Official 2020 Samurai Blue thread

Discussion in 'Japan' started by Samurai Warrior, Jan 1, 2020.

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  1. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Experience + Youthness are the perfect pair for the CBS duo. Ueda is a nice sub for both.
    Itakura must be used in MF where Imo Japan has its biggest issue compared to the past.
     
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  2. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    #102 gamban98, Oct 16, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 16, 2020
    Sometimes I think using Tomiyasu as a centre back is a waste of his talent. Unfortunately, he is too good to not be a weapon on offense. Good passer with both legs, solid dribble skills and great speed for his size.

    I'm not worried about the current crop of midfielders at all. Nakajima disaster is hard to swallow though. He should take responsibility for his lack of professionalism. A talent unfulfilled.
     
  3. Genghis-Khan

    Genghis-Khan Member

    Nov 15, 2016
    Singapore
    Nat'l Team:
    Mongolia
    How good is 16-year-old Takuhiro Nakai, who trained with Real Madrid's first team last week? Marca says he has attracted the attention of Raul and Zidane.

    https://www.marca.com/en/football/real-madrid/2020/10/13/5f85b383ca47410b1e8b4578.html

    Is he as talented as Kubo?

     
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  4. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    He was the youngest player to be called into RM's U-19 team for the 2019/20 UEFA Youth League.

     
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  5. Gordon1995

    Gordon1995 Member+

    Oct 3, 2013
    He has played as a full-back for Bologna FC oftenly. Maybe he can be tried in this position in the JNT. Anyway, Ueda/Itakura and Nakayama if needed as well can all play as a CB.
     
  6. naopon

    naopon Member+

    Jan 2, 2007
    California
    Club:
    Kawasaki Frontale
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't know why y'all keep advocating for moving the team's top performers out of their best positions or to the bench. Tomiyasu looks like he will be the first world class center back from Japan, while Wataru Endo has been a sensation in the Bundesliga. Yoshida and Hiroki Sakai are still playing at a high level, while Muroya should develop. The problems include finding a solution at left back as well as competition for the inconsistent Gaku, and choosing a front 4 to develop chemistry and automatism. I don't know what the solution for left back is, but it might be worth talking to Gotoku or continuing to test out the wingback system.
     
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  7. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Fantasy Football Syndrome.
     
  8. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Gotoku who? o_O
     
  9. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Sakai.
     
  10. Kanarienvogel

    Kanarienvogel Member

    Nov 15, 2019
    LB is a problem, but for the moment a potential one. We'll see how Nagatomo is in 2 years... But the problem is Moriyasu-made anyway. Why waste almost 2 years on Sasaki? Kurumaya looked quite good before the WC in 18, right now seems to only start half the games for Kawasaki... Yamanaka then. Or my personal solution for all problems: Haraguchi, except CB I see him everywhere, so just play Haraguchi as LB.

    The 2 friendlies IMO showed little new, but confirmed things.

