It's Quiet 17 - Glory Thread

[pavelsrnicek]

Jorginho to Arsenal… They are putting a decent side together and are going for the league big time.

He’ll improve them in possession but isn’t as good defensively as Partey.

 

[supercity88]

Disagree there, first game of last season at Spurs, we had Mendy, Zinchenko and Cancelo on the books.

Now we have Gomez who's a Pere Guardiola Ponzi scheme and a centre half shuffling across.

It's woeful business.

One of which was a LB, the other two were makeshift and one of which didn't play last season because off his off field antics, and yet we won the league and were moments away from the CL final again. A lot is being made of the LB situation with all the spoilt brats throwing their toys out just like Cancelo is. We won the league with Delph at LB, we won it with Zinchenko as a LB and we won it with Cancelo being played at LB because he was shite at RB. No reason we can't win it with Ake at LB too. Our style of play has been just fine with a LB that doesn't overlap.

 

[Delphinho]

All reliable City journalists seem certain we’re not signing anyone today. No surprise, but a bit disappointing. Wonder why we never ever loan players

 

[balotelli's back pocket]

We're clearly trying but not too hopeful of doing something, hence the brief to journalists that a replacement is 'very unlikely' rather than a simple 'we're done'.

Bets = hedged.

 

[Agueroooo9320]

Apparently Perrone can play LB

no he can't. it will be like playing david silva at LB. monumentally stupid and a waste of talent. ake and gomez are going to be our LB

 

[Ajm1985]

In the business end of last season, we played Fernandinho as RB in games against Madrid, CB against Villa, had Stones as RB and Laporte playing with an injury. All due to injuries to players and with unconvincing defensive displays. Saying players can 'do a job' at fullback is beside the point - why would we want to continue to shoehorn players in roles and having to make do? Even then it's requiring those players, like Aké, be played in nearly all remaining games. Not getting players in (we hadn't replaced Zinchenko prior to Cancelo going) is like gleefully shooting yourself in one foot, and eyeing up the other.

 

[Deleted member 81382]

Before I say what I'm about to say, I'll put it out there that we should absolutely be buying a top class left back.

But... I'm kind of sick of the Ake isn't a left back talk to justify it. Firstly, I don't consider what he is doing in most games a left back. It's the left centre half of a back three. The left and right centre Half's push up a bit because it's a pep team and it's fluid. Second, he's been one of our most consistent and reliable players this season.

Obviously he plays as a more traditional left back at times, but for the most part we play like this;

.........stones..............akanji.............Ake..................

.......,..................Rico..........rodri...............................

Mahrez........kdb..........................gundo....grealish
..................................haaland..................................

You are right of course that Ake is mainly playing in a back three when we have the ball which is 60-70% of most games and he's only really playing as a traditional left-back when we're defending.

The problem we have now Cancelo is gone is that Rico Lewis is the only full-back we have who is comfortable playing in midfield as Walker really struggles in that role and while Lewis is undoubtedly a talent, I'm not sure he's ready to play regularly for us.

The way I see it, we have four choices. We either trust Lewis to play as an inverted full-back like you have shown above, we let Walker play that role despite his limitations on the ball, we play a flat back four and accept having less control in midfield or we switch to an actual back three with wingbacks which we don't really have the personnel for. None of those options are ideal but that's what Pep has to work with and I'm sure he'll find the best solution, at least for the rest of this season anyway.

 

[blueparrot]

All reliable City journalists seem certain we’re not signing anyone today. No surprise, but a bit disappointing. Wonder why we never ever loan players

I don't know but would guess we expect players to take a while to bed in so a loan wouldn't really work for us.

 

[Agueroooo9320]

I'm guessing it will be Aké as main LB and Perrone as second choice. Perrone is a technically gifted, left-footed defensive midfielder... It's exactly Peps type of LB.

Phillips is Rodris backup, that probably won't change. So no place for Perrone there.

I expect him to play inverted, same as Rico. Gives us more tactical options but to be honest.. I'd really like us to sign a proper fucking leftback. None of this Delph, Zini, Cancelo, Aké, Laporte. Just a normal LB for once.

again he is not a natural defender and physically be swatted aside like a fly. his instincts are playing forward. will you play david silva at LB and waste his talents?

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

I'm hoping we put a bid in for howard webb.

I doubt the rags would let him go though.