Lisandro Martinez | Signs for United

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dinostar77

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If we get this guy, it will be him and varane as starting CB pairing. Hopefully it will mean that maybe next summer we ditch maguire.

Btw are there any good YouTube videos about this lad ala the ones @raaes does for his pythagoras in boots youtube channel?
 

Dazzmondo

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Does EtH not fancy Varane?
I think we need to assume that Varane is going to miss large parts of the season due to his injury problems, same way we needed Malacia due to Shaw undoubtedly missing games next season due to injury. It's different to a player like Bruno for example who has never had any injury problems and can recover extremely quickly.
 

Berbaclass

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I think we need to assume that Varane is going to miss large parts of the season due to his injury problems, same way we needed Malacia due to Shaw undoubtedly missing games next season due to injury. It's different to a player like Bruno for example who has never had any injury problems and can recover extremely quickly.
Shame his form hasn't.
 

AjaxNL

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I'm not his biggest fan in midfield. His handling speed is a little too low there for my liking. Great at CB though. And please stop going on about his height. Sure, maybe he'll lose some more headers than a 6ft4 defender, but he offers so much more than that. Tenacity, ball playing skills, tackling, decent dribbling, can play a high line. He is like everything maguire is not and vice versa. Actually they might be a good match because of that.
 

dinostar77

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Good analysis. Same height as fabio cannavaro. Lower center of gravity will help him. Ajax nickname amongst his teammates is "the butcher". Sign him up.

 

Sandikan

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5ft 9? Sheash.
I thought people were talking a 5ft 10/11 type, not 5ft 9.
Would be brave!
 

Chief123

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I'm not his biggest fan in midfield. His handling speed is a little too low there for my liking. Great at CB though. And please stop going on about his height. Sure, maybe he'll lose some more headers than a 6ft4 defender, but he offers so much more than that. Tenacity, ball playing skills, tackling, decent dribbling, can play a high line. He is like everything maguire is not and vice versa. Actually they might be a good match because of that.
Exactly this. One thing Maguire has is height and he’s still a massive liability. What’s the point of the height when he never scores from an attacking point of view and is freely shipping goals at the back. Height is overrated.
 

AjaxCunian

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I know left footed defenders prefer LCB but I always felt left footed CMs preferred RCM for some reason. Allows for better passing angles and such. Does he play on the left both as a CB and as a CM?
I think it depends very much on the dribbling and kind of passing the player prefers.

He played as LCB and when in midfield I think as CDM. Can't remember if it was a double pivot.
 

Powderfinger

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What you should ask is how many highly regarded below 6ft cbs were signed by PL teams and given the chance to see if they'd sink or swim? Azpilicueta, Ake and Fernandinho have all performed pretty solidly at cb at various periods, but who else can you even point to that played cb in PL and was actually bad? There are so many examples of terrible cbs above 6ft from the history of the PL but we don't say these examples mean a cb should be under 6ft. The stigma/belief that most PL managers (and managers in general) have around the importance of a cb being tall means that most aren't going to take the risk of signing a short cb in the first place. How do you win the raffle without buying a ticket?
This is a reasonable point. But I’m not sure the examples you cite are really success stories either. Azpi has played on the outside of a three man defense, which is very different. Ake was decent for a lower table club but has started only 14 league matches for City over the last two years. He hasn’t been a big club success at all. Fernandinho has been an emergency option at CB, not somebody Pep has ever planned around at the position.

I think the broader point is that the ability of a guy of Martinez’s height to thrive at CB in a four man back line in the PL for a big club is largely untested. The question then is really the wisdom of testing that theory when there are plenty of other ball playing left footed CBs one could buy.
 

JJ12

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Nope, he has is also a lot quicker and more agile and combative than Matic.
Yeah I picked that up on the limited YouTube video clips.

I was just wondering if he could use his right a bit if he is going to be playing in midfield. Thanks for the info!
 

Beachryan

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That video says 5'7". Has there ever been a successful defender that short in the premier league? I don't care how much leap you've got, we still have to deal with some pretty giant strikers out there.

Feels an enormous risk.
 

dinostar77

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Not sure if someone posted these already. But really useful stats. Lad is a passing machine from CB.


 

dinostar77

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That video says 5'7". Has there ever been a successful defender that short in the premier league? I don't care how much leap you've got, we still have to deal with some pretty giant strikers out there.

Feels an enormous risk.
Hes 5'9". First comment in the video is the creator of said video apologising for that mistake. Same height as the legendary fabio cannavaro. So height isnt everything.
 

ThierryHenry14

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Hes 5'9". First comment in the video is the creator of said video apologising for that mistake. Same height as the legendary fabio cannavaro. So height isnt everything.
While I agree to a certain extent, he will have a tough job on hand dealing with the pace and power of Haaland and Nunez if he plays as CB.
 

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Has to be as a DM surely. I remember Ten Hag’s quotes about Pep underestimating the physicality of the PL in his first season. It wouldn’t make sense for him to then go and sign a 5 foot 9 centre back.
 

