Ah well, if Barca's still in for him then he will end up there.
Cuadrado
- Thread starter red_7
- Start date
- Status
Some people are saying he's like Nani, plenty of skill and pace but inconsistent, crap decision making and only makes a pass about 4 times a match, is that true?
But... but woodie said we wouldnt lose out on players because of the Spanish clubs anymore
Yes they allegedly broke the rules of signing up minors and got sentenced by suspending them from doing any transferbusiness for 2 successive windows but they appealed it and until verdict has been reached about that appeal their suspension got lifted so they are free to make signings this summer.
The reason why they are doing so much business is because they god damn know they broke those rules and their appeal won't be succesfull, it is just a trick to buy them some time, lift the suspension for this summer and do all their business and also the business they planned for the winter and next summer all at once.
He didn't account for the fact we're not in Spain.
Ridiculous, as I said one rule for them and another for everyone else!
It's the same rule for everyone, a club is allowed to buy players whilst their appeal is ongoing.
No not really any club would get their transfer suspension lifted when they have an appeal ongoing, it is just the way it works but it is ridiculous I agree.
Meh, a great player, but if we could get Di Maria for about £10m more, I'd rather we just pay the extra money honestly. Fiorentina are asking too much imo.
I would rather have Di Maria to be honest but I only place down to the fact I've never seen this guy play for his club only Colombia.
So Barca could get Suarez, Rakitic, Cuadrado, Vermaelen and Mathieu this summer = 160m - 65m in sales = 95m. Ridiculous business. That's Euros too. One of those is one of the best players in the world, two are brilliant players and the other two are solid additions. This is on top of having the best player in the world already + Neymar + Iniesta + Busquets.
Meanwhile, we've spent 60m on two players - an 18 year old LB and a better-than-most-but-not-top-level midfielder. And we have lost Evra, Vidic and Rio, all practically for free. And we still have a threadbare central defence and midfield, and no wingers (at least, no good ones). We can't shift Fellaini, Nani or Hernandez...
We're not very good at this transfer lark.
Meanwhile, we've spent 60m on two players - an 18 year old LB and a better-than-most-but-not-top-level midfielder. And we have lost Evra, Vidic and Rio, all practically for free. And we still have a threadbare central defence and midfield, and no wingers (at least, no good ones). We can't shift Fellaini, Nani or Hernandez...
We're not very good at this transfer lark.
That would be a pretty incredible window for Barcelona.
Our window obviously isn't over, Cuadrado hasn't signed for Barcelona and Vermaelen is shite. Judge it when the window shuts.
Thats an understatement. We're appalling.
True, but from what that Zubi guy says, Cuadrado looks on the cards and there have been a few reports saying he favours Barca. As for Vermaelen, I think he'll be good for them - he's a better CB than Mascherano, that's for sure.
With regards to our dealings, I think all the signs are beginning to point towards a fairly low-key end. A defender, perhaps, but I think a move for Vidal is not going to happen. Di Maria is even less likely to arrive.
I'm not buying that LvG is choosing between Cuadrado or Di Maria. I really can't see Di Maria performing the wing back role.
No? Why not? Cuadrado is no better defensively and they both have energy to burn.
Cuadrado has experience playing full-back, I'd imagine he is better defensively than di Maria.
He's not. The majority of his games were higher up the pitch. I've seen him play second striker more than I've seen him play wing back for Fiorentina. Di Maria played cm for Madrid for most of last season, not like he didn't need to defend.
There's still no doubting that Cuadrado is better suited to the wing-back role right now than di Maria.
Didn't Cuadrado used to be an out and out right back?
I wouldn't say that at all. Di Maria hasn't been played in such a formation so you can't come to the conclusion that he'd be worse in the role just by that. Di Maria has all the attributes necessary to be a great wing back, pace, stamina, crossing and decent defensive ability. If Young can play wing back successfully, Di Maria definitely can. Cuadrado only played wing back for Colombia because it was the only way to get their best players involved and to use his stamina and pace. He didn't exactly offer much in defence though.
It's a pointless conversation really anyway, as there's noway we'd buy di Maria to play as a wing-back.
