Then you have to include the tape from last season.
He looked much stronger defensively than he does right now.
Probably just needs a few more games.
Out of 25 games, 24 wins and 1 draw isn't coincidence.
Like Ederson, he is sometimes lacking in the conventional attributes expected from players in his position but he offers far more to the specific way that we play than an orthodox left back would.
On top of that, I think some people are forgetting that Mendy is average at best at the defensive side. Still better at it than Zinchenko and he's superior at delivering crosses but his brain, touch and ball retention skills aren't on par. I was excited to bring him back but Angelino looked an absolute dud in preseason. It will be interesting to see how/ if he presses on when given the chance.
If he was stronger and had a couple more years of experience playing the position, Zinchenko would be borderline perfect.
He’s ‘borderline perfect’ at playing the inverted fullback role where his offensive duties are absolutely minimal and we attack 80% +.
he gets cooked in 1v1s constantly and makes me nervous anytime he’s isolated.
Its also a system Pep has been forced to play where the fullbacks make the most basic decisions with the least freedom possible...
Great, so he's ideal for our team then.
Same, just like every other fullback we have other than Walker.
Actually, it's the system Pep goes with most often because it helps prevent us getting overloaded on counterattacks. So yeah, Zinchenko is a really good fit for a really good system.
You go on about Zinchenko not getting forward but, by your own admission, that's not his job. That's Mendy's job whenever he actually plays.
Different players in different systems for different opponents. Zinchenko can't do what Mendy does and you better believe it works the other way around. Shit, I'd sooner trust Delph again in the inverted fullback role than Mendy.
I know you’re a blue just as much as I am so I know you’re purposely ignoring the Liverpool game where Mendy put in a 9/10 defensive performance so I don’t buy that Mendy can’t play the inverted role as well as zinchenko.
Sorry, I’ve got work so I’ll give you a better response later. :-/
It’s all in fun and I think this will be a fun convo so I’ll quote you soon.
The Liverpool game was fantastic but I'm pretty sure if we rewatch it then we'll see Salah was getting joy down Mendy's side early on with Ederson coming to our rescue. After the Mane sending off, it was all one way traffic and the majority of our goals came once we brought Sane on and those two absolutely battered the left.
I just don't think Mendy is cut out to play in the middle. Not only are you taking away his main strengths (for example, I'd say his crossing is better than anyone else's in the league) but he is also really, really poorly disciplined. On top of that, Zinchenko is extremely good in small spaces and his composure is top notch. His first touch is on par with some of the best players at the club.
Anyway, have a good day.
It's not that game he is referring to, but 0:0 one at Anfield last season where Liverpool barely had a chance. 5:0 game was one of the Mendy's early games (third or 4th) and he was pretty bad defensively on the beginning, got much better last season before the injury.