Edinson Cavani

He is better than he played in first game(haven't watched the second), but still very overrated player. Some people were happy to sell van Persie and add more money for him.
He is at the same level as Van Persie, only overrated if people think he is a level better. RVP himself missed a great chance at Bernabau last season that could have changed the tie.
 
The thing with Cavani, besides the fact that I don't know if he has the speed to thrive in English football, is that in the big games I question his mentality.

When you look back to the 2010 World Cup or the 2011 Copa America, despite of how many goals he was knocking in domestically Cavani didn't really show up. For the national team Suarez does most of the heavy lifting when it really matters. Forlan did it before.

Cavani is a sunshine player, when the pressure is off he'll bang them in with ease. He's the kind of player I can see getting a hat trick against Palace and scuffing one wide against Liverpool. If he comes to England he'll likely continue his amazing goalscoring record but as a flat track bully. Although I guess to win titles that's mostly what matters...
 
The thing with Cavani, besides the fact that I don't know if he has the speed to thrive in English football, is that in the big games I question his mentality.

When you look back to the 2010 World Cup or the 2011 Copa America, despite of how many goals he was knocking in domestically Cavani didn't really show up. For the national team Suarez does most of the heavy lifting when it really matters. Forlan did it before.

Cavani is a sunshine player, when the pressure is off he'll bang them in with ease. He's the kind of player I can see getting a hat trick against Palace and scuffing one wide against Liverpool. If he comes to England he'll likely continue his amazing goalscoring record but as a flat track bully. Although I guess to win titles that's mostly what matters...

He has hatricks against Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma & Lazio when he was in Italy, this was while he scored 30+ goals a season there. When he played in the CL for Napoli he scored goals against Man City & Chelsea. Was the sun shining in all of these matches?

As for the national team, I'm pretty sure he plays on the right for them and Suarez up top in the middle. Part of his problem is because he can play out there and the guy runs his heart out for the team helping defensively he gets put out there. Make him the focal point of your attack and tell him to stay there and you will see a different beast.
 
He is out of form.

How many times has Rooney been out of form in last 5 years? Does that make him shit too?
 
He has hatricks against Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Roma & Lazio when he was in Italy, this was while he scored 30+ goals a season there. When he played in the CL for Napoli he scored goals against Man City & Chelsea. Was the sun shining in all of these matches?

As for the national team, I'm pretty sure he plays on the right for them and Suarez up top in the middle. Part of his problem is because he can play out there and the guy runs his heart out for the team helping defensively he gets put out there. Make him the focal point of your attack and tell him to stay there and you will see a different beast.

I would argue there is a huge difference in pressure performing for Napoli than for PSG. Napoli, even now, are not expected to beat the likes of Juve. If you're leading a line for a team that is fancied, not favourites, you won't have to play under the weight of expectation that comes with knowing any loss is unacceptable. Having that freedom seems to allow some players to express themselves more, Cavani isn't the only one. Many a player has looked unstoppable at a club that is expected to compete but not to win, only to move elsewhere and freeze under the spotlight. Just look at how Torres retreated into his shell after moving, from a Liverpool side nobody really expected to win the title, to a side where even winning often sees managers get fired. In fact it even happens to managers e.g. Moyes.

Cavani may get moved to accommodate others its true but he's also had some real stinkers, games especially for the national team. The last Confederations Cup was a case in point. He wasn't marooned out on the wing. He had some really good chances and missed them too. Cavani operates well when expectation isn't on him. He visibly finds it hard to cope with being in a situation, not where he's the main man, but where he is expected to deliver victories as a matter of routine e.g. at the very biggest clubs. I don't think he's done enough to PSG to moan about the formation change, he wasn't playing so well that it was unthinkable to ditch the 4-4-2. Had he continued to score in Ligue 1 at the rate he did in Serie A he would never have been dropped. He has not been able to live with the pressure to perform to the value of his price tag.
 
He is at the same level as Van Persie, only overrated if people think he is a level better. RVP himself missed a great chance at Bernabau last season that could have changed the tie.

Well, people were be happy to see us pay 50-60 millions for him, so I think that settles it. Missing chances doesn't really matter when judging players ability, since van Persie was excellent in that game aside from that chance.
 
I would argue there is a huge difference in pressure performing for Napoli than for PSG. Napoli, even now, are not expected to beat the likes of Juve. If you're leading a line for a team that is fancied, not favourites, you won't have to play under the weight of expectation that comes with knowing any loss is unacceptable. Having that freedom seems to allow some players to express themselves more, Cavani isn't the only one. Many a player has looked unstoppable at a club that is expected to compete but not to win, only to move elsewhere and freeze under the spotlight. Just look at how Torres retreated into his shell after moving, from a Liverpool side nobody really expected to win the title, to a side where even winning often sees managers get fired. In fact it even happens to managers e.g. Moyes.

