I can imagine its a weird mental space you need to get in to when you play Barca, especially for a physical centre mid. You want to get tight and make it a contest, impose yourself, but they move the ball so quickly and above all you've got to keep positional discipline. Must be frustrating.

Vidal is an alpha male and would ruin the chemistry in the dressing room.

5 years I would be 100 per cent up for someone like Vidal. But I don't think leadership is that much of an issue for our current squad and the group dynamic is nicely balanced for once. All it would take is some South American disrespectful nut job like Vidal to fuck it up.

I could so imagine him and Wilshere clashing.

Thanks but no thanks. Let's get someone like Schniderlin who can be the Giroud of our midfield (good but not great but can cover Coquelin and culturally is more of a fit than Vidal).

No need to start inventing things. He has been perfectly fine for Juventus in that regard.

Tevez also plays/played for Juve and he acted like a total cunt with his last English club.

I wonder if anyone at Juventus has ever said: "Sure, we've got Arturo Vidal, but let's get someone like Morgan Schneiderlin instead who can be the Giroud of our midfield."

Anyway, there are zero known incidents where Vidal has ever caused trouble in his club team (unlike, say, Schneiderlin, who was openly agitating for a move last summer and condemned the club in social media when it didn't happen). It's cool to write fanfiction and all, but we should have a separate forum category for it.

Alfonso wrote:

Tevez also plays/played for Juve and he acted like a total cunt with his last English club.

What has this got to do with Vidal?

Alpha male There are loads of different ways to be an "alpha".

Would you say Giroud, Sanchez, Gabriel, Coquelin and Ramsey are betas?

certainly not sanchez, gabriel and coq.

Alfonso wrote:

Vidal is an alpha male and would ruin the chemistry in the dressing room.

5 years I would be 100 per cent up for someone like Vidal. But I don't think leadership is that much of an issue for our current squad and the group dynamic is nicely balanced for once. All it would take is some South American disrespectful nut job like Vidal to fuck it up.

Yeah, can defo see him starting some shit because he's too alpha for the others to deal with. He'll fuck Ramsey's wife knock Wilshere's teeth out and stab Diaby for the fuck of it, little rascal he is.

without even knowing either personally, i'd bet money on gabriel whipping his ass and all comers.

We need more alphas anyway.

That is just making stuff up. No one knows how he is in a dressing room. I've known quite a few intimidating looking fellows who was very introverted. The big muscles and tattoos was just a way to try and isolate themselves from other people. Not saying that's the case with Vidal just pointing out that no one here knows what he's like as a person.

Dismissing Vidal because of 20 poor minutes in a CL final and because he is imagined to be an alpha male is quite dumb to be frank.

Anzac wrote:

How would we prefer to use him - DM replacement for Coquelin, or as CM ball winner ahead of a DLP?

---- coq -----

vidal -- ramsey

---- ozil ------

alexis -- giroud/waclott

Klaus wrote:

Was out of his depth for the first 20 minutes in the CL final and looked like he was going to get sent off, but he completely bossed the midfield after that. It was probably just nerves.

Think that early booking and not picking up Iniesta for their first fucked him up. He seemed rattled by it but like you said he regained his composure and did alright.

mdgoonah41 wrote:

Anzac wrote:

How would we prefer to use him - DM replacement for Coquelin, or as CM ball winner ahead of a DLP?

---- coq -----

vidal -- ramsey

---- ozil ------

alexis -- giroud/waclott

TBH I'm not sure that either Giroud or Walcott offer enough off the ball in cover defence or effective pressing to enable us to play a narrow shape relying upon the FBs to provide width.  I'd look to play Vidal on the same side so as to provide more immediate & effective cover.
The other concern is that I'm not sure that midfield is capable of providing quality early vertical supply to Ozil, and I'd actually start Cazorla ahead of Rambo/Wilshere.
That said I agree that Vidal as the base of the midfield would be a waste of his capability in the opposition half.

Marca claim Juventus have already agreed to sell him and are waiting for Copa America to finish to announce his new club. Don't know why they would know first but there you go.

jones wrote:

Marca claim Juventus have already agreed to sell him and are waiting for Copa America to finish to announce his new club. Don't know why they would know first but there you go.

If so then would suggest the Pogba will stay until after Barca's ban expires.

Marca means it's probably a Spanish club?