General Football 18/19: Page 48 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

General Football 18/19

Claudius

Italy actually has some decent talents assembled here. Wonder why they didn’t try start with both Zaniolo and Tonali.

Klaus

Claudius wrote:
Klaus wrote:
Interesting that Italy have Tonali positioned so abnormally far back in the field. This bloke is supposedly the biggest talent they've unearthed for 40 years or so, but he mostly swoop up balls and play it short. This tournament is his first outing for the U21 though. I guess they haven't had a chance to find him a role on the field.

Isn’t this his normal position though, as a quarterback?

I don't know, he plays for Brescia in Serie B so I haven't seen him play IRL before. He's the new Pirlo, supposedly. And not in the sense where every young talent with a bit of playmaking skills gets compared to Pirlo, but in the same sense that Mbappe is the new Henry. It's supposed to be the one time where the comparison actually fits.

Claudius

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:
Isn’t this his normal position though, as a quarterback?

I don't know, he plays for Brescia in Serie B so I haven't seen him play IRL before. He's the new Pirlo, supposedly. And not in the sense where every young talent with a bit of playmaking skills gets compared to Pirlo, but in the same sense that Mbappe is the new Henry. It's supposed to be the one time where the comparison actually fits.

Yup. He’s the hottest thing in Italian football even at 18 and in Serie B, to the extent that we already missed the boat pricing-wise. I’ve often seen him described as a regista and compared exactly to Pirlo who iirc in his peak would often play deep and let Gattuso forage.

Bold Tone

What a throw by the keeper.

Klaus

Claudius wrote:
I’ve often seen him described as a regista and compared exactly to Pirlo who iirc in his peak would often play deep and let Gattuso forage.

Yep. It took Pirlo years to find that position though. Tonali seems to have been born into it.

Speaking of this game, just how good is Pellegrini?

Claudius

The first thing that strikes you about Bielik is his incredible size - towers over everyone. We could use that. At a minimum, this guy has to take Elneny’s place. Might need some gym time for upper body and sprints to improve acceleration

Bold Tone

First ever win over Italy.
Well done Bielik and Poland.

Klaus

Full time. Nice win for Poland but they were under heavy pressure the entire second half.

I don't imagine Federico Dimarco will have much of a future at top level. Completely incapable of beating his man. Bad trait in a fullback.

Claudius

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:
I’ve often seen him described as a regista and compared exactly to Pirlo who iirc in his peak would often play deep and let Gattuso forage.

Yep. It took Pirlo years to find that position though. Tonali seems to have been born into it.

Speaking of this game, just how good is Pellegrini?

You know how I’m all about Pellegrini in general. He was boss today. If you’re the Italian manager looking ahead to 2020 and 2022, you have to be a little excited. There is more raw talent than in recent years. Di Biaggi should be flogged for not taking apart Poland today. Should start next game with Tonali, Pellegrini and Zaniolo.

Claudius

One other thing - having watched about half the u20 World Cup and a few of the games this week in European u21, I’m so down on our scouting department. France alone fielded two ridiculous teams for those tournaments and all we could show was one bench player (and a starter that got away). Same with England. Look at the talent on Italy, the Ukraine u20 team, Spain u21 etc. it beggars belief.

Klaus

Claudius wrote:
The first thing that strikes you about Bielik is bis incredible size.

Is that really a good thing though? He seems a bit immobile to me. Reminds me a little bit of William Carvalho, whose entire reputation as a youth player was based on being bigger than everyone else. I hope Bielik has more about him, but it's a little worrying to me that his reputation has all been built up in League One and the national youth teams. When we signed him he was a big bloke too. He was only 17 but looking at him you'd have guessed he was out of his teens already.

Claudius

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:
The first thing that strikes you about Bielik is bis incredible size.

Is that really a good thing though? He seems a bit immobile to me. Reminds me a little bit of William Carvalho, whose entire reputation as a youth player was based on being bigger than everyone else. I hope Bielik has more about him, but it's a little worrying to me that his reputation has all been built up in League One and the national youth teams. When we signed him he was a big bloke too. He was only 17 but looking at him you'd have guessed he was out of his teens already.

At least this tournament features players upto age 22, so while you do have the occasional 18 year old genius, you have Bielik going up against a lot of fully formed players. And in League 1, he would have played against grown men as well, and he outshone them. So I’m hopeful.

Bold Tone

Klaus wrote:
Claudius wrote:
The first thing that strikes you about Bielik is bis incredible size.

Is that really a good thing though? He seems a bit immobile to me. Reminds me a little bit of William Carvalho, whose entire reputation as a youth player was based on being bigger than everyone else. I hope Bielik has more about him, but it's a little worrying to me that his reputation has all been built up in League One and the national youth teams. When we signed him he was a big bloke too. He was only 17 but looking at him you'd have guessed he was out of his teens already.

To be fair he hasn't been given the opportunity to be tested and he doesn't have to be exceptional to play in our central midfield ahead of Guendouzi and Elneny.

Klaus

I think that's underselling Guendouzi, Tone. He's inexperienced and hasn't come into focus as a player, but as a midfielder he seems to be twice the talent Bielik is. He came in as a 19 year old with a handful of starts in Ligue 2 and made 48 appearances for us. That tells me he's unusual... and maybe also that Emery's brain is scrambled.

Ricky said that he thought Bielik's only shot at making it here is at centreback, and I get the same feeling watching him. But if we really rated him as a centreback it begs the question why we're seemingly prepared to offer big money for Saliba.

Claudius

Klaus, the mobility and acceleration are a concern, which is why I was surprised to find him playing that inside right role. In an ideal world, Arsenal has a very dynamic, mobile midfield that is able to transition into attack quickly and is similarly speedy on defense. Basically, the anti-Xhaka. Bielik would not provide that. Can he be Mertesacker to another defender? Possibly.

Bold Tone

Klaus wrote:
I think that's underselling Guendouzi, Tone. He's inexperienced and hasn't come into focus as a player, but as a midfielder he seems to be twice the talent Bielik is. He came in as a 19 year old with a handful of starts in Ligue 2 and made 48 appearances for us. That tells me he's unusual... and maybe also that Emery's brain is scrambled.

Ricky said that he thought Bielik's only shot at making it here is at centreback, and I get the same feeling watching him. But if we really rated him as a centreback it begs the question why we're seemingly prepared to offer big money for Saliba.

I take on board your point about Guendouzi's age which could mean a great improvement this year.
I actually have high hopes for him.
My worry, or should i say irritation, is the constant flopping on the slightest contact.
He wasn't doing it at the start of the season and is so rubbish at it, refs seldom buy it.
I think it's alien to his natural game and something Emery has asked him to do after Rudiger tossed him like a ragdoll earlier in the season.
I currently rate him above average and my thought process was if (and it's a big if as there's nothing to base it on) Bielik can be good, he could outperform last season's Guendo.

MuswellHillGooner

MistaT wrote:
So how does Bielik's play/positioning compare to Xhaka?

Seems he'd play in a similar position (on the field) but be a little more all action. Can't be any slower either.....

Clrnc

Bielik in midfield reminds me a little of Declan Rice.

Ricky1985

England out of the U21s. They were comically bad. Fair play to Romania but that was amateur hour. 😆

Clrnc

The goals were top class. That Coman lad is wicked and Hagi looks decent

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