7 | Joao Cancelo - 2022/23 Performances

[Legal Alien]

His weaker foot is exposed and studied by the PL oppositions. Ever since they found out around Jan/Feb, Cancelo's performance started to have more up and downs.

No coincidence he was also not good against Crystal Palace in March.
Have saying this - a natural left footed LB offers way more than this. Easier to clear the cross. Easier to challenge the opposite winger. Quicker to feed the ball to the man in front of him. After Cancelo sub, Foden played as a wing back briefly then Gomaz. The smooth of the pass tells you everything. It does not mean they are a better footballer than Cancelo. It is just a left foot more suited to play there.


And Cancelo is actually better on the right. It is just because our attacking heavily concentrated on the left side usually. So he has more highlights when starting on the left. It does not mean he is not good on the right side.

I agree, i like him but he's more suited playing on the right.
It's a shame we never got the Cucarella deal done, he would've been perfect in the team this season.

 

[youngbob]

Thought he was fine.

 

[argyle]

Besides his challenge in the 1st half (which was actually caused by Edersons screw up) I thought he was fine.

If Pep wants this inverted fullback in midfield thing, I think Cancelo should be on the right and Gomez on the left?

 

[Dax777]

Besides his challenge in the 1st half (which was actually caused by Edersons screw up) I thought he was fine.

If Pep wants this inverted fullback in midfield thing, I think Cancelo should be on the right and Gomez on the left?

I don't understand what all the complaints about being poor comes from. He fouled a guy and gave up a free kick. So what? It was Ederson's error. But even if it wasn't. We reset and had a chance to win the free kick and didn't.

The corner also wasn't the issue. Your opposition gets corners all the time. It was defending the corner that was the issue. And that blame was squarely on Kyle for losing his man in the box and letting him have a free header.


As it relates to how we are using fullbacks currently, he'd probably be a better option than Kyle. Kyle had a fantastic game using the ball by the way. But Cancelo's skills probably fits that better.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

I don't understand what all the complaints about being poor comes from. He fouled a guy and gave up a free kick. So what? It was Ederson's error. But even if it wasn't. We reset and had a chance to win the free kick and didn't.

The corner also wasn't the issue. Your opposition gets corners all the time. It was defending the corner that was the issue. And that blame was squarely on Kyle for losing his man in the box and letting him have a free header.


As it relates to how we are using fullbacks currently, he'd probably be a better option than Kyle. Kyle had a fantastic game using the ball by the way. But Cancelo's skills probably fits that better.

We conceded more set piece goals yesterday than we did in 38 league games last season, so definitely just an anomaly

 

[Bluewars]

I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he's mentally and physically fatigued, because he is a good player. Truth be told he's been underperforming since Jan/Feb.

What concerns me most is his decision making, concentration and game management; when to play it simple, when to hold onto to the ball, when to go in tight, not diving in, not making risky passes.

I still have flashbacks of the Madrid game where he was taking long-range shots and crossing the ball into the box to no-one in the 85th minute, playing Benzema onside for the Rodrygo goal and making a poor attempt to stop the cross. The last minute Kane goal at the Etihad, he doesnt do enough to stop the cross from Kulusevski.

To me It looks like he doesnt enjoy the art of defending like Kyle Walker and Ruben Dias he can't wait for the chance to bomb up field and play like Luis Figo, I'm not suprised he took the #7 shirt.

 

[Dodgy Gangster]

Encountered him this af at a costa near town. Pleasant fella, no airs and graces about him and not an ounce on him. Very cold eyes too - you can see how he wouldn’t think twice about having a pop at a gang of masked intruders.

 

[madloaf]

Better in warm ups than in games currently. He'll have his purple patch soon I hope.

 

[applejuice]

I agree, i like him but he's more suited playing on the right.
It's a shame we never got the Cucarella deal done, he would've been perfect in the team this season.

Not signing a senior left back might cost us this season. It also affect Foden and Grealish performance and mentality because they had to deal with more task than a regular left winger should be.

I hope Gómez could step up and have more regular game time.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

Looking at it a few times: that whack on his face is really quite nasty. It's at least a yellow, possibly a red for the Palace player. But something I've noticed about Cancelo — he doesn't seem to have understood that in England if you cry wolf too often, then the day the wolf really comes, the refs don't take notice of you (unless you're Mo Salah, that is. if someone so much as looks a bit too fiercely at Salah, it's a penalty).
If he made a bit less of a meal of it, he'd get more out of them.