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Was my MotM. Pep's Hail Mary became: give it to Doku, and AWB was almost solely tasked with dealing with that threat, and doing so as a player who'd already played a half against one who was coming on amped and fresh on the massive Wembley pitch.2nd half was the best half of football I've seen from a fullback againt Doku this season. One of the stories of City's season, other than Foden coming inside from the right and scoring goals has been Doku on the left beating fullbacks for fun and causing problems that result in City gaining points. Before Doku came on, in the first half when facing up with Gvardiol AWB was a bit gun shy staying on his feet and not sliding in like we know he can. He didnt make much ground and cause problems for us but neither was it great from AWB. But in the 2nd half as soon as Doku was on AWB was tight and aggressive making his signature tackles. Even though he was mostly successful Doku did get a couple of balls across the box on the floor when he went on the outside, but since we were playing with most players behind the ball and a flood of red shirts inside our own box when Dokau did have a bit of success it was easy for one time McTominay cleared the ball out and I think the other time Evans or Varane was easily able to clear because yes, Doku had managed to go wide and squeeze a ball on the floor but it didnt have any quality or cause much threat.
Doku did however score. That was because Garnacho had dropped in to confront him and had done reasonably well to push him back towards his own goal but he was still able to get a good effort considering the circumstances in on goal and Onana should have done better even if McTominay's position may have made him see it late. So Doku still got rewarded and was still dangerous despite AWB having the most success of any fullback against Doku that ive seen this season. Also Amrabat did drop in to double up with AWB several times so some credit to him for helping with the task even though he didnt have any success in winning the ball any of those times he doubled up with AWB. In fact one of the 2 or so times Doku went on the outside and crossed the ball it managed to get into the box despite AWB and Amrabat both trying to pressure and block it.
Our fullbacks never get enough credit and I'm sure this will be no different. AWB's form in the last 5 or 6 games has been poorer than the first 2/3 of the season so it was nice for him to do very well this time in a big match.
How do you not save an England spot for a player like this? Literally the perfect profile for a one-off tournament game, especially on international level, where individual brilliance often outweighs tactics. I know who I'd want to put 1v1 against the likes of Mbappé in a Euro semi-final.
How do you not save an England spot for a player like this? Literally the perfect profile for a one-off tournament game, especially on international level, where individual brilliance often outweighs tactics. I know who I'd want to put 1v1 against the likes of Mbappé in a Euro semi-final.
He is brilliant in defending and we all know that. He is a bit like De Gea. We want to implement "modern" style of play which need player comfortable with the ball, good in distribution and press resistant. Unfortunately, AWB is not the so called modern RB.
How do you not save an England spot for a player like this? Literally the perfect profile for a one-off tournament game, especially on international level, where individual brilliance often outweighs tactics. I know who I'd want to put 1v1 against the likes of Mbappé in a Euro semi-final.
He's good in games like yesterday where we sit deep as seen from his time at crystal palace but he is not going to be good enough over a whole season if we want to improve and start to play higher up on a consistent basis.
As much praise he gets for yesterday you have to ask why did man City target that side more than dalot's, its as if man city gave up all hope of getting the better of dalot down our left hand side and focused on our right hand side instead.
How do you not save an England spot for a player like this? Literally the perfect profile for a one-off tournament game, especially on international level, where individual brilliance often outweighs tactics. I know who I'd want to put 1v1 against the likes of Mbappé in a Euro semi-final.
Because if you target him for headers he's a liability.
That's ridicule?How many wingers are target men and how many fullbacks are good headers? Why move goalposts to ridicule a single player?
That's ridicule?
What goalposts did I move by pointing out his weakness to explain his exclusion?
There was a string of games I wanna say two seasons ago where he was targeted at the far post for headers and was taken out of the team because of how many goals were conceded.
If his man won't go in for headers he's tremendous defensively.
We're talking about being international standard as well, about whether he should be in England.
Because if you target him for headers he's a liability.
With AWB I've noticed something weird.
As long as he's not getting overloaded with 2 attackers, its counterproductive getting our wingers to help him mark tricky wingers. On Saturday the moment Garnacho came to help him mark Doku and Garnacho happened to be goal side, I got worried. That was the moment Doku took the cut to the side Garnacho was covering and found space for a shot. And Garnacho actually did ok to try and block it, just wasn't good enough.
I've seen it happen with Amad before and ina few other circumstances where opposition wingers get more success once another player comes to help AWB, because they use that player as an unintentional screen (basketball term) to get past.
He's a tackling cheat code, even only he could elevate other aspects of his game (mostly his mind really in my opinion), he'd be some player.
I don't think that's a reason for completely leaving him out, though. Trent can also be a big liability defensively but he's a chance creation machine akin to the likes of KDB and Bruno, so there's no questions about whether he has a place or not.
Now AWB's 1v1 capability isn't as valuable as Trent's creativity from RB but it's still very valuable, especially for international football. Like another poster has mentioned, I don't see the point of taking 3 or 4 right backs who are all very good, but all a very similar profile as well, with none of them being a 1v1 monster like AWB is.
