33 minutes ago, Total-Football said:

Also, Alonso is too slow.

Lots of people keep saying that about Alonso and yet he's still the best left back in the league. 

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Lots of people keep saying that about Alonso and yet he's still the best left back in the league. 

But why would we want a player who`s really quite good when we could have one who runs around a lot really really quickly....you cant be a good player unless you can do that. Its a fact.

Edited March 27, 20188 yr by dkw

58 minutes ago, dkw said:

But why would we want a player who`s really quite good when we could have one who runs around a lot really really quickly....you cant be a good player unless you can do that. Its a fact.

I'm often bemused by the obsession with pace. 

Especially when you think some or our best ever players were lacking pace, maybe the lack of it meant they had to be better in other aspects of their game? 

Terry, was always a carthorse but our best defender. 

Zola, Mata weren't exactly pacey but two of best attackers of recent years. 

Lampard, had a good engine on him but wasn't quick.... Same with Fabregas. 

You could probably throw out a whole bunch of other names too... Just never understood why some equate slow to being sh*t. 

4 hours ago, ForeverCarefree said:

I'm often bemused by the obsession with pace. 

Especially when you think some or our best ever players were lacking pace, maybe the lack of it meant they had to be better in other aspects of their game? 

Terry, was always a carthorse but our best defender. 

Zola, Mata weren't exactly pacey but two of best attackers of recent years. 

Lampard, had a good engine on him but wasn't quick.... Same with Fabregas. 

You could probably throw out a whole bunch of other names too... Just never understood why some equate slow to being sh*t. 

Alonso has grown on me alot over the last 2 seasons. He is a very good player, with excellent technique, he is generally a solid performer, who pitches in with more than his fair share of goals. 

I do think that he would be the best left wing back in the world, if he had enough pace to knock it past a player and stick a cross in. It would also help him out defensively, as there are times he is half a yard to slow to stop crosses coming in. 

The players you mentioned all played in positions where pace wasn't really necessary. How many of our best wingers and full backs in the last 20 years have really lacked pace? Maybe Ivanovic, but he was get past people with pure power in his prime. 

Pace in wide areas is massive in modern football imo. 

9 minutes ago, big blue said:

Alonso has grown on me alot over the last 2 seasons. He is a very good player, with excellent technique, he is generally a solid performer, who pitches in with more than his fair share of goals. 

I do think that he would be the best left wing back in the world, if he had enough pace to knock it past a player and stick a cross in. It would also help him out defensively, as there are times he is half a yard to slow to stop crosses coming in. 

The players you mentioned all played in positions where pace wasn't really necessary. How many of our best wingers and full backs in the last 20 years have really lacked pace? Maybe Ivanovic, but he was get past people with pure power in his prime. 

Pace in wide areas is massive in modern football imo. 

If we stick to wingbacks Alonso should only be dropped if we sign an elite player and even then Marcos could win his place.

It took me a while to take to him and if im honest i felt he was average during his first six months despite the 13 wins in a row (in my mind he was a stop gap to allow us to play 3atb) but since then he has really grown into his role and plays like he belongs at the top level.

37 minutes ago, Argo said:

If we stick to wingbacks Alonso should only be dropped if we sign an elite player and even then Marcos could win his place.

It took me a while to take to him and if im honest i felt he was average during his first six months despite the 13 wins in a row (in my mind he was a stop gap to allow us to play 3atb) but since then he has really grown into his role and plays like he belongs at the top level.

I wholeheartedly agree. There's aren't many better options than alonso at the moment, but he does lack pace, and it does hurt his game slightly imo.

On 27/03/2018 at 11:34, ForeverCarefree said:

Lots of people keep saying that about Alonso and yet he's still the best left back in the league. 

I'm assuming under Enrique where we will play with 4 at the back and the fullbacks will make runs into the box (A common theme of his Barca side). Often times Alba would need to track back and catch a counter attacking forward using his speed to do so. Alonso isn't capable of this and it would be a weakness in our defence. 

