic or even Nunes there would have penned Brentford back even further & accelerated our short creative passes to either Phil or Big Erl.

He also seems to be running himself into ground as whilst I admire his chasing down it’s often fruitless unless everyone follows suit at the same time.

 

[SWP's back]

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.

Him playing in midfield shouldn’t suddenly make him not be able to shoot. He needs resting for a few games.

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

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..

He's nowhere near Sterling bad! Sterling was damn awful and that's what opened the door and Foden displaced him.

Has any one of our players truly displaced Julian even though many are rightly saying.. the door is open for another person to take that position and make it their own?

Gven the assist today.. he has a clear vision of goal and assists. That's exactly what Pep wants from him.. a new KDB type player who has goals and assists and vision from midfield and Pep will stick with him like he stuck with Stones to get the midfield role correctly.

That's probably why he still plays every game!

 

[TrentGrisham]

Has any one of our players truly displaced Julian even though many are rightly saying.. the door is open for another person to take that position and make it their own?

It's hard for anyone to do that when he's started 25/25 matches. Although, he's been the first sub in the last two games, so Pep sees he's not exactly lighting it up.

 

[applejuice]

Well tonight he bought Kev a rest as Nunes doesn't seem to be trusted at home vs Brentford.

Pep has to activate our bench more or we run out of steam too early I'm afraid.

The others need this kind of game time to build up understanding of the midfield role and the chemistry with teammates. Nunes for example.

Difficult to see it happen when Alvarez started 25/25 games and kept his place again after a total disaster show vs Chelsea (not his first one this season). When will the others get a chance?

 

[Craig]

He's nowhere near Sterling bad! Sterling was damn awful and that's what opened the door and Foden displaced him.

Has any one of our players truly displaced Julian even though many are rightly saying.. the door is open for another person to take that position and make it their own?

Gven the assist today.. he has a clear vision of goal and assists. That's exactly what Pep wants from him.. a new KDB type player who has goals and assists and vision from midfield and Pep will stick with him like he stuck with Stones to get the midfield role correctly.

That's probably why he still plays every game!

I’d say a Foden looks far better there. Not sure how anyone else can truly claim the position when Alvarez starts every league game in the position anyway.

 

[Withnail]

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.

I think Nunes would be a better option in midfield , this shoehorning of Alvarez by Pep to play him is not working.