Bastoni

[golden_blunder]

United linked to another CB

https://tothelaneandback.com/2022/0...-for-inter-milan-star-alessandro-bastoni/amp/

https://www.thefaithfulmufc.com/report-man-utd-told-51million-offer-will-be-accepted-for-bastoni/

personally I don’t believe it, Bastoni himself said that he sees his future in “black and blue”

or maybe that’s what inter said they’d batter him to if he didn’t leave

 

[Lash]

Great CB, versatile as well. But as you say, I think he's not interested in leaving. That being said, I assume they want to cash in on some players, maybe he's one of them.

 

[Bestietom]

Whoever comes in at CB, I hope he is left footed.

 

[FrankDrebin]

Spurs may have a slim chance with the Conte connection but, in general, since the influx of Italian internationals joining the PL in the early 90's they've tended to be home-boys.

 

[sun_tzu]

Cracking player... can't see him joinig us this summer though

Could see spurs making a bid as he would suit a back three more and has worked with conte

 

[Bondi77]

Whoever comes in at CB, I hope he is left footed.

Why?

 

[AltiUn]

His name is fully fitting of a great CB, sign him up on that basis alone.

 

[VanDeBank]

He's great. One of the best left footers out there.
I always assumed he was unattainable, because of his nationality.

 

[Bestietom]

Why?

Because we don't have a left footed CB and we need one. Maguire is getting caught out on the left side all the time as he is right footed, and tries to tackle with right foot.

 

[Rossa]

Because we don't have a left footed CB and we need one. Maguire is getting caught out on the left side all the time as he is right footed, and tries to tackle with right foot.

Vidic seemed to manage just fine. One does not need to be left footed; one only needs to be competent.

 

[Bestietom]

Vidic seemed to manage just fine. One does not need to be left footed; one only needs to be competent.

I am not going to argue with you, If you can't see the point in having balance in the side especially in defence, then it's your opinion.

 

[arthurka]

Vidic seemed to manage just fine. One does not need to be left footed; one only needs to be competent.

Amen to that

 

[Bondi77]

Because we don't have a left footed CB and we need one. Maguire is getting caught out on the left side all the time as he is right footed, and tries to tackle with right foot.

That doesn’t seem to be a problem with top teams that I have seen in the past.
If most of the top teams now seem to play with right footed wingers on the left and vice versa because the advantage is to cut in then why is it an advantage for the defender to be left or right footed?

 

[balaks]

Fantastic player - Spurs heavily linked however I'll be amazed if we managed to get him.

 

[Bestietom]

That doesn’t seem to be a problem with top teams that I have seen in the past.
If most of the top teams now seem to play with right footed wingers on the left and vice versa because the advantage is to cut in then why is it an advantage for the defender to be left or right footed?

If you are right footed CB and a fast winger takes you on your left side. You will most likely have to go to ground to tackle him with your right foot whereas a left footed CB would be able to stop him with a left footed tackle without going to ground.
Wingers are quite different as they like to cut inside and shoot with their best foot. Which is why they prefer to play on opposite wings.

 

[sullydnl]

That doesn’t seem to be a problem with top teams that I have seen in the past.
If most of the top teams now seem to play with right footed wingers on the left and vice versa because the advantage is to cut in then why is it an advantage for the defender to be left or right footed?

Very different positions.

Aside from any defensive impact, having a left-footed LCB changes the way you can build out from the back in possession.

Here's an article from The Athletic explaining it:

https://theathletic.com/2049395/2020/09/08/explained-left-foot-centre-back-ake-laporte/

But the Guardiola quote about Laporte at the start gives the broad idea:

He has something that we don’t otherwise have in the squad — his left foot in a central defender. There are many actions to build up — to make our play quicker, better — but we can’t do them. Not because the other players are not good but because Laporte is the only left-footed central defender.

It's not essential but it helps a lot.

 

[Bondi77]

If you are right footed CB and a fast winger takes you on your left side. You will most likely have to go to ground to tackle him with your right foot whereas a left footed CB would be able to stop him with a left footed tackle without going to ground.
Wingers are quite different as they like to cut inside and shoot with their best foot. Which is why they prefer to play on opposite wings.

Well that makes sense if right footed players played on the right wing and vice versa on the left but as I have stated this is not the case anymore so the inclination now is for the winger to cut in so they would be going to the stronger side of the defender.
I personally do not think it matters as a professional footballer should be adept at tackling on either side so for me as long as the player is a good defender it does not matter what foot he favours.

 

[golden_blunder]

Remember when Lvg used to get a boner about left footed CBs and then he brought us.. rojo
Ahhh bless the old dinosaur

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

Would be unbelievable if we bagged him. Looks set to be Italy's Chiellini 2.0

 

[VanDeBank]

Remember when Lvg used to get a boner about left footed CBs and then he brought us.. rojo
Ahhh bless the old dinosaur

In his previous Holland stint, he didn't give Van Dijk a single call up, yet called up Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, Rekik, Bruma and Veltman.

Rojo was the same window Laporte was available I think. Decent coach, shit scout.

 

[Smithy89]

Absolute baller, i'd love him or Kounde.

 

[mikeyt]

He's class and young! Would be an unbelievable signing.

 

[Red4Life_#7]

In his previous Holland stint, he didn't give Van Dijk a single call up, yet called up Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi, Rekik, Bruma and Veltman.

