#27 | João Cancelo - 2021/22 Performances

[leo_city]

Just a matter of consistency and concentration, lots of doubters on here I remember well, lots had him down as a dud signing, but he's shown he has the quality and skill to be a complete full back, if he's even one sometimes!

What a player, CL games especially has been good. Hope he keeps it up

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Zin's the safer choice. If you've got plenty of other creative people around and they are on song, choose him. He'll do the basics, and he'll find them. From time to time, he can put a very good cross or pass in. His skills as a footballer are not to be underestimated. He's one of the first on the team sheet for Ukraine.
Cancelo is the dangerous option, but precisely because he's much more unpredictable for his teammates, he's unpredictable for the opposition. Sometimes he'll put a ball in that takes out a whole defence and would grace the skills of our best midfielders. Kev's terribly off at present. In that context, Cancelo is very useful.
He likes to take a shot on goal. If it's off, it's way off. If it's even vaguely on target, it's a screamer that puts even the best keepers in difficulty.
When you're wanting to mix it up, I'd go to Cancelo. If it's being mixed up enough anyway, I'd stick with Zin.
Glad to have them both, by the way. This is neither here nor there, but for what it's worth I find Zin a more attractive person.

 

[leo_city]

It basically comes down to the individual fan as to wherever they accept his game is based on high risk/reward. For some a traditional fullback will always be a better option than a player like Cancelo.
Personally I’m happy to take the good with the bad but understand why he’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

Modern football but traditional full back? You're right on preference but that traditional profile is more or less dead. You'll either see them like today on the level of Cancelo or Trent, or you'll have them as a wide centre back who's able to play out from the back and good on the ball in general. There's no Zabaleta's to come, I think the closest to a traditional full back in Prem I've seen recently is Coufal of West Ham (even though they seem to have also found a gem in Ben Johnson recently!), but that coincides with the team he plays for obviously, same goes for most other fullbacks across Prem, either set piece specialists or wide centre backs. None fully traditional, it's a dying profile, much like the number 10s.

It'll basically take time for the older generation to come to grips with the modern game. It's still changing

 

[Phil1]

Modern football but traditional full back? You're right on preference but that traditional profile is more or less dead. You'll either see them like today on the level of Cancelo or Trent, or you'll have them as a wide centre back who's able to play out from the back and good on the ball in general. There's no Zabaleta's to come, I think the closest to a traditional full back in Prem I've seen recently is Coufal of West Ham (even though they seem to have also found a gem in Ben Johnson recently!), but that coincides with the team he plays for obviously, same goes for most other fullbacks across Prem, either set piece specialists or wide centre backs. None fully traditional, it's a dying profile, much like the number 10s.

It'll basically take time for the older generation to come to grips with the modern game. It's still changing

Traditional was probably the wrong word tbf, much like you allude to it’s a generation thing.
More defensive minded is what I meant really but as you say the FB role has been redefined over the last 10 years or so.
Anyway, I’m only 44 you cheeky **** :-)

 

[schfc6]

Give him Grealish’s minutes at forward left and he’d be dangerous every game.

 

[alexmcity]

I wonder how we managed to have so many clean sheets between November and March last season, given that Cancelo's a terrible defender and given that many thought of Rodri as average. Dias is pretty good, but we kept many clean sheets because all players were good at defending, not just Dias, Walker and Stones.

This season, we've conceded fewer chances and shots than any PL team, despite having the most difficult (away) fixtures (Spurs, Leicester, Chelsea, Liverpool and Brighton). How can this happen if Cancelo is terrible defensively (and Laporte presumably not much better)? Something doesn't add up.

This season, Cancelo is 1st in the PL with regard to passes and touches (that's exceptional for a FB!), 2nd in the PL wrt interceptions (key defensive stat for a high-pressing team!)

 

[leo_city]

Traditional was probably the wrong word tbf, much like you allude to it’s a generation thing.
More defensive minded is what I meant really but as you say the FB role has been redefined over the last 10 years or so.
Anyway, I’m only 44 you cheeky **** :-)

Hahaha did not mean it that way! My old man hates Cancelo, as a reference.

 

[leo_city]

Give him Grealish’s minutes at forward left and he’d be dangerous every game.

I would like to see it some point, Zinchenko behind. Genuinely think he'd do well. He played on the wing for Valencia in the past. Definitely not unfamiliar with the role

 

[schfc6]

I would like to see it some point, Zinchenko behind. Genuinely think he'd do well. He played on the wing for Valencia in the past. Definitely not unfamiliar with the role

Yeh, I don’t think he’s a traditional singer, but his eye for the right pass and his ability to finish and make dangerous runs would suit us in my opinion.

 

[sir baconface]

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.

Correct. Some games I’ve seen two or three gift-wrapped chances wasted from killer Cancelo passes.

Statistics never tell the full story. Hell, there’s one guy on here who makes a life’s work of bulling up Sterling’s performances.

We know Pep loves midfielders and, on his day, Cancelo lights sparks in the engine room. Last night he was more incisive than anyone. But yeah, someone will show he was caught out of position and is therefore, statistically speaking, a proven liability.