Houssem Aouar

[JoshH7611]

"Football isnt a game for athletes".

Goes on to explain how slow players need fast players around them to make them half decent.

Pirlo, Riquelme, Banega, Busquets, Scholes, Zidane. All players with no pace.

 

[Stoned Rose]

Pirlo, Riquelme, Banega, Busquets, Scholes, Zidane. All players with no pace.

Being "an athlete" is about more than having pace.

Endurance, strength, mobility, balance, plyometric ability, acceleration etc.

Every single top level player is "an athlete".

They would not survive in the modern game being anything but.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Pirlo, Riquelme, Banega, Busquets, Scholes, Zidane. All players with no pace.

It's not a badge of honour.

If all of them were faster, all of them would be better, even Zidane.

If Messi had Mbappe's pace, even he would be better.

We already have slow centre mid or def midfield players, what haven't we got ?

Edit: also, what he says, up there^

 

[CenturyClub]

He answered your question in the podcast. He doesn't talk to them because he doesn't trust them. He could have a 1 hr chat with Aouar's people and would still be no closer to the truth. That doesn't mean that everyone in Aouar's camp is a lying git, but it does emphasise the fact that with experience he's become aware that agents, players and clubs use journalists for their own means and don't exactly tell what's really going on. Unless you're a journalist and also happen to have a close relationship with Aouar's people, you're being fed a narrative, not the truth. So if he can't be sure that Aouar's people are telling god honest's truth, whatever that maybe, then that information is useless for him.

People can have different opinions on him, but in an industry that is plagued with charlatans who are willing to regurgitate baseless shite for 5 new followers on Twitter, I find his approach really refreshing.

Surely he can still contact their people and not publish anything or tweet anything. Surely as a journalist it is better to investigate from both sides and then once you have all the information required and a number of sources confirm the outcome, then you can write your piece.

I think sometimes with journalism, it really is pure guesswork unless you work for the likes of Skysports, The Guardian etc where you have all the top sources who are willing to provide you more information.

You only have to look at the likes of The Sun and The Daily Star. I could do a far better job than them journalists just by taking a punt on transfers myself. Freestyle journalism... when do i start?

 

[leo_city]

Lad has a dribbling style and acceleration reminiscent of Iniesta. Under the right manager and team he will reach new heights.

 

[CenturyClub]

"Football isnt a game for athletes".

Goes on to explain how slow players need fast players around them to make them half decent.

I disagree with the athletes comment as all sports stars are athletes to some degree, but i agree with some of the points made.

Pace and power isn't the bee all and end all. You could have a midfield made up of Doucoure, N'Dombele and Idrissa Gueye and it would not cut the mustard. All pretty powerful, all pretty fast, but lacking that bit of creativity, or that top tier game intelligence that the very best players have.

I am not saying you are solely focused on pace and power, but a lot of other posters on here from the comments i have seen are too focused on pace and power over other additional qualities, but then when we are linked to one of the fastest and most powerful players ever to step onto a football pitch Adama Traore, people compare him to Kelvin Etuhu. Completely defeats the object and defies any logic whatsoever.

It is always nice to have pace, but i would rather have a player who has speed of thought first. Players can run around a field all game long blowing out of their arse, whereas some players don't need to run around a field as much because of the fantastic positional sense and awareness they have to take up very good positions to nullify the opposition.

Pace is always a bonus for me, but game intelligence is the key attribute for me, having that ability to read danger and be two steps ahead of the play. Busquets was the best midfielder of his kind for many years and i do feel that if he came to the premier league in his pomp, he would have been superb. Just always seem to read danger so well and cut out the opposition counter attacks.

I think if anything, players like Kante are being phased more out of football now than a Busquets type of player. As we have seen, most of the top teams now play with a defensive midfielder that have the ability to receive the ball from the goalkeeper under pressure and beat the press with their game intelligence and passing ability. Kante was never comfortable playing that role as he is more of an athlete than a technician, which is why he has found himself on the bench a fair few times for Chelsea or even moved further ahead to play a different role.

This is why Liverpool probably want Thiago so badly. He can pick the ball up anywhere on the field and never look flustered under pressure. Just like defenders, just like goalkeepers, there is more expected of a defensive midfielder, not just what they do off the ball, but what they do on the ball.

 

[Neville Kneville]

We should let Gundogan and Dihno go. Bring in Aouor and I suppose Carnavinga.
AM: Kevin, Aouor, Bernado, Foden
DM: Rodri, Carnavinga.
St: Gabby, Aguero
WLF: Sterling, Torres
WRF: Foden, Mahrez

It makes all the sense in the world.

Starters in bold.



Okay... Readying for the insult barrage :)

Would be very a strong unit with a few kids as backup.

