#27 | João Cancelo - 2021/22 Performances

[alexmcity]

This season, and in parts of last, Joao has been one of the first names on the team sheet - getting a player with his creative abilities into the side without taking up a place in midfield or up front is an incredibly valuable addition to the team.

Spot on.

Cancelo makes our team more special because we add with him another playmaker to the team.

City are unique in the world right now with having (potential) playmakers at various parts of the pitch:

Cancelo at 4
Rodri at 6
Gundogan at 8
Bernardo at false 9
Kevin at 10
Foden/Grealish at 11.

That's absolutely incredible.

 

[alexmcity]

Watch City's games. It's obvious. Or if not, listen to on-air commentary.

It was "obvious" to many fans that Rodri and Gundogan were shit.

We may think we see how things really are, but what we are doing is perceiving reality through a thick veil of clichés and preconceptions. That's why hard data are important and we should take them into account.

 

[Craig]

Fucking brilliant

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

I don't really know where to start with this comment tbh. It shows an amazing failure to appreciate the level of coaching/hard work that goes into player development. The idea that elite players, with the help of the best coaching team in the world, could "easily" transform their performance in one area if only they tried harder is blatantly nonsense. You don't think perhaps they already, you know, train quite hard?

I don't suppose that you endorse Cancelo's lazy dangling leg "tackle" on Salah, do you? Of course not.

Perhaps "easily" is a misnomer. But I use the word "easily" in the sense that it's not down to physical ability - as it is down to mental attitude, preparation and focus.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

It was "obvious" to many fans that Rodri and Gundogan were shit.

You/we may think you/we see how things really are, but what you/we are doing is perceiving reality through a thick veil of clichés. That's why hard data are important and we should take them into account.

On the other hand, I've never, ever, ever had a poor opinion of either of those players (Rodri/Gundogan) - and have supported both through all criticism.

I've only recently warmed to Cancelo and willingly admit that I've (vastly) underestimated him in the past. That said - Cancelo has a lot of room for defensive improvement - and it's not physical ability that's in the way.

On balance - I think that Cancelo is the best left back/left wingback in the league - but he's got a lot of room for improvement on defense.

 

[BlueMoonAcrossThePond]

Spot on.

Cancelo makes our team more special because we add with him another playmaker to the team.

City are unique in the world right now with having (potential) playmakers at various parts of the pitch:

Cancelo at 4
Rodri at 6
Gundogan at 8
Bernardo at false 9
Kevin at 10
Foden/Grealish at 11.

That's absolutely incredible.

Cancelo with time on the ball is amazing - he can spot runners from a central midfield position as well as near the touchline. He just kills defenses that don't cover him.

On top of this, Cancelo has become much more focused on his shots. 6 months ago he'd often seem to panic and snatch at shots - sending them far over the crossbar. Now, he's much more focused - if he gets the ball in a shooting position - his shots are nearly always delivered with pace and are on target.

 

[alexmcity]

On the other hand, I've never, ever, ever had a poor opinion of either of those players (Rodri/Gundogan) - and have supported both through all criticism.

I've only recently warmed to Cancelo and willingly admit that I've (vastly) underestimated him in the past. That said - Cancelo has a lot of room for defensive improvement - and it's not physical ability that's in the way.

Fair play. I'd agree that Cancelo makes mistakes due to mental lapses at times, and I hope he can improve on that, but what some fail to take into account is that he compensates for such mistakes with his other defensive actions. If you take the whole package of defensive actions, it's pretty good. He's been an interception machine this season, which is vital for our pressing game and helps us control games.

Yes, traditional FBs may make fewer obvious mistakes, but they also may make fewer interceptions and tackles, and may win fewer duels. Actually, you'd be hard-pressed to find another FB in the whole league with more interceptions than Cancelo. In purely defensive terms, he's been one of the better defensive players in the league this season.

 

[Tugay One Cup]

One of the aspects I like about his defensive game is that he often knows the pass an opponent wants to play and gives them just enough room to think the pass is on but then checks back and cuts it out.

It's happened in some big games against Chelsea and Liverpool where we've been outnumbered on the break and you think he's been pulled out of position by the ball carrier but he's teased them into playing the ball through a passing lane he's already spotted.

I've always rated him but will still admit there's something frustrating about him which I can't quite place. It's not as simple as the cliche of calling an attacking fullback a defensive liability and it's not a case of him snatching too many long shots. Maybe it's just because I still feel like he's got another level he can get to. Scary thought.

 

[alexmcity]

I've always rated him but will still admit there's something frustrating about him which I can't quite place.

For me, the frustrating bit comes from his penchant to do outrageous things when simple passes or touches are likely to be more effective. Unlike Pep, Cancelo doesn't value simplicity enough and tends to overcomplicate things at times. If he understands better the effectiveness of simple actions, he'll move to another level. And that would be scary indeed.

 

[Craig]

For me, the frustrating bit comes from his penchant to do outrageous things when simple passes or touches are likely to be more effective. Unlike Pep, Cancelo doesn't value simplicity enough and tends to overcomplicate things at times. If he understands better the effectiveness of simple actions, he'll move to another level. And that would be scary indeed.

He could definitely go up a level because he’s got so much ability. However what we have now is a very special player.