Also, due to how Enrique sets his teams up, his defenders spend most of their time 1v1 with forwards. Alonso is not very good in 1v1 situations.

8 minutes ago, Total-Football said:

I'm assuming under Enrique where we will play with 4 at the back and the fullbacks will make runs into the box (A common theme of his Barca side). Often times Alba would need to track back and catch a counter attacking forward using his speed to do so. Alonso isn't capable of this and it would be a weakness in our defence. 

Also, due to how Enrique sets his teams up, his defenders spend most of their time 1v1 with forwards. Alonso is not very good in 1v1 situations.

Then Enrique, if he's a good coach, will find a way to play to the strengths of the players we have. 

He's not going to necessarily going to make a carbon copy of his Barca team wherever he ends up next.

To push out a player of Alonso's quality because you're so set on playing a certain way isn't logical and I don't think a coach would be so blinkered to do so. 

Mind you, it's looking more and more likely that Tuchel is our primary target to succeed Conte, so this is looking a moot point at the moment.  

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

To push out a player of Alonso's quality because you're so set on playing a certain way isn't logical and I don't think a coach would be so blinkered to do so. 

But, but, but, but...... according to some real insightful Sky subscribers in this very forum, Mourinho pushed a player of KDB's quality out just because he had a purely personal dislike for the player.  They know this because they read it on the internet.  So it must be true

1 hour ago, ForeverCarefree said:

Then Enrique, if he's a good coach, will find a way to play to the strengths of the players we have. 

He's not going to necessarily going to make a carbon copy of his Barca team wherever he ends up next.

To push out a player of Alonso's quality because you're so set on playing a certain way isn't logical and I don't think a coach would be so blinkered to do so. 

Mind you, it's looking more and more likely that Tuchel is our primary target to succeed Conte, so this is looking a moot point at the moment.  

Tuchel is the same as Enrique. 

Also, Alonso is overrated and benefits from being in a 5 man defence. I have doubts about him playing in a back 4. 

We haven't seen Christensen play in a back 4 either even at international level he plays in a back 3.

8 minutes ago, dan_cfc said:

We haven't seen Christensen play in a back 4 either even at international level he plays in a back 3.

Monchengladbach.

1 hour ago, Total-Football said:

Tuchel is the same as Enrique. 

Also, Alonso is overrated and benefits from being in a 5 man defence. I have doubts about him playing in a back 4. 

In what way is Alonso overrated and why is it bad he benefits from playing in a system? Isn’t that good management, playing to people’s strengths, helping to eliminate their weaknesses? 

You just seem to be wanting to hype up hypotheticals whilst looking down on what’s currently at the club. 

2 minutes ago, ForeverCarefree said:

In what way is Alonso overrated and why is it bad he benefits from playing in a system? Isn’t that good management, playing to people’s strengths, helping to eliminate their weaknesses? 

You just seem to be wanting to hype up hypotheticals whilst looking down on what’s currently at the club. 

He is found out of position a lot of the time when he attacks, he gets beaten by his attacker more then he should, he gives wide players too much room allowing them to cross to Azpilicueta's side and he lacks the ability to take players on, restricting his attacking output.

It's good as long as it's what's best for the team. If by playing to certain players strengths and covering their weaknesses means the rest of the teams effectiveness is reduced then we should look to play a different way and replace the player in question. As it is now, playing to cover for Alonso severely effects the teams ability.

Agree to disagree I think.

I personally feel that you are overplaying Alonso’s perceived weaknesses and down playing his strengths and abilities. 

Or coach Kante and Hazard instead of Rabiot and Draxler. Daft comparison. 

With our penny pinching ways, I don't see them staying long. Point was, Enrique can build the team as he wants with unlimited money. Why would he come to a club that doesn't want to spend nowadays?

Also, I like Draxler.

http://www.skysports.com/football/news/12087/11338986/luis-enrique-would-love-arsenal-job-says-guillem-balague

stopped reading at "says guillem balague" 

15 hours ago, enigma said:

stopped reading at "says guillem balague" 

Well those are the last three words so I’m glad you stopped reading there... 

I agree with the sentiment though.