It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[blueparrot]

Kovacic is quality a very good player but he can’t intercept passing lanes like Rodri can. We didn’t get opened up constantly yesterday due to lack of work rate we got sliced through due to no one in that midfield could think ahead of the pass and just followed the ball. The rags sliced through us with through ball after through ball. Rodri is there they are intercepted.

No one in the team apart from Rodri knows how to think ahead in the 6 position , hopefully kova can be taught it but right now a Rodri injury and things like what happens yesterday will happen again.

Look at the goals we conceded last season. When Rodri wasn’t there it wasn’t pressing us it was one through ball.

That wasn't my point though. We all know we have nobody to do what Rodri does. We all know having that back up that can would be ideal.
My point was most of the players talked about would expect that when they aren’t taking Rodri's place they are still playing in the team. What I’m saying is most of them mentioned wouldn’t get into our midfield on a regular basis.Kimmich is the exception because he would get in ahead of Walker most weeks.
Put it simply who is the player keeping Kovacic and Bernardo and maybe KDB or Foden on the bench when Rodri is playing?

 

[FMwkdsoul]

That wasn't my point though. We all know we have nobody to do what Rodri does. We all know having that back up that can would be ideal.
My point was most of the players talked about would expect that when they aren’t taking Rodri's place they are still playing in the team. What I’m saying is most of them mentioned wouldn’t get into our midfield on a regular basis.Kimmich is the exception because he would get in ahead of Walker most weeks.
Put it simply who is the player keeping Kovacic and Bernardo and maybe KDB or Foden on the bench when Rodri is playing?

Veteran or Wonderkid imo. if any. cant see a prime dm/cm taking it unless they dying to play for pep under any circumstance.

 

[Gumzy97]

That wasn't my point though. We all know we have nobody to do what Rodri does. We all know having that back up that can would be ideal.
My point was most of the players talked about would expect that when they aren’t taking Rodri's place they are still playing in the team. What I’m saying is most of them mentioned wouldn’t get into our midfield on a regular basis.Kimmich is the exception because he would get in ahead of Walker most weeks.
Put it simply who is the player keeping Kovacic and Bernardo and maybe KDB or Foden on the bench when Rodri is playing?

You’d need to do what Chelsea did under Tuchel. I’ll get pelters for that. Rodri can do everything in midfield. Tuchel put Kovacic and Kante together, a ball winner and intercepter and a transition/ control player. That = Rodri.

We just need a ball winner / dual winner. Doesn’t have to be a kimmich or the players mentioned. A veteran or youngster. Funny enough Lavia would’ve been perfect right now

 

[TonyM]

I hope that Pep's plan is to replace Grealish and Foden out wide with Doku, Savio, Bobb and maybe Nunes.

And to replace KDB and Kovocic with Grealish and Foden.

And eventually replace Walker with someone young, fast, built, tough, skillful, smart and with a more moderately sized willy.

Eg.
...............Ederson................
Akanji ..Dias Ake ..Gvardiol
...................Rodri.................
Savio Grealish Foden Doku
................Haaland...............

 

[Dialog]

We just need a ball winner / dual winner. Doesn’t have to be a kimmich or the players mentioned. A veteran or youngster. Funny enough Lavia would’ve been perfect right now

That is true. We can get by using that combination when Rodri is rested. Hence we wanted Bruno. He had different skill sets to Rodri, that is why Neves would have been perfect playing a Double Pivot with Kovacic. I am not sure about Lavia pairedwith Kova, but I get what you are saying. YOU WILL STILL PROBABLY GET PELTERS FROM SOME IN HERE!

 

[christened at st marks]

Man City's director of football Txiki Begiristain was an interested spectator in the Milburn Stand on Friday night.


Chronicle live

 

[FMwkdsoul]

I hope that Pep's plan is to replace Grealish and Foden out wide with Doku, Savio, Bobb and maybe Nunes.

And to replace KDB and Kovocic with Grealish and Foden.

And eventually replace Walker with someone young, fast, built, tough, skillful, smart and with a more moderately sized willy.

Eg.
...............Ederson................
Akanji ..Dias Ake ..Gvardiol
...................Rodri.................
Savio Grealish Foden Doku
................Haaland...............

cant see him giving up that much control. Doku, Savio, Haaland turn the ball over much to often, maybe in 'smaller' games

 

[blueparrot]

Veteran or Wonderkid imo. if any. cant see a prime dm/cm taking it unless they dying to play for pep under any circumstance.

We may come up with something like that no idea who. I am though coming around to thinking we’ll go Kovacic, Bernardo when Rodri doesn’t play.
The thing is if Rodri is rested for all or most the domestic cup games how many C/L and P/L games will he miss barring a bad injury, a handful maybe so any player bought as just cover won’t play much. To be honest it’s a conundrum Barcelona had with Busquets that I don’t remember them ever solving.
Think if we bring anyone in it will be more Alvarez replacement.

 

[TonyM]

I think we need a good backup striker (I'd love Watkins - at the right age i think to want a few trophies).

And we need a longterm Walker replacement (someone completely unknown to anyone of us but smashing would be the dream).

I know we need to replace KDB too longterm but I'd love for that to be Grealish.

And obviously we need Rodri's cover but I think Kovacic is enough for now because there's simply no one in the world capable without having to play them every game so we'd end up quite defensive.

 

[oldius]

Some really great points here over the last 24 hours, and respectful differences of opinion.
I remember when nobody could replace Fernandinho, and Gundogan got a few pelters because he couldn't do what Fern could. We are really in the same boat now, with a player with a truly unique skillset and no direct replacement. I think it will take a blend of what we have to cope with the absence of Rodri, but I understand those who believe you have to dip into the market. I hope that the emergence of Bobb with Doku and Savinho allow Foden and Bernardo and Grealish to play centrally. If so, I think we have all we need.