I amended it before I read this to include that!!
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Mateo Kovacic
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To be fair Ortega and Alvarez ain't been bad eitherI amended it before I read this to include that!!
Bit part players though if we're being honest. There's plenty that do take 2 years, review the grealish and rodri threads for prime examplesTo be fair Ortega and Alvarez ain't been bad either
I understand why we're all thinking Kovacic is a replacement for Bernardo but I wonder if he's actually a replacement for Laporte, at least in terms of squad numbers. Hear me out. Clearly, looking ahead, Pep wants to persist with this inverted RB/CM/DM hybrid position he's had Lewis, Stones, and (in recent weeks) Phillips playing this season. So maybe the idea is to play Kovacic in that role instead and add him to that group of players instead, meaning that, in the event of Laporte's departure, Stones, Lewis, and even Phillips can be used in defence more often. (Remember that Phillips played CB during a couple of pre-season games last year). It's likely Kovacic will slot in at #8 but I think he'll be playing that #4/#6 hybrid role more often than we expect. Pep sees things in players that nobody else can and I see no reason why he can't add little wrinkles to Kovacic's game, even at the age of 29.
City are going for Gvardiol when Laporte is off. Its just about adding numbers behind Kdb gundo and bernardo.I understand why we're all thinking Kovacic is a replacement for Bernardo but I wonder if he's actually a replacement for Laporte, at least in terms of squad numbers. Hear me out. Clearly, looking ahead, Pep wants to persist with this inverted RB/CM/DM hybrid position he's had Lewis, Stones, and (in recent weeks) Phillips playing this season. So maybe the idea is to play Kovacic in that role instead and add him to that group of players instead, meaning that, in the event of Laporte's departure, Stones, Lewis, and even Phillips can be used in defence more often. (Remember that Phillips played CB during a couple of pre-season games last year). It's likely Kovacic will slot in at #8 but I think he'll be playing that #4/#6 hybrid role more often than we expect. Pep sees things in players that nobody else can and I see no reason why he can't add little wrinkles to Kovacic's game, even at the age of 29.
Yeah like I said, I think it's likely Kovacic will spend most of his time in that #6/#8 box to box role Gundogan does, where he sits between Rodri and De Bruyne, but I can also see Kovacic playing behind the halfway line (so to speak) more often, either right next to Rodri or instead of him.City are going for Gvardiol when Laporte is off. Its just about adding numbers behind Kdb gundo and bernardo.
Yeah but I think it is quite variable how long players take.Bit part players though if we're being honest. There's plenty that do take 2 years, review the grealish and rodri threads for prime examples
Laporte, Ederson, Walker Dias Akanji Haaland and Alvarez have all been pretty quick.
Silva, Mahrez, Sane and Grealish were all pretty good/excellent at some point in season two.
Nolito, Mendy, Torres and possibly Phillips never really settled.
Stones ,Zin ,Jesus, Cancelo, Gundo and Ake for various reasons had some ups and downs but were all good to excellent at times.
All fair points. Plenty who haven't settled, and I'll stick by my original claim that he's average, so even if he does settle quickly he's nothing more than average and 30+ very soon.Yeah but I think it is quite variable how long players take.
Laporte, Ederson, Walker Dias Akanji Haaland and Alvarez have all been pretty quick.
Silva, Mahrez, Sane and Grealish were all pretty good/excellent at some point in season two.
Nolito, Mendy, Torres and possibly Phillips never really settled.
Stones ,Zin ,Jesus, Cancelo, Gundo and Ake for various reasons had some ups and downs but were all good to excellent at times.
A decade with Internazionale, Real Madrid, and Chelsea, 4 Champions League medals and a Europa League medal, it all means nowt when Bluemoon feigns indifference.
Starts/Minutes played from the 1/4 final onwards in those 4 CL wins.
2016 - 0/ 2'
2017 - 0 / 6'
2018 - 1/ 103'
2021 - 1/ 100'
Never started a final, 1 start out of 8 semi-finals, 1 start out of 8 quarter finals.
I would imagine he holds the record for fewest minutes played in CL finals (12 minutes total) per medal - for outfield players at least.
I still think he's a decent player, a downgrade on Gundogan and Bernardo, but I couldn't care less about him having a front row seat to 4 CL finals he didn't have any input into at all.
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