24 | Joško Gvardiol - 2023/24

[applejuice]

I really rate this guy however he really can be careless with his passing and on 2/3 occasions yesterday he gave the ball away which lead to dangerous breaks for Arsenal….I’m sure Pep will sort this out….fantastic potential and could eventually see him taking on the Stones role.

Josko has kind of obsession of using his right foot. Come on lad you are not Cancelo you are a left footer. It is skillful and useful to use the weak foot to break a press. But countless times he used his right foot to pass to the wingers (Phil Jack and sometimes Kev) with no pressure and the pass was bouncing on the grass or delivered too close to Arsenal players. What is the point? Show off your right foot?

Several times Bernado and Rodri made millions of passes and movements to make the space drag Arsenal wingers middle and isolate our wingers but then Josko refused to pass to the wingers (Jack and Doku) at the first time. Look at how quick Arsenal pivots passed to their wingers when the wingers were off mark. You wonder what they are doing in the training.

Within the opening 10 min he made a right foot pass trying to find KDB instead of rolling the ball with his left to find Foden on the touchline. Intercepted by Arsneal and it almost cost us a goal. Thanks Jesus!

Another example was near the end of the 1st half. Josko lifted the ball front using his right foot in one touch and started the counter. Great mind. But the outball was not as accurate as his left foot and it fell awkward between KDB and Phil. Rice closed down and stopped Phil when Phil was still trying to control the ball. If Josko used his left foot and put a crisp pass down the left on the grass it would be easier for Phil to control and build the attack.

Moments later on a break Josko and Kev ran down the left wing. Josko looked at Kev running full speed ahead and still decided not rolled the ball to him. Really...

In the last minutes of the game he received on a break and a simple roll of ball down to the left or a simple pass to the right would be great but he carried the ball so long delayed delayed and made a bad pass with right foot into the air straight into Arsenal players.

No matter how good your weak foot is it is not as good as your strong foot and the outball quality does not match. It just brings totally unnecessary risk and difficulties to your wide man. Sometimes the inaccurate outball from his right foot lead to Arsenal counter. Why do you keep on trying these when your strong foot is not under pressure?

Defensively bravo though. Just need to keep things simple sometimes (same to lots of our players). Plz sometimes consider passing down the left to Kev Jack and Phil like all other fullbacks do.

 

[Damanino]

really hope that long term he is gonna be CB maybe LCB for us and this offensive LB role will stop. some many potential attacking opportunities stopped/stiffled by him not being comfortable on opposite half on the left with the ball, not really knowing what to do with the ball, run and dribble put some immense through ball, find someone centrally so often just gives width gets the ball a lot but doesnt really make things happen.

when we were in for Cucurella the summer 2022 I imagined this type of tactical LB role for him, arriving with speed and some intention into attacks adding some extra trickery down the left, what we are asking now from a complete different type of player who is a tall CB with good technical skills but zero input at attacking situations.

worst is teams are ok to give up width and focus with more people on the other players like Foden, KDB, Haaland as they know that hardly any danger will be created from our fullbacks.

imagine exact same formation as yesterday but Cucurella LB and Cancelo RB, complete different game and some hard questions would have been asked from Arteta rather than what we saw.

I much prefer last season formation with wingers provide width rather than them getting inside a lot, but for multiple reasons we certainly cannot do that this season.

 

[Libero.]

The best young defensive talent in the world playing in a stupid role because Pep wants to show everybody how clever he is; hopefully next season he’ll be in the centre of defence next to Stones - who himself will ideally stop playing the Barnsley Javi Garcia role and be restored exclusively to his best position for the rest of his career.

 

[Akira]

I thought he did really well against Arsenal. Looked more confident and assured. Felt like a break from the first team did him good.

 

[pride in battle]

really hope that long term he is gonna be CB maybe LCB for us and this offensive LB role will stop. some many potential attacking opportunities stopped/stiffled by him not being comfortable on opposite half on the left with the ball, not really knowing what to do with the ball, run and dribble put some immense through ball, find someone centrally so often just gives width gets the ball a lot but doesnt really make things happen.

when we were in for Cucurella the summer 2022 I imagined this type of tactical LB role for him, arriving with speed and some intention into attacks adding some extra trickery down the left, what we are asking now from a complete different type of player who is a tall CB with good technical skills but zero input at attacking situations.

worst is teams are ok to give up width and focus with more people on the other players like Foden, KDB, Haaland as they know that hardly any danger will be created from our fullbacks.

imagine exact same formation as yesterday but Cucurella LB and Cancelo RB, complete different game and some hard questions would have been asked from Arteta rather than what we saw.

I much prefer last season formation with wingers provide width rather than them getting inside a lot, but for multiple reasons we certainly cannot do that this season.

You lost me when you mentioned Cucurella... ;)

 

[Josh_D]

Sublime!

 

[city warrior]

Another great performance. His level lately is the one we will see from next season on.

His dribbling, passing and vision have always been great, but his defending and plsitioning have improved greatly.

 

[Damien10]

oozes class.

 

[01cravend]

Starting to get the LB role in this system and looking better every game for it

 

[RayCTID]

Another good performance it is going to be a tricky selection call vs Real Madrid.