Álvaro Carreras | Benfica

[jamesjimmybyrondean]

How is he at LCB? Saw a tweet that praised his performance when he played there. We also need cover for Martinez so wouldn’t mind signing him plus another LWB. Make sure we never have to see Dalot in that position again

 

[Marwood]

He's not fast enough to be our starting LWB, which is why we let him go in the first place. He might be playing well but it'd be a mistake to bank on him in the PL. No more players who are not elite physically. No more compensation mentality.

Yeah agree.

Trying to make a problem(like lack of pace or height) work has to stop.

This club has been absolutely terrible at that for years now.

Nice player but he's not athletic enough for that role. Don't do it United.

 

[Trequarista10]

Marcos Alonso was one of the more successful wing backs in recent times and he wasn't particularly quick. Technique, movement, stamina and decision making are equally important.

 

[KjaAnd]

Yeah agree.

Trying to make a problem(like lack of pace or height) work has to stop.

This club has been absolutely terrible at that for years now.

Nice player but he's not athletic enough for that role. Don't do it United.

Couldn’t agree more. Our team is crying out for pace - we can’t afford to bring in another slow player, even if he has plenty of other qualities.

 

[Marwood]

Marcos Alonso was one of the more successful wing backs in recent times and he wasn't particularly quick. Technique, movement, stamina and decision making are equally important.

But this is our constant problem.

One player/team somewhere kind of made it work so why shouldn't we just go for that as well.

We've been doing this for ages, trying to be clever, overcomplicating football. Buying guys too young, too old, too short, too slow and thinking it'll be fine.

It's time to keep it simple, do the obvious. A wingback has to control one side of the pitch almost on his own. This requires high level physical attributes which Alvaro doesn't have.

What I wished we'd done is brought him through as a CM. That could have worked.

 

[Ekeke]

He's not fast enough to be our starting LWB, which is why we let him go in the first place. He might be playing well but it'd be a mistake to bank on him in the PL. No more players who are not elite physically. No more compensation mentality.

You're right, but I dont think he would be our starting wingback. At least not longterm. I think if we resign him it would be as cover and competition for a better one

 

[Trequarista10]

But this is our constant problem.

One player/team somewhere kind of made it work so why shouldn't we just go for that as well.

We've been doing this for ages, trying to be clever, overcomplicating football. Buying guys too young, too old, too short, too slow and thinking it'll be fine.

It's time to keep it simple, do the obvious. A wingback has to control one side of the pitch almost on his own. This requires high level physical attributes which Alvaro doesn't have.

What I wished we'd done is brought him through as a CM. That could have worked.

Pace isn't the be all and end all. It's endurance, aggression, application and strength as well. The latter can be worked on more than raw pace. Plus ball control, delivery, etc. Plenty of over examples besides Alonso, there's just not many PL sides to compare to. Beckham is one of the best wingers the league has ever seen and wasn't quick at all. Many successful wing backs in Serie A who weren't overly quick. Park was a wingback before we signed him and he wasn't quick, just a very willing and aggressive runner. Evra was successful at Juve well into his 30s when his pace had diminished. Young as well at Inter. Milner, although more at FB.

Yes you would probably want pacey alternatives and at LW or RWB for the balance of the side. We barely have any suitable players for the wing back or wide forward roles and will likely need a fair few over the next few windows if we stick with Amorim. Alvaro would be a great addition, in combination with some other options. Definitely has the ball playing ability to potential slot in at other positions as well. And he has the frame to develop physically.

If we have a buyback option (I can't remember if we do) then it's a no-brainer imo.

 

[Marwood]

Pace isn't the be all and end all. It's endurance, aggression, application and strength as well. The latter can be worked on more than raw pace. Plus ball control, delivery, etc. Plenty of over examples besides Alonso, there's just not many PL sides to compare to. Beckham is one of the best wingers the league has ever seen and wasn't quick at all. Many successful wing backs in Serie A who weren't overly quick. Park was a wingback before we signed him and he wasn't quick, just a very willing and aggressive runner. Evra was successful at Juve well into his 30s when his pace had diminished. Young as well at Inter. Milner, although more at FB.

Yes you would probably want pacey alternatives and at LW or RWB for the balance of the side. We barely have any suitable players for the wing back or wide forward roles and will likely need a fair few over the next few windows if we stick with Amorim. Alvaro would be a great addition, in combination with some other options. Definitely has the ball playing ability to potential slot in at other positions as well. And he has the frame to develop physically.

If we have a buyback option (I can't remember if we do) then it's a no-brainer imo.

It isn't just pace he lacks though. He's not particularly strong either. Lovely player but he's not a great athlete.

Why don't we just buy an athlete who can also play? We're United, this is still possible.

Why buy a guy knowing right from the outset is lacking one or two crucial fundamentals of the role.

 

[Martial'sEmergingSmile]

I've never thought he was markedly slow. Hard thing to quantify though. UEFA have Top Speed data but that's about it. From their stats he had a Top Speed of 33.31 km/h this season.

That's slower than all the burner type players: Alphonso Davies (35.6), Nuno Mendes (35.36) and Theo (34.79)

But higher than: Gvardiol (33.2), Balde (32.9), Grimaldo (32.4), Robertson (32.2), DiMarco (31.7) and Gutierrez (31.5)

He also comes out very favourably in Distance Covered stats, with very few LBs/RBs topping him.

