What a player. Absolutely outstanding again tonight. Is there a better fullback in the Premier League or around Europe at the minute?
Joao Cancelo | Bayern watch
- Thread starter Cutch
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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.
He's having an excellent season.
He's playing this weird position where he's both right back and 8.5 in midfield. Very often found himself ahead of Mahrez who play #9 today and Bernardo. Our current tactics are giving him a lot of room to play and he's often the free man when we go forward. Delighted the lad has turned it around, was sure he was a goner before the first lockdown. He's completely sorted himself out and been excellent since.
I agree that it's a weird position. I think that very few fullbacks could play this position so well. The reason he can do it is because he is a very talented footballer and, amazingly, is one of the best dribblers on the team. This makes him look so comfortable on the ball in whichever part of the pitch he ends up in. He has brought an extra dimension to the team.
He's brilliant.
Pep's utilization of Cancelo has been fascinating to watch from a tactical perspective. City shored up their defense, post Leicester, with bringing in Dias and playing a double pivot (Gundogan playing as a 6), but with KDB as the only playmaker, City were looking very stale and Stoke like.
But it seems like they've got the balance right in recent games. Gundogan is given license to go forward more as an 8 (Zinchenko or Walker can alternate between defense and midfield to cover), and Cancelo is some sort of... false fullback? Dribbling in between the lines, playing through balls, switching play... opponents just don't know how to pick him up yet, they're busy shadowing De Bruyne. And doing this while holding his own on the defensive end?
To answer the OP's question, he and Shaw are in my team of the season so far as full backs go. Guardiola usually gets it right with players the second season they are with him.
By the way, Portugal just need a good striker to replace Ronaldo and they're set for the next generation.
But it seems like they've got the balance right in recent games. Gundogan is given license to go forward more as an 8 (Zinchenko or Walker can alternate between defense and midfield to cover), and Cancelo is some sort of... false fullback? Dribbling in between the lines, playing through balls, switching play... opponents just don't know how to pick him up yet, they're busy shadowing De Bruyne. And doing this while holding his own on the defensive end?
To answer the OP's question, he and Shaw are in my team of the season so far as full backs go. Guardiola usually gets it right with players the second season they are with him.
By the way, Portugal just need a good striker to replace Ronaldo and they're set for the next generation.
Looking like a £50m fullback these days.
Yeah, he fits Pep's system to a tee. He's obviously improved since his early performances where occasionally he had been getting caught out in exposed transitions, but it also seems like he has been enabled to play to his strengths more. And I agree with Cutch that he's the best right-back around this season.
After a bloody underwhelming start, he's looking more and more like the player many of us thought he would be sadly. Fits what Pep wants from that position perfectly.
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Great season he's having (RB in team of the season), awful game. Walker was much better when he came in.
Was weird not to see Walker start as he is usually good against United's speedy wingers and kind of nullifies their threat on the counter. Then again Zinchenko has proven also great in big games due to his ball retention and passing, so it was a question of trade off I guess. Still not as bad of a choice as not to start Bernardo and Foden.
He was wank yesterday but before then he's been great this season.
Worst game since before the Covid break for him. Didn't help him Rodri was slightly off yesterday too. That mistake for the Shaw goal was ridiculous, had already got the ball in his mind and was planning what to do next. It happens, both himself and KDB were poor on the right yesterday, leaving Mahrez pretty much vs Uniteds entire left hand side and having to do most the defending too.
I can think of one...
Fundamentally, he never was a defender, he just neither learnt the fundamentals as a youngster nor even tried while at Inter or Juventus, that’s why he lasted only a few months in Italy. Good he had a stinker in a game worth nothing for his side.
I wouldn't mind him and Shaw in the same team
It's an even contest judging on the entire season
Really? You couldn't tell this season, he mugged Traore a few games back
Has Cafu come out of retirement? Because if you say Luke Shaw I'm not having it, though Shaw has been fantastic and comfortably the best LB in the league this season but its fair to say Cancelo has been a key in City winning (practically) the title (Gundogan being the other key).
Guardiola has been extremely patient with him and his system surely fits Cancelo better than defense-minded Italian sides (that’s also why the much more technically limited Danilo has now found his way at Juve, as a back line specialist with the occasional run ahead). Traore’s bag of tricks as a winger is effective but pretty basic, maybe? A sort of Milos Krasic on steroids, he seems to me.
He is quite good at tackling one on one, to be fair to him. But he is suspect in other defensive aspects, yeah. Luckily Guardiola's system brings the best out of him mostly.
Makes sense if his strength is one-on-one tackling.
Cancelo's not really playing as a FB though is he, that's where he lines up on the team sheet but he spends most of his time in central midfield and that's where his impact has been so positive for City
He does and he doesn't, I mean even with his nightmare yesterday he still dispossessed Rashford and I think Martial a few time in the RB position. Sometimes he plays on the overlap, sometimes he drops into midfield dependant on opposition. With KDB in the team he's less likely to push into midfield in possession as they like to occupy the same spaces. He is at his best when coming inside though. He always defends as a fullback (cept yesterday where he defended at times as a clown).
I'm mighty impressed with Shaw though and he's a more traditional fullback. I would say he's easily been Cancelo's closest rival for best FB in the league this season and is 100% getting in team of the season as no one on the left comes close. He's also better defensively though Cancelo has improved remarkebly at that.
Bloody hell.
Hope they catch the pricks!
Damn. That's scary. Hope he's okay.
Ugh, the world can be a horrible place.
Is he safe?
He can thank me, I just transferred him in.
Didn’t something similar happen to Di Maria?
Yes thankfully he said him and his family are safe which the most important thing after this horrible news.
Good to know, these fecking jobos.
Seems to be happening more and more all over Europe where footballers are being targeted. Seen as soft targets with very expensive cars, watches etc.
Absolutely shocking.
Absolutely shocking.
Apparently off to Bayern on a loan to buy deal. Best full back in the world last year. Quite a drop.
Very strange. He looked unbeatable last season
Eh? That's a bit out of nowhere.
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Doesn’t Pep like a new English young RB? Cancelo played LB as well though. So not sure about who has replaced him on the left.
What happened here? Is it a Moyes-Zaha type thing?