Fabinho

[zeven]

Can we buy Fabinho just to p*ss the rags off even if we dont really want him :) Carvalho has a far superior passing ability imo and not as slow as some on here make out, plus under Pep Carvalho will be leaner, fitter and quicker than he's ever been!!

Lets sign him and put him on the bench, that would make good reading on sadcafe.

 

[Dax777]

I'd imagine he'd like the option of both depending on the opposition.

Like up front, in a game where we've space in behind you're going to see Sane and Sterling deployed for their pace but when a bus is parked you need more creative types to breach the defence so you'd be more likely to see Bernardo and say DeBruyne in wide areas.

Same thing will happen at full back, some games he'll want an extra body in midfield to outnumber the opposition, this is when you'll get your ball playing full backs rather than your marauders, so to speak.

This here is why I don't think we'll get Sanchez. Its getting pretty crowded on the front line.

Fabinho would be perfect for us in that he's a solid option to cover to positions at both CDM and RB. However, we currently have the following who have all played in the role that Fabinho would potentially play in our team:

• Yaya
• Fernandinho
• Gundogan
• Delph
• Fernando
• Garcia

Perhaps its been decided that we don't deem it necessary to need to pick up another player for this position? I think initially Fabinho seems perfect because of his flexibility to seamlessly play across two positions, but is it that pressing that we pick him up? We have some fairly decent depth here already.

Obviously there's some question marks over some of the above, but it could be that Pep is confident with what he's got and with B. Silva coming in and freeing up the responsibility on David, I think the 4-1-4-1 is going to be our primary formation as we have little drop off in terms of creativity now.

Don't know why folks keep saying DM is a need. With 5 or 6 players able to play the position.

GK, Fullbacks. That's pretty much the list of needs. Anything else is simply improvement. I.e Bernado.

DM, CB, AM and Forward aren't really needs. They are wants.

 

[Larry Stranger]

This here is why I don't think we'll get Sanchez. Its getting pretty crowded on the front line.

Don't know why folks keep saying DM is a need. With 5 or 6 players able to play the position.

GK, Fullbacks. That's pretty much the list of needs. Anything else is simply improvement. I.e Bernado.

DM, CB, AM and Forward aren't really needs. They are wants.

I guess it depends on the formation and how you look at it. If we're talking about a pivot like in what Pep wants in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 I'd say we currently have 2 players who can play the position. Yaya and Garcia who is young and inexperienced. I don't think any of the others have the ability to play it well enough. If we choose to play a 4-2-3-1 then we could play any 2 of Delph, Gundogan, Dihno, Yaya, Garcia, Fernando and maybe De Bruyne and Bernardo. It's really up to Pep if he thinks Garcia is good enough because if Yaya is out for a long period of time then we might be screwed. Fabinho is not the answer IMO though. He's similar to Dihno. I'd go for Carvalho if I had my pick.

 

[ak93city]

Curious to know why folks think a 4 man defence is a given for next season?

If anything it really looked like Pep forced himself to let the team play 4 3 3 because he saw that the players are just not up to do anything else, such as his preferred 3 at the back.

 

[City_Sean]

Curious to know why folks think a 4 man defence is a given for next season?

If anything it really looked like Pep forced himself to let the team play 4 3 3 because he saw that the players are just not up to do anything else, such as his preferred 3 at the back.

We won't have a set formation, it will change depending on the opponents and the style Pep wants us to use.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

I have a feeling this guy can also be a decent CB cover, if that's the case then he can play at CMF/ DM/ RB and possibly as a CB cover. Not sure why we are not aggressively chasing after this deal.

 

[Txiki Txiki Bang Bang]

If this deal is off then we MUST go after a quality DM like Nzonzi, we haven't addressed that position yet, Ferna isn't exactly what you would call a natural DM, same can be said about Yaya, Delph and Nando can't be relied on for this position.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

This here is why I don't think we'll get Sanchez. Its getting pretty crowded on the front line.

Don't know why folks keep saying DM is a need. With 5 or 6 players able to play the position.

GK, Fullbacks. That's pretty much the list of needs. Anything else is simply improvement. I.e Bernado.

DM, CB, AM and Forward aren't really needs. They are wants.

Apart from Fernandinho, who looks like he's gonna have a regular gig filling in at full back again if we're only buying Walker and Mendy, we haven't got anyone good enough to act as an attacking fulcrum AND provide mobile defensive cover. Ya Ya's good at the former (and Gundogan could probably handle that aspect too), but beyond that would you really want to go a season with either Garcia, Delph or Fernando in the role on a regular basis? And centre back not really a need?!! One fresh injury to Kompany and we're right back to the leaderless combo of Otamendi and Stones, with a 32 year old converted left back as cover

 

[doobyedoobye]

Is Delph absolutely needed for our quotas?

 

[nmc]

Is Delph absolutely needed for our quotas?

Only if it's a keep the medical department busy quota.

 

[TheKippaxM14Blue]

I agree. Im not sure from watching Fabinho a few times he can play the fulcrum either. Although he is a FB he seems to prefer getting forward from the Midfield role.

