This has the feeling of Liverpool feeding the news so they can do a look we beat United to him and he chose us over them because we're specialler club.
Thiago Alcantara | Pool bound
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--------------Thiago Pogba
-------------------Bruno
That's a fifa midfield 3 not a genuine real life one. City n Liverpool are some of the most attacking teams in the world and even they both play with defensively solid midfielders like Rodri, Fernandinho, Fabinho & Henderson etc.
People confuse Thiago as being a defensive minded player because he plays from deep. He's not at all. We'd need a ball winner in that midfield. Pogba is already questionable when playing in a 2 as it is. France had to play likes of Matuidi and Kante with him for it to work. I don't think Thiago & Pogba would work at all.
However I don't think it matters because I don't think we're even going to get him. I reckon we may have been interested at one point but pressed ahead with Donny when he learned Thiago wanted to join Klopp's men.
Signing another midfielder would seem silly when we're so light in other areas in my opinon.
-------------------Bruno
That's a fifa midfield 3 not a genuine real life one. City n Liverpool are some of the most attacking teams in the world and even they both play with defensively solid midfielders like Rodri, Fernandinho, Fabinho & Henderson etc.
People confuse Thiago as being a defensive minded player because he plays from deep. He's not at all. We'd need a ball winner in that midfield. Pogba is already questionable when playing in a 2 as it is. France had to play likes of Matuidi and Kante with him for it to work. I don't think Thiago & Pogba would work at all.
However I don't think it matters because I don't think we're even going to get him. I reckon we may have been interested at one point but pressed ahead with Donny when he learned Thiago wanted to join Klopp's men.
Signing another midfielder would seem silly when we're so light in other areas in my opinon.
No we wouldn't? VDB? Theres haggling over 108m and there's this.
The media is full of made up nonsense.
Obviously we don't do it for every deal. The bigger ones in recent memory have all followed a similar pattern.
The media leaks are quite easy to spot.
Seems most of the nonsense is coming from germany. Either they are trying to create a "false" bidding war or trying to hurry up the dippers.
I can't see us signing him in almost ANY scenario. Not with Fred and Matic still at the club.
I think you're underestimating Thiago there, because he is so magnificent with the ball. Off the ball and defensively Thiago is massive. His interception and tackles are really good. Thiago alongside Goretzka worked too.
I don't think I am at all. Thiago Pogba Bruno will be excellent when we have the ball but will be a shambles when we don't. Goretzka is a far better defensive minded player than Pogba is too.
But I don't think Thiago is coming anyway like I said. I think we pressed on with Donny because we knew he wanted to join Liverpool. Very much doubt we'll sign 2 CM's considering it's already our strongest area in squad now.
I think people underestimate Thiago's defensive abilities. You dont need to be a hard tackling ball winner to play as the DM/deepest midfielder. Look at Carrick, Busquets or Xabi Alonso. Their ability to keep the ball and brilliant reading of the game, enable them to control the game from a deep lying position. I think Thiago can easily play that role for us. Just look at his MOM performance against Germany where he played that role in the 2nd half, or his performances in the CL semi and final.
Ohh and his defensive stats are really good :
- Thiago in bundesliga last season averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. And in the CL he averaged 3.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game. Passing accuracy ~90%.
- Ndidi in the PL averaged 2 interception and 2 tackles per game. Passing accuracy ~ 85%
- Matic in the PL averages 2.2 tackles and 1 interception per game. Passing accuracy ~87%.
- McTominay in the PL averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.1 interception per game. Passing accuracy ~ 80%.
- Kante in the PL averaged 2 tackles and 2 interceptions per game. Passing accuracy ~ 85%.
Thiago is a world class midfielder and would perfectly complement Pogba in a midfield 2. If we get him around 30M euros, it will be a steal.
Ohh and his defensive stats are really good :
- Thiago in bundesliga last season averaged 1.9 tackles and 1.9 interceptions per game. And in the CL he averaged 3.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per game. Passing accuracy ~90%.
- Ndidi in the PL averaged 2 interception and 2 tackles per game. Passing accuracy ~ 85%
- Matic in the PL averages 2.2 tackles and 1 interception per game. Passing accuracy ~87%.
- McTominay in the PL averaged 1.6 tackles and 1.1 interception per game. Passing accuracy ~ 80%.
- Kante in the PL averaged 2 tackles and 2 interceptions per game. Passing accuracy ~ 85%.
Thiago is a world class midfielder and would perfectly complement Pogba in a midfield 2. If we get him around 30M euros, it will be a steal.
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#8 if Mata leaves, but Bruno might want that number.
#16 or #14. Maybe even #22 or #18 if he wants to follow Scholes' footsteps.
Probably never heard of the guy.
oh you'd be surprised
Give him the choice of any number he bloody wants. Tell Jones to do one and give him #4, following in footsteps such at the great Owen Hargreaves, Steve Bruce, Veron & Gabby Heinze.
Yeah too right and he deserves big wages because has earnt it
Is this one in the maximum intensity negotiation stage as well?
