26 | Savinho - 2025/26

[Mr HJ]

Cannot judge him on that performance but it was noticeable even against 10 men we lost a bit of control because he gave away possession too easily. He needs to be much better.

 

[King Jay]

Was he great when he came on? No.

Should we have cashed in on him? Possibly.

Was he any worse than our captain on the other wing? Hell no.

Sav tried to attack the full back, even if very little came off. Personally, I am more concerned about the right side, where we have one of the least productive wide forwards in world football. No serious team has a Bernardo playing there, a guy who doesn’t score or assist and kills 99% of attacks dead. We made him captain.

Feel like we always nerf ourselves for whatever reasons. Hopefully savinho gets in form and takes over the right side. We are completely screwed if Doku/ Haaland/ Foden don’t produce.

 

[B\connellblue]

Subs came on, clearly under instruction to take no risks and see the game out.

He was fine.

Low bar.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

So many wingers that apply themselves more than Savinho, even Elanga looks a far better player. I don't know if it's just silly transfer rumours, but I refuse to believe Pep didn't let him go for anything above 60m.

 

[Mr HJ]

Was he great when he came on? No.

Should we have cashed in on him? Possibly.

Was he any worse than our captain on the other wing? Hell no.

Sav tried to attack the full back, even if very little came off. Personally, I am more concerned about the right side, where we have one of the least productive wide forwards in world football. No serious team has a Bernardo playing there, a guy who doesn’t score or assist and kills 99% of attacks dead. We made him captain.

Perhaps this is where we can fit Cherki into the side come December?

 

[IronsideKozuch]

People are way too harsh on Savio and should have known better. Hes been injured and subject to many roumours, just got back. Played few minutes so far.

We need to wait a bit with the evaluations. Simply put, the sample size for assessment is too small—we need to extend the research. Simple? Simple.

Yesterday in the Napoli match thread, there were several posts along the lines of: it was glaring stupidity to let Jack go and keep Savio. That’s directly against the facts. Last season, Savio was much more useful to us than Jack, if only because he wasn’t injured so often. Savinho is 21 years old, Jack is 30. Speculation, but I think one of the arguments was also about Jack in the team/in training/on trips. I speculate he was loved by everyone, and it’s not about alcohol, but maybe a bit too much looseness, too much “fun” instead of focus at times etc. Decision been made though. I wish Jack nothing but best of luck, been and is a great lad.

I do agree, however, that this is Savio’s last season to show that he can be top quality in a consistent way. So far, it’s mostly been about individual plays or matches. If he doesn’t manage, then we’ll sell him—that’s clear.

 

[CΛL]

Was he great when he came on? No.

Should we have cashed in on him? Possibly.

Was he any worse than our captain on the other wing? Hell no.

Sav tried to attack the full back, even if very little came off. Personally, I am more concerned about the right side, where we have one of the least productive wide forwards in world football. No serious team has a Bernardo playing there, a guy who doesn’t score or assist and kills 99% of attacks dead. We made him captain.

He does a job over there Bernardo, I thought he played well, perhaps with a more attacking fullback we would have created more chances down that side.

But the way he plays over there allows Foden to wander over and combine with him and create chances and it also provides a player with great ball retention to hold Khusanovs hand.

Cherki will be in that position in a few months anyway, maybe Bobb again in the meantime.

Savio for me the jury is still out, nowhere near a £70m player on the face of it from what we’ve seen so far.

He doesn’t really do anything spectacular, if he showed anything a bit special like Doku, or if he had great movement like a Sterling, or was great in the tight spaces like a Mahrez or Bobb you’d be like fine let’s wait and see, but he doesn’t does he.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Perhaps this is where we can fit Cherki into the side come December?

You would think but then fitting our captain in becomes a serious problem. Personally, I would bench Reijnders and put Bernie alongside Rodri but Pep seems to want to play Reijnders every game. That means the only available spot to shoehorn Bernie into is RWF, despite him offering zero over there. When Cherki, Sav, Bobb are fully fit, I don’t see a place in the side for our captain and that’s why I maintain that giving him the armband was an awful decision.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

He does a job over there Bernardo, I thought he played well, perhaps with a more attacking fullback we would have created more chances down that side.

But the way he plays over there allows Foden to wander over and combine with him and create chances and it also provides a player with great ball retention to hold Khusanovs hand.

Cherki will be in that position in a few months anyway, maybe Bobb again in the meantime.

Savio for me the jury is still out, nowhere near a £70m player on the face of it from what we’ve seen so far.

He doesn’t really do anything spectacular, if he showed anything a bit special like Doku, or if he had great movement like a Sterling, or was great in the tight spaces like a Mahrez or Bobb you’d be like fine let’s wait and see, but he doesn’t does he.

Having wide forwards who don’t score or create goals is a major problem. It puts huge pressure on the likes of Haaland and Foden. Thankfully Haaland is consistently up to the task but look at last season, Foden was off it and without wide men to pick up the slack, we suffered a huge drop off.

