Country: Iceland
Maybe Arteta really wants to play Rice in that Xhaka role and not as a true DMC and thats where Paulinha comes in.
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Said we will get Arsenal's name mentioned and get other clubs to bid. Job done!What did his agent say?
The idea of signing Paulinha to play CB makes a lot of sense especially if the plan is to use him how City use John Stones. He plays as a CB when we're out of possession and as a midfielder in possession.Around 8:30 or so within the video, he talks about how Arteta might be considering Palinha as a center-back. Drawing from Arteta's uses with players like White, Havertz, Xhaka, Timber, and Partey (using him as a RB), there could be some credibility to this idea. If Arteta is genuinely contemplating this move, Palinha might serve various roles: 1) partnering with Rice as a number 6 in challenging away matches, 2) acting as a backup to Rice, and 3) providing cover for Gabi or Saliba.
Yeah we have to copy everything city does because that’s only way to play football. To sign one of the top central midfielders in the league to play as cb is as dumb as signing one of the best young cbs in the world and play him as lb like pep is doingThe idea of signing Paulinha to play CB makes a lot of sense especially if the plan is to use him how City use John Stones. He plays as a CB when we're out of possession and as a midfielder in possession.
This would make us less dependent on Zinchenko inverting from LB and that could improve us defensively. This could result in a back four of White, Saliba, Paulinha, and Gabriel that turns into a back three of White, Saliba, and Gabriel when Paulinha moves into midfield.
We've signed 3 CBs just to play them out wide. Ben White, Tomi, and Kiwior.Yeah we have to copy everything city does because that’s only way to play football. To sign one of the top central midfielders in the league to play as cb is as dumb as signing one of the best young cbs in the world and play him as lb like pep is doing
Frankly, when Pep moved Stones into midfield when in possession, he was copying us.Yeah we have to copy everything city does because that’s only way to play football. To sign one of the top central midfielders in the league to play as cb is as dumb as signing one of the best young cbs in the world and play him as lb like pep is doing
Well Pep signed Mascherano and played him as a CBYeah we have to copy everything city does because that’s only way to play football. To sign one of the top central midfielders in the league to play as cb is as dumb as signing one of the best young cbs in the world and play him as lb like pep is doing
Dude, you never watched Pep at Bayern?Frankly, when Pep moved Stones into midfield when in possession, he was copying us.
Arteta's decision to have Zinchenko invert from LB and move into central midfield with the freedom to move into the right side of the field completely caught Pep and the rest of the EPL by surprise. Having Stones push up into midfield was Pep's only way to mimic our tactics based off of his personnel.
Hmmm didn’t Lahm’s actual position change though? There was also an actual right back playing, the white Brazilian guy forgot his name (Rafinha I think). I don’t remember him playing right back as his starting position and inverting into CM in possession, he was just always there. I could be wrong though.Dude, you never watched Pep at Bayern?
He was the first to do it with Lahm. Arteta didn't do anything new, and it certainly didn't catch him by surprise.
Dude, you never watched Pep at Bayern?
He was the first to do it with Lahm. Arteta didn't do anything new, and it certainly didn't catch him by surprise.
You not gonna get luiz, de Jong or barella in January. We haven’t won a league in 20 years and if in January we are top. We have to strengthen instead of thinking oh that player may block us in the future. We desperately need a titleThe issue with Paulinha as a centre back stepping into midfield is it would probably mean Gabriel at LCB/LB which I’m not overly sure about, we saw with Kiwior and Gvardiol that the more traditionally built centre backs aren’t the most ideally suited to that role.
You want more of a centre back, full back hybrid, Tomiyasu is perfect, if he can stay fit.
Ake as well is ideal, centre backs with speed and agility of a fullback, Cruyff used to play Guardiola in that hybrid CB/CDM position but they only had one other centre back/sweeper (Koeman) and the other two were short full backs (Sergi and Ferrer).
Also if you have Paulinha next to Rice in possession, it‘s pretty restricted and you lose Zinchenko’s control/passing. If you play Zinchenko as a six then you have Rice as a eight, which again, I’m not sure.
Given the age and price tag I would rather go for more of an all rounder, Luiz, DeJong, maybe Barella.
At Bayern, Pep moved Lahm into midfield and Rafinha played RB instead. Lahm wasn't an inverted RB. He was a RB who was converted to a midfielder and could play either position.Dude, you never watched Pep at Bayern?
He was the first to do it with Lahm. Arteta didn't do anything new, and it certainly didn't catch him by surprise.
I hold 2 opinions:
1. Pahlinha coming in doesn’t mean he becomes a guaranteed starter so there’s no real need to worry about him coming in meaning we’ll always play him and Rice together.
2. We (fans) need to stop thinking one window at a time and consider that a player signing in one window isn’t the end of the squad building process.
I believe January and Summer are going to be a revamp of the midfield. And not the top layer (the main 3 starters - Rice, Ode and Havertz) but the supplementary layer beneath them (Partey, Jorginho, Elneny, ESR and Vieira)
I think that Pahlinha is the first step in retooling the rotation layer into something more suitable for the progress we’ve made. I don’t think it’s going to be all 5 out and a new 5 in, but it would not shock me if 3-4 of those 5 aren’t with us come the start of next season.
Thats what I think this is, and I think some of us are just thinking too short term when considering where so and so would fit and who such and such might play with.