"I want to play always with a left-footed centre-back"

settembrini

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amolbhatia50k said:
That's my point. It can be a slight preference but it can't be the deciding factor, nor do I think it is for lvg to be fair. But I find it confusing how it's only applied to central defence and not other areas.
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Well we agree then :)

He does apply it to other areas though. He was very specific last year that he wanted us to buy a 'right-sided holding midfielder' and then we signed two of them, and I think Goss being left footed is a big reason why he is on the tour and not Pearson.
 

Skills

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He's a massive hipster unfortunately and seems to build in weird quirks just to appear unique. I'm worried this will hold us back from really achieving much under him.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Skills said:
He's a massive hipster unfortunately and seems to build in weird quirks just to appear unique. I'm worried this will hold us back from really achieving much under him.
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That seems excessive. Pep also goes into insane details and he has a better success rate than anyone.
 

amolbhatia50k

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settembrini said:
Well we agree then :)

He does apply it to other areas though. He was very specific last year that he wanted us to buy a 'right-sided holding midfielder' and then we signed two of them, and I think Goss being left footed is a big reason why he is on the tour and not Pearson.
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Indeed.

Yeah I remember the holding midfield bit, which again I found annoying but that's best left another time.
 

MDFC Manager

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Walters_19_MuFc said:
Not this again! Right footed defensive midfield, now this? Maybe he wants a left sided centre back, who is comfortable on their left, otherwise why bid for Ramos (right footed centre back), when we've got Jones and Smalling, who would presumably occupy the right centre back role?

I just think Van Gaal wants someone who is comfortable at LCB. Ramos, Otamendi, Hummels, etc. Hope so anyway.
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Its just a preference, I feel, not a deciding factor. This is what he said in full:
On Daley Blind becoming a long-term centre-back: “It could be. Marcos Rojo is not here. He shall also come on 25 July. I want to play always with a left-footed central defender and Blind can do the job. Maybe he shall play there but all the players can play there. Last year it was Jones and Smalling, and even McNair has played there. But my preference is a left-footed defender and with Rojo and Blind we have two.”
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Gio

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amolbhatia50k said:
Also why does it only apply to centre backs? Why not central midfield as well?
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Centre-halves spend the majority of their possession time coming on to the ball, whereas central midfielders work through a wider range of angles (including back to goal and on the turn).
 

MDFC Manager

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amolbhatia50k said:
Is it because in possession football the centre backs split really wide? That would result in them playing less central than usual.
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That's an interesting point. They would indeed split out wide, with one of the CMs dropping deep(er).
 

starman

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I just read the whole quote, there nothing unusual with what he has said. Maybe hes a bit too obsessed with his chemistry on Fifa..

He said it was just a preference, but all players could play there. OP should have posted the full quote.

"I want to play always with a left-footed central defender and Blind can do the job. Maybe he shall play there but all the players can play there. Last year it was Jones and Smalling, and even McNair has played there. But my preference is a left-footed defender and with Rojo and Blind we have two.”
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stevoc

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Is this really as bizarre or strange as some are making out. I mean in an ideal world wouldn't you want your left CB to be left footed? It's just common sense really.

I don't think he actually means left footed but more comfortable on their left side. We haven't been linked to any left footed CB's, Ramos and Otamendi are both right footed but play on the left so i don't think he would buy an inferior CB just because they are left footed. But i imagine if there were a top Lefty CB around we would be all over them.

The way LVG wants to play the LCB needs to be comfortable playing out from the back up the left side, and with the way he want's to press the LB will have to push up into midfield meaning your LCB needs to be comfortable coming across to cover for him on the left side. I'ts probably why Jones will never get an extended run there under LVG as he isn't very comfortable on his left at all, he will most likely be back up for Smalling.
 

Elliott

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duffer said:
Why? Because most forwards are right footed? Seems weird.

You lot need to keep an eye on this lunatic, it'll be star signs and midichlorians next.
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We'll keep an eye on our lunatic if you promise to keep yours from gouging it out.
 

Attila

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Not this rubbish again. I hope he doesn't end up buying an inferior centre back just because he is left footed
 

Hed Zitin

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We're living in a time where top CB's are hard to come by, CB's that can actually defend properly are rare. Having the luxury of picking what foot they play with isn't reasonable. It should be about having the two best CB's you can have regardless of which foot they use.
 

Sylar

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Wonder what he would have done with Rio and Vidic :P
 

Hamadovich86

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I assume he will be playing Rojo on the left side with the new CB taking Smalling's place.
 

Señor

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It's one of the few things that really bothers me about Van Gaal. That and his stupid obsession with his philosophy which sometimes makes no season, at least not to mere mortals like ourselves.
 

Getsme

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He played two right footed CBs plenty of times last season. Don't take everything he says so seriously.
 

LR7

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RDCR07 said:
So Rojo is always going to start alongside Smalling or Otamendi if he is fit?
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He didn't last season so I can't see why anything will change. It's an ideal scenario for LvG but he deviated from it plenty of times.
 

Chesterlestreet

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The Badstuber-Lucio thing has been brought up before - and, yes, it's clearly a bit crazy.

I read it more as LVG being an idiosyncratic bastard than anything else, though. I don't think he ditched Lucio merely because Badstuber was left footed - it was probably more do to with him wanting to groom the latter into a top player. And then the left footed thing came on top of that as a bonus, because he does have a thing for left footed CBs and he keeps coming back to it too.
 

Sam

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There's obviously a logic behind it, its not as bat shit mental as people suggest, BUT a lesser defender shouldn't be preferred just because he's left footed, obviously.

As long as its a preference, rather then a rule, I don't see the problem.
 

jem

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Cnaiür urs Skiötha said:
Rojo it is then. With our midfield packed Blind will be first backup to Shaw. Rojo is a better CB than LB and would do well beside one of Smalling/Jones.
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I sometimes LVG says things just to say thing. That being said, I'm surprised Rojo isn't being seen as a viable partner with Smalling. He didn't set the world on fire, but I thought he showed glimpses last season. He also seems to have a great attitude. I know nothing about Otamendi, so for all I know he'd be a massive upgrade, but for me, getting another top striker should be the priority.
 

Devil may care

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I imagine if needs must he will play 2 right footed CB's but I can see him dividing it in to RCB - Jones/Smalling and LCB - Rojo/Blind.
 

ChaddyP

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All I got out of that statement is that he will like to do this where and when possible. He's not going to sacrifice a great right footed defender partnership and slip Blackett in there just for the sake of getting in a left footer. We have seen this as he's played Jones and Smalling when Rojo was available.
 
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