Would only reach that if Liverpool keep on dithering which they won't in my opinion
Impressive stats for someone not considered to be a natural DM
Stats can be used for and against any argument. Seen it millions of times before. Thiago, Pogba n Bruno would leave our defence awfully exposed. All top players and be fine when we get the ball though. Won't work in my opinion. He's not coming anyway.
Yet every single Bayern manager, including Pep, preferred to play a more defensive minded midfielder next to him when there were viable options.
I see no reason why he cant play the Carrick/Busquets role in the team. If Carrick/Busquets can play alongside Pogba and Bruno, which they easily can(just like Matic/Fred can)...so can Thiago. He has the defensive ability, the awareness and the passing ability to easily play that role.
Don't do it to yourself because I made that same mistake in 2013 with him
Anybody else not want him? Might be a gut feeling but it seems he wants Liverpool and id where possible stick with our strategy as its been in terms of types of player coming in
That seems to be the feeling but until they have sealed it we still have a very slim chance
Flick basically uses him as a holding midfielder, doesn't he? I guess you would also want to have a more physically impressive holding midfielder on your squad in addition to him, but given proper organization I think he could be terrific against most opponents.
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I feel Thiagos defensive contribution is still underrated.
He is technically very gifted and not your typical defensiv minded midfield player, but in statistics like "Tacklings per game", "Tacklings won %", "Interceptions", etc. he has been our best midfielder for years. Even when Vidal was still around and Martinez' feet carried him more than a few kilometers.
Thiago-Pogba-Bruno could work I think (I don't know Bruno well enough to really judge), I don't see how it is worse in defense compared to Thiago-Goretzka-Müller at Bayern.
Cannot allow myself to buy into him not joining Liverpool because there is just too much smoke
You have continuously posted that in this thread
deep down you are hoping to be incorrect I guessYou have continuously posted that in this thread
Yeah adopting that reverse psychology thing but probably won't work
I feel people are so desperate for transfers at this point that they just want any good player we're linked with.
Midfield is now easily our strongest area of the squad. We've got Bruno, Pogba, DVB, Fred, Matic, Scotty, Mata, Jesse and Pereria etc. Thiago is a fantastic footballer but we don't really need another midfielder right now. We need to upgrade elsewhere in the team before we look at the middle again. That's unless we're about to offload 2 or 3 of them which doesn't seem likely.
Midfield is now easily our strongest area of the squad. We've got Bruno, Pogba, DVB, Fred, Matic, Scotty, Mata, Jesse and Pereria etc. Thiago is a fantastic footballer but we don't really need another midfielder right now. We need to upgrade elsewhere in the team before we look at the middle again. That's unless we're about to offload 2 or 3 of them which doesn't seem likely.
Thats mostly true, but not only because Thiago is too weak in defense. He can play the 6, the 8 and the 10.
Over the years we had players like Alonso (6), Martinez (6), Kroos (6,8), Vidal (6,8), Lahm (RB or 6) in our squad who were clearly more defensive minded (or more limited in attack if you see it the other way around) so Thiago mostly played at the 8.
But as far as I remember he also played on the 6 for every coach since he's here.
His tacklings and interceptions weren't as good, when he came here. He really developed his defensive skills. Its not uncommon for a midfielder to play more central and more defensive minded when they get older, just look at Scholes or Schweinsteiger.
Thiago-Goretzka-Müller obviously worked very well. Pogba and Goretzka are imo quite comparable in the way they play (obviously Pogba is the fancier player) and Bruno is also quite okay at tracking back and fighting, from all I've seen. So I don't see how Thiago-Pogba-Bruno couldn't work. Judging the players only by Youtube videos I agree with you, that it looks like a "FIFA formation", but Thiago and also Pogba are better in defense than their technical abilities and fancy tricks and passes might suggest.
Is it pathetic to say that my heart literally skips a beat everytime i see this thread bump up and hoping to see he is signing for us?
I hope not, cuz I'm the same.
Carrick, Busquets and Xabi Alonso had hard working and usually defensive players along side them. In fact they often struggled without someone next to them to help or focus on the defensive work.
Why? Where do you think they would be, off to the bogs for a fag?
Look at our midfield during the successful years of 2008-2011. We had Carrick and Scholes, not exactly the same mould as the defensive midfielders you mentioned.
Player searching for a massive contract for 3-4 years, who is injury prone?
If that’s not warning enough, I can’t see how he solves an issue at Utd. He’s not the player we need in midfield. Furthermore, other areas of the pitch are much bigger priorities than centre midfield.
I’m not saying he is not an excellent player, but wrong player at the wrong time.
Carrick had scholes playing next to him.
Busquets had xavi and iniesta.
So Scholes, xavi and iniesta. Hard working? yes! Defensive? I wouldn't think so.
Yeah that's my feeling.
We need an extra creative option, and depth elsewhere
We get exposed with the midfield as it at times. And people want to swap Thiago in for Matic. Too many FIFA players on here these days. City n Liverpool play far more attacking than we do and they have better solidity than that.
Common sense. At last.
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