Isco

MounchesterUtd said:
How do you define a 'luxury player'? Because to me, this is a player who's sole contributions amount to flashy goals and assists. Isco is definitely not like such a player.
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There will be 15 threads as soon as we buy Isco discussing his primary position. Then there'll be threads where we discuss which other players we need to sign to "get the best out of Isco". Is he a number 10? Should he be played on the right? Or do we play him in a midfield three?

Didn't we just sign Mkhi to play the role of a silky, intelligent player with an excellent work rate? Isn't Pogba the attacker we want to play as the most advanced midfielder?

Isco is a very good player. He is an excellent squad player to have come in and contribute in various positions. The problem with him is that he doesn't completely excel in one position. He doesn't have the goals and the assists to play as a number 10. He doesn't have the pace to excel on either wing. He doesn't have the absolute quality to play in the Silva role.

Off late our tendency is to sign players who don't make the team better but need another 5 players to make them look better.

X or Y will excel when we play him in position A
X or Y will excel when we have more pacey players around them
X or Y will excel when we push Z out of the team
Who should partner X or Y in a midfield three?

Let's sign a Carrick replacement, another excellent CB and a quality right winger with pace and guile, and then we can talk about adding the Isco's of the world. Or may be we can first get the best out of the "Isco's" already in the squad.

Disclaimer: I am a meat and potatoes guy whose understanding of football is pretty basic, so I could be wrong unlike the VG ***********'s who have a deep seated knowledge of football.
 
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Vato said:
Who in their right mind would want to replace Silva tho?
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Maybe due to age thinking long term. But I would have thought Gundogan would be ideal for that
 
Another number 10 to complement the half-dozen we already have? We should be focusing on buying players to fill holes in the team - deep lying midfielder, RB, CB.

Also given Real's ban, I doubt they'd sell, and if they did they would expect ADM level fee for him. We shouldn't be funding their next transfer splurge.
 
Surely Madrid wouldn't sell given their transfer ban? Would easily take him for the number 10 position though.
 
redNATION said:
Another number 10 to complement the half-dozen we already have? We should be focusing on buying players to fill holes in the team - deep lying midfielder, RB, CB.

Also given Real's ban, I doubt they'd sell, and if they did they would expect ADM level fee for him. We shouldn't be funding their next transfer splurge.
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Agreed, but its too early to tell if Rooney or Mata are in Joses long term plans. I disagree on the potential fee though. It will be about 40 million Ozil level transfer IMO
 
Insanity said:
There will be 15 threads as soon as we buy Isco discussing his primary position. Then there'll be threads where we discuss which other players we need to sign to "get the best out of Isco".
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The thing is, all clubs have those types of fans. Speculation is part of fandom itself. The only time it doesn't happen is if you sign a GK.

Is he a number 10? Should he be played on the right? Or do we play him in a midfield three?
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Not exclusively but he can play there well

Not enough pace for the PL

YES, with Pogba and a holding mid

Didn't we just sign Mkhi to play the role of a silky, intelligent player with an excellent work rate? Isn't Pogba the attacker we want to play as the most advanced midfielder?
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I see Mkhi more as a straight up support striker or a winger. If we do sign Griez, he will be his competitor. Not Isco. As for Pogba, I think limiting him to just an advanced midfielder isn't the way to go.

Isco is a very good player. He is an excellent squad player to have come in and contribute in various positions. The problem with him is that he doesn't completely excel in one position. He doesn't have the goals and the assists to play as a number 10. He doesn't have the pace to excel on either wing. He doesn't have the absolute quality to play in the Silva role.
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I don't mean to have a go at you, but I have to say you sound like you haven't seen a lot of him. He's excellent as either of the two 8s (be it as an attacker or a facilitator) in a three man CM. He's no world beater, he won't inspire a renaissance like Cantona did, but squad player is massively underrating him.

Everyone in the thread saying 'don't sign another #10/luxury player' is stereotyping him because of his nationality and height/build.
 
MounchesterUtd said:
Not enough pace for the PL
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He's not the fastest on absolute terms (but still quick), but there are only a few central offensive players that are faster/more mobile with the ball at their feet.

Having said that, I agree with about everything you wrote.


Edit: Ah, now I understand that this was an answer to the question of playing him as a winger. It's 100% true, then.
 
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I am all for Isco and have wanted him here for years but now that we have Pogba we need to play him as the CAM/AM with 2 solid midfielders behind him.
There is no place for Isco in our lineup at the moment unfortunately.
 
Kagawa/Mata/Mkhi we signed all these players and how many actually ended up playing number 10?

Mkhi naturally we can't comment on, but Isco will just fall into that category.
 
Linked with us again in AS. They say he's determined to move in January.
 