I don’t want the person, who is effectively our Salah equivalent, in the side because he protects others, or because it allows Foden to play in his best position. Our wide forward has to be in the side on his own merit and to score and create goals. If he can’t do that, he’s no good to us. Bernie can’t get a free ride because he was unreal 3 years ago.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

Seemed keen to impress when he came on and take on his full back

 

[CΛL]

Having wide forwards who don’t score or create goals is a major problem. It puts huge pressure on the likes of Haaland and Foden. Thankfully Haaland is consistently up to the task but look at last season, Foden was off it and without wide men to pick up the slack, we suffered a huge drop off.

I don’t want the person, who is effectively our Salah equivalent, in the side because he protects others, or because it allows Foden to play in his best position. Our wide forward has to be in the side on his own merit and to score and create goals. If he can’t do that, he’s no good to us. Bernie can’t get a free ride because he was unreal 3 years ago.

Foden’s poor form last season was nothing to do with who was on the wings.

Bernardo has never been a goalscorer, neither was Grealish, both served a purpose in our best ever sides.

Bernardo provides a balance where Doku especially on the other side is given a pass to lose the ball.

Bernardo had a good game if you ask me, he didn’t put a foot wrong and looked more capable in a slower paced game.

I think Bobb or Cherki are the natural heir, and Bernardo wont play every game but we’ve definitely got the balance right in our last two games, and I wouldn’t look to change things so soon.

Edit: also, goals come from all over the team, where Liverpool have a Salah, we have a Foden in the 10 who is capable of 19 league goals from midfield. They don’t have that and they don’t have a striker like Haaland. Needless to compare.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Needs minutes in his legs and probably wont be fair to start judging him until after the next international break

 

[.db.]

So many wingers that apply themselves more than Savinho, even Elanga looks a far better player. I don't know if it's just silly transfer rumours, but I refuse to believe Pep didn't let him go for anything above 60m.

Elanga is two years older than Savinho and has played in England throughout his four year senior career, in which he’s played 117 PL games compared to Savinho’s 30.

Savinho had more goals+assits combined last season in his first year in England, than Elanga had at the same age.

Let’s see how good Savinho is after he’s played 117 PL games.

 

[Georgian Maestro]

The last 2 showings haven't been great but the talent is there. I'm confident that he'll come good

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Foden’s poor form last season was nothing to do with who was on the wings.

Bernardo has never been a goalscorer, neither was Grealish, both served a purpose in our best ever sides.

Bernardo provides a balance where Doku especially on the other side is given a pass to lose the ball.

Bernardo had a good game if you ask me, he didn’t put a foot wrong and looked more capable in a slower paced game.

I think Bobb or Cherki are the natural heir, and Bernardo wont play every game but we’ve definitely got the balance right in our last two games, and I wouldn’t look to change things so soon.

Edit: also, goals come from all over the team, where Liverpool have a Salah, we have a Foden in the 10 who is capable of 19 league goals from midfield. They don’t have that and they don’t have a striker like Haaland. Needless to compare.

I never said that Fodens poor form was anything to do with what was on the wings. My point was that if we don’t have G/A coming from our wide forwards (and we haven’t) then the responsibility falls on Haaland and Foden. That’s a lot of pressure on two players. We’ve gone from wide forwards chipping in with 10 goals and assists a season, to them all getting that combined. It’s little wonder we aren’t the side we were.

There can’t be another top side in world football who plays a defensive wide forward. I know Pep is an innovator but this is one tactic I can’t see being copied.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

Elanga is two years older than Savinho and has played in England throughout his four year senior career, in which he’s played 117 PL games compared to Savinho’s 30.

Savinho had more goals+assits combined last season in his first year in England, than Elanga had at the same age.

Let’s see how good Savinho is after he’s played 117 PL games.

Fair enough but he needs to be more physical and show intention. He was easily pushed off the ball yesterday by players who had been struggling to contain Doku for about 70 minutes before he came on. I expected him to take advantage of the guy Doku already ran ragged

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Was he great when he came on? No.

Should we have cashed in on him? Possibly.

Was he any worse than our captain on the other wing? Hell no.

Sav tried to attack the full back, even if very little came off. Personally, I am more concerned about the right side, where we have one of the least productive wide forwards in world football. No serious team has a Bernardo playing there, a guy who doesn’t score or assist and kills 99% of attacks dead. We made him captain.

Which indicates that Pep sees things differently from you.

I doubt he would be too worried if he bothered to read BM.

 

[supercity88]

Doku is starting to deliver, things change quickly with wide players. Some times they'll perform and other times they won't. Savinho has had injuries and is still getting up to speed. Give him time, he's here for this season at least so let's see what he can produce.

 

[wattle]

When everyone is fit we have Cherki or Bobb on the right and Doku or Marmoush on the left. Not to mention Bernardo and Foden sometimes. He’s no where near any of those for me.

 

[Utter bobbins]

He deserves this season to prove himself, blues were saying the same about Doku and Pep has stumbled on a change that has transformed him.

Stumbled lol