 

[Dax777]

Did not know we had 2 Fodens ;)

Torres great signing but to me a long term one, next year will be a settling and getting to know the league country one.
Foden has to play in the middle for me, not out wide.

I think next year he'd start out wide and transition to the middle over time.

 

[Shaelumstash]

I disagree with the athletes comment as all sports stars are athletes to some degree, but i agree with some of the points made.

Pace and power isn't the bee all and end all. You could have a midfield made up of Doucoure, N'Dombele and Idrissa Gueye and it would not cut the mustard. All pretty powerful, all pretty fast, but lacking that bit of creativity, or that top tier game intelligence that the very best players have.

I am not saying you are solely focused on pace and power, but a lot of other posters on here from the comments i have seen are too focused on pace and power over other additional qualities, but then when we are linked to one of the fastest and most powerful players ever to step onto a football pitch Adama Traore, people compare him to Kelvin Etuhu. Completely defeats the object and defies any logic whatsoever.

It is always nice to have pace, but i would rather have a player who has speed of thought first. Players can run around a field all game long blowing out of their arse, whereas some players don't need to run around a field as much because of the fantastic positional sense and awareness they have to take up very good positions to nullify the opposition.

Pace is always a bonus for me, but game intelligence is the key attribute for me, having that ability to read danger and be two steps ahead of the play. Busquets was the best midfielder of his kind for many years and i do feel that if he came to the premier league in his pomp, he would have been superb. Just always seem to read danger so well and cut out the opposition counter attacks.

I think if anything, players like Kante are being phased more out of football now than a Busquets type of player. As we have seen, most of the top teams now play with a defensive midfielder that have the ability to receive the ball from the goalkeeper under pressure and beat the press with their game intelligence and passing ability. Kante was never comfortable playing that role as he is more of an athlete than a technician, which is why he has found himself on the bench a fair few times for Chelsea or even moved further ahead to play a different role.

This is why Liverpool probably want Thiago so badly. He can pick the ball up anywhere on the field and never look flustered under pressure. Just like defenders, just like goalkeepers, there is more expected of a defensive midfielder, not just what they do off the ball, but what they do on the ball.

Some great points in here. But I do think it's fair to say you need to have a balance.

If you set up with two or three midfielders without pace - like Gundogan, Rodri and Silva for example, you can get run through too easily.

I think Rodri has the potential to be a brilliant 6. Even Gundogan can do a job there. But they need pressure on the ball in front of them. Players who press. Ideally, players who have that burst of pace to press quickly.

Last season City had the best midfield technicians in world football. But we lacked pace and energy in there. Get the balance between the two right and no one will stop us.

 

[LongsightM13]

I disagree with the athletes comment as all sports stars are athletes to some degree, but i agree with some of the points made.

Pace and power isn't the bee all and end all. You could have a midfield made up of Doucoure, N'Dombele and Idrissa Gueye and it would not cut the mustard. All pretty powerful, all pretty fast, but lacking that bit of creativity, or that top tier game intelligence that the very best players have.

I am not saying you are solely focused on pace and power, but a lot of other posters on here from the comments i have seen are too focused on pace and power over other additional qualities, but then when we are linked to one of the fastest and most powerful players ever to step onto a football pitch Adama Traore, people compare him to Kelvin Etuhu. Completely defeats the object and defies any logic whatsoever.

It is always nice to have pace, but i would rather have a player who has speed of thought first. Players can run around a field all game long blowing out of their arse, whereas some players don't need to run around a field as much because of the fantastic positional sense and awareness they have to take up very good positions to nullify the opposition.

Pace is always a bonus for me, but game intelligence is the key attribute for me, having that ability to read danger and be two steps ahead of the play. Busquets was the best midfielder of his kind for many years and i do feel that if he came to the premier league in his pomp, he would have been superb. Just always seem to read danger so well and cut out the opposition counter attacks.

I think if anything, players like Kante are being phased more out of football now than a Busquets type of player. As we have seen, most of the top teams now play with a defensive midfielder that have the ability to receive the ball from the goalkeeper under pressure and beat the press with their game intelligence and passing ability. Kante was never comfortable playing that role as he is more of an athlete than a technician, which is why he has found himself on the bench a fair few times for Chelsea or even moved further ahead to play a different role.

This is why Liverpool probably want Thiago so badly. He can pick the ball up anywhere on the field and never look flustered under pressure. Just like defenders, just like goalkeepers, there is more expected of a defensive midfielder, not just what they do off the ball, but what they do on the ball.

Disagree about Kante tbf, he is an excellent and extremely underrated technical footballer as well as being a master destroyer. He absolutely ran the first half when we played Chelsea at home last season