He could be incredible as an RCB in a back 5. Unfortunately for him we don't really use a system like that, though.
Because Pickford is England's best available keeper. I appreciate that is probably a conversation for another thread though, so just to stay on topic - Tripper has been poor from December onwards, so I do think his place as backup RB should've been up for grabs.We as in England or United? Because if the former, then why is Pickford still the number 1 goalkeeper? Why has Southgate failed to implement a possession-based, controlling style of football after 8 years as the manager? AWB is the perfect right-back for international one-off games and for the approach England usually implement in the latter stages vs strong opponents
Because Pickford is England's best available keeper. I appreciate that is probably a conversation for another thread though, so just to stay on topic - Tripper has been poor from December onwards, so I do think his place as backup RB should've been up for grabs.
He will be very poor RCB. When you play 3 at the back, you should expect CBs to step up and help midfield. AWB isn't good passer to do that. Also should be good aerially which he isn't.
His best attributes are tackling and dribbling. He will be useful in the games where we are on backfoot and have to defend deep. He can lock in most wingers, like completely shut them.
Exactly what ive been thinking for a long time.
He isn't better than TAA, Walker, James or even Trippier in an overall perspective -
But what AWB can offer you at RB is something that no other RB in the world can offer - arguably against one of the highest quantity and quality postions in world football - the LW.
He is like a gun that a soldier can use at war to defend himself.
Why wouldn't the soldier take the gun atleast within his arsenal even if he isn't going to use it every day?
If i was southgate - i would realise that having 3 RB's like Walker, TAA, James, Trippier kind of all offer you the same thing with arguably only TAA offering you something different with his great crossing ability.
I'd take Wan Bissaka as my 3rd RB option just incase if just like a soldier - i need a gun to defend myself.
He will be very poor RCB. When you play 3 at the back, you should expect CBs to step up and help midfield. AWB isn't good passer to do that. Also should be good aerially which he isn't.
His best attributes are tackling and dribbling. He will be useful in the games where we are on backfoot and have to defend deep. He can lock in most wingers, like completely shut them.
We need squad options. He is fine as back up to Dalot.
We need two left backs.
They have to be starting for their club to be England's no1 in my opinion. 19m Burnley paid for Trafford and he gets dropped after a few months for being shit. I'm convinced he was a money laundering scheme for City.If England want a possession-based, controlling approach, then Ramsdale and Trafford would be better options. Probably even Henderson. Same reason Onana is superior to De Gea. Technical proficiency, better kicking, better press-resistance in possession, thus providing a genuine passing option in possession.
...and why wouldn't England want that approach? They have one of, if not the strongest international squad who could dominate their opponents in KO games similarly to how City dominate their games even in the latter stages of the Champions League. By taking a more pragmatic approach, Southgate is increasing the chances of England's opponents. We saw that in the previous Euro final vs Italy. England could've been out of sight by the time Italy equalised. They allowed Italy to stay in the game because of Southgate's scared approach.
They have to be starting for their club to be England's no1 in my opinion. 19m Burnley paid for Trafford and he gets dropped after a few months for being shit. I'm convinced he was a money laundering scheme for City.
Except that Walker is literally used in the same role against the likes of Mbappé, Vinicius and other high-profile left wingers with whom he can often deal with due to his insane athleticism. Why would you need another specialist on nullifying a high-profile left winger when you already have a better one?Exactly what ive been thinking for a long time.
He isn't better than TAA, Walker, James or even Trippier in an overall perspective -
But what AWB can offer you at RB is something that no other RB in the world can offer - arguably against one of the highest quantity and quality postions in world football - the LW.
He is like a gun that a soldier can use at war to defend himself.
Why wouldn't the soldier take the gun atleast within his arsenal even if he isn't going to use it every day?
If i was southgate - i would realise that having 3 RB's like Walker, TAA, James, Trippier kind of all offer you the same thing with arguably only TAA offering you something different with his great crossing ability.
I'd take Wan Bissaka as my 3rd RB option just incase if just like a soldier - i need a gun to defend myself.
But he has all of that, I don’t know why people keep spreading this nonsense. It’s falsehoods.He is brilliant in defending and we all know that. He is a bit like De Gea. We want to implement "modern" style of play which need player comfortable with the ball, good in distribution and press resistant. Unfortunately, AWB is not the so called modern RB.
But he has all of that, I don’t know why people keep spreading this nonsense. It’s falsehoods.
his weaknesses are arial, positioning at the back post and remaining focussed as well as the propensity to jog back when out of position though that may be a tactical instruction
You would think that was obvious...He's fine as a squaddie as he has his uses.
They are different players. It’s like me saying to you look at TAA passing compared to Robertson.See Dalot's passing, link up play, attacking contribution, holding play and etc compared to AWB. Also, see Shaw.
I know it’s crazy. We are gonna be busy getting 5-6 players in never mind selling the squadYou would think that was obvious...
But for some reason we have loads of posters wanting to trim an already thin squad. People want half the team sold....