 

[Ish]

It isn't just pace he lacks though. He's not particularly strong either. Lovely player but he's not a great athlete.

Why don't we just buy an athlete who can also play? We're United, this is still possible.

Why buy a guy knowing right from the outset is lacking one or two crucial fundamentals of the role.

Yeah, have to agree here because in isolation it’s fine to sign someone like Alvaro….but if you look at the makeup of our entire squad - we’re behind most PL teams physically already, and we desperately need some pace/power to make up for the poor composition of the squad. When all that is considered, I think ensuring athleticism is one of the key criteria for our next few signings is important. We lack pace/power across the squad and the game’s long since moved that way, unless you’re able to build a very specific Pep/barca like team who can dominate possession to the tee.

It’s not a question of pace or technique either - im sure we should be able to find/identify some options giving us both (and then some). The only frustration is letting go of Alvaro in the first place and holding on to someone like Malacia, loaning Reguillon etc. - sure, there might have been other factors at play (his desire for minutes, not considered ready/good enough, we needed the cash etc), but we’ve a very long history of appalling decision making when it comes to the squad.

 

[NZT-One]

Marcos Alonso was one of the more successful wing backs in recent times and he wasn't particularly quick. Technique, movement, stamina and decision making are equally important.

They are but in a team that is already struggling with athleticism, we should think twice when we are about to make a transfer and do not use it as a chance to at least relieve the athleticism issue a little bit. I agree with you, not everybody has to be pacey but you have to have this element in your team and right now, there is next to no one offering it.

Pace isn't the be all and end all. It's endurance, aggression, application and strength as well. The latter can be worked on more than raw pace. Plus ball control, delivery, etc. Plenty of over examples besides Alonso, there's just not many PL sides to compare to. Beckham is one of the best wingers the league has ever seen and wasn't quick at all. Many successful wing backs in Serie A who weren't overly quick. Park was a wingback before we signed him and he wasn't quick, just a very willing and aggressive runner. Evra was successful at Juve well into his 30s when his pace had diminished. Young as well at Inter. Milner, although more at FB.

Examples from differerent eras and different leagues. Your overall point is understood but if athleticism is an issue with Alvaro, then there is just no real point to bring in somebody who we don't consider 1st choice suitibility for the job. Wouldn't be fair towards the player as well who seems to have something going at Benfica.

Yes you would probably want pacey alternatives and at LW or RWB for the balance of the side. We barely have any suitable players for the wing back or wide forward roles and will likely need a fair few over the next few windows if we stick with Amorim. Alvaro would be a great addition, in combination with some other options. Definitely has the ball playing ability to potential slot in at other positions as well. And he has the frame to develop physically.

If we have a buyback option (I can't remember if we do) then it's a no-brainer imo.

It really depends... if we don't see him as a first teamer, then it would be a no from me. A step stone signing would be great, no doubt, but that shouldn't be a young player. I'd rather go for a loan or a veteran and then for the 1st choice option in the summer.

 

[Trequarista10]

It isn't just pace he lacks though. He's not particularly strong either. Lovely player but he's not a great athlete.

Why don't we just buy an athlete who can also play? We're United, this is still possible.

Why buy a guy knowing right from the outset is lacking one or two crucial fundamentals of the role.

I have only seen clips since he moved to Benfica but at youth level and Preston I always got the impression he was deceptively strong. He's still young, has a big frame that should fill out a bit, a bit of additional gym work if necessary and he'd be fine imo. We have top of the range fitness facilities and coaches at his disposal.

Plenty of players who at 18-21 looked a bit lightweight and then became physical monsters. I'd argue those players tend to have higher peaks and longevity than young players who are extremely athletic. I think at the moment United are not an appealing destination for many players, especially as our finances at the moment mean we can't just overpay to bring them here. If we have a buyback clause it's a huge advantage. Ironically though, I would also bring back Elanga because he is a physical beast and could be an option at wingback or wide forward. In terms of a selection of wing-backs, I'm thinking something like this:

1. Alvaro - for LWB/LCB
2. Mazraoiu - for RWB/RCB
3. First choice left wing back in the mould of Alphonso Davies
4. First choice right wing back in the mould of Hakimi
5. Amad for wing-back or wide-forward
6. Elanga for wing-back or wide-forward (or similiar)

The first choice, specialist wing-backs are the hardest to find IMO. Then with a defensive and offensive alternative, who cover other positions as well. We also have to manage the squad with the likes of Dalot, Antony, Shaw, Malacia etc for now so it'd probably take a few windows for this transformation.

 

[harms]

Park was a wingback before we signed him and he wasn't quick, just a very willing and aggressive runner.

He was? I must admit, I've only watched PSV in Champions League but I'm pretty sure that they've played with 4 at the back and Park was usually either a part of a front three in 4-3-3 or one of the guys behind the striker in 4-2-3-1.

Spoiler

This seems to be more in line with what I remember:

 

[The Mitcher]

He was? I must admit, I've only watched PSV in Champions League but I'm pretty sure that they've played with 4 at the back and Park was usually either a part of a front three in 4-3-3 or one of the guys behind the striker in 4-2-3-1.

Spoiler

This seems to be more in line with what I remember:

Yep, Park was never a wingback. The guy saying that needs to get his head checked.