    1) Moriyasu Japan's offence is very Nakajima-dependent. Without Nakajima creating the offence looks pedestrian. As we saw in the Asian Cup. As we saw in both games (long break, so it's actually ok) Minamino and Doan are lost without Nakajima. Or some other creator. Adding Osako in front doesn't solve that problem. Almost seems like Moriyasu saw how well Nakajima-Minamino-Doan worked in his first game, decided then and there that would be his starting members and didn't bother looking for alternatives. And now.... without Nakajima it just doesn't work. Minamino is ok, but he is not a creator. He's a scorer, moves well between the lines, does the simple things, works very well with Nakajima, but if Nakajima isn't there and nobody else that creates, he's in trouble. See the Asian cup, he was horrible. Look for alternatives there too. But no problem treating MInamino has presumptive starter, he's earned it. Doan on the other hand, even with Nakajima there he doesn't deliver. Before Russia everybody was asking for him, hadn't seen him yet, now after 2 years, I honestly don't understand what the fuss was all about. Urgently look for somebody else there. Right now he wouldn't even be in my 23 for the WC. Probably Moriyasu plans on Kubo, but he was less than impressive vs CI. And somebody tell the Japanese commentators that he's 19, not 16, he's loaned out from Real Madrid, he'll never be a top 10 player in the world, stop giving us updates every 2 minutes on what he's doing on the bench. Moriyasu has to look for alternatives for all 3. Most important a creator. Bring back Kiyotake, ok for me, if he manages to stay healthy for more than 2 weeks. Less dribbling more passing than Nakajima, but he can create at least. Try Morioka next time, since he is in Europe the few chances he had at the NT he did ok I thought. And if he can't find anybody adjust the rest, then Minamino becomes a luxury that I'm not sure he can afford in that position, Kamada then IMO fits better as what is basically a second striker the way Minamino plays it. As for Ito, I don't see it. He's a true pure winger, which is nice, but I don't see anything special, lacks precision, is just simply not that good. Right now it seems like Moriyasu simply hopes Nakajima gets back, Kubo develops. If not, he'll be lost like he was before the Asian Cup and will be forced to call somebody like Inui up on short notice.
    2) Osako. Clear starter, and there's nobody that can take over his role. So without him they have to play differently, can't rely on height. Can't rely on somebody getting and keeping the ball in front. My solution of course is to start Haraguchi there.... if not, Minamino. But of course look at others, Musashi wasn't that bad. As long as he doesn't bring back Kitagawa I'm ok. Ah no, Asano, it's football, not 100 meter dash.
    3) Shibasaki. IMO not a big problem, the problem is more, what does Moriyasu want. I have the impression in his quest for "Japanese style football", he does exactly what he threatens to do, he wants to play a nice looking ineffective short pass game. Somebody here, forget who, once called in tippy tappy, the Japanese version of Tiki Taka. And for that you don't really need Shibasaki, where he makes the difference is with his long passes. Thought he played quite well vs CI actually, not only the freekick, but if the trend continues, less and less long balls, then might just switch to Oshima. Who IMO is close to Shibasaki in quality anyway. Difference the long pass mostly, even if Oshima isn't a lost cause there either. So I think there Japan is set, Shibasaki/Oshima. (no 3 Haraguchi!) Try Kobayashi again too, if he's still hanging around in Europe. Other spot is no problem either, Endo who I found a waste of time and space until and including WC 18, has developed nicely since then. Otherwise Yamaguchi, he's a bit too much of risk taker, ball winner at times, but he is good.

    Ah, CB, Yoshida did well enough. But I'd still rather find a better CB, he's mediocre at best. A central defender who does a sliding tackle once a year (probably when he stumbles) just isn't good enough. And since he's inconsistent too.....Shoji is better, theoretically. If he's recovered from his french adventures. Saw one Gamba game a few weeks back, wasn't too impressed with him though. No idea how all the names thrown around here are... but Ueda isn't ready, probably will never be, Genta Miura even less, so for the moment Japan is stuck with Yoshida. Or one of those young guys that are promoted here maybe is good. Ah, Itakura, if Moriyasu keeps calling him up he should at least let him play from time to time.
     
  11. yudum

    yudum Member

    Jan 10, 2015
    Club:
    Consadole Sapporo
    I stopped reading here.... Moriyasu doesn't like short pass game. He is a person who thinks results are more importnant than attractive football and he even said his best game for JNT was vs Saudi Arabia at the Asian Cup, which we had only 23.7% ball possession.
     
  12. Gordon1995

    Gordon1995 Member+

    Oct 3, 2013
    Leaving the European-based players, for the Japan friendlies. I think a few new players can be tried.

    For the LB, if Moriyasu is willing to take chances, maybe he can try Shunki Higashi, Daiki Sugioka and Ryo Hatsuse, etc. for a friendly or two.

    For Shibasaki's position, maybe the likes of Daiki Kaneko and Yuya Fukada, etc. can be tried?
    Used to though that Yuta Goka can be one of the CM options but he seems to be playing upfront a lot more these days and seem more like a winger to me imo.

    For the DM position, maybe Aoh Tanaka or Taiyo Koga can be tried as an alternative for Endo. Koga can play as a CB too iirc, hence he can be tried in different set-ups as well.
     