 

[richards30]

I wonder if the club see dinho and yaya as good enough for one year? maybe dinho wont get a contract extension and we will go big on a DM next season?

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

I wonder if the club see dinho and yaya as good enough for one year? maybe dinho wont get a contract extension and we will go big on a DM next season?

Hopefully not; making do with what we have isn't the answer this season if we are indeed chasing a treble (or quadruple)

 

[richards30]

Hopefully not; making do with what we have isn't the answer this season if we are indeed chasing a treble (or quadruple)

but gundogan could always drop deeper? stones could move up to DM if required?

 

[DenisLawBackHeel74]

but gundogan could always drop deeper? stones could move up to DM if required?

Yes we could but I think we need greater squad depth; currently we are only an injury or two away from no adequate cover, DM a prime example. I would much prefer we went all out to sign two quality options per position or at the very least a couple of players who have the versatility to be a good cover in two or more roles.

 

[Hungarian blue]

I wonder if the club see dinho and yaya as good enough for one year? maybe dinho wont get a contract extension and we will go big on a DM next season?

Or integrate Aleix Garcia to the first team, not that I'm getting my hopes up. :)

Gundogan never played as a lone pivot yet in his career, even here he always had either Dinho or Yaya besides or behind him, but of course it's Pep, so anything can happen. :) But his dribbling and final third skills would be a bit wasted there.

 

[richards30]

Or integrate Aleix Garcia to the first team, not that I'm getting my hopes up. :)

Gundogan never played as a lone pivot yet in his career, even here he always had either Dinho or Yaya besides or behind him, but of course it's Pep, so anything can happen. :) But his dribbling and final third skills would be a bit wasted there.

forgot about Garcia mate! my only thinking is that gundogan has the skill set to sit deep as well? bear in mind we have just signed silva as well and there is also merlin, kev, Leroy, raheem all there who can play higher up the pitch?

 

[Hungarian blue]

forgot about Garcia mate! my only thinking is that gundogan has the skill set to sit deep as well? bear in mind we have just signed silva as well and there is also merlin, kev, Leroy, raheem all there who can play higher up the pitch?

It's true that one would think that 5 of them (meaning Silva 2x, KdB, Sterling, Sane, Jesus, Sergio, eventually Alexis maybe...) will always be on the pitch, which still leaves 2 (3) of them on the bench, and it gives way to only 1 DM/CM and 4 defenders, unless we will see 3 defenders a lot more, which is quite frequently speculated to be fair, and for me it's easier to see Gundo in a 3-2 setup but anyway, exciting times. :)

 

[Andrew___K]

Curious to know why folks think a 4 man defence is a given for next season?

If anything it really looked like Pep forced himself to let the team play 4 3 3 because he saw that the players are just not up to do anything else, such as his preferred 3 at the back.

Sorry, how did you make this conclusion? 433 if a very good formation for education, it's used by the majority of youth teams. Besides, the whole 'makeshift back 5' idea with FBs used across the pitch looks very promising, Pep is perfecting it for 3+ years already. It's very versatile, allows to deal with various opposition.

If by '3 at the back' you mean adding 1 CB and using wingbacks, Pep has already installed a system that stretches oppos with wingers and got personnell for it, don't see any reason to change it.
If you mean playing from the back using 3 CBs, we're doing it quite often. 4 turns to 3 easily, by sending of of FBs to attack the flank or cut in to act as a mid and stretching the remaining trio (2CBs + 1FB) across the pitch. Another opportunity is a standard 'lavolpiana' with DM falling between CBs.
I think Mendy will be moulded into a hybrid LB/CB like Pep did with Abidal, it will add more possibilities to our playbook. The only thing that worries me is Walker's possible addition - he isn't versatile enough to play for us, but we'll see. Presume he'll be used mostly as a marauding FB.

Having watched all Pep's games since 2008 I can say that discussing fixed 'formations' is relevant only to initial phases, when players are getting accustomed with the main principles and learn their moves. The play can look somewhat 'robotical' at this step, a bit like LVG at United (we'll see that a lot next season). Later 'formations' become hardly recognizable and vary according to a particular opposition and their current approach - judging by Bayern experience, playing 433 one game, 334 another, then 406 is a norm for him.

 

[Dax777]

I guess it depends on the formation and how you look at it. If we're talking about a pivot like in what Pep wants in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 I'd say we currently have 2 players who can play the position. Yaya and Garcia who is young and inexperienced. I don't think any of the others have the ability to play it well enough. If we choose to play a 4-2-3-1 then we could play any 2 of Delph, Gundogan, Dihno, Yaya, Garcia, Fernando and maybe De Bruyne and Bernardo. It's really up to Pep if he thinks Garcia is good enough because if Yaya is out for a long period of time then we might be screwed. Fabinho is not the answer IMO though. He's similar to Dihno. I'd go for Carvalho if I had my pick.

I agree with everything you've just said. Even though I've only seen Carvahlo look good on YouTube. Personally I'd consider Leandro Paredes ( assuming Llorente is not gettable.)