Cavani may get moved to accommodate others its true but he's also had some real stinkers, games especially for the national team. The last Confederations Cup was a case in point. He wasn't marooned out on the wing. He had some really good chances and missed them too. Cavani operates well when expectation isn't on him. He visibly finds it hard to cope with being in a situation, not where he's the main man, but where he is expected to deliver victories as a matter of routine e.g. at the very biggest clubs. I don't think he's done enough to PSG to moan about the formation change, he wasn't playing so well that it was unthinkable to ditch the 4-4-2.


Your post doesn't make any sense.

You say Cavani performs well when expectations are not on him. Yet point his poor Uruguay game, where it's clear that all the expectations are on Suarez. He isn't even the main man for PSG. He was the main man at Napoli and he delivered for them.
 
You can't have a player who only performs when there is no pressure. That's not a sign of top class player at all
 
I would argue there is a huge difference in pressure performing for Napoli than for PSG. Napoli, even now, are not expected to beat the likes of Juve. If you're leading a line for a team that is fancied, not favourites, you won't have to play under the weight of expectation that comes with knowing any loss is unacceptable. Having that freedom seems to allow some players to express themselves more, Cavani isn't the only one. Many a player has looked unstoppable at a club that is expected to compete but not to win, only to move elsewhere and freeze under the spotlight. Just look at how Torres retreated into his shell after moving, from a Liverpool side nobody really expected to win the title, to a side where even winning often sees managers get fired. In fact it even happens to managers e.g. Moyes.

Cavani may get moved to accommodate others its true but he's also had some real stinkers, games especially for the national team. The last Confederations Cup was a case in point. He wasn't marooned out on the wing. He had some really good chances and missed them too. Cavani operates well when expectation isn't on him. He visibly finds it hard to cope with being in a situation, not where he's the main man, but where he is expected to deliver victories as a matter of routine e.g. at the very biggest clubs. I don't think he's done enough to PSG to moan about the formation change, he wasn't playing so well that it was unthinkable to ditch the 4-4-2.

I think Torres was finished before he even joined Chelsea, he wasn't having a great season and in the previous couple of seasons had missed a lot of games due to injuries. Mentally he wasn't up to it but I reckon there is more to this story as well than him just not being able to live with price tag.

I'll say this Cavani isn't a Falcao type i.e. ruthless in front of goal but his all round game is good and in the right team he will score plenty of goals. Stick him in our team and I bet you he'd score 30+ goals for us. Even if Napoli had lower expectations he did the business for them in the big games. Since joining PSG he has had to play second fiddle to Ibra, rightfully so as well because Ibra is in shit hot form. He didn't have a choice but shouldn't of even joined them, needs to be the main striker and then we will see what he is all about. Players need to be in their best position and in the correct system to get the best out of them, just look at RvP & Rooney this season. Look at Mata when he has had to play with them, look at Ozil when he has had players like Giroud ahead of him.
 
Him and Lavezzi must hate playing against us.

Two years ago they beat Chelsea with Napoli 3-1 only to lose the tie at the Bridge 1-4. And now this. :lol:
 
Your post doesn't make any sense.

You say Cavani performs well when expectations are not on him. Yet point his poor Uruguay game, where it's clear that all the expectations are on Suarez. He isn't even the main man for PSG. He was the main man at Napoli and he delivered for them.

My point was he responds to the level of expectation placed on the team he's playing for. In Uruguay football, as you know, is almost seen as an 8th sacrament of the Catholic Church and Cavani is one of the country's real stars. The level of expectation upon Uruguay to do well is huge, regardless of what the rest of the world sees as their status. Likewise at PSG the owners and the wider French league see them as a richly assembly super team that should be ashamed of draws never mind losses. That's a totally different level of pressure to playing for Napoli. Its like Berbatov being immense for Spurs, where a loss or a draw here and there doesn't matter, and then coming to United where every defeat prompts an inquest and just not being able to hack it.

I think Torres was finished before he even joined Chelsea, he wasn't having a great season and in the previous couple of seasons had missed a lot of games due to injuries. Mentally he wasn't up to it but I reckon there is more to this story as well than him just not being able to live with price tag.

I'll say this Cavani isn't a Falcao type i.e. ruthless in front of goal but his all round game is good and in the right team he will score plenty of goals. Stick him in our team and I bet you he'd score 30+ goals for us. Even if Napoli had lower expectations he did the business for them in the big games. Since joining PSG he has had to play second fiddle to Ibra, rightfully so as well because Ibra is in shit hot form. He didn't have a choice but shouldn't of even joined them, needs to be the main striker and then we will see what he is all about. Players need to be in their best position and in the correct system to get the best out of them, just look at RvP & Rooney this season. Look at Mata when he has had to play with them, look at Ozil when he has had players like Giroud ahead of him.