He might have when he was younger, but not that I know of. Worth pointing out that Bale started as a left back. Playing him as a wing back now would seem insane. Cuadrado's definitely not great defensively, I've seen him enough to come to this conclusion. I'd actually argue Di Maria is better defensively tbh.
According to whoscored.com, he played wing-back multiple times last season.
But why not? It would be a way to get another world class player in the team and his pace would allow him to get past defenders and his delivery is excellent so would likely lead to a number of chances for our forwards. I don't understand why you'd think he's a worse option for wing back than Cuadrado other than the fact that he hasn't been allowed to play the role up to now.
Because we're not going to break our transfer record for a player our manager has already labeled a world class winger only to play him out of position, somewhere he's never played before, at wing-back.
We did for Mata. Was clearly a cam but we played him as winger/wide midfielder. Whether you want to put that down to Moyes' incompetence or not, players can be bought to play in positions they wouldn't normally play and Cuadrado would be a similar situation, because even though he did seem to play a few games as a wing back last season, his preferred position is clearly as a winger/second forward.
Di Maria is very lefty, no way we would buy him to play as a right sided wing back.
Van Gaal wants balance, hence him chasing Vermaelen, who is left footed.
Van Gaal wants balance, hence him chasing Vermaelen, who is left footed.
That's because Bale has developed in to one of the best attacking players in the world and it would be a waste of talent playing him at LB again. I'm sure he'd still be a very effective player there though, just as I believe Cuadrado would be at RWB.
Not to say we've had a great transfer window, but I don't think Barcelona's window would have been all that great even if they do sign Cuadrado. Mathieu and Vermaelen isn't doing much to solve their CB issues. RB is still a major issue for them. Their attack will still be extremely narrow as Suarez does nothing to provide width by operating in the same areas Messi and Neymar. Sure they improved the squad a bit, but I still don't fancy them in Europe.
If the window closed today Bayern would have to be the strong favorites for the Champions League IMO. Real's summer transfer window seemingly was a plan to create imbalance in the squad and mess up the identity Ancelotti had forged last year. Shoehorning James and Kroos into the side while losing Di Maria (epically stupid even for Real) and pushing two of Modric, Khedira and Alonso to the bench should be hilarious to watch. Isco and Illaramendi will struggle for opportunities in the starting XI and will likely have to be content making substitute appearances. This is another squad, like Barcelona, that could have used a quality CB signing.
Obviously I would much rather have the problems that Barcelona and Madrid face, but I also would expect the board in both of those situations to have found long-term solutions to problems, rather than replicating skill sets and strengthening areas and positions that don't need it.
Ronaldo - Benzema - Bale
James
Kroos Alonso/Modric/Khedira
If any of this constitutes a problem, I'd hate to think what position you think we're in!
The problem is the imbalance in the squad. Kroos playing deep with Modric or Alonso is a defensive nightmare. Khedira is the most logical partner in a 4-2-3-1 for all of Kroos, Alonso and Modric seeing how Ronaldo, Benzema, Bale and James will have little interest in tracking back. They will still rack up points in La Liga, but in Europe this is a recipe for disaster.
The 4-3-3 they used towards the end of last season in their CL run was brilliant because it maximized Di Maria's energy in CM defensively and allowed him the freedom to push forward in attack to provide width to the attack and effectively allowing Madrid to get effective service from the wing to both Ronaldo and Benzema in the middle of the field. I understand the purchase of Kroos as a long-term replacement for Alonso, but his defensive reading of the game isn't nearly as good as Alonso's was at his peak and then purchasing James to play him a the No. 10 behind the striker compounds that problem. Madrid will ship goals in Europe this season unless Ancelotti has the gravitas to drop James and play a more defensively solid 3 man midfield, which I doubt is possible without Perez sharpening the axe on Carlo.
I also did say in my original post that I'd much rather have Madrid and Barcelona's problems than ours.
He's not even in the squad for Fiorentina's game, going on right now...
Most players from that stage of the world cup haven't been involved in pre season. Nothing is in it
- Status