Country: USA
Player:Saliba
People need to be a little more understanding and move with the times. Modern football means your creativity doesn't actual come from the centre of the pitch. The days of you having a passer in midfield who breaks the press and feeds through balls through is gone in my opinion. We have been spoilt by having Fabgreas and Cazorla. Teams just dont have that player.
What you need to rely on his full backs who are competent passers and ball carriers so you can exit down the side of the pitch and combative dribblers with ball carrying and recovery ability so you do not lose the centre of the pitch.
People look at the progression of the ball and say Torreira isn't good enough because he isn't turning on a six pence, beating a man and then feeding the ball to our attackers on a plate, while also being amazing defensively. That player doesn't exist. That's Vieira. What you can buy is a more physical version of Torreira but you won't find one who can do literally everything.
Ball progression is a problem due to some of our attackers simply not being good enough in receiving the ball. Lacazette may work hard, but he consistently loses duels in the air, he can't relieve pressure by carrying thr ball or running into space. He can't consistently receive it into feet and he can't buy fouls. Its exactly the same for Özil. Probably worse as he can't even win it back if he loses it. Pepe can do it but he is outnumbered constantly. We can't expect him to wriggle past 3 players everytime he gets the ball.
Xhaka is basically a left back with no speed and agility passing the ball to someone like Luiz who is a more adventurous passer.
We have too many bodies just taking up positions. So many times Xhaka has the space to drive forward, draw someone out of position and pass the ball.
Torreira is the least of our problems.
I’m going to give up posting for a normal life and just co-sign yours