18 minutes ago, Remodez said:

He didn't even need to let him score, he had enough pace and time to actually get in front of him instead of wrestling him to the ground.

It did not look that way to me, he had body-bumped the Fulham guy who stayed upright and Cucu was then the wrong side.

Someone has got to tell him you don't do obvious fouls when you are the last defender you have to trust your keeper.

Poor decision on the foul and hasn't looked the same player for number of weeks now. Could it be anything to do with him not having a decent rest for God knows how long now?

2 hours ago, Bob stark said:

I saw a stat that say strabroug has the same red as we do. So yeah not going to happen

😂😂 Dildo of consequence rarely comes lubed!!

29 minutes ago, Jordan711 said:

Poor decision on the foul and hasn't looked the same player for number of weeks now. Could it be anything to do with him not having a decent rest for God knows how long now?

Could be ... but also if you have him play as a traditional full back, as last night, then it makes his weaknesses as a defender much more obvious. Maresca disguised a lot of it by having him hooning all over the pitch looking "busy" and "aggressive" ...

2 hours ago, strider6004 said:

It did not look that way to me, he had body-bumped the Fulham guy who stayed upright and Cucu was then the wrong side.

Someone has got to tell him you don't do obvious fouls when you are the last defender you have to trust your keeper.

I don’t know how to link videos so can’t prove my point but if you go watch it back, while the ball is still in the air he gets bumped first which could easily have been avoided by simply moving goal side to him as he already had him for pace.

He gets bumped a second time after the ball bounces but this only happens because he’s already slowed down possibly thinking he can get a header on the ball which doesn’t happen and then he pulls him down.

It’s just poor decisions one after the other.

Edited January 8Jan 8 by Remodez

13 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Could be ... but also if you have him play as a traditional full back, as last night, then it makes his weaknesses as a defender much more obvious. Maresca disguised a lot of it by having him hooning all over the pitch looking "busy" and "aggressive" ...

He plays LB for Spain and looks good so does Gusto playing RB. So I don’t think it’s his position is a problem it’s the instructions given

12 minutes ago, El regreso said:

He plays LB for Spain and looks good so does Gusto playing RB. So I don’t think it’s his position is a problem it’s the instructions given

He's excellent for Spain. But then he's not required to invert and he's surrounded by quality. Gusto is excellent for France. Because he's played as a RB bombing forward. As he did when he looked good in his first season with us.

2 hours ago, Remodez said:

He didn't even need to let him score, he had enough pace and time to actually get in front of him instead of wrestling him to the ground.

It was 50/50 grappling, then he dragged his arm and it was an instant red, just so idiotic. Let him go, pressure him in the shot.

36 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Could be ... but also if you have him play as a traditional full back, as last night, then it makes his weaknesses as a defender much more obvious. Maresca disguised a lot of it by having him hooning all over the pitch looking "busy" and "aggressive" ...

I replied to someone a while back who claimed he was now a much better defender, I dont think he is, I think he dives in fewer times but still is pretty poor defensively, his positioning is still dreadful etc.

As you say it was missed because he just wasnt playing as a defender 90% of the time anymore.

23 minutes ago, dkw said:

I replied to someone a while back who claimed he was now a much better defender, I dont think he is, I think he dives in fewer times but still is pretty poor defensively, his positioning is still dreadful etc.

As you say it was missed because he just wasnt playing as a defender 90% of the time anymore.

I think we can do a lot better. I don't know whether that "better" could be Hato (I suspect not on the brief evidence we've seen so far) and having done a bit of research on Barco this morning I think he's even less of a solution at left back than Hato.

Surely in all their bloody data they must be able to identify some decent left backs to go and scout LOL. Preferably someone who is 180+ in height, and not a 10 stone weakling. I'm not confident. The other left backs they've signed have been Wiley and Samuels-Smith, and neither of them look remotely like they are going to make it with us.

Anyone you've seen that you think we should pursue dkw ?

Edited January 8Jan 8 by Sexyfootball

Outside of Mendes at PSG there isn’t a better LB right now in Europe.

He made a mistake and all of sudden he’s sh*te again which is nonsense.

He should learn from this as a senior player and don’t do it again if he does do it again then that’s a different matter.

He walks into any team across Europe barring PSG and that’s debatable as he terrified their winger when we played them.

33 minutes ago, El regreso said:

Outside of Mendes at PSG there isn’t a better LB right now in Europe.

He made a mistake and all of sudden he’s sh*te again which is nonsense.

He should learn from this as a senior player and don’t do it again if he does do it again then that’s a different matter.

He walks into any team across Europe barring PSG and that’s debatable as he terrified their winger when we played them.

Are you sure? Cos I can’t tell you what he actually excels at. Most of the praise he got last season was based on popping up in the right place and scoring. You take that out, and all I see is a defender almost always out position, scampering to get back in position.

I feel Grimaldo at Leverkusen, and Di Marco at Inter have been brilliant this season yet again, but personally wouldn’t read much into both as they play as WBs. Personally don’t buy the Cucurella inverted LB gimmick also, as a traditional LB asked to bomb up and down, he is average. Only rate Mendes in that respect.

2 hours ago, Sexyfootball said:

I think we can do a lot better. I don't know whether that "better" could be Hato (I suspect not on the brief evidence we've seen so far) and having done a bit of research on Barco this morning I think he's even less of a solution at left back than Hato.

Surely in all their bloody data they must be able to identify some decent left backs to go and scout LOL. Preferably someone who is 180+ in height, and not a 10 stone weakling. I'm not confident. The other left backs they've signed have been Wiley and Samuels-Smith, and neither of them look remotely like they are going to make it with us.

Anyone you've seen that you think we should pursue dkw ?

