For a side like Barca (if Barca are playing anything like they’ve played over the last 15 years) I think RB is possibly a better position than RW
Adama Traore \ Signed by Barca
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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They might want to put him straight back in La Masia to give him a footballing brain.
Bizarre.
Seems like a Mendes/Barca money shifting game
The thought.
Barca really are out on their arse if they're having to beg Wolves to cover his wages.
More than a club indeed.
More than a club indeed.
Totally. They already have a winger that can run to the box and then shit the bed...member himmmm???
Barca are broke and rich at the same time. They can get players without having money to spend.
It is like magic.
Xavi wants a winger on an island out wide to make space for the middle players in the 4-3-3 and Dembele is leaving I guess (maybe this week?) so this might actually work. Traore can certainly dribble on on one and Spanish fullbacks probably a bit less athletic than the Prem ones on average.
As long as La Liga allows use of baby oil I guess.
You can use Olive oil per La Liga rules. Gotta be spanish olive oil though.
I can see Barca using him as a rampaging attacking right back
Thought he was signing for Spurs. What happened there?
Daniel Levy said “Hey, remember me?”
Ah that will explain it then.
In my quest to understand more about xG I ran across xA as a stat as well.
Turns out he creates a feck ton of easy chances and Wolves' strikers are shit.
Nope not even close - watch Wolves play. They have Jiminez who is as clinical as they come. Those stats are misleading as anyone who plays FF will tell you. xA counts as a chance created even if he crosses it into the box and no one is there because he missed his intended target. His end product is shocking he can't cross and he can't shoot, he frequently makes the wrong decision in the final third - 8 goals 14 assists in 160 games.
Fair enough, I know very little in regards to advanced stats and there seems to be that much conflicting information and different models that it all seems rather pointless tbh
I still stand by Wolves strikers being garbage however, Jimenez doesn't seem like the same player since his head injury
Adama is one of those rare players who despite not being particularly good is probably the best in the world at doing one specific thing, in his case carrying the ball up the field at pace. Unless he improves the rest of his game drastically, it's very unlikely he'll succeed as a starter at a top team, but he has his uses. In a situation where you just need someone who can get the ball up the pitch and keep it there (to take pressure off when pinned back, or when your midfielders can't find their forward passes), or if you want your opponent to think twice about playing a high line, there's almost no-one better. It's only when he gets up into the final third and there's not a simple pass on that his limitations become clear.
I think the best comparison for Adama is someone like Fellaini - limited players who have one outstanding quality which can make them very effective in specific situations where that quality is needed and who can cause your opponent a tactical problem they're probably not really equipped to deal with. I can see why bigger teams than Wolves would want him as an option off the bench/in certain games, in the same way I'd have had no complaints with us signing Fellaini if we'd only really used him as a last resort in that wrecking-ball target man #10 role he played for Everton. If Barca are targeting him as a tactical option it's not an especially weird move aside from being a reflection of where they're at right now. If they want him to be a key player it's a shocking indictment on how far they've fallen.
I think the best comparison for Adama is someone like Fellaini - limited players who have one outstanding quality which can make them very effective in specific situations where that quality is needed and who can cause your opponent a tactical problem they're probably not really equipped to deal with. I can see why bigger teams than Wolves would want him as an option off the bench/in certain games, in the same way I'd have had no complaints with us signing Fellaini if we'd only really used him as a last resort in that wrecking-ball target man #10 role he played for Everton. If Barca are targeting him as a tactical option it's not an especially weird move aside from being a reflection of where they're at right now. If they want him to be a key player it's a shocking indictment on how far they've fallen.
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Absolutely, the deal makes no sense to Wolves at face value, but it's not like it's up to the manager anyway.
I was surprised Wolves were letting him go for a smallish fee to Spurs in the beginning, this deal is even stranger. If we inquired I'm sure the fee would be £35m up front. Wonder if Barca were alerted by his mid season move and stepped in.
He could be utilized very well I feel, such a dangerous player in some aspects and glad he's not going to Spurs according to the latest reports. He under Conte could've made top 4 easier for them and more difficult for us.
He could be utilized very well I feel, such a dangerous player in some aspects and glad he's not going to Spurs according to the latest reports. He under Conte could've made top 4 easier for them and more difficult for us.
Such a weird transfer including the player going to Barca. What happened to Depay? He still play or is he on the bench?
Traore probably unhappy at not playing more and out of contract in 18 months and they probably rate Trincao, he is a 22 year old with 7 caps at a spot Portugal has good (though not a ton of RWs really, lots of central and left-sided types) depth at, and he does have the skill, though I dunno if he'll work out in the Prem, so that signing in general can probably be considered Mendes feckery.
Mendes will compensate. He owns the club anyways
Honestly I love it
He has been injured since the beginning of December.
I really like him, wish we were in for him - especially given he would cost under £30m and only just turned 26yo. Yeah his end product isn't great, but you need 2-3 players to mark him and get the ball off him - he creates soo much space for other players by doing this. Look at Sancho for example - you would pick him every time over Adama - but in reality he can't do anywhere near the damage Adama can do from the wing - and we've seen very poor end product from Sancho this season too.
Unlike on the football pitch, he started thinking and realized that a broke Barcelona was more fun that any kind of Spurs.
Just had his first training session at Barca after returning.
Could make the Atletico match on the 6th.
Could make the Atletico match on the 6th.
Physically he'll dominate almost every defender in La Liga, sheer running power ans pace. In the PL he at least had players who were physically strong enough to handle him most weeks.
Technically he's way short of what you'd expect from a Barca player.
It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.
Technically he's way short of what you'd expect from a Barca player.
It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.
No end product apparently. Like St Max at Newcastle, getting doubled on at the half way line and playing with no functional striker kills your productivity (Jimenez injury, joelinton). In an attacking team he already looks much better.
Probably a bit early to be saying this, he's played about 4 games. Let's see how his end product goes for the rest of the season
It's his first game. And it's not even just assists, they both open up so much space for their teams with their runs.
It's obviously extremely early in his Barça stint, but it's always been clear that, for better or worse, his impact on the game is not adequately explained by stats only.
Every winger who can dribble and carry the ball opens so much space for other players who will find it easier to score then. We've had it with Nani and we've had it Valencia. Problem becomes when your entire build up relies on him, and he becomes shit(again, like we had it with Valencia in his past few years). Maybe he won't win them CL but will definitely help them a lot in actually carrying the ball to final third, something that we've lacked for years and only had it for periods when Rashford was in form, and probably something that Barca lacked with Messi missing.
Should have got him.
Well yes it is, just not by goals and assists alone. Those arent the only stats...
Whoscored has always had him performing highly based on stats, because they count the number of times he dribbles past an opponent and he's always been one of the highest in the league. So even when the goals and assists arent there, there are stats that say he's playing well.
Its maybe a bit similar to Valencia for us, the end product was rarely there but you knew he'd take on players on the right and beat them a lot. One difference that is interesting though is that Adama likes to come inside and dribble at players in the middle which can be more dangerous and certainly would be if he did fix his end product of his shooting and final ball.
At the same time both Matic and Shaw bounce off him like they weren’t even there. Not sure there is a footballer that can outmuscle him - you probably need three. Not sure who’s faster either. End product on the other hand
A fantastic debut
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