  13. Kanarienvogel

    Kanarienvogel Member

    Nov 15, 2019
    Well, it doesn't matter what he says, it matters how the team plays. And that's much more a short pass game then anything else right now.
     
  14. Gordon1995

    Gordon1995 Member+

    Oct 3, 2013
    Well, a lil surprised considering how his Sanfreece Hiroshima team used to play in the past under him.
     
  15. yudum

    yudum Member

    Jan 10, 2015
    Club:
    Consadole Sapporo
    I wonder if you have watched the same games. Last year, a Japanese weekly football magazine reported that the number of short passes decreased under Moriyasu compared to the Nishino era using opta stats.
     
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  16. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Gotokus early retirement became a bigger blow than I thought it would be. Why did he retire from international play at 27?
     
  17. naopon

    naopon Member+

    Jan 2, 2007
    California
    Club:
    Kawasaki Frontale
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He basically said he’d done all he could for the national team and essentially failed - in terms of winning a starting job. I can understand that it wasn’t worth the sacrifices anymore especially in light of him prioritizing his family to return to Japan. More generally I think he was burnt out from experiencing relegation with HSV and subsequently being scapegoated for his part in the downfall of a giant “Traditionsverein”, however structural the issues were.

    Gotoku doesn’t do any one thing particularly brilliantly but I think he’s an intelligent player with plenty left physically.
     
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  18. KATO

    KATO Member

    Nov 26, 2011
    Manchester
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    same old problem. moriyasu is lucky he’s got a solid group of players otherwise this guy would be gone.

    domestic guys that i would like to see next time:

    ao tanaka
    hidemasa morita
    miki yamane
    tsukasa morishima
    kaoru mitoma
    hayato araki
    shinnosuke nakatani
    kyogo furuhashi
    hayao kawabe
     
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  19. Kanarienvogel

    Kanarienvogel Member

    Nov 15, 2019
    And the long passes?
     
  20. tomoyuki

    tomoyuki Member

    Dec 19, 2017
    Judging by Yoshida's performances since moving to Serie A, it seems like he is entering his prime now. :D Nice to see Japan's starting CBs are doing well in Serie A, where defense is a huge part of the game.
     
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  21. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Is he still alive?
    Oh, retired you said.
    Call a retired player with no will to play is the best JNT can hope for LB spot, really?
     
  22. Gordon1995

    Gordon1995 Member+

    Oct 3, 2013
    Difficult to tell how it will be like 2 years later though. Yoshida will be 34 by then, anything can happen. It will also be good to have a steady set of quality back-ups for every positions so as to be prepared to draw upon the bench if needed. If not, we will have a repeat of what happen in 2014 and 2020 when no one can replace Hasebe and Shibasaki's role respectively.

    At least Itakura or Nakayama can be tried in Hasebe's role for now atm.

    Right now, the most important is to find a creative CM that can link up the midfield and the attack together and produce passes that can cut through defence ala Kagawa/Shibasaki. Both of them are not in very good form atm.

    Maybe that is why I think the likes of Yuya Fukuda, Daiki Kaneko and Daiki Matsuoka, etc. can be tried to see if they can play in such a role imo.
     
  23. datschge

    datschge Member+

    Feb 9, 2014
    Germany
    Retired from JNT. He plays for Vissel Kobe.
     
  24. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Welcome back, mate:).
     
  25. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Japan already have Wataru Endo and Kento Hashimoto, who both are dominating the German 1.Bundesliga and Russian Premier League.

    The CM position is so dense at the moment, be it for the No.6 or No.8 roles, in addition to Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, and Hashimoto, Japan have: Itakura, Nakayama, Morioka, Ao Tanaka, Oshima, Morita, Misao, Kawabe, Inagaki, and other up and coming young players.

    As for the CB, in addition to Yoshida and Tomiyasu, Japan have: Naomichi Ueda, Genta Miura, Gen Shoji (who is back in form at last), Hayato Araki, and many other veterans and young names.

    No need to worry about these positions, Japan only need Moriyasu to put the pieces together in a robust way.
     
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