He lacks acceleration and top speed, which is bad in England for LB/LWB. Main problem is he isn`t great at defending as well. There is a defenders, who not posses great speed, but their positioning is great and they know when to move to take the ball, Alonso so far not shows such skills. But he just came, he can improve significantly and in 10-15 matches to look like different player. Lets not forget how slow Seria A is.

I also think we need top class young player on that position.  Alonso will have his time to show if he can be our number 1, or just a depth player.

 

2 hours ago, TrueBlueBIH said:

He signed this season, not 5 years ago. You would change the team every half season or? The 2009/10 title winning season we were runners up the next season how was that a joke of defending a title? The last was obviously a disaster. We can hardly expect to defend the title every season with such a competitive league. Title defenses are very rare in the last 7 years with no team defending their title. United has a good run with three in a row and us before that.

Awful tactics, stagnant performances, boring football that made LVGs United look pleasing on the eye. 71 points usually gets 4th at best and we only got that tally because Cech rolled back the years.

2 hours ago, Van Butsen said:

So do you think we should keep the team as is until we end up in 7th, 8th, maybe 9th spot in 2, 3 years?  Maybe less? Then start looking for replacements the following summer?  Or when do you try and work on improving as a team?  Is there a tipping point?

This is basically the same team two years ago that won the title with obvious slight changes in the team, and is on a good way to win a new title with very little change in this team, are you suggesting we should change things every mid season and just work on the team to gel every season? I am all for upgrading the team but not mid season if it is not required. You have the end of the season and the summer to get new players, the entire summer pre season to asses the squad. Replacing Alonso with a new wing back who would need time to adapt would be madness, there is you tipping point. 

1 hour ago, Argo said:

Awful tactics, stagnant performances, boring football that made LVGs United look pleasing on the eye. 71 points usually gets 4th at best and we only got that tally because Cech rolled back the years.

The point is that we ended 2nd which is not a bad effort of a title defense considering what happened last season. 

7 minutes ago, TrueBlueBIH said:

This is basically the same team two years ago that won the title with obvious slight changes in the team, and is on a good way to win a new title with very little change in this team, are you suggesting we should change things every mid season and just work on the team to gel every season? I am all for upgrading the team but not mid season if it is not required. You have the end of the season and the summer to get new players, the entire summer pre season to asses the squad. Replacing Alonso with a new wing back who would need time to adapt would be madness, there is you tipping point. 

Slight changes being; Luiz, Kante, Pedro, Moses and Alonso. Half the team seems like more than a slight change haha. Plus the manager and a completely different style of play.

 

Completely agree we shouldnt be looking to change things up unless we definitely need too or there is an opportunity that cant be passed on. 

26 minutes ago, Radford10 said:

Slight changes being; Luiz, Kante, Pedro, Moses and Alonso. Half the team seems like more than a slight change haha. Plus the manager and a completely different style of play.

 

Completely agree we shouldnt be looking to change things up unless we definitely need too or there is an opportunity that cant be passed on. 

Pedro signed last season, and Moses wasn't a purchase (feels like it though ) so its basically Luiz Kante and Alonso that were bought. However agreed on the not changing things, i am always up for upgrading the squad but not mid season and not the players that are doing well. Almost every player in this team had a game off during the season, no one is brilliant the entire season.

3 hours ago, TrueBlueBIH said:

This is basically the same team two years ago that won the title with obvious slight changes in the team, and is on a good way to win a new title with very little change in this team, are you suggesting we should change things every mid season and just work on the team to gel every season? I am all for upgrading the team but not mid season if it is not required. You have the end of the season and the summer to get new players, the entire summer pre season to asses the squad. Replacing Alonso with a new wing back who would need time to adapt would be madness, there is you tipping point. 

I'm just talking about improving the team.  That doesn't mean buying players.  I've already said I think Baba would do a better job (who we own) so my question still stands.

Would you prefer to have another season like last before working out something/someone isn't working?  It sounds like you would.

I doubt Baba would have done a better job. Alonso has been fine, of course we the will most likely have to improve on that position at some point but not right now.

17 hours ago, Van Butsen said:

I'm just talking about improving the team.  That doesn't mean buying players.  I've already said I think Baba would do a better job (who we own) so my question still stands.

Would you prefer to have another season like last before working out something/someone isn't working?  It sounds like you would.

