Toni Kroos

[oakiecokie]

Barry is the cleverest def mid I've ever seen & his whole game was about defending, Kroos is absolutely useless at it.

Barry is an ok but not fantastic passer from then on, Kroos is absolutely brilliant at it.

Might as well compare Roy Keane with Glen Hoddle.

Both them fuckers are the same somewhat ... both have fucking big egos`s.

 

[Marvin]

If we are going prime vs prime, then yeah Yaya is or was better than David Silva. Better in almost every aspect, with the exception of moving off the ball and finding space.

Silva has much more longevity as none of his qualities rely on physical traits.

Having said that, despite the hysteria surrounding Yaya this season, there's been little difference between them in terms of performances all season.

Toure had an assist rate of 18%, Silva 50% and Silva was carrying an injury. The Euros suggest he is over it.

 

[Neville Kneville]

That is not where he played for the one season Pep had him at Bayern though.
He played as one of the 2 attacking midfielders , when everybody was fit that is.

Maybe, but why have a player like Kroos doing that, when he plays somewhere else, & we already have players there & are signing more ?

And does the fact that Pep uses Martinez, Alonso, Yaya, Busquets, Lahm even Boateng in the position Kroos plays, not suggest he would be breaking his usual pattern if we signed Kroos ?

 

[Hungarian blue]

Maybe, but why have a player like Kroos doing that, when he plays somewhere else, & we already have players there & are signing more

Because we are talking about Kroos, I guess.

Also on paper, in a 4-1-4-1 type of formation, it's not that hard to find a place in the middle for Gundogan (Fernandinho as a back up), Kroos and KdB.

 

[Delphacito]

Yes you can, because the problem with Yaya, is where he plays.

If Silva & Mata are playing in the last line of defence, in front of the back 4, then you can compare them with Kroos, but they don't. If they did, they would probably win more ball.

That's where Kroos plays. Right in front of the back 4. We have had a problem with Yaya for years, in that although he's great on the ball, he's a liability in that key central area, when we lose possession. That area, will have Kroos in it, rather than Yaya, not Silva, or Mata, or Nasri or Aguero, Kroos. Hence the comparison.

So instead of great big goalscoring, physically strong Yaya occasionally bouncing someone off the ball in that area, we will have an invisible man, jogging out of the way or standing still as people run past him. And the benefit we get from this is purely one of passing. Not scoring, not tackling or heading, nice passing, from the back.

In order for that to work, the whole team selection has to be made in order to accomodate Kroos. Somebody, has to fill that area, when he goes missing.

I think in your argument lies the whole mistake in our defensive system pre-Pep. There's more than one way of playing defense. One that's team based and one that's player based. Previously we've always relied on Yaya, or De Jong, or Barry. Once they're gone or past their ability, our defense suffered, as evidenced by last season. We're so reliant on those type of players. But Pep plays defense in a different way, all of our players must press and work hard. Hence why Pep never uses a 'physical' DM. During his Barca time Busquets is the closest to it and he's hardly physical. All of this argument about stopping a counter attack is moot, because Pep's whole principal is to PREVENT a counter attack and not stop it. And he uses team positioning to deal with that, not with brute physical strength. Regarding Yaya, I don't think there has ever been a player as good as he in defense and on offense with his physical trait, so let's stop comparing any of our acquisition with Yaya. You'll never find one.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

This is indeed a slow burner but I am VERY ENCOURAGED by some the stuff I am now hearing concerning Tone.

Very encouraged!

 

[hartshairgel]

I think in your argument lies the whole mistake in our defensive system pre-Pep. There's more than one way of playing defense. One that's team based and one that's player based. Previously we've always relied on Yaya, or De Jong, or Barry. Once they're gone or past their ability, our defense suffered, as evidenced by last season. We're so reliant on those type of players. But Pep plays defense in a different way, all of our players must press and work hard. Hence why Pep never uses a 'physical' DM. During his Barca time Busquets is the closest to it and he's hardly physical. All of this argument about stopping a counter attack is moot, because Pep's whole principal is to PREVENT a counter attack and not stop it. And he uses team positioning to deal with that, not with brute physical strength. Regarding Yaya, I don't think there has ever been a player as good as he in defense and on offense with his physical trait, so let's stop comparing any of our acquisition with Yaya. You'll never find one.

"Regarding Yaya, I don't think there has ever been a player as good as he in defense and on offence" !!! Did you watch City at all last year ? Over the last 2 years Yaya has offered less and less defensively. Very rarely make a tackle or an interception. Not good enough to provide what Pep needs which is to press hard and quickly as soon as the opposition has the ball. Yaya just does not have the legs anymore. Kroos however can work in that system and offers a much better balance of defence and attack.

 

[Salfordian Blue]

This is indeed a slow burner but I am VERY ENCOURAGED by some the stuff I am now hearing concerning Tone.

Very encouraged!

An absolute dream transfer. If - and it's a big if - we get him, he'll be brilliant in the premiership.

 

[BAB.DAB]

Good news that we are trying to get him

 

[Delphacito]

"Regarding Yaya, I don't think there has ever been a player as good as he in defense and on offence" !!! Did you watch City at all last year ? Over the last 2 years Yaya has offered less and less defensively. Very rarely make a tackle or an interception. Not good enough to provide what Pep needs which is to press hard and quickly as soon as the opposition has the ball. Yaya just does not have the legs anymore. Kroos however can work in that system and offers a much better balance of defence and attack.

Mate I was talking about Yaya in his prime.