Leeds fan here...in some ways I actually think it's the other way round with Kalvin's time at our club. Bielsa's football was also very robotic and Kalvin had a quite specific remit in it, it's just a remit that was quite different to Rodri's even though the players operate(d) in very similar parts of the pitch.
Our play/attacks were constructed out wide, so much so that some of us would call our on-ball strategy 'vacating the middle'. The #8s ahead of Kalvin would go wide and form combinations with the fullback and winger. There literally wouldn't be midfielders ahead of Kalvin for him to turn and pass through the lines too. Apart from the longrange diags (which he is notably good at even though it is an easier skill in football to pass long when unmarked), Kalvin would be playing a quite simple (& retention-focused) passing game. Get ball from fullback, pass back to CB. Get ball from keeper, send it wide to the fullback. These kind of things. He didn't have to play through pressure centrally because the system took away the requirement to do so.
Between Bielsa's demands, him playing in stodgy sides under previous Leeds managers, and only coming to us at the late age of 14 from his boys' club, mastery of all kinds of passing is such an underdeveloped part of his game, despite nominally playing in a pivot role in a 'possession' team under Bielsa.
To me his strengths were always a) that long passing and b) his defensive game, where I thought he was outstanding, if a bit prone to ball-watching. Man-marking kinda mitigated this by making him focus on a man and not the ball/zonal structure, but even so I always rated his defensive intensity mega highly. But those skills, combined with a 'safety-only' approach with the ball at his feet make him, to my mind, much more suited for a team that sits a bit deeper and plays on the counter. The opposite to what y'all do. Makes sense why he's been a hit for Southgate.
But such a shame to see him lose the fire for the defensive side. I was sure he was going to offer you something in this aspect of play even if he would be limited on the ball. That clip of the Newcastle goal makes me very sad. What happened to our Kalv?
Problem was and with massive respect to Leeds city is another level to both Leeds and even England tbh and he is just not good enough . Cracking lad and j really wanted him to do well but I can’t see him making it here .
Good post, you explained his role in the Bielsa set up really well. You can still see parts of it in his game, his first reaction is always to look for the full back when he gets on the ball.
A move to West Ham would have been great but I’d love to see him cone hone back to Leeds .Yeah that's the crux of it. Different players fit different systems innit. I'd hope in time that he'd be able to look at it with that perspective, still perfectly good enough to play in the PL in other teams and that's still an amazing level to be at.
I watched your game against Newcastle last week to watch Kalvin. (Here I'm just talking when you guys had the ball, I was disappointed with him defensively) I think he played his own game largely well. He didn't give the ball away many times, he kept it simple and ticking over. A perfectly reasonable KP display.
But it's just the wrong fit for what your team needs. A perfectly reasonable KP display is Rodri's game missing so many elements. Sometimes players can't find certain skills even through coaching, and he's had a long time under Pep to develop his game now.
In fairness, Pep already said he did. So Kalvin's statement is probably based off what Pep said.Whether or not you performed, Kalvin, is something The Boss decides upon, not you.
100% and I would not be boasting about my performance against Forrest.Whether or not you performed, Kalvin, is something The Boss decides upon, not you.
Pep always publicly has spoken well of him ( Post WC apart ;)) but I would not give much credence to that, Kalvin has been very poor and I am sure Pep would be more than happy to replace him permanently.In fairness, Pep already said he did. So Kalvin's statement is probably based off what Pep said.
Whether that's true or false wasn't my point.Pep always publicly has spoken well of him ( Post WC apart ;)) but I would not give much credence to that, Kalvin has been very poor and I am sure Pep would be more than happy to replace him permanently.