I agree with your Number break down. Just not on all the players. But definitely want Maffeo back. And I'd rather have a leftie play leftback.Nah. I like Zinchenko but I both don't think he's a very good LB and that the position hinders him from playing his best stuff. I'd have him in the squad as an attacking utility player.
I think the senior squad should be made up of the following:
2 GK, 4 FB, 4 CB, 2 DM, 4 AM, 5 FWD = 21 players + defensive utility + attacking utility, leaving some room from a 25 man squad for youth players to get a chance.
With our current players, I'd have that as: Ederson, Bravo/Walker, Mendy, Danilo, Maffeo/Laporte, Otamendi, Stones, Kompany/Fernandinho, Toure/De Bruyne, Silva, Gundogan, Bernardo/Aguero, Jesus, Sterling, Sane, ???/Delph/Zinchenko, with the guys in italics likely to be considered in the summer (potentially Gunn, Fred and Mahrez, say).
I agree with your Number break down. Just not on all the players. But definitely want Maffeo back. And I'd rather have a leftie play leftback.
As for Zee, I think his chances of success as a Midfielder for us are slim. He'd be just good. An inferior mix of Kev and Dave. But he has world class potential at LB in our system or Napoli's.
Yes. But you don't have to be exceptional to have World Class potential. Marcelo at Madrid was awful his 1st year but had WC potential. He was beyond useless as a defender, yet his skill and movement suggested WC potential at the position.World Class LB potential is incredibly kind! Really like the lad and he's been good but far far from exceptional
Zinchenko is very neat in possession and has plenty of time to improve his defensive capabilities but most world class fullbacks in recent years have a speed and athleticism which I don't think Zinchenko really possesses and that's not something you can really develop much it's mainly on the genes.Yes. But you don't have to be exceptional to have World Class potential. Marcelo at Madrid was awful his 1st year but had WC potential. He was beyond useless as a defender, yet his skill and movement suggested WC potential at the position.
Zee has not even been bad talk less awful. Frankly he has been as good or better than half the league's leftbacks defensively. And that's is supposed to be his weak point.
Add that to his possessional strengths, technique, touch, decision making, and movement, and the potential as a WC leftback is easy to project.
Also, it is worth s repeating - We are infinitely harder to press when Zee plays leftback. The consequences of that point should not be taken lightly. But unfortunately too many do.
Zinchenko is very neat in possession and has plenty of time to improve his defensive capabilities but most world class fullbacks in recent years have a speed and athleticism which I don't think Zinchenko really possesses and that's not something you can really develop much it's mainly on the genes.
Actually, some do, some don't.Zinchenko is very neat in possession and has plenty of time to improve his defensive capabilities but most world class fullbacks in recent years have a speed and athleticism which I don't think Zinchenko really possesses and that's not something you can really develop much it's mainly on the genes.
I have faith in his potential, so I'd agree let's keep him for another season an revaluate.I couldn’t agree more. I don’t think @Dax777 is all that prone to putting on the blue tints but I think he’s vastly overrating OZ here and I’m an OZ fan.
The bolded part is huge for what we’re building and OZ doesn’t have that. On at least 3-6 occasions he’s been beaten badly and we’ve been torched on counters where he couldn’t recover fast enough (almost seemed lethargic while gettin back on those occasions). I’m not an expert on defensive positioning so I can’t comment on how much that’s on him. I think we should keep him around for another season and then reevaluate.