The Dzeko/Tevez Conundrum...

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Been thinking about it since last night and I reckon we should be using the FA Cup game and the EUROPA games in the next few weeks to let Carlos, Silva, and Dzeko play together. Dzeko needs to get his touch up to speed, and also needs to develop an understanding with the other two. It's the perfect opportunity against 'lesser' opposition. This isn't the time for squad rotation in those positions IMO...

While I hope you're right, I fully expect Tevez to be rested for the games you mention.

Following his daughters accident I dont expect Tevez to travel to Greece and this gives Dzeko the chance to show what he can do on his own up front with Silva and SWP on either side.

Everyone who has played with or been involved with Dzeko rates him highly and therefore he must have some talent. He caused problems for United yesterday even though his touch was poor.

The next 3 games give him the chance to show what he can do.

I expected more to be honest based on the pre dzeko signing love in
that was on here.

If it came down to a straight choice I would choose Tevez everytime.

 

[Blue Blur]

Feed the Dzeko and he will score, Mancini needs to stop benching this lad and get him some premiership time clocked up, or else we might aswell be putting bloody reserves on the bench.

 

[scorer]

Personally I think as long as Mancini is married to his 4231 formation he's not going to be able to play Dzeko and Tevez together. For me, they both need to play together regularly to develop an understanding with each other and with Silva.

For me he needs to give the three of them a run together in the team between now and the end of the season in a system which doesn't require one of them to play out wide...

For me Billy,and I may be way off beam here, I rhink we have a real problem with Tevez.

Now dont get me wrong I really rate the guy and do not want him to leave.

The problem is I think he hates centre forwards..... end of.

I believe he absolutely disliked Adebayor and that was part of his downfall (Adebayors). You just watch Tevez's body lkanguage and attitude to his striking partner.... he literally ignores then like they're not there. He tends not to pass and set them up....

Like I say I could be wrong but I think any centre forward with Tevez will have a problem

 

[mr t]

Best thread of the day. Its clear nothings gone according to plan with the signings. We just have to trust that Mancini will be able to solve the problems.

Replace the word trust with hope

The worrying thing is that after looking for so long to be nailed on for a top 4 finish we are now facing the prospect of once again just missing out if he fails to solve our problems. Then we will be in the same position as we were last summer and the prospect of no Champions League football for another year may lead to Tevez's departure and stop other players wanting to sign for us.

And without Tevez we will not be a better team - he has been priceless for us this year and we would have less points had he not played for us.

 

[Blue Blur]

[
And without Tevez we will not be a better team - he has been priceless for us this year and we would have less points had he not played for us.

While i agree that his goals have been priceless i dont agree with the idea that hes good for the team unit at all, i think when he leaves we will end up playing better as a team.
One up front isnt the way to win trophies in my opinion, and his immense hi work rate means some of our players dont pull their weight, in addition to that he drifts out of position a lot, that makes it a nightmare for other players to feed him that killer pass, or receve it.. but then Tev doesnt like passing the ball to anyone, he would rather hoof it over the cross bar than line another player up.
Everyone needs to give 100% in an great team and at the moment im not feeling that for most matches.
Tevez is a fab player but does carry us a lot, ironically i dont think that helps the team ethic one bit.
He wasnt very effective in the derby, because he was out there on his lonesome.
We needed a strike pair on, much harder to mark. Then the idea of using kolarov as a winger would have probably been highly effective.
I also think weve got more than enough top players to make a fist of the premiership challenge next season. If united can do it with handful of oldies and half decent sloggers, i dont see why we cant go and win the bugger, next time.

 

[Lancet Fluke]

Far too early to say whather they will be able to play well together and in what formation. Frankly, Dzeko currently looks so far off the pace that it would be impossible to judge anything. I still think the answer is for Dzeko to play up front with Tevez off him but until he has been eased in and become accustomed to the Premiership and the unique challenges that come with it then it won't be a success however Mancini sets them up. I'm not going to judge Dzeko or whether he can play with Tevez until well into next season and would be happy for Dzeko to mainly be used as a sub until then, unless of course he suddenly starts making a huge impact off the bench.

 

[teddykgb]

I agree that this is one of the main issues. Unlike most, I've been absolutely impressed with Dzeko, I've posted enough about it in other threads, but we're a different (and better) team with him in the side because we do not HAVE to string 6 or 7 passes together to get through the midfield, he's been a revelation at winning the long ball and passing it back to make for a fluid attack.

But he hasn't linked up well with Tevez. I agree with many that Tevez is a very difficult strike partner. More than anything, I think Carlos just doesn't pass well in the channels, which sort of makes sense if you think about it. He's not a big guy, and he creates space by often moving side to side...he doesn't take people on with the dribble unless he really has to, which again makes sense, but it means that he does a lot of horizontal running for every vertical yard gained. This really closes off passing angles and makes it hard to find a run to show as a striker partner, you end up continually drifting wide, and even if he does see you and make the pass, you get the ball in a lot of weird, wide areas that you can't do much with. Carlos is certainly a decent passer, but as a striker partner you need to be able to slide through balls through a defense, or make a good short cross every once in a while, and I just don't think there are Carlos' strengths. I think it's very possible that Balotelli + Dzeko is a future partnership of ours, or at least is a potential one based on what Carlos wants in the summer. I think they'll get better, though, and I think Dzeko is absolutely essential to this team.

It's funny, because when we're playing 4-5-1 with CArlos alone up front, the system is obviously begging for a larger target man, we can't play anything long and expect CArlos to win it, and he's often nowhere near the box to stretch the field by pinching the CBs back. Then when we bring Dzeko on people start whining about how we need to play the 4-5-1, which just hasn't worked and probably will never work for a prolonged period of time with Tevez as the lone striker, he's an absolutely tremendous player who deserves all the respect he gets, but at this point we're about as good as he plays until he finds a way to link up with Dzeko to ease his burden.