The impact of AFCON

ShoePolish

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Provided Mbeumo and Amad nail their places as starters for our RW and RWB spots, our right side gets mauled by both of them going to AFCON + Onana.

Assuming we're not battered by injury crisis again, that would leave us most likely pushing Bruno/Mount out on RW and Dalot/Mazzroui rotating on RWB with Bayindir in goal.

It's the busy period so quite a few games affected, if they go the length of the tourny. Games affected are:

Villa away
Newcastle home
Wolves home
Leeds away
Burnley away
Man city home
+ an FA cup fixture

6 PL fixutes, with first 2 or the 3 after being six pointers, depending how optimistic you are about the season. Weird how after all the years of clamouring for right side to be fixed, it's still an area that causes so much headache.
 
Honestly don't think it's that bad.

It essentially means a few of Dalot, Mount, Casemiro, Ugarte, Zirkzee and/or Mainoo will have to cover for them with increased minutes, depending on who is starting and how we shuffle the team around. Maybe even some CBs getting more minutes, if Mazraoui gets pushed to RWB.

And while those aren't necessarily a bunch of players I'd like to rely on every week, having to use a couple them from all those options as cover for a few weeks is fine.

Plus there's a chance someone like Amad wouldn't have started RWB in some of those tougher games anyway. It will hardly be surprising if we see Amorim opt for a more conservative option at RWB in tougher fixtures.
 
Look at it this way - the longer Mbeumos is at AFCON, the longer Onana is also at AFCON....
 
sullydnl said:
Honestly don't think it's that bad.

It essentially means a few of Dalot, Mount, Casemiro, Ugarte, Zirkzee and/or Mainoo will have to cover for them with increased minutes, depending on who is starting and how we shuffle the team around. Maybe even some CBs getting more minutes, if Mazraoui gets pushed to RWB.

And while those aren't necessarily a bunch of players I'd like to rely on every week, having to use a couple them from all those options as cover for a few weeks is fine.

Plus there's a chance someone like Amad wouldn't have started RWB in some of those tougher games anyway. It will hardly be surprising if we see Amorim opt for a more conservative option at RWB in tougher fixtures.
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He might be there as he plays for Morocco.
 
Might be a nice boost for someone if they win. But since not every team can win, let’s hope the rest come home early. An Ivory Coast / Cameroon semi or final is possible and would be the worst outcome in terms of games missed.
 
Uh, right, Mazroui is going too, thats our RCB/stand in RWB. So we've got Dalot for RWB only. If he's injured, we're shifting a left defender to right.

Say what you want about Onana, but unless we sign a decent back up/replacement, I think Bayindir in goal for those goals is more of a calamity.
 
ShoePolish said:
Uh, right, Mazroui is going too, thats our RCB/stand in RWB. So we've got Dalot for RWB only. If he's injured, we're shifting a left defender to right.

Say what you want about Onana, but unless we sign a decent back up/replacement, I think Bayindir in goal for those goals is more of a calamity.
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Dorgu it is then
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again:

Before signing African players you need to consider the pros and afcons.
 
Just realized we are losing the entire right side of our squad for this. Losing Mbeumo wouldn't be a big deal if Amad could replace him, but sadly this isn't the case. Nor is it possible for Mazraoui to replace Amad. Concerning.

Games potentially affected:

Dec 13th : Bournemouth - Home
Dec 20th : Villa - Away
Dec 27th : Newcastle - Home
Dec 30th : Wolves - Home
Jan 3rd: Leeds - Away
Jan 17th: City - Home
 
The right sided 10 isn’t that big of a deal. We have enough options at 10. I suppose we've just got to hope Dalot stays fit.
 
LInkash said:
The right sided 10 isn’t that big of a deal. We have enough options at 10. I suppose we've just got to hope Dalot stays fit.
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Bruno-Dalot is probably what Amorim has pencilled in. Doesn't exactly inspire confidence that we're so thin at RWB
 
International football should be scrapped. We've already had two breaks, one more to come in November, then losing half the squad for our busiest run of fixtures a month after that.
 
I seem to recall SAF was very wary of signing African players for this reason.
 
klayton88 said:
International football should be scrapped. We've already had two breaks, one more to come in November, then losing half the squad for our busiest run of fixtures a month after that.
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We knew this would be the case when we signed Mbeumo.

I worry that our right side will literally have no cover during the busiest part of the season
 
klayton88 said:
International football should be scrapped. We've already had two breaks, one more to come in November, then losing half the squad for our busiest run of fixtures a month after that.
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Countries should be scrapped, we should all just be living hand in hand singing, painting in communes.
 
klayton88 said:
International football should be scrapped. We've already had two breaks, one more to come in November, then losing half the squad for our busiest run of fixtures a month after that.
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Three international breaks during the fall is an absolute joke to be fair.
 