I feel like didn't understand each other, i am always up for improvement. Having one team for years doesn't help anyone, i was just against changing a team mid season. Of course i wouldn't want another season like the last, but we are hardly in the same position like last season, and i think we had more problems in the club than just the squad. I mean so far so good i am pleased like most of our fans, and this is a forum we debate. We might be right or wrong but both of us want what is best for the club obviously. Yet we agree on Baba, hardly given a chance and a wing back usually is more offensive than defensive so think he could do a good job and he is very fast. The defensive part can always improve 

 

uh oh

Bit of a scrape down the Achilles there, ouch!

Think he'll be fine. He did play throughout the game anyway.

Alonso is a decent squad player to have but he isn't good enough to be a starter in a top team. Speed is key component for a fullback ad he's quite slow. He's also average defensively, gets beaten on his side by attackers on a regular basis and allows them to cross into the box.

He is smart and experienced and supports the attack well, but despite his size he isn't aggressive enough and gets bullied off the ball too easy for my liking.

All in all, he's a good backup to have but ideally I'd prefer a better player in that position.

23 hours ago, abramovich said:

Alonso is a decent squad player to have but he isn't good enough to be a starter in a top team. Speed is key component for a fullback ad he's quite slow. He's also average defensively, gets beaten on his side by attackers on a regular basis and allows them to cross into the box.

He is smart and experienced and supports the attack well, but despite his size he isn't aggressive enough and gets bullied off the ball too easy for my liking.

All in all, he's a good backup to have but ideally I'd prefer a better player in that position.

I'm not too sure about that. We forget how Ivanovic was easily one of the best full backs in the league a few seasons ago and he's never had pace in his game. With an extra man in the middle behind him its less crucial to be rapid at wing back, an engine to get up and down is more important. 

Apparently he has been carrying a minor leg injury  since joining us. Maybe that explains the recall of Ake more now. 

On 03/01/2017 at 11:10, RIP Mourinho said:

I'm not too sure about that. We forget how Ivanovic was easily one of the best full backs in the league a few seasons ago and he's never had pace in his game. With an extra man in the middle behind him its less crucial to be rapid at wing back, an engine to get up and down is more important. 

I suppose the difference is that Ivanovic ate a bowl of breezeblocks for breakfast every morning. His power more than made up for his lack of pace, alonso doesn't compare on that level. 

That said, I think alonso is good, he's not speedy or amazing defensively, but he's a wingback so he doesn't need to defend like a fullback, he just needs to be able to put a foot in, cover his man, and get forward, which he is good at. 

So everyone agree that he's not good defensively?  is he good enough offensively? let's see.. he hardly beat his man and the chance for a good cross coming from him is pretty low... He's no good at holding the ball and he doesn't link up that well.. EVen when he had abundance of spaces on that left hand side of the pitch, he failed to take advantage of that situation because he's slow both in physical state and mind.. in truth, there is hardly anybody would fancy him coming out on top in 1 on 1 battle..

 

Of all the good things about alonso, it's his stamina is the most stand out, it allows him to go up and down on that left hand side of the pitch but how much relevant is that when his defence and offence are both average?  I wonder if putting the likes of pedro/willian in that spot would be any less beneficial than using alonso? Offensively, those 2 would offer more and defensively, alonso is not much better so conte's latest experiment might worth a shot.. An inverted wingback makes the defense a bit easier anyway so I don't think it would be much of a downgrade in that area..

 

We won lots of games with him in the starting XI so Alonso couldn't be that bad, could he? Well, we're a top team, we can still win lots of games without needing everyone in the team putting a world class performance..

 

MOTM display and so so close to a hattrick. Only our 3rd defender to score a brace in a game after Terry and Ivan.

He's not Chelsea quality though right? 

Outstanding today, really lifted. I wonder if we'll see all those who constantly denigrate him in this thread praising him today..... Probably not.

Snigger you ball bags who diss him, ha ha!

if he scored that third goal think the universe might implode

Very good and class performance by him. Great finishing, one goal with right and one goal with left.

He struck it so sweetly

37 minutes ago, havelschayes said:

if he scored that third goal think the universe might implode

 

He stated he's been playing with a slight injury ... Wow

All of a sudden he's playing like prime Roberto Carlos. It's almost like he's starting to feel some competition for his spot.