An Indian Summer is defined as... "a period of happiness or success occurring late in life."
Yet AM's favourite Indian @GDeep™ is getting dominated by numerous newbie posters these days, these should be his golden retirement years...he's just not up to it anymore, crying shame really...
Go back a few years to prime G, and he would be so disappointed in himself, was once everyone's fav poster.
Didn’t you join only a few months ago? Or you had different username before?
Massively lost interest in the game, I’m only on AM now because we were in lockdown and Arteta is my boy.
Definitely not worth that release clause, for me he’s a slightly more mobile Xhaka. Likes pinging long balls but charges about a lot.
Managers seem to love Xhaka for some reason and I think if asked they would in fact love more mobile Xhaka even more.
I wanted Kanté rather than Xhaka that summer but I think the idea behind Xhaka was right. The question is, can this player become better than Xhaka? Has he the potential?
I'd rather put it towards the other midfield partner Fabian Ruiz. Would be a great alternative to Partey also.Marc Roca was starter at CDM for Spain Euro U21 2019 winning team with midfield partners of Dani Ceballos and Fabian Ruiz of Napoli. He also starter at CDM for Espanyol. His build and play like Xhaka but more mobile, a bit better dribbling, has good defensive works. Seems to have another level to grow as he is still 23. At the right price will take him and sell Xhaka so near zero net spend.
Yeah, this only makes sense if Xhaka was moving on.
I don't know why people are turning their noses up to him mind you. A player with a similar style on the ball to Xhaka, who is slightly more mobile & athletic, surely we'd all like that if the choice was a straight swap between the 2?
He has such a limiting profile. He doesn't have the dribbling ability to play at the base of a 3. It doesn't help that he is so one footed. Also, watching youtube compilations of a holding midfielder, under no pressure pinging a football to the wings, something Sunday league players can do, isn't the first attribute I look for in a midfielder.
We need to move away from specialist deep lying play makers unless they are physical destroyers. If this guy had the off the ball ability of an Ndidi then it would make sense. The fact is he doesn't. He does that Xhaka thing of driving into midfield and playing a 2 yard pass to the closest player as he feels uncomfortable in the opposition half. Long passing should not be the most prominent aspect of a youtube compilation when looking at a central midfielder. I want to see driving runs, dribbling, tackling, shooting, passing, skill and strength. Not long ball after long ball after long ball when we don't even have a target man.
If we go 4231, it needs to be in the Bayern mould. two highly technical players who can both run forward and backwards. I keep saying it, but if we had any sense we would snap up Matheus Henrique.
Why Matheus Henrique in particular, and who do you pair him with?