Sergej Milinković-Savić

[Delphacito]

Nah. Sorry not having this.
Pep got two pretty quick fullbacks and a a fast keeper because he judged Pace to be important. Fernandho's deputy and eventual replacement will be similarly endowed with at least some pace. If Pep's pivot doesn't have some pace then you can't play with a single pivot in the Prem.

Sorry, not having that either. Class full backs just happen to be quick. Pep were looking for class full backs, not necessarily quick full backs. Find me a class fullback that's not fast? Full backs are required to be fast, DM isn't. Pep's Bayern was hit with a lot of counter attacks in the Bundesliga but they survived playing the speedy Xabi Alonso and sometimes the super fast Lahm.

 

[BlueAnorak]

We have to be able to defend against teams that attack us as we attack them. Fernandinho possesses the bare minimum pace to do this - as proved against Napoli. Any future City DM has to have the same pace (or better) than Fernandinho.

 

[Andouble]

https://media.giphy.com/media/xT0xeMx8vs3JvTy8vu/giphy.gif

 

[ono]

We have to be able to defend against teams that attack us as we attack them. Fernandinho possesses the bare minimum pace to do this - as proved against Napoli. Any future City DM has to have the same pace (or better) than Fernandinho.

Yeah I'd go with this. Pace is important to recover when we lose the ball and it is important to be quick and nimble off the mark in order to intercept passes. Fernandinho is exceptional at this. To put into perspective how good he is, Casimero at Real, because they're not as ball dominant, has made about twice as many tackles as Dinho this season, yet Dinho has made more interceptions.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

when Goretzka is going free...meh.

 

[domalino]

Besides, all these labels are erroneous. When has Dihno really ever been alone in the middle? That's just paper formation.

This is the heart of the matter. We have Gundogan on tv saying Pep always sets us up to have a 2-3 defensive shape to maintain possession and cut out counterattacks.

If Milinkovic-Savic dropped into fernandinho position he would always be playing next to people those people - Stones, Walker, Mendy/Delph are the ones who stop counter at speed.

And SMS isn't an oil tanker either. He's ok over long distances where he can get into his stride, he's just lacking over 10m or so - which reminds me of Lorenzo Buenaventura in Pep Confidential saying everyone who joins them makes significant strides in speed and agility after a few months of constantly training with the ball, speed work and the dietary/weight program.

Remember Wanyama at Southampton? He was a giant lump, and now after a year or 2 at Spurs under Pochettino he's lost weight and is much fitter and faster. Savic looks similar to me.


So 1) speed is no where near as important as people are making out 2) he's not as slow as people are making out and 3) he's going to get fitter and faster if he joins a club coached by someone as obsessed with player fitness as Pep is.

 

[KCblue]

It seems like a lot of the midfielders we're linked with are more of the 'free 8' role with the possibility that they can play the pivot (other than Weigl). I just feel like SMS would be a signing similar to Gundogan - City being hopeful he can play the pivot when in reality it's not his best position.

 

[domalino]

It seems like a lot of the midfielders we're linked with are more of the 'free 8' role with the possibility that they can play the pivot (other than Weigl). I just feel like SMS would be a signing similar to Gundogan - City being hopeful he can play the pivot when in reality it's not his best position.

That's because there's almost no world class midfielders who do the role we want. Fernandinho does more attacking than most other teams attacking midfielders.There will have been more than a few games where he gets more touches in the opposite area than anyone on the other side.

Then he's also got to defend very large spaces, and be very good on the ball, an excellent passer - ideal a better passer than Fernandinho too to switch it out to the wings and start counter attacks.

If you look at other top teams in Europe, no one really has that in 1 player except Barcelona and we aint getting Busquets.

So I think we need to look at box to box midfielders who are smart, and have the ability with the ball, who then can be taught the tactical role defensively. Fernandinho was a box to box midfielder before he came here, Busquets was not a pivot before Pep got hold of him.

when Goretzka is going free...meh.

We're at least 1 midfielder short as it is. Fernandinho turns 34 next season and I would not be surprised if this world cup takes a huge amount out of him as well, having no break between seasons at his age coming off this season playing every single game? Much as I love him, I would be surprised if he's the same player next year. Age catches up eventually.

I'd be surprised if we didn't buy 2 midfielders, and when you think back to our transfer targets last season, wanting Mendy+Bertrand, Walker+Alves, Pep's clearly not against stacking up two players who'd want to start in one position. Plus both could play further forward, and Pep will probably starting being more creative with formations next season.

Then with Yaya, Mangala and possibly Kompany on the way out, we could see Fernandinho be used more as a CB or as a utility player.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

That's because there's almost no world class midfielders who do the role we want. Fernandinho does more attacking than most other teams attacking midfielders.There will have been more than a few games where he gets more touches in the opposite area than anyone on the other side.

Then he's also got to defend very large spaces, and be very good on the ball, an excellent passer - ideal a better passer than Fernandinho too to switch it out to the wings and start counter attacks.

If you look at other top teams in Europe, no one really has that in 1 player except Barcelona and we aint getting Busquets.

So I think we need to look at box to box midfielders who are smart, and have the ability with the ball, who then can be taught the tactical role defensively. Fernandinho was a box to box midfielder before he came here, Busquets was not a pivot before Pep got hold of him.




We're at least 1 midfielder short as it is. Fernandinho turns 34 next season and I would not be surprised if this world cup takes a huge amount out of him as well, having no break between seasons at his age coming off this season playing every single game? Much as I love him, I would be surprised if he's the same player next year. Age catches up eventually.

I'd be surprised if we didn't buy 2 midfielders, and when you think back to our transfer targets last season, wanting Mendy+Bertrand, Walker+Alves, Pep's clearly not against stacking up two players who'd want to start in one position. Plus both could play further forward, and Pep will probably starting being more creative with formations next season.

Then with Yaya, Mangala and possibly Kompany on the way out, we could see Fernandinho be used more as a CB or as a utility player.

Weigl and Goretzka, Skriniar and Van Dijk for CB.

 

[KCblue]

That's because there's almost no world class midfielders who do the role we want. Fernandinho does more attacking than most other teams attacking midfielders.There will have been more than a few games where he gets more touches in the opposite area than anyone on the other side.

Then he's also got to defend very large spaces, and be very good on the ball, an excellent passer - ideal a better passer than Fernandinho too to switch it out to the wings and start counter attacks.

If you look at other top teams in Europe, no one really has that in 1 player except Barcelona and we aint getting Busquets.

So I think we need to look at box to box midfielders who are smart, and have the ability with the ball, who then can be taught the tactical role defensively. Fernandinho was a box to box midfielder before he came here, Busquets was not a pivot before Pep got hold of him.

Those are good points Dom. I get that the pivot in his system isn't a typical defensive midfielder. It will certainly be interesting to see who he brings in because we're definitely signing someone there (in the summer I would guess). Weigl would be perfect for us but don't even want to think about the price Dortmund would demand.