Rojo was the same window Laporte was available I think. Decent coach, shit scout.

I remember The CAF saying we should sign him for years before City did

 

[FrankDrebin]

Fantastic player - Spurs heavily linked however I'll be amazed if we managed to get him.

Be amazed if he leaves Italy.

 

[AgentP]

If he leaves, Spurs look like the more likely option due to obvious reasons. Conte, playing in a familiar back 3 system and CL football.

 

[Powderfinger]

The rumor is that Inter need to sell either him or Skriniar.

I don't really understand why they would choose to part with Bastoni though, given that he is younger, better, and Italian.

 

[Rossa]

I am not going to argue with you, If you can't see the point in having balance in the side especially in defence, then it's your opinion.

Some of the greatest CB partnerships have been two right footed players Puyol and Pique both right footed. Vidic and Rio. Carvalho and Terry. VVD and Matip (amongst the best now) Nesta and Cannavaro, Ramos and Varane. I don’t think being left footed is that important. Being a great defender is.

It’s like saying if only Carrick or Scholes had been left footed - they managed well enough because they were good enough. A preferred foot is not balance. Balancing aggression, speed, heading ability is finding balance. Looking at Varane, I am sometimes unaure what his preferred foot is. I’ll take that over a left footed defender for the sake of it.

 

[EngimaMK]

He's great for my Man Utd career team in FIFA.... We all know that means they're gonna be great in real life.

Buy.

 

[Powderfinger]

I think the footedness of CBs is a bit overrated but to the extent it matters its much more about passing reliability and passing angles than about tackling.

Most possession systems will split the CBs wide when playing out from the back, pressing schemes then usually force them onto their outside foot, and those players need to be able to pass accurately and with pace with that foot. If you're a right footer and you can do that well enough with your left, then no problem. But if you're not, teams will take advantage.

Similarly, when you're building up higher up the pitch, one of the most typical passes to make for a left-sided CB is a ball down the line. A left footer gets a better angle on that ball, and it has natural curve/spin down the pitch rather than out of bounds. A right footer in that position has a bit worse angle and it will natural curve/spin toward the sideline more.

None of this is enough to make up for a difference in sheer quality, which is always going to matter more. But I don't think its totally inconsequential either for possession-based teams that really want to build from the back. There is a reason that managers like Pep, Arteta, and Ten Hag have preferred left footers in the LCB role.

 

[jesperjaap]

Would be unbelievable if we bagged him. Looks set to be Italy's Chiellini 2.0

I liek him, good young centre back, big,s trong, read game like a good Italian defender....but he isnt that good, Chiellini for me only got plaudits deserved recently, best centre back in the world for a decade in my opinion. Angry man marker like Martin Keown....but 10c as good

 

[GlastonSpur]

Fantastic player - Spurs heavily linked however I'll be amazed if we managed to get him.

You may be right, but why do you think so?

A hopeful sign is that he's said this : "Everyone had spoken highly of Conte and I’ve only received confirmation of how great he is. As far as I am concerned, Conte is the [Lionel] Messi of coaches"

We can offer the chance to work with Conte, Prem football, CL football, a fantastic stadium and training grounds, and improved wages (I'd guess). That's a pretty good package. So maybe a lot will depend on whether he's a home-boy who doesn't want to leave Italy.

 

[elmo]

The rumor is that Inter need to sell either him or Skriniar.

I don't really understand why they would choose to part with Bastoni though, given that he is younger, better, and Italian.

Because he'll provide more money?

 

[balaks]

You may be right, but why do you think so?

A hopeful sign is that he's said this : "Everyone had spoken highly of Conte and I’ve only received confirmation of how great he is. As far as I am concerned, Conte is the [Lionel] Messi of coaches"

We can offer the chance to work with Conte, Prem football, CL football, a fantastic stadium and training grounds, and improved wages (I'd guess). That's a pretty good package. So maybe a lot will depend on whether he's a home-boy who doesn't want to leave Italy.

Just because Italian players rarely leave Italy, well that and the fact that Bastoni is one of the real jewels of Inter and they would be mental to sell him even though they need the cash.

 

[::sonny::]

They are desperate to sell him or Lautaro or Barella offering them everywhere

 

[TwoSheds]

They are desperate to sell him or Lautaro or Barella offering them everywhere

I'd take any of those tbf. Surely they want to keep Lautaro if they're signing Dybala though? Unless Dybala is cheaper maybe? Seems a bit hard to believe.

 

[Ish]

They are desperate to sell him or Lautaro or Barella offering them everywhere

Barella and/or Bastoni would be great business for us.

 

[giorno]

He's a bit slow and lightweight for the PL imo

Also Inter will only sell because they need the money. Meaning it would take a massive fee. And then you have to convince the player, who doesn't want to leave inter

 

[dal]

We need to follow a direction of signing players who want to play for us. Granted that will be a lot less now.

Almost all the CAF was happy with how Ole was carrying out his signings. Its just he brought players catered to how he wanted to play. We now have a world class coach where as before we had really good managers. The signings hopefully niw will cater towards a way of playing rather than suited to each future coach.

This should help us hopefully. Building a spirit is down to the signings and the coach, Pep and Klopp have built a relentless spirit how SAF did, I doubt weather Ten Hag can do this also, hopefully he can.

 

[Jibbs]

Fantastic. Probably the best CB in the market other than Torres. Will go to Spurs.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Meh, let spurs take that chance