How great is the risk?
I think you need to remember Ndidi has been at Leicester for 3 seasons now, and he played basically from the get go when he was 20. He wasn’t cheap either, £17M for an unheard of 20yo is a decent chunck if cash.
He did his job for the most part, but Choudhury also helped him and despite thinking they both did well, they both also stood off Kompany who scored a longshot. So thats a bit of a mistake.
To be honest, I would rather have him let Kompany take a shot from there than go to him and fall out of position. Kompany can take that shot 100 times and it will go over 99 times.He did his job for the most part, but Choudhury also helped him and despite thinking they both did well, they both also stood off Kompany who scored a longshot. So thats a bit of a mistake.
Here you can see Choudhury was alongside him helping to do the defensive job with Maguire also pushing up to that point of the pitch.
That is the position of a DM - and Leicester had 2, Ndidi and Choudhury. If Matic and Ander werent pressing a player coming towards the edge of the box and looking to shoot they wouldnt be doing their job brilliantly either.
It would also be great if top clubs were forced to fork over more money for poaching the finished product.
Would have no problem with that either.
I feel Ndidi is at his best as a box-box midfielder whereas Choudhury looks like the holding midfielder who drops deeper whenever Maguire moves forward. After Ndidi left the pitch in their previous match against Arsenal and Choudhury slotted into the lone CDM role , Leicester looked much more threatening than before.
I dunno, I think Ndidi is still the safer option. Choudhury has looked decent when I've seen him but not sure he's ready to be the sitting player alone. Leicester had that with Mendy sitting alone while Ndidi got forward and that didnt work out too great. The two of them together are pretty good helping the backline it seems
You have to move in accordance with your team mates in a zonal marking defence. Normally, it probably was Choudhury, but when he dropped Maddison should have moved narrow to but pressure on Kompany.
I think it was decent but once Tielesman came in, they had to include him into the lineup hence one of Mendy and Ndidi had to sit out and the obvious option was Mendy.
I can see what you mean but still, it was Kompany. He looked like he was about to pass the ball.
actually originally it was NDidi who was to drop out (NDidi was out of form at the time) but Papy Mendy got injured in the warm up Vs Spurs so NDidi started that game and ever since the midfield has basically been Tielemans NDidi Maddison in a 3 until the Arsenal game
Director of Football John Rudkin heads it up
From what I've seen Ndidi isn't good enough as a passer to be an 8 for us. He's a great ball-winner and works hard but his first touch looked worse to me than Mikel or Etebo's this summer. Seems like a more mobile, hungrier Schneiderlin situation where the other midfielders will still look to bypass him in possession. We need technically stronger players.
no, that was Steve Walsh who went to Everton, some talk of him coming back as the guy that replaced him Eduardo Macia left to go to a French club, I forget which.
Leicester's track record for selecting up and coming talent is remarkable in its consistency.
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Is that more important than having a player who excels in shielding the defence with athleticism and aggression? Those who excel in possession tend to either be quite weak defensively or, if they are proficient, they tend to defend in a more cerebral manner.
As important. If you keep making concessions when it comes to quality on the ball you end up with a limited team. Casemiero worked at Madrid because the rest of the team had so much talent on the ball
That is true of all aspects though not just technical ability, and with virtually every player you bring into a side you are compromising on some facet of the game - you don’t get a #6 that is both Pirlo and Makelele, a #8 that is both Gattuso and Xavi, or a #10 that is both Zidane and Vidal.
It makes no sense what so ever to compromise on defensive ability in the one position you can't afford it. The role of defense protector and ender of opposition moves. In that role your defensive ability to should be paramount. Then your passing skill should be looked at. Never the other way round.
I'd also agree with this. A good passing DM is a bonus for me, I'll always prioritize his defensive contribution.
Yet City have bossed the premier league with Fernandinho as CDM who offers a whole lot more than a pure destroyer woulf. If you want to play sexy football you tend to have to make those sort of footballing decisions that are in line with your style of play. I have no issues with a brilliant defensive monster in that role but would prefer someone who can build play well (like Carrick, Alonso etc or thereabouts) especially given we don't actually have terrific playmakers ahead in midfield ala City (current) of Madrid (consecutive CL team).
I personally prefer the defensive excellence to either come from the system (like City manage) or from brilliant individuals in defence (United under SAF). In the absence of those, of course you need your DM to be a rock defensively.
Since we're nowhere near enough emulating a good collective system that makes the need for a pure destroyer redundant, I'd honestly settle for one at the moment. When/if we improve down the line, it could work out yeah.
Yes of course. Nobody is claiming you get everything in a single footballer. It depends on the view/vision you have and what sort do footballer aligns with that vision. I don't mind energy, phyacuality and mobility, but I really don't feel it's as big a problem as passing, close control, vision and playmaking, for this United team. I think Mctominay gives you energy. Matic gives you physicality. Fred gives a little bit both I suppose when he's not terrible. And I also think it's harder to find that class and easier to find the mobility and work rate. Don't mind your formula (of having the 8 as the technically excellent one) but we haven't signed that player for this destroyer to play off, and hence for me personally the player who aides our buildup is a bigger priority.
Learning to only crawl may leave us crawling forever. Your point is a solid one, but at what point do we start focusing on technical brilliance? Our RB, who I'm in favour of, is one who is limited going forward. I'm fine with that one. Shaw isn't very productive. Having a pure destroyer at CDM IMO would be overkill. Again, this can be compensated by having a CB, and two CMs to counter it but as of now we have just one of those three - Pogba - and he too may leave soon.
