He started the year as a left winger but he was rarely ever used there (on the bench due to Di Maria's presence) and then he started playing as a left back due to Peixoto's injury and the coach wanting a faster and more offensive left back and that was the position where he has played almost the entire season for Benfica and the position he plays for the national team.
Fabio Coentrão
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Did he play as a left winger in prior seasons though? If he is a player capable of playing both positions that is pretty useful in the modern game.
He must have recently switched positions because the last i saw him he played on the wing, I think for Beira-Mar ? and for Portugal U21's..... looked like a typical tricky young winger, but didn't look special.
He resembels a bit of Evra but i still doubt his defensive abilities, especially in a top league like the Prem.
He resembels a bit of Evra but i still doubt his defensive abilities, especially in a top league like the Prem.
Yes he is,like you mentioned in another post he was originally a left winger it was only this past season that he started playing as a left back cause he was more needed there but hes perfectly capable of playing in either one of those two positions.
I swear to God this has to be made up 
posted on 29/06
posted on 29/06
Ronnie, Pepe and Portugal's left back look good
Best left back in the World Cup so far.
I was really impressed with him ever since seeing him in Portugal's first match.
He's a converted winger, so even if Evra manages to stay in the team ahead of him we might find a place for him on the wing.
At United you need two top class players at each position. If Evra is injured, then we are stuck with an inexperienced Brazilian twin or a player like O'Shea who is more of a utility player really.
If we get him, I'll be very pleased.
I was really impressed with him ever since seeing him in Portugal's first match.
He's a converted winger, so even if Evra manages to stay in the team ahead of him we might find a place for him on the wing.
At United you need two top class players at each position. If Evra is injured, then we are stuck with an inexperienced Brazilian twin or a player like O'Shea who is more of a utility player really.
If we get him, I'll be very pleased.
I don't think we have enough to base a judgement on his defensive abilities on.
Cracking goal
True, but at least against Brazil and Spain he held his own as a defender.
Apparently, Bayern Munich are in for him.
I'm actually more impressed with the Brazilian left-back, Bastos or something. Shades of Evra.
He has flair but IMHO he isn't going as much forward as Evra.
He's only had one fairly good game. He's been shite every other time.
really? bastos had a decent season for lyon but defensively he's been horrific IMO. His delivery and pace is superb though.
From what i've seen i like the look of coentrao more than bastos.
Best OFFENSIVE fullback yes, but he was fecked every which way by the technical genius of Ramos. Says it all really.
He's still young though, ain't he? I love Brazilian full-backs or wingbacks.
I bet Evra isn't the same player as he is now at 21? Or Maicon
I bet Evra isn't the same player as he is now at 21? Or Maicon
I didn't like Bastos. Once he burst forward he didn't seem to know what to do. And he didn't seemed like he knew how to defend.
He's shit as a left back basically. He had one half decent game, the rest were shockers. I bet Rafael would have had a better world cup at left back.
Fabio
I'm better than Wayne Bridge.
I don't think he had such a bad game at all. Portugal's defense was solid until David Villa got a bit of luck and nicked one off them.
Spain are the best in the world and take it to everyone, and Portugal's plan was to absorb their pressure and counterattack, which they did.
If he were bad defensively, then the quality of Spain would have forced a goal by exposing that. That didn't happen, so he is solid as a defender.
Were Switzerland bad defensively because Navas and Ramos ran riot over their left back? No, it was Switzerland's tactical plan to allow Ramos to come forward and attack (as it was Portugal's plan). It doesn't matter how much possession or attacking brilliance Spain demonstrates. If they can't score on Switzerland, then Switzerland can defend.
Portugal have been stingier defensively than anyone, and Coentrao has been part of that.
Sorry for the bump but we are again rumored to be interested in him. Admittedly it's from the Daily Mail
Who isn't?
He's an interesting one because i've seen him have a few fantastic games on the wing in the past, yet he's made his name in the last year or so as a full back. From what i've seen of him he's like a Portugese Gareth Bale (powerful running, dribbling, good left foot) and i would imagine he'd be a better value signing than Bale would at this moment in time. If we did sign him i would rather it was to play alongside Evra rather than inplace of him. We could do with a natural left footed wide man, for when Giggs retires.
Like Coentrao, but I don't want Evra to leave.
If we did buy him to replace Evra, we'd end up losing money in the end, such is the way United work
Should go for Baines.... not sure about him defensively, but his end product in terms of crossing is fantastic.
Great set pieces as well, but not United quality as a defender
World class player. (On Football Manager.)
Seriously though, he impressed me during the World Cup, but isn't his preferred position left wing rather than left back?
Seriously though, he impressed me during the World Cup, but isn't his preferred position left wing rather than left back?
He's been left back at Benfica for over a year and has been superb. He was pushed back because they had no other half-decent left-back and they had Di María to do the wing. At first I thought it was partly a waste of his talent but now - and after seeing him play on the wing a couple of times since - he really seems to be perfectly adapted to the left back spot. He may have potential to turn into a winger again (and a very good one maybe) but at the exact moment I think he's on his best position.
Which isn't actually a problem with Valencias injury, Parks off and on form, Bebe abd Obertans inexperience and Giggs retiring soon.
It's actually not really wrong though. Evra has one year on his contract and IF we do lose him we won't get much of a fee and we'll end up paying more for Coentrao.
With respect to Evra he wasnt always a defender either and he isnt exactly the best defender the world has ever seen.
He's pretty good defensively until he tries his bizarre overhead kick clearances which have landed us in trouble once or twice this season.
Id rather keep Evra thanks.
Too much of a hassle to defend his diving. He puts Nani to shame.
No one wants to lose Evra but if we do Coentrão would be a decent replacement.