19 | Julian Alvarez - 2023/24

[Pubteam Lomas]

He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.

 

[vincent]

He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.

Yeah agree… I mentioned earlier the fundamental part of a Pep team is control in midfield. We don’t have that when we shoehorn him in to the team in a midfield (ish) role. All very odd as this has now been going on all season.

 

[waspish]

Think Kovacic and Doku didn't start because they've just come back from injury and we have a possible 18 games left! So pep looks at his squad and thinks who can he play it's either Alvarez Nunes or Bob and you can see why he went for Alvarez me personally would of started Bob but we know pep with his pecking order!

 

[Lauz9888]

I really do think he should be primarily Haaland's back-up and trying to challenge him for that place in the starting line-up (or playing alongside him if we were to play a formation with 2 up front).

I don't mind him occasionally playing elsewhere.

But he's a striker and that should be where he's building his experience. It can't be doing his confidence or development much good to be playing in multiple other positions with varying levels of success.

 

[shevtheblue]

I really do think he should be primarily Haaland's back-up and trying to challenge him for that place in the starting line-up (or playing alongside him if we were to play a formation with 2 up front).

I don't mind him occasionally playing elsewhere.

But he's a striker and that should be where he's building his experience. It can't be doing his confidence or development much good to be playing in multiple other positions with varying levels of success.

I think as a 10 and even as a winger there are probably games he will do well in, but this 100% wasn't in. Obviously Pep had thought of something but we know the strengths of Liverpool, its no secret, and we have seriously struggled with teams playing through us this season. Should have played safe with Kova and brought Alvarez on later if required.

One thing he needs to work on his first touch and awareness of his teammates, sometimes he looks like he's got it and other times he looks like the Argentinian Scott McTominay!

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

Square peg, round hole.
Stuck out on the left yesterday, lost possession constantly and offered little protection to Ake with Bradley a key threat down that side.

Pep needs to realise that he's Haaland's understudy as a striker and thats it. He's a very good striker don't get me wrong. Just not a midfielder or winger.

 

[Nour]

Didn't even give Ake protection yesterday ,giving away the ball don't know why he is being forced to that position .

 

[Manchester_lalala]

He’s not a winger, that’s pretty clear. I think we would have done better yesterday with Alvarez up top and Haaland on the bench but that’s never happening.

 

[hcblue95]

Think Kovacic and Doku didn't start because they've just come back from injury and we have a possible 18 games left! So pep looks at his squad and thinks who can he play it's either Alvarez Nunes or Bob and you can see why he went for Alvarez me personally would of started Bob but we know pep with his pecking order!

I don't really agree, we've got 3 weeks off in the league now and just one FA cup game. If Kovacic can't play 2 in a week then he should have sat out Copenhagen. Pep just preferred Alvarez in this game for me. We should have gone with the extra control of Kovacic though imo.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

He was really poor yesterday, BUT Pep is obsessed with playing him.
He's not a midfielder nor a winger. He's a #9.
Haaland was woeful and there was definitely an argument for him coming off and sticking Alvarez up top, but taking him and De Bruyne would have the fans frothing at the mouth had we lost.

I know this is looking at it too deeply, but it's like we're giving him game time so he doesn't leave.
I think we accept Haaland will go (sooner or later) and don't want to lose someone who will likely be his replacement.

However, if he's gonna play it has to be in his best position.

I think there is an element of this and I have said previously that I think Alvarez plays too much. In fairness to Pep and Alvarez though, the lack of G/A from others is probably playing a part in the decision-making. For all the negatives of Alvarez being shoe-horned into the side, there is a flip side that he does score and assist more than his fair share. Maybe if the likes of Grealish, Bernardo and Doku (all playing in advanced positions) stepped up to the plate in that regard, the need to play Alvarez so much would lessen. We’ve lost the Mahrez and Gundo G/A this season and Alvarez is one of the few that is making up for that loss. I’ve not checked the stats but I wouldn’t be shocked and stunned if Alvarez has as many G/A as the others combined.