No idea, I just hope we look at getting a left back whos an actual left back, rather than the ball playing lwb/lw/aw/st things everyone seems desperate to sign. first and foremost a defender needs to be able to defend, which seems to be frowned upon weirdly.

I need names if we can do "a lot better" than Cucurella. Nuno Mendes is the only LB in world football who is undeniably clear of him. Kerkez was the one player I wanted here, and even he is looking completely out of his depth over at Liverpool when playing for a top club.

Cucurella has been one of if not our most consistent player since the start 2024. These reactions from what seems to be his first braindead error in over goodness knows how long is a bit silly.

1 hour ago, El regreso said:

Outside of Mendes at PSG there isn’t a better LB right now in Europe.

He made a mistake and all of sudden he’s sh*te again which is nonsense.

He should learn from this as a senior player and don’t do it again if he does do it again then that’s a different matter.

He walks into any team across Europe barring PSG and that’s debatable as he terrified their winger when we played them.

It’s not just one mistake though, it’s countless games he’s been average or down right poor.

Arsenal, City and Newcastle all have two left backs better than Cucurella, let’s be serious about second best LB in the world.

38 minutes ago, GarnachoCheese said:

Arsenal, City and Newcastle all have two left backs better than Cucurella, let’s be serious about second best LB in the world.

Maybe it's because he likes to make himself look busy and it tricks people into thinking they are playing well, same as Neto.

7 minutes ago, GarnachoCheese said:

Arsenal, City and Newcastle all have two left backs better than Cucurella, let’s be serious about second best LB in the world.

Cucurella has a 6.67 average rating on Sofascore this season, which is #285 in the PL list for all positions.

I don't know how many of the 284 players above him are other left backs (I can't see an easy way to filter it by position) ... so I looked a few up individually.

In no particular order :

1. Lewis Hall (Newcastle) 6.87

2. Ricardo Califiori (Arsenal) 6.87

3. Patrick Dorgu (Man United) 6.84

4. Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) 6.83

5. Nico O'Reilly (Man City) 6.74

6. Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest) 6.86

7. Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton) 6.85

8. Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) 6.79

9. Antonee Robinson (Fulham) 7.01

10. Vitaly Mykolenko (Everton) 6.74

So at least 10 other left backs seem to impress the Sofascore algorithms more than Marc Cucurella, just in the PL let alone the world !

Not quite what I was expecting to find, and certainly not at all consistent with someone who might be the #2 ranked left back in world football ...

3 minutes ago, Sexyfootball said:

Cucurella has a 6.67 average rating on Sofascore this season, which is #285 in the PL list for all positions.

I don't know how many of the 284 players above him are other left backs (I can't see an easy way to filter it by position) ... so I looked a few up individually.

In no particular order :

1. Lewis Hall (Newcastle) 6.87

2. Ricardo Califiori (Arsenal) 6.87

3. Patrick Dorgu (Man United) 6.84

4. Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) 6.83

5. Nico O'Reilly (Man City) 6.74

6. Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest) 6.86

7. Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton) 6.85

8. Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) 6.79

9. Antonee Robinson (Fulham) 7.01

10. Vitaly Mykolenko (Everton) 6.74

So at least 10 other left backs seem to impress the Sofascore algorithms more than Marc Cucurella, just in the PL let alone the world !

Not quite what I was expecting to find, and certainly not at all consistent with someone who might be the #2 ranked left back in world football ...

Not surprised that Robinson is rating higher than the rest. He has had a few very good seasons in a row now. I'm surprised he's still at Fulham.

Just now, Scott Harris said:

Not surprised that Robinson is rating higher than the rest. He has had a few very good seasons in a row now. I'm surprised he's still at Fulham.

I actually thought that we might sign him when BlueCo first arrived. I figured that as Americans they'd want some sort of American player presence at the club, and Robinson seemed the obvious candidate, already in the PL and doing well, and in a position we needed someone in. Todd and the gang opted for Gabriel Slonina LOL

You know I blasted both Sanchez and Trev for their brand dead last man challenges that resulted in red cards last year.

Those were split second calls though so Marc now has taken the cake as he pulled at Wilson for a few seconds and thought it was a good idea.

Much like his fellow North Gibraltan, Carlos Puyol, he has great hair, however that’s where the similarities stop, he has no nouse to his game, the theatrics and the headless chicken routine grow tiresome very quickly.

All these ‘for TV tackles’ are only being made because he was out of position in the first place.

I can never remember Ashley Cole (The greatest LB of all time, ever) having to make so many last gasp challenges because he read the game perfectly, positioned himself expertly and 9/10 nullified the attacker by showing him away from danger.

Cucu is an average player with distractingly good hair.

1 hour ago, The Boehly Babes said:

Much like his fellow North Gibraltan, Carlos Puyol, he has great hair, however that’s where the similarities stop, he has no nouse to his game, the theatrics and the headless chicken routine grow tiresome very quickly.

All these ‘for TV tackles’ are only being made because he was out of position in the first place.

I can never remember Ashley Cole (The greatest LB of all time, ever) having to make so many last gasp challenges because he read the game perfectly, positioned himself expertly and 9/10 nullified the attacker by showing him away from danger.

Cucu is an average player with distractingly good hair.

Cough, Paolo Maldini, cough.

As for Cucunutter.....

It was an easy red card. Basically cucu was out muscled by Wilson and not sure what Chalobah can do

Edited January 9Jan 9 by Bob stark

Stop with this nonsense about other teams having 2 better left backs than Cucurella.

Cucurella is one of the best left backs around and this stupid red card isn’t going to change my mind on that. It was a brain dead moment and he let the team down badly, but that doesn’t instantly make him a rubbish left back.

I’m perfectly happy with him and Hato as left back options.