7 | Joao Cancelo - 2022/23 Performances

Status
Not open for further replies.
Beyond the mostly beautiful football, one further thing I have loved about the Pep era is the uncompromising approach to how players are expected to behave and what characteristics they are expected to display.

That modern footballers earn obscene amounts of money is just a reality that we accept these days (and yes I know they are not the only ones). As a result I've always thought that the minimum expectation for this is absolute and total professionalism in doing a job most of us would kill to do. However the examples of players taking the piss and taking the money whilst looking out exclusively for themselves, acting as primma donnas and disrespecting their clubs, colleagues and most importantly the fans, are legion. We've had a few ourselves over the years. But in the Pep era we have enforced a code that, irrespective of who you are, you work and run for the team, you play whatever part is necessary for the team, you do the right thing by your teammates whether it suits or not, you play the style that the manager has developed and the club wishes to implement. Though there is always some elasticity in this, fundamentally it is the culture of the club and players need to adhere to it. In doing all these things for the manager and the team, you indirectly show respect to the broader club and by implication to the fans too. You may still be a multi millionaire but you are showing you have a degree of humility and are willing to be part of something bigger than your own ego.

Some people may see this all simply as excessive control freakery on Pep's part but I like the ethos and hope we can retain it beyond Pep.

So, if Cancelo has done even half of the things that are being claimed then, irrespective of how good he is when on form, good riddance to him. He's just one (of numerous) adverts for some of the things wrong with the game.
 
Whilst not sorry to see him go, as I've thought for a long time that Cancelo has bad attitude written all over him, the plain truth is that even before his departure, we were desperate for a 'proper' left back, and have been for years.

Choose a best 11 post takeover and you could spend hours trying to somehow shoehorn in all the amazing midfield players and strikers we have been blessed to witness

Compare and contrast with the yawning chasm that is left back - Kolly? Clichy? Delph? The name you'd probably have to end up with, is scouting out a new pad in Munich as I type!
I really like Ake and he has been one of our stand-out players this season, but despite having Saka in his pocket the other night, he isn't really a left back and does like an injury

Eric has played there before and could cover the position in an emergency, but he sure isn't a left back and does like an injury

As for Gomez, sorry but from what I've seen he looks miles away from being anywhere near first team material
You can just see us playing a Champions League semi final with a somewhat injury hit back line of Walker, Akanji, Rodri and erm 'hello Rico, you're left back tonight matey!'

I'd be quite happy with either Robinson from Fulham or Ait Nouri from Wolves, but I would defo be signing them today
Please not Ait Nouri. If people think Zinny/Gomez are defensive liabilities, they won’t be happy with him.
 
Can’t say I agree with that, not when you consider who might be gone in the summer.
Can't see more than 3 going out, Cancelo, Bernardo, and possibly Laporte. We are well cover at CB, so for me we need 4 max, 2 x Full backs, top class midfielder and I'd like to see a winger. I expect gundo to stay.
 
Half arsed in training, gobbing off to all and sundry, leaving his foot in.

All orchestrated to achieve his desired exit.

Pure poison.
Well I hope PSG put them straight out of the champions league
I just seen on espn and since the World Cup he started the chelsea game and got dragged off at half time (awful 45 mins)
He played 90 mins against Southampton (dreadful)
He played 90 mins against United
That says it all
Can’t help but fee Bernardo is also ok same boat now given him keep being left out
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.