A player with a copa America winners medal, 30+ caps and a regular in the brazil side (not just squad) and who Mourinho - who if you read this forum is next to cleanliness when it comes to football - is after is being touted as shit. I think i know whos opinion ill take.
Elano is playing far too deep to be truly effective, the same argument so can make about when Ireland has poor games playing on the left (eg Fulham), he is at his best playing behind a two or a free role in the second striker position. I love him to bits but he shouldnt be playing in that position, if Johnson was fit it wouldnt be a problem but who else would you stick there.
You can easily argue that Elano gives hte ball away a fair bit which is true - but this is because he always wants it - whenever our defenders or kompany has it Elano is always coming short and making himself available. The fact he then turns and has no real easy options going forward means he is going to look for the more difficult pass. I think its brazilian mentality to fo forward always and not sideways or backwards, but i would argue that if more of our forwards could read the game to a top standard then then passes he plays would more often that not find there targets.
Watch him for brazil when his forward passing options are to players of real football pedigree, players who are intelligent footballers and these passes find their target a lot more.
To sum up - no he shouldnt be playing in that position, but he never goes hiding in games and its not suprising he gets pissed off when he gets taken off and SWP who had a stinker gets moved into his position and Vassell comes on and in the 20 mins - didnt actually make contact with the ball with any part of his body.
