#27 | João Cancelo - 2021/22 Performances

[warringtonblue]

Fantastic footballer. Still don't trust him as a defender.

Yep, much better with the ball than without, tends to get on the wrongs side of the attacker (see Salah's goal)

 

[bobom]

Just a fantastic player. What he does so well, perhaps as well as anybody in the squad, is draw in the press before passing out, taking men out of the game and making space for others. It's hair-fine margins between doing that and looking like a complete fool as you get closed down, and he judges it just right time and time again. Outstanding.

Don't care about the defensive stuff - was fine until the booking - as we wouldn't have dominated them as we did without him.

 

[sir baconface]

I have him in the same bracket as Ederson. Slightly flawed in some aspects, prone to an occasional error but totally brilliant at what they do best. They both add verve, excitement and individuality to our squad.

If you want grey, regimented players who never take risks, you’re supporting the wrong club!

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Responsible in part for both goals against us versus Liverpool.

But brilliant passing - some of which led to very dangerous goal scoring opportunities.

And... I think his defense - when he puts his mind to it - is improving.

But covering Salah, even in midfield, there's no excuse at all for having your back to the attacker and then sticking a leg out behind you hoping for something good to happen.

 

[M16 citeh]

I have him in the same bracket as Ederson. Slightly flawed in some aspects, prone to an occasional error but totally brilliant at what they do best. They both add verve, excitement and individuality to our squad.

If you want grey, regimented players who never take risks, you’re supporting the wrong club!

Agree but Eddie is essential to our play I'd say cancelo gives it a different dimension - when that is what is asked of him.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

I have him in the same bracket as Ederson. Slightly flawed in some aspects, prone to an occasional error but totally brilliant at what they do best. They both add verve, excitement and individuality to our squad.

If you want grey, regimented players who never take risks, you’re supporting the wrong club!

I think it's totally different.

Ederson's mistakes are akin to KDB's - sometimes being too aggressive but if it pays off, it's a huge benefit. Ederson's errors, in other words, have upside (mostly) if they work out.

Cancelo's mistakes, on the other hand, are often bonehead errors - out-of-position on defense, or the Mo Salah, dangle-a-foot-out sort of thing, or failing to stop a cross.
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I mostly forgive Ederson's aggression when it doesn't work out - but Cancelo's laziness or poor defense with no upside needs to be curtailed (although Cancelo is getting better I think).

 

[Shaffer92]

The biggest conundrum of a player since Ihenacho for me.

Moments of brilliance but also constant brainfarts that put the team under real danger.

I almost think he's better at LB because he's naturally a bit more cautious with his decisions.

 

[Craig]

The biggest conundrum of a player since Ihenacho for me.

Moments of brilliance but also constant brainfarts that put the team under real danger.

I almost think he's better at LB because he's naturally a bit more cautious with his decisions.

Agree. I’d have him starting most games at left back but he’s a complete enigma. So much natural talent but does some bloody strange things.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

He does things that other full backs wouldn’t even dream of. He is an incredibly talented footballer.

I hate his brain-farts as much as the next blue, but he offers us so much in possession that I think we just have to accept that sometimes he will have us pulling our hair out. However, overall the positives far outweigh the negatives.

 

[domalino]

Agree. I’d have him starting most games at left back but he’s a complete enigma. So much natural talent but does some bloody strange things.

Don't think he's an enigma, he's just not that good a RB.

He can play some great passes but he's not a good defender, he's not great on the overlap and when he does get in the box he usually puts it 20 yards over the bar. Lacks physicality, doesn't know how to use his pace like Walker and poor concentration.

Danilo left because he had ambitions to play, and he's now doing brilliantly at Juventus, their fans absolutely love him. Cancelo is here despite knowing he'll never replace Walker because he's fine being at a big club being second choice.

His one really good spell of form at the club came when Pep played him as basically a midfielder with no defensive responsibilities.