More importantly, he just doesn't work for us most of the time. In form he's a very good player, but unless he's at his absolute 10/10 best, he causes us as many problems as he fixes.
He's right footed, which means Pep won't play him, Dias and Stones together (he's literally said this explicitly in a press conference), which means out best CB pairing is permanantly shelved. This is madness.
He's right footed so he won't pass down the line to our LW which cuts them off from the build up and gets rid of one of our best ways of beating a really good press. United said they clogged up the middle to stop us, and one of the reasons it worked (and why it didn't vs Zinchenko + Arsenal) is that Cancelo can't play that left footed pass down the line to get the ball past the press to Foden or Jack.
He's right footed (I know I've mentioned it, but it causes us several distinct problems), so he doesn't attack the byline or overlap, instead he underlaps and pushes our world class attacking midfielders out to the touchline while he occupies the half space they should thrive in. He also doesn't attack the box, which means Haaland gets isolated. With an overlapping LB, Grealish or Foden would be 20 yards closer to the box and be able to make back post runs much more often. Instead they are on the touch line, Cancelo is sat outside the box and Haaland is on his own.
He's not a good defender. He's pretty effective tackler in midfield but positioning is poor, awareness of danger when in the full back position is very bad, when the ball goes over his head he's completely lost, and he's lightweight and doesn't like a physical battle when covering.
Cancelo is an incredibly talented footballer, but he's very difficult, almost impossible to fit into a professional football side. IMO that's why his previous 4 clubs were happy to take a decent fee for him when someone who'd been seduced by the at times spectacular passing came in for him.
Lastly, moving forward, if Rico Lewis is the future of our RB position, that means our future LB has to be a left sided Walker. Instead of 2016-2022 where the LB tucked in and the RB dropped into the defensive line, it will be the other way round.
Does anyone think Joao could play in a back 3 with Laporte and Stones? I don't.
He turns 29 in May, he's has some great moments, but time to move on and stop causing ourselves problems by trying to force a very talented square peg into a round hole.