When I look (in horror) at Suarez and Sturridge I see what should happen when you get two forwards in great form: neither gets dropped, the manager finds a way to build the team around them. If Cavani was operating anywhere near his top level he would have been dropped, simple as. Didn't Guardiola find a way to fit David Villa in with Messi (and Eto'o and Henry for that matter before him). Cavani has not made himself irreplaceable and so he's been replaced. Like I said above there are other players who have gone through the same thing. They've moved from clubs where the pressure to win isn't as huge as it is at the top teams and they've looked worse for it. I don't question Cavani's talent, there's a 30 goal a season striker in there, I question his mentality.
 
From what I have seen of him over the years. He needs to be the main striker, playing with Suarez and Ibra doesn't really get the best out of him. A lot of players are like that, up to the managers to find the best way to deal with it.
 
When I look (in horror) at Suarez and Sturridge I see what should happen when you get two forwards in great form: neither gets dropped, the manager finds a way to build the team around them. If Cavani was operating anywhere near his top level he would have been dropped, simple as. Didn't Guardiola find a way to fit David Villa in with Messi (and Eto'o and Henry for that matter before him). Cavani has not made himself irreplaceable and so he's been replaced. Like I said above there are other players who have gone through the same thing. They've moved from clubs where the pressure to win isn't as huge as it is at the top teams and they've looked worse for it. I don't question Cavani's talent, there's a 30 goal a season striker in there, I question his mentality.

Suarez is unique like that though, he can play many different roles and excels. Also Suarez and Sturridge are players who can play outwide or in the middle which is why their partnership has worked so well. Able to interchange with each other and keep their level of performance high. Also credit has to go to Rodgers for creating a fluid system which gets the best out of them. For PSG he is playing as an out and out wide player though, maybe if he had more mobile and quicker players he would be able to play better? I don't know tbh on that point.
 
Suarez is unique like that though, he can play many different roles and excels. Also Suarez and Sturridge are players who can play outwide or in the middle which is why their partnership has worked so well. Able to interchange with each other and keep their level of performance high. Also credit has to go to Rodgers for creating a fluid system which gets the best out of them. For PSG he is playing as an out and out wide player though, maybe if he had more mobile and quicker players he would be able to play better? I don't know tbh on that point.

Yes, Suarez deserves majority of the credit for making his partnership with Sturridge work. His past selfish self would not have allowed, this season he has been very unselfish in creating chances for others.
 
Overrated, in my opinion. And that opinion is not based on tonight's performance.

I was baffled when I heard PSG was going to pay his buy-out clause. I felt it was all about the PR hype and not about the player's actual quality because for me personally, Cavani is worth € 40-45m tops. Even more baffling is the fact, that we all called the issues of an Ibrahimovic / Cavani partnership. One vulgarly expensive player was definitely going to play out of position.

In the end I don't mind oligarch / sheikh clubs infusing ridiculous cash into hard-working clubs like Napoli, Porto, Benfica & Co. so I guess everything panned out alright.
 
You could play 4222 as City do, or a diamond with 2 up as Liverpool do.

City usually fail with their approach in the Champions League, don't they? Can't even recall when a traditional two-men-attack won anything noteworthy in the Uefa Champions League for the last time. Probably Ancelotti's Milan in the mid-2000's.

More importantly neither Cavani nor Ibrahimovic are as agile and quick as Aguero, Suarez or Sturridge. Ibra is a magician on the ball and Cavani an incredible work-horse and immense threat on the counter-attack, but that doesn't change their bulkiness and lack of mobility. They are simply not a good match-up and it was plain to see for a lot of people. Nevertheless PSG tried the combination but it didn't work out very well which is why we've seen a lot of Cavani on the right wing.
 
Cavani missed one glorious chance, but other than that didn't see enough of the ball to do damage. I thought PSG were quite poor, an didn't seem to have a clear plan to try and get the crucial away goal. The failure of French teams over and over in the CL, will never be overcome if they don't show some commitment to attack. Lyon were the same for years. Once they came up against decent teams in the latter stages they just seemed lack lustre.

In a better team with a bit of purpose about them Cavani would be a different prospect.
 
City were in a very tough group and don't have CL pedigree. 433 isn't going to work with Cavani wide, 4222 looks ideal but Blanc isn't a great coach IMO.
 
Didn't play that well against Chelsea in either matches though PSG were good for about 10 minutes today.

