Fernando

He'll be one of a small group that Pep will actually be able to work with in pre season. If he does leave it will not be until after the CL qualifiers, he'll be on the bench at the very least for those games. if we've managed to complete all of our signings by then and he's not going to be in the CL squad (assuming we win the qualifier) he might be moved on in the final few days of the window.
 
Fernando has been our best player for three months and it's been startling to see how good he actually is on the ball when he breaks forward between the lines.

His pass selection is very good and our whole league season started to unravel the day Fernando was subbed against Spurs at home, as we chased the win.

I still hold Hart responsible for the error in Paris, even if Fernando's touch was heavier than Yaya after a cake binge.

Are you on glue TH? I enjoy your transfer info but to suggest that this turd is anything more than mediocre never mind "our best player for 3 months" is comical.
 
I reread my comments and see how it could have been ambiguous. Even though from your response, I sense you'd stil disagree with me anyway. But here it is with less ambiguity and specifics:

I don't think he is awful with the ball (that was a response to gddg's statement). I think that is mostly perception rather that facts of late.

He has been good since he became a starter. That was my opinion. I think most agree with this, but reckon it's not enough to change their preexisting opinion of him.

As a passer, I think he is actually very good. His passes rarely puts his teammates in trouble (a sign of his footballing IQ) and when he gets a pass that might potentially put him under trouble, He often maneuvers it (exquisitely I might add) to rectify the situation. Be that via a nutmeg pass, switching his body position to speed up where he can direct the ball to, or deftly flicking the ball from one foot to the other to create separation. He does these things so seamlessly. And that's part of why I think he is only 2nd to Kev IQ wise.

I think his ball skills are grossly underrated. He is competent in control, his passes are low strong and to feet, the hallmarks of good passing. Rearly would you find him giving a hospital ball pass. He uses his body adroitly to aid his control. Must be a Brazilian thing, coz Dihno does it too. And when leasing a fast break, he almost always makes the right pass.

His game is reserved, as he is meant to be the most withdrawn of the CMs when he plays, but thus should not be confused for hiding. He is often cautious, and will take a withdrawn position as we move forward, but this should not be confused for hiding. Come into his area ( which Nasri and Yaya sometimes do, and he'd join in in a triangle passing tree to breakdown presurre.

What Mangala does is purposeful hiding, what Nando does, is cautious footballing. Once the ball is ahead of him, he doesn't force it. When it's behind him he often shows for it.

Anyway those are some of the reasons why I've concluded what o have about him. And I'd say his the last CM to get the cut because he is younger than both Yaya and Dihno (who has quietly begun to show his age, and Delph who has mostly been a crock this season, and doesn't have much playing time to be judged on. And the little he has, he was mostly poor.
I tend to agree with you on this Dax. I think he has been consistently effective this season and has more talent than most of us give him credit for. I still think his play transitioning defence to attack is not good enough, but I have changed my mind that I do think he will have a role under Pep.
 
The idea that everyone in the team has to be a ball playing genius to get in Pep's team is a mistaken one imo.

You can't be clumsy or stupid but Fernando has shown, with more starts & less Yaya, he is neither clumsy nor stupid & on recent performances looks quite sharp witted & has written himself in as a possible imo.
 
The idea that everyone in the team has to be a ball playing genius to get in Pep's team is a mistaken one imo.

You can't be clumsy or stupid but Fernando has shown, with more starts & less Yaya, he is neither clumsy nor stupid & on recent performances looks quite sharp witted & has written himself in as a possible imo.

I agree, and I'd much rather see him start the season than Delph or Yaya.
 
Fernando is symptomatic of the sort of player we have at City, has one good game every 6 weeks and everyone is suddenly hailing them as the great saviour, the great player we always knew they would become or even better, when they don't play and we lose then that defeat is down to the fact that "so and so didn't play".
He's average, good enough sometimes for us and then distinctly mediocre for a few games too and, has the odd howler in him (PSG away/heading past Hart on Sunday afternoon)....too often he gets caught dawdling on the ball, he wants too much time on it.
Players like Fernando wouldn't get near the first team at RM, Barca or Bayern because they're not good enough. The guy has been here 2 full seasons and hand on heart, you could count the number of great performances on two hands (at a push), likewise you could probably count the amount of assists he has on one hand, and the same for goals. For a midfielder, that is pants.
 
Even if he doesn't start as first choice, he could still be useful over the season, maybe in more than one position. Depends how many signings Pep has in mind.

He's an incredibly useful asset when used properly. Presuming Pep will buy two CMs that would certainly leave space for him.
 
Are you on glue TH? I enjoy your transfer info but to suggest that this turd is anything more than mediocre never mind "our best player for 3 months" is comical.

Have you actually watched him this season or are you still judging him on a few bad months last year when he was playing with an injury?

He's been crucial for us since January and has been excellent in our best performances this season. Other than Kante, I don't think there has been a better player in the league this season doing the job he does.

He's not a world beater but he doesn't have to be to have a role in our side. He's excellent at covering space when team mates are dragged out of position, has fantastic positional sense, something Pep seemingly values very highly, and has the added benefit of actually being pretty decent on the ball too and a lot better than people give him credit for.

There's a lot of areas that need strengthening or a change in personnel to suit Peps style this summer. Replacing Fernando is very low on the priorities list.
 

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