Rumours of interest from united in spain. He came on for real in 80th minute in the last game. It maybe like the jamez thing where spanish papers pushed for him to sign for us but there was no interest.
I like isco, i think there is a world class footballer in him that just needs to play. He made the wrong move, he was shown around united too when he was to leave malaga but chose the graveyard for young talented footballers. I do hope we go for him, but where do we play him? that will be the main problem.
 
Adisa said:
Linked with us again in AS. They say he's determined to move in January.
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He wanted to leave in summer but spurs baulked at his wages. Real have a transfer ban, cant see them selling. I would like to see him here, dont have high hopes....... Yet.
 
Maradona10 said:
He wanted to leave in summer but spurs baulked at his wages. Real have a transfer ban, cant see them selling. I would like to see him here, dont have high hopes....... Yet.
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Real were willing to sell despite knowing the ban was coming.
Just think he isn't in Zizou's plans at all.
 
If he went to City, he would have been a starter under Pellegrini and now probably too for Guardiola.
 
We have Mkh and Mata they should be good enough, in Mkh's case he's started 1-2 games ffs.
 
A wide player like Carrasco is a better idea.
 
I like him, but I just can't see him improve our team. We need a right winger, not another central player. I'm not sure he's an upgrade on either Mata or Micky.
 
----------Rashford/Ibra-------
Martial---Isco/mata-------Henrikh
------pogba----herrera------------

That would be delicious next year. Mata can also play on the wing, isco can play deeper and on the wing, pogba can play 10 rashford can play striker and as left attacker so can martial, henrikh could play anywhere behind striker.
It gives us strength in depth and great age group of great players.Rooney to china to pay for isco's fees would be cherry on the top.
 
We have to many slow players, quality yes, but we need some real pace to compliment that, think a Gareth Bale would be great in this team as it wouldn't allow teams to play high against us knowing Bale would be there to exploit the space in behind, meaning out technical players could operate closer the oppositions box.
 
He would be utterly pointless. A current problem with our team is that everyone wants the ball to feet and not enough want to run behind. He would just add to that list.
 
Bwuk said:
Is he any better than Mata or Mkhitaryan?
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They're all about the same level. Mkh the most versatile of the 3.

I don't see a reason to add Isco in the team. We need a deep lying midfielder.
 
Isco would be great for pep at City. However, Real madrid wont sell anyone and Zidane will get sacked within this season imo.

Real has 3 creative and technical players in James, Isco, and Kovaic and none of them start or get good amount of time from Zidane. So, essentially, Zidane would benched himself if he has a carbon copy of himself on Madrid.
Everyone knows Zidane plays as conservative as you can get with a team like Madrid that is stacked with offensive talent. With Casimero out for a few more weeks, Kroos will be exposed again like he always was, however, for some reason people still see him as some legit well rounded CM/DM
 
I think he would suit us nicely actually. If Mourinho plans on using Mkhitaryan as a right winger, then we need someone to play next to/in front of Pogba. A creative player like Isco is perfect as he is very Silva like in the way he moves with the ball and can drift past players, while also being perfectly capable if being in a midfield 3 and doing the defensive bit as well. Mata isnt going to be a long term option for mourinho because of his limitations and not being able to run with the ball, even though he is a very effective player. So thats why we need someone next to Pogba that can add creativity and control. Of course, priority for me is the holding midfield, but I'm not against getting someone for that creative spot either. The choice is getting a right winger with Mkhitaryan playing there, or using Miki wide and getting someone like Isco who ticks all the boxes for me.
If we want a 4-3-3 type long term, then Pogba has the left center mid locked down as a box to box player. We need a holding mid in the mould of Carrick, and then next to Pogba, ideally we want someone in the mould of Iniesta, David Silva ... (Isco). Isco is still pretty young, and honestly wouldnt cost much as he isnt getting many minutes (think hes only played 50 minutes all season, from 5 games). Probably 30-35m and he is a player capable of being worth twice that at least if he gets some consistency. So I really hope we do get him.
 
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Do not want at all. We have Mata and Mikhitariyan for the #10 position. Our real need is for a top quality #6. Absolutely no need for this guy.
 
IMO, Isco would work in a 4-3-3 next to Pogba as long as you had a DM behind them that was a superb passer and field general. In that combination, Isco would provide additional quality in midfield, with the technical ability to work through tight spaces and break opponent high pressure, therefore helping you get the upper hand in games. He would certainly be much better than Herrera in that respect.
 
He'd be an incredible signing, and would improve us a lot. He is, in my opinion, better than Mata/Mkhi/Herrera, can play in multiple positions and, despite the claims that he's a "luxury player", works hard for the team and even without goals and assists can still provide world class performances.

I don't believe that we'd sign him, but those turning their noses up at him because we already have so-and-so or because they think he's a luxury player make me hope our club doesn't see it the same way. If he's available, and is interested in coming here, he's the type of player you make room for.
 
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