Who now then?...

[jamesha]

I wonder if Pep is going to spring a surprise and move on our existing players to the pivot role?

He moved Philipp Lahm from full back to pivot at Bayern with success.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/footbal...-lahm-understated-genius-revolutionised-role/

Pep talks about Lahm's intelligence in the article. I am not sure the same would apply to, say Stones, who people have touted as a pivot but maybe worth a go?

If only we could clone KdB!

 

[BlueDeadHead]

Kovacic looks dead in the water now.
We're going to go into the new season with only fernandinho who can truly play the pivot role correctly.
Think it's going to cost us at some point

When did you evaluate each and every one of our players at the pivot?

 

[aguerrrroooooooooooo]

When did you evaluate each and every one of our players at the pivot?

When I watched players other than fernandinho play there

 

[BlueDeadHead]

When I watched players other than fernandinho play there

But they haven't all played there...

 

[aguerrrroooooooooooo]

But they haven't all played there...

Delph and gundogan both did. I'm not sure who else you would play there

 

[BlueDeadHead]

Delph and gundogan both did. I'm not sure who else you would play there

Pep has a bit of a history of playing people in positions you didn't expect.

 

[Deleted member 81382]

Kovacic looks dead in the water now.
We're going to go into the new season with only fernandinho who can truly play the pivot role correctly.
Think it's going to cost us at some point

I honestly think Gundogan is capable of doing a fine job there when required. It's not ideal but I wouldn't be devastated with us using Ilkay there until we identify a successor to Fernandinho, whether that be in January or next summer.

 

[aguerrrroooooooooooo]

I honestly think Gundogan is capable of doing a fine job there when required. It's not ideal but I wouldn't be devastated with us using Ilkay there until we identify a successor to Fernandinho, whether that be in January or next summer.

We tried him there last year and the drop off in quality was significant

 

[Deleted member 81382]

We tried him there last year and the drop off in quality was significant

Didn't we win every game when he played there?

 

[johnmc]

We tried him there last year and the drop off in quality was significant

Which game(s) are you referring to?