Trex

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Hes 5'9". First comment in the video is the creator of said video apologising for that mistake. Same height as the legendary fabio cannavaro. So height isnt everything.
Let's not pretend height doesn't matter for a center back because it does, he has other strengths and if we sign him it means ETH feels its worth it.
 

Sandikan

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Hes 5'9". First comment in the video is the creator of said video apologising for that mistake. Same height as the legendary fabio cannavaro. So height isnt everything.
Comparing him to one of the greatest defenders in history, who is a massive outlier in terms of height, who didn't play in such a high ball orientated division doesn't seem enough evidence of it being wise to me.
 

ThierryHenry14

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Have a look and judge for yourself. I think he did well against both.


Passing CB is great but I still remember how Drogba bullied Arsenal's CB back then, and even Ben white being bullied last season. If the club plays like peak Barca and has the ball all the time then no problem, but Arsenal surely isn't.
 

Sandikan

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Everyone feared for Daley Blind, but he was 5ft 11/ 6ft depending on what site you look at.

However, if Ten Hag thinks he's quality, bring it on!
 

dinostar77

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Passing CB is great but I still remember how Drogba bullied Arsenal's CB back then, and even Ben white being bullied last season. If the club plays like peak Barca and has the ball all the time then no problem, but Arsenal surely isn't.
From what i have read he is a tenacious pitbull of a player so i dont think he will have an issues with bein bullied off the ball. Obviously he can play DM, CB and LB so we dont know how ETH will use him. If it came down to a rainy night in stoke against a 6'5 andy carroll doppelganger then i presume ETH would throw Maguire into the side.
 

Dazzmondo

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This is a reasonable point. But I’m not sure the examples you cite are really success stories either. Azpi has played on the outside of a three man defense, which is very different. Ake was decent for a lower table club but has started only 14 league matches for City over the last two years. He hasn’t been a big club success at all. Fernandinho has been an emergency option at CB, not somebody Pep has ever planned around at the position.

I think the broader point is that the ability of a guy of Martinez’s height to thrive at CB in a four man back line in the PL for a big club is largely untested. The question then is really the wisdom of testing that theory when there are plenty of other ball playing left footed CBs one could buy.
Well yes, that was the main point, nobody has taken the risk in the PL yet. They have in other leagues with some big success stories, including in Serie A where the idea of defenders being tall and strong was similarly emphasised before Baresi and later Cannavaro proved an exception to the rule. The reason they seem most open to shorter cbs in La Liga and specifically at Barca is probably because Cruyff had massive success playing with a very short back 4. In terms of there being plenty other ball playing left footed cbs, who for £40m or less? And remember Martinez knows exactly what ETH wants from his cb, whereas another cb would probably need time to adapt to the system, to learn how far up the pitch they should be at any particular time, how direct they should be with their passing, etc. If we were going to be the team to take the plunge and gamble on a short cb, it makes sense for it to be one that our manager already knows inside out. Also, Martinez is actually not that bad in the air despite his height. I personally think he's far better in the air than Timber despite being shorter, who people seemed far less concerned about in regards to height.
 

AjaxCunian

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Yeah I picked that up on the limited YouTube video clips.

I was just wondering if he could use his right a bit if he is going to be playing in midfield. Thanks for the info!
I don't see him spraying balls with his right, but he can use it.
 

Syphon Wallet

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Maguire is a giant if a man, and he made something like 16 errors that lead to a goal last season.
Lisandro might get beaten for the odd cross against a big striker, but he will enhance our overall play, and most likely our defending overall as well.
Lindelof isn't short and he's absolutely shocking in physical duels (bullied off the ball by Mane a low point)

Things need to change, God help us if we go into another season with the same defence.
 

AndySmith1990

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People find a fault with literally every player we're interested in and then pick at that fault relentlessly
 

Beachryan

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Comparing him to one of the greatest defenders in history, who is a massive outlier in terms of height, who didn't play in such a high ball orientated division doesn't seem enough evidence of it being wise to me.
That's my take too, and why I said specifically the Premier League. The way the top clubs are going he'd be fine, but there are still a few lump it to the big man types.
 

Waynne

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Not sure if someone posted these already. But really useful stats. Lad is a passing machine from CB.


This is what impresses me most. Check out that distribution, and this from a CB.
 

BrilliantOrange

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He was useful in Holland for Ten Hag. If we want to spend 50 million on a player, I can think of 100 that would be more useful.

He's slow and because of that, he gets rid of the ball ASAP when under pressure. We've got better defenders than this fella.
Im just wondering.. It really seems like you are trolling...?
 

Dazzmondo

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Passing CB is great but I still remember how Drogba bullied Arsenal's CB back then, and even Ben white being bullied last season. If the club plays like peak Barca and has the ball all the time then no problem, but Arsenal surely isn't.
No need to worry mate since he'll be playing for Erik's Dominant Reds :)
 

ThierryHenry14

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People find a fault with literally every player we're interested in and then pick at that fault relentlessly
Edu/Arteta want him too. The concern is just to play as CB, which i think is valid. As of now only Arsenal made official offers for him.
 
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