Onana is no longer our player so at least Lammens wont be affected
 
Why do they have Afcon every 2 years and not every 4 years?

Surprised the big European clubs, via Uefa, haven't tried to pressure the African Federation into moving to every 4 years, seeing as there are so many African players at top clubs now.
 
Oscar Bonavena said:
Why do they have Afcon every 2 years and not every 4 years?

Surprised the big European clubs, via Uefa, haven't tried to pressure the African Federation into moving to every 4 years, seeing as there are so many African players at top clubs now.
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Congratulations, you've successfully farmed my engagement :lol:
 
Oscar Bonavena said:
Why do they have Afcon every 2 years and not every 4 years?

Surprised the big European clubs, via Uefa, haven't tried to pressure the African Federation into moving to every 4 years, seeing as there are so many African players at top clubs now.
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It's a fair question tbh.

It's excessive and unnecessary.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Its hardly an impact. We have ample cover for both.
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We're losing the entire right side of the team for a month. I'd say that's cause for concern, especially given that we don't know what our injury situation will be like going into December. For all we know Dalot could be out as well.
 
Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber said:
Its hardly an impact. We have ample cover for both.
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We have cover but neither of the cover are anywhere near to the same types of profiles.

RWB - Amorim has mentioned several times that he often prefers using a left-footed player on the right side, depending on the tactical approach he wants to adopt. If you have seen the history of Dorgu for his last team he played a lot of games on the right and we have to have wingers who can play both sides like [Diogo] Dalot. So I think it is a really important thing because sometimes you need a left foot on the right side to come in and connect in a different way and sometimes you need a right foot to connect and cross more balls.
With Amad unavailable, there’s a possibility he could turn to Dorgu as the right wing-back. However, this would leave the left flank without a natural left-footed option - unless he opts for the inexperienced Leon, who, at this stage, doesn’t quite look ready for that responsibility.

RAM -Similar to his approach at right wing-back, Amorim also favours deploying a left-footed player in the right attacking midfield role. He used this setup effectively with Trincao and Quenda at Sporting, and he now appears to be building a similar partnership between Mbeumo and Amad.

While players like Bruno, Cunha, Mount, Zirkzee, and Mainoo can all operate in the inside-forward positions, none of them, aside from Cunha, possess the same ball-carrying ability that Mbeumo and Amad offer. More importantly, none of them are left-footed. The only potential internal solutions might be promoting young talents such as Shea Lacey or Bendito Mantato, but both still lack first-team experience.
 
Let’s not forget AFCON was meant to be played in the off season but was blocked by fifa to prioritize the Club World Cup.
 
Walters_19_MuFc said:
We have cover but neither of the cover are anywhere near to the same types of profiles.

RWB - Amorim has mentioned several times that he often prefers using a left-footed player on the right side, depending on the tactical approach he wants to adopt. If you have seen the history of Dorgu for his last team he played a lot of games on the right and we have to have wingers who can play both sides like [Diogo] Dalot. So I think it is a really important thing because sometimes you need a left foot on the right side to come in and connect in a different way and sometimes you need a right foot to connect and cross more balls.
With Amad unavailable, there’s a possibility he could turn to Dorgu as the right wing-back. However, this would leave the left flank without a natural left-footed option - unless he opts for the inexperienced Leon, who, at this stage, doesn’t quite look ready for that responsibility.

RAM -Similar to his approach at right wing-back, Amorim also favours deploying a left-footed player in the right attacking midfield role. He used this setup effectively with Trincao and Quenda at Sporting, and he now appears to be building a similar partnership between Mbeumo and Amad.

While players like Bruno, Cunha, Mount, Zirkzee, and Mainoo can all operate in the inside-forward positions, none of them, aside from Cunha, possess the same ball-carrying ability that Mbeumo and Amad offer. More importantly, none of them are left-footed. The only potential internal solutions might be promoting young talents such as Shea Lacey or Bendito Mantato, but both still lack first-team experience.
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This are fair concerns but IMO:
We can switch Dorgu from wide left if Amorim's system has to have a left footed right sider at all cost. Which negates missing Amad there. Plus Dalot is still around


I'm also more than comfortable with Cunha, Mount and Bruno as options at number 10 either side. That is why for me the loss isn't as big as many are making out.
IMO the only loss in tangible terms is Mbuemo's pure pace on the right. Plus Mazrauoui's nous

But conversely that gives a chance to the skill of Lacey or the pace of Mantato and Kamasson to stake a claim for the first team. Which I like very much.
 
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Oscar Bonavena said:
Why do they have Afcon every 2 years and not every 4 years?

Surprised the big European clubs, via Uefa, haven't tried to pressure the African Federation into moving to every 4 years, seeing as there are so many African players at top clubs now.
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Blame FIFA for pushing the toruney back to January with their world club cup. Which UEFA clubs conversely did nothing to stop.
 
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