Lavezzi played well though,
 
Brilliant finisher.. Over the years he is shown an eye for goal.. Playing out of position this season hasn't stopped him from scoring goals either... Have to say he was not outstanding today but never expected much from him anyway. Take the goals out of it, do not really see much to his game and the moneys clubs are rumoured to be offering is over the top... I like my strikers to have a little extra to their game( hate them but aguero, Suarez, Bellamy,etc ), their contribution to the attack in general goes beyond scoring goals themselves..
 
Geeez, now he isn't any good? It doesn't take much to sway the caf after his 4 goals against Madrid everyone wanted Lewandowski ASAP, as soon as he missed a couple in the return leg he wasn't as good as we thought.

Cavani is low on confidence, he is a top striker a world class striker who is out of form and struggling. He is a hardworker for his team and he is hungry, if you build around him he will deliver but PSG and Uraguay have two better strikers so he's pushed out wide to accommodate them. I don't think he does so well out wide and he struggles to influence the game out there. That being said he had a very good chance that Cavani Napoli would have put away.
 
I like my strikers to have a little extra to their game( hate them but aguero, Suarez, Bellamy,etc ), their contribution to the attack in general goes beyond scoring goals themselves..

:lol:
 
Cavani is great an his attitude to play for the team is incredible. PSG is using him out of postion. Blanc is an idiot anyway. Such a bad trainer. They would become a much better team, when they would sell ibra and let him play on top (shitstorm incoming)
He is one of the few forwards that would improve bayern (next to Aguero, Suarez and Lewandowsi)
 
Last edited:
104 goals for Napoli in 138 games before PSG. He is one of the top forwards in the world. Since his return from injury about a month back he hasn't played that well and that continued tonight, but that doesn't make him overrated. He's still got a very good return for PSG playing mainly on the right hand side and when he's played up top he does even better. It's clear that it will be like Ibrahimovic again, and it'll take him him scoring a few against the national team or English sides in the CL to change people's minds. I don't think he's at the right club and he'd do much better being the main man up front again.
 
He was terrible in both matches especially 2he 1st league but he's much better than that. It's unfair to blame him when he hardly got any service last night. He was isolated. Lavezzi and Lucas kept running into cul de sacs or turning back when in a good position and passing to a defender. Ibra was just as bad in the 1st leg. Anyway the whole team perfomed poorly in the tie including the 1st leg. That scoreline was a false impression. Thiago Motta is the only one who performed reasonably well.
 
104 goals for Napoli in 138 games before PSG. He is one of the top forwards in the world. Since his return from injury about a month back he hasn't played that well and that continued tonight, but that doesn't make him overrated. He's still got a very good return for PSG playing mainly on the right hand side and when he's played up top he does even better. It's clear that it will be like Ibrahimovic again, and it'll take him him scoring a few against the national team or English sides in the CL to change people's minds. I don't think he's at the right club and he'd do much better being the main man up front again.

Totally agree. A couple of poor weeks can't rub out his great record over the past four years. Great player.
 
Haha, the classic "he wasn't good over two games so he is overrated/rubbish/not a top striker/he's a flat track bully/no mentality against top teams/ a complete waste of money".

He's an incredible striker, and would still take him here with no qualms. Personally the thought of someone getting 50 goals and assists 3 seasons in a row is also quite a pleasant though, considering none of our players have done this.
 
Yes, Suarez deserves majority of the credit for making his partnership with Sturridge work. His past selfish self would not have allowed, this season he has been very unselfish in creating chances for others.

Suarez has always had it in him, at Ajax he used to drift out wide and his dribbling and mobility means he can play across the whole front three really. I think Sturridge to be fair has also done well to make it work so well but Suarez clearly on another level to him or anyone else at Liverpool.

Did him receiving a stupid yellow card and getting suspended for the semi final, play a role in his awful performance ?

Doubt it, he didn't look on his game in the either of these matches. Looks horribly out of form and low on confidence. He needs to push for a move, he should be at the peak of his career right now. Unlike Ibra who has won plenty already so can wind down in France Cavani still has a lot to prove and should be trying to do so.
 
I'm sure Cavani is a great player but everytime I see him, he plays shit... I should stop watching him play
 
I think he found you putting Bellamy in the same brackets as Aguero and Suarez funny.

Ah well.... Each to their own. Remember he is a player SAF tried to sign and he chose a different team. I was trying to make a point in terms of influence especially when they are having a bad game..
Lets say, I think Cavani is the type a team signs when looking for a goal poacher and need others to do dirty job for them..
 
Ah well.... Each to their own. Remember he is a player SAF tried to sign and he chose a different team. I was trying to make a point in terms of influence especially when they are having a bad game..
Lets say, I think Cavani is the type a team signs when looking for a goal poacher and need others to do dirty job for them..
You don't think Cavani does the 'dirty jobs'? He's incredibly hard working and it's a result of that hard work he gets put on the right regularly for PSG and Uruguay.