2014/16 Junya Tanaka @ Sporting Club de Portugal (POR)

I'll try to keep you guys updated! C'mon "Tsubasa"!

 

lol at the clip you linked. There's just Too many perfect shots And look @0:12 - Rodriguez scored almost the same way against Uruguay.

 

I will miss your shots Junya from the J-League

 

Any chances that Diego Capel's leaving Sporting CP? If not, Tanaka will find it so hard to get a regular starting spot.
Anyway, congratulations! He's, correct me if I'm wrong, the first Japanese man to play for a Portuguese club. I've followed some Portuguese newspaper already. Can't wait to see him playing in CL.
Do you guys think his playing style looks like Podolski?

 

I was a bit confused for the transfer fee since the Japanese media said it was around 350-400k.

But this piece of news let it clear: 350k for Reysol and 400k for BISC International Sports Consulting, the group which manages Junya's career.
http://www.ojogo.pt/Futebol/1a_liga/Sporting/interior.aspx?content_id=3998139

 

No, Mu Kanazaki at Portimonense, if i'am not wrong.

 

Anyway, Agguire should call him after this transfer. When is the next game of Japan?

 

I hope so. Capel's a good guy, but he lacks quality. If we can get something like 4/5M for him I would be happy. Tanaka will get his chance to play, we have 2 cups, the league expanded from 16 to 18 teams plus the Champions League. Btw, do you guys think he'll get called up to the Asian Cup in January?

 

If he doesn't get called, his chances to get a starting spot increase. Slimani will play the CAN, which leaves the spot open.

 

I don't know, I don't really see him going for less than 12M after what he's done for Algeria, and I doubt any bottom English club is willing to pay those values for him. If he does leave, we'll probably sign another striker.

 

With new manager and him signing for Sporting I wouldnt be too sure. You never know

 

Esgaio it's a very talented youngster.

 

Oddly enough, my local newspaper reports "Deal of the day comes from Portugal. Sporting Lisboa announced signing Junya Tanaka. The Japanese player, coming from Kashiwa Reysol, signed a five-seasons contract. What's remarkable is not the player itself- unknown to most and overlooked from Zaccheroni in selecting the squad from the Brazil World Cup. But rather, it's the buyout clause put by Sporting in the new contract: 60 mln Euros. A top-player sum for a first-time player on European fields."

Pretty neat to hear about Junya on the local news. I wasn't expecting it!

 

and our newspaper did the same mistake 60 mils € lol

 

Of course I can, but i can't keep it short, i really like to write . Marco Silva, our new coach, likes to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Therefore, i can see Tanaka playing in 3 positions: Striker, Winger or AM.

Striker: It'll be though. Montero arrived last season and started breaking records (he scored 12 goals in his first 8 games). Despite showing some insights of technical brilliance, he ended the season without scoring a single goal in the 2nd round of the league, mostly because of his physical condition (he didn't have any vacation time to rest) and 2 or 3 bad ref decisions. But he was well replaced with Slimani. The algerian scored decisive goals, and demonstrated his aerial abilities along with a unique feature: he was always on the right place to finish. Tanaka will probably be the 3rd choice as a striker (unless Slimani leaves).

AM: Marco Silva likes his AM's to manage the tempos of the game, more like organizers than classic 10's. They need technical abilities, high stamina, consistency and creativity to be able to stream up and down the field without causing any loss of balance. André Martins has technical abilities and creativity, but lacks stanima and consistency to gain the spot. João Mário, who was one of the best midfielders in Portugal last year, could be "the man" (if you guys get the chance to see some of our games, you may be impressed with what this kid can do). There's also Wallyson, a personal favorite, but he'll probably go out on loan. If Tanaka can absorb the tactical concepts required for this position, his intensity could be a good weapon to win the spot.

Winger: Our main weakness. Mané is a hot prospect, but he's still too imature to be a key player. Capel needs to be sold, he's completely worn out here in Portugal. Héldon came in January requested by Jardim, don't know if Marco Silva wants to keep him. Wilson Eduardo is terrible, he should be transfered too. Carrillo is one of the most inconsistent pleyers i've ever seen: he can dribble past 3 defenders with Ronaldinho's class and then miss a pass to a teamate who's 3 meters away. The potential is there, but he can't really demonstrate it. Dramé and Esgaio have quality, but i believe they'll go on loan (they need to play as much as possible). There could be a surprise in the pre-season called Iuri Medeiros. He's one of the most technically advaced player we ever "grown", but he'll probably go on loan as well. This is where I believe Tanaka could be decisive. We desperately need a winger that isn't afraid to shoot, which is Tanaka's best quality! However, according to the news we are still on the market for a winger.

Sorry for the long post, but I just wanted to clarify Tanaka's situation. It won't be easy, but I hope he succeeds!

 

If any of the, apparently, numerous players Sporting has signed with 45m buyouts is sold on... I'm sure it will be quite worth it.

 

I don't want to be a downer, but hard pressed to see him as a winger. He's the kind of player I could see scoring ~20 goals in a 442 for a mid-table Eredivisie club only to be transferred to EPL and score 5. I don't know if that makes sense... but it's the kind of player I see him as (and it's quite respectable; especially compared to current JNT forwards.)

Having seen Montero live, I can't see Junya supplanting him. Unless it's an issue of Montero slipping into a slump.
He's also not a target man like Slimani. So for now 3rd choice striker is probably as good as it gets... which isn't a bad spot to be in with a club like Sporting, especially in so many competitions.
If Montero returns to form, big clubs will start sniffing around him in quick order anyway. Then again, Slimani could be on his way out after Algeria's World Cup performances.

 

He wouldn't be a winger per se, he'd be more like a SS. He'd be on the verge of striker. Our WB's (Cédric and Jefferson) are both very offensive, and they have no problems taking the flank on their own. In my view, playing in that position, he could be the connection between our midfield and a more mobile striker like Montero, leaving his flank to either Cédric or Jefferson explore.