It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

[ScottSinclair]

Is he the lad who got concussed in the world cup final and had to go off after about 30 minutes?

Had to google it, but yeah that is correct. (32 minutes so have to say your memory is impressive.

I remember us wanting to play like Peps Barcelona in those days and had no idea how we could do it if we didn't sign one of Kramer or Julian Weigl from Dortmund to be our lone-pivot.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Had to google it, but yeah that is correct. (32 minutes so have to say your memory is impressive.

I remember us wanting to play like Peps Barcelona in those days and had no idea how we could do it if we didn't sign one of Kramer or Julian Weigl from Dortmund to be our lone-pivot.

It's amazing what I remember considering if you asked me what I had for dinner yesterday I couldn't tell you! Remember Weigl being very highly rated, don't think it really happened for him after Dortmund. Not sure if he had a few injuries.

 

[skillman]

Had to google it, but yeah that is correct. (32 minutes so have to say your memory is impressive.

I remember us wanting to play like Peps Barcelona in those days and had no idea how we could do it if we didn't sign one of Kramer or Julian Weigl from Dortmund to be our lone-pivot.

Haha I loved those early windows personally. All about guessing how we'd line up and all assuming (and being right by the way!) that Pep needs a fantastic holding midfielder.

We just all assumed it would be of the mould of a Busquets (hence the Weigl clamour) type of frame/player when in reality it came in Fernandinho and now Rodri.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

Haha I loved those early windows personally. All about guessing how we'd line up and all assuming (and being right by the way!) that Pep needs a fantastic holding midfielder.

We just all assumed it would be of the mould of a Busquets (hence the Weigl clamour) type of frame/player when in reality it came in Fernandinho and now Rodri.

I think you need to have a physical presence to play the DM role in the Premier League. I suspect Busquets and Pirlo would have had similar problems to Veron when he played for the rags and Chelsea over here. Pep was smart enough to see that you need an Iron fist in a silk glove in England.

 

[ScottSinclair]

I think you need to have a physical presence to play the DM role in the Premier League. I suspect Busquets and Pirlo would have had similar problems to Veron when he played for the rags and Chelsea over here. Pep was smart enough to see that you need an Iron fist in a silk glove in England.

While there might be an element of truth to that, especially back when Pep was new to the league, I also think Gündo kind of disproved that in the 18/19 season. Cazorla were pretty good in that role at Arsenal as well despite the team being average.

Specifically Veron struggled under two managers in Ferguson and Ranieri that for all their brilliance as managers and achievments you could say were tactical dinosaurs already in 2003. They both forced him into a flat 442 and they both had no idea how to use a specialist midfielder like Veron (again not really downplaying the manager ability of either man and not really comparing them either, but they have the same flaw in that aspect)

On the other hand we had a bit of a journeyman manager in Keegan that made a fantastic championship midfield out of Benarbia and Berkovic, both of a player type that Ferguson would't have touched with a barge pole and also a player type that almost never played centrally in England at that point. So I think the right system, with the right coaching and player will work anywhere

 

[Ajm1985]

With the terms of the Gundo contract (extension based on appearances) looking likely to be achieved, I wonder if instead of a 6/8 hybrid it might be better to target an athletic sole 6, as we'll have an abundance of 8s. When Rodri returns there's no guarantee he'd be as mobile, but he's excellent pushing forward regardless - could be great as more of an 8, with a 6 behind him.

 

[ScottSinclair]

With the terms of the Gundo contract (extension based on appearances) looking likely to be achieved, I wonder if instead of a 6/8 hybrid it might be better to target an athletic sole 6, as we'll have an abundance of 8s. When Rodri returns there's no guarantee he'd be as mobile, but he's excellent pushing forward regardless - could be great as more of an 8, with a 6 behind him.

Worst case scenario if he comes back totally shot I think Pep will turn him into a ball-playing defender, stepping into the lone pivot as a quarter-back making us tick in possesion while stepping back into a back 3/5 out of it with more mobile defenders around him. A bit like Stonesy but even more prominent on the ball and less running.

So an athletic midfielder isn't a bad idea at all actually. Then again you'd think Rodri have a lot of pace to lose without skipping a beat in his current role, but you never know how that slight difference affects a top player.

Have to wonder if bringing Aleix Garcia back before he went to Leverkusen was a missed opportunity

 

[Ajm1985]

Worst case scenario if he comes back totally shot I think Pep will turn him into a ball-playing defender, stepping into the lone pivot as a quarter-back making us tick in possesion while stepping back into a back 3/5 out of it with more mobile defenders around him. A bit like Stonesy but even more prominent on the ball and less running.

So an athletic midfielder isn't a bad idea at all actually. Then again you'd think Rodri have a lot of pace to lose without skipping a beat in his current role, but you never know how that slight difference affects a top player.

Have to wonder if bringing Aleix Garcia back before he went to Leverkusen was a missed opportunity

Can see it, but I think it would potentially rid us of his abilities around the box - him at the edge of the box against that Arsenal block is a different proposition due to his quicker 1 touch passing, clipped passes and shooting. Either way, I think the 6 aspect is more pressing - plus we just have a massive lack of athleticism in our midfield (Nunes aside).

 

[Tevez City]

Can we sign Frenkie De Jong in January ?

I thought their president is more interested in reducing the salaries of players than winning trophy this season !

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

Can we sign Frenkie De Jong in January ?

I thought their president is more interested in reducing the salaries of players than winning trophy this season !

will he bit fit again by then?