#27 | João Cancelo - 2021/22 Performances

[alexmcity]

He started 4 of the 21 game winning streak at LB.

Zinchenko 16.

Thanks for those stats. I didn't imply Cancelo was starting in all of these games at LB, but that we were solid with him at FB. People who point out his defensive weaknesses don't say that he is better defensively at RB. They say he is poor defensively as a FB full stop. And that wasn't the case from December to March last season, when we won the title.

Pep treated Cancelo as a first choice FB up to the 2nd leg vs PSG, i.e. several weeks before the CL final when he lost his starting place to Zinchenko (and rightly so, for he wasn't on form).

 

[Dr Jacoby]

Plays like a classic no.10 at full-back. Frustrating at times but he’s a freakish talent.

 

[domalino]

Thanks for those stats. I didn't imply Cancelo was starting in all of these games at LB, but that we were solid with him at FB. People who point out his defensive weaknesses don't say that he is better defensively at RB. They say he is poor defensively as a FB full stop. And that wasn't the case from December to March last season, when we won the title.

Pep treated Cancelo as a first choice FB up to the 2nd leg vs PSG, i.e. several weeks before the CL final when he lost his starting place to Zinchenko (and rightly so, for he wasn't on form).

Wasn't Walker injured and then out with covid during most of that? He was also having a tough time in his personal life.

As soon as he got back to his level, Cancelo was back on the bench, which is how it's always going to be.

 

[Keeper!]

Plays like a classic no.10 at full-back. Frustrating at times but he’s a freakish talent.

Agreed, he is either man of the match 9/10 or a nightmare , if he could gain consistency he would be exceptional.

 

[domalino]

Plays like a classic no.10 at full-back. Frustrating at times but he’s a freakish talent.

I think this comment actually sums up my issue with Cancelo.

He is frustrating, but he's not a freakish talent. We're talking about a player with 10 assists in nearly 100 games for the club.

For him to be worth the downsides, he'd need to be contributing at the level of Hakimi (28 goals and assists in 90 games), or Alexander-Arnold (50 in 190), or Robertson (40 in 188 for Liverpool).

To work in a Pep side he'd probably need to be operating on the level Dani Alves was - 68 assists and 15 goals in 208 games for Pep.

These are fullbacks who are actually freakish attacking talents, that get you 15 goals a season. Cancelo gets an assist every 9 and half games - before yesterday it was 7 assists in 91 games. Freakish attacking talent?!

And while our other fullbacks don't match that attacking output, it's because they primarily defend the break (Walker) or establish midfield dominance (Zinchenko) to help the side in other ways - Cancelo is playing as a winger with almost no regard for his defensive work, which is why all of Bruge's attacks came down his side.

 

[alexmcity]

Wasn't Walker injured and then out with covid during most of that? He was also having a tough time in his personal life.

As soon as he got back to his level, Cancelo was back on the bench, which is how it's always going to be.

Cancelo started the most important games in the CL/PL long after Walker recovered from his injury. Let's get the facts straight.

Walker AND Cancelo started both games vs Borussia M and the home leg vs Borussia D, and both started in the 1st leg in Paris. Only after the 1st leg in Paris did Zinchenko displaced Cancelo. From 7 knock-out CL games Cancelo started 4 at LB (February-April) and Zinchenko 3 (April- May). Walker started all of them.

 

[argyle]

Awful in one half of the pitch, brilliant in the other.

 

[domalino]

Cancelo started the most important games in the CL/PL long after Walker recovered from his injury. Let's get the facts straight.

Walker AND Cancelo started both games vs Borussia M and the home leg vs Borussia D, and both started in the 1st leg in Paris. Only after the 1st leg in Paris did Zinchenko displaced Cancelo. From 7 knock-out CL games Cancelo started 4 at LB (February-April) and Zinchenko 3 (April- May). Walker started all of them.

I really don't think you're helping your case here because you've reminded everyone that Cancelo was absolutely shite in the CL game vs Dortmund so Pep dropped him for the second leg - after which Pep criticised our build up play down the left, then took him off really early vs. PSG when we were playing terribly and Zinchenko was so instrumental in our better play he kept his place for the second leg and final.

So he started 2 of the 5 big knockout games, and one of those he got hauled off just after half time.

 

[twosips]

I think this comment actually sums up my issue with Cancelo.

He is frustrating, but he's not a freakish talent. We're talking about a player with 10 assists in nearly 100 games for the club.

For him to be worth the downsides, he'd need to be contributing at the level of Hakimi (28 goals and assists in 90 games), or Alexander-Arnold (50 in 190), or Robertson (40 in 188 for Liverpool).

To work in a Pep side he'd probably need to be operating on the level Dani Alves was - 68 assists and 15 goals in 208 games for Pep.

These are fullbacks who are actually freakish attacking talents, that get you 15 goals a season. Cancelo gets an assist every 9 and half games - before yesterday it was 7 assists in 91 games. Freakish attacking talent?!

And while our other fullbacks don't match that attacking output, it's because they primarily defend the break (Walker) or establish midfield dominance (Zinchenko) to help the side in other ways - Cancelo is playing as a winger with almost no regard for his defensive work, which is why all of Bruge's attacks came down his side.

I sorta agree, but tbf to him, he is feeding incredibly wasteful players currently ha. I think he has many more assists if he's at Liverpool for example giving the all to Mane/Salah/Jota, all who are much more comfortable than any of our forwards in front of goal.

 

[domalino]

I sorta agree, but tbf to him, he is feeding incredibly wasteful players currently ha. I think he has many more assists if he's at Liverpool for example giving the all to Mane/Salah/Jota, all who are much more comfortable than any of our forwards in front of goal.

He's feeding the highest scoring attack in the country since he's been here and until last night was averaging an assist every 13 games...

I know people get frustrated with our attack but it's better than 99% of the rest.