Yeah, you can. Not on a 26 man, probably, but on a 23 man, sure. A 23 man roster is simply two deep, and Tillman's not a great actual winger, so if you need that, it's totally justifiable to bring it. For the record, I would have (likely) brought Tillman to the Gold Cup. This team desperately needs creation and our depth chart lacks wingers. Hell, with this roster, I might start him (though I would start Luna over him if it came to that). But a fully healthy roster? Yeah, I could see leaving him home. (And I could also see leaving him home if I thought it would light a fire under him.) But I wonder how many highly successful coaches have to comment that you need to bring the best team, not the best collection of players, for people to believe it? Do we really think this is a roster where Malik Tillman is going to be able to play like he does with PSV? I'd also note that Diego Luna is over a year younger than Malik Tillman. And he's got a dawg in him that I don't think Tillman is ever going to have. Tillman has physical size that Luna doesn't, but he's not exactly lacking in his physical abilities like say, Jack McGlynn is, or lacking in skills. We keep talking about how this team is complacent and lacking fire. But then the fanbase keeps acting like Tillman is Christian Pulisic or something. He's not. He's neither that good nor earned that level of deference. If we're going to win the Gold Cup with this roster, it's going to be more of a rock fight where we defend well and hit Balogun or Wright or whomever behind the defense once in a while. Even with Dest and Adams, this is far more 2021 Gold Cup than 2023 Nations League.
This summer is a BIG, BIG, BIG opportunity for Tillman to step up. Time to put up or shut up. You look at that roster for the summer, and he has the opportunity to be "the man." Up to him. We'll see. He's not the only one. If its not Tillman, it has to be Luna, Brenden, or somebody else.
He’s talking about enforcing your will upon a game; becoming a factor in the outcome. A person has to elbow other players out of the way to do that. You can’t be a passenger. He directly references that in relation to competition.
I don't buy into the Berhalter-speak 8|10 nonsense used by some on this board who have no background in soccer. PSV is ball-dominant in the Eredivisie and play with a #6 and 2 #8s. When they play UCL and are not ball-dominant PSV play the same #6 and dual #8s. The #8s are box-to-box midfielders; Does not matter if PSV dominates the ball or is playing Arsenal or Liverpool, Tillman and Saibari play the exact same role. When PSV wants to use a CAM they play a 4-2-3-1. They have used Tillman or Till in the CAM role the handful of times they have played with a CAM. I will defer to Earnie on Malik's valuation. They bought him for $12M. Bayern has a right to match any offer this year and a purchase right at $35M next season. We will se where it goes. I agree he is not a Liverpool type player at this point.
Tillman does not lack any will to compete, anyone who watches him play can immediately see that. You appear to be projecting your own masculine insecurity onto the player?
People on this board have been calling players like this 8/10s for two decades at least. Most often to describe the more attacking role (or the player who naturally fits best in it) you can see from a player in a 433 CM. Pep/KDB call them “Free 8s”. I can easily see how this nuance is lost on some.
What does that have to do with anything. PVS does not play with differentiated CMs. Neither Tillman or Saibari play a role like KDB or Ozil or even Modric. They don't play like Musiala when he plays central. If you watch PSV their attacking patterns are very clear; In their standard buildup they work the ball up field then overload on either side, getting the balll to Lang on the left or Bakayoko on the right who then attack off the dribble in combination. The wide FWs are the primary attackers, not either of the 2 box to box CM.
8/10 is not a Berhalterian term. He copies Pep and calls them “Free 8s” or just “Attacking Midfielders”. I think 8/10 is a better, more accurate description than AM in this context unless the defensive burden is reduced. What do you mean by “differentiated” in this context? A 433 can have two 8/10s and that would make those CMs undifferentiated relative to each other. Compared to other midfielders Saibari is 99th percentile for xG, npxG, A, shots, G+A, and touches in the box per 90. He’s 97th percentile in progressive passes received. Malik’s percentiles are a tiny bit lower in some cases but very similar. These are AM type offensive profiles. Not being super high usage, lots of touches in the box, receiving lots of passes ahead of play, lots of end product. Saibari, Till, and Tillman’s npxG+xA/90 is higher than all of the wide attackers who featured regularly for PSV, trailing only Pepi and de Jong! Those three are ranked 2, 3, and 10 overall in the league!
PSV is sort of like Bayern or how Barcelona used to be where they were so much better they controlled possession to a degree that made them use players that don't really fit on lesser teams. Lesser teams can't afford to use luxury attacking backs who aren't great defensively or multiple attacking mids. They often choose defensive types over offensive types because they spend most of the game defending. The problem for PSV players is where do they move up to find a team where they fit? I guess Bayern would be one and yet Bayern had Malik and don't seem interested in bringing him back.
PSV does not really do that. If you are referring to Ledzema that was more injury related solution and he was OK. You can look at PSV's transfer history here: https://www.transfermarkt.us/psv-eindhoven/alletransfers/verein/383. There 2 largest sales the last 3 years are Gapko to Liverpool and DM Sangare to Forrest. Interestingly they sold Chuky to Napoli for $50M, bought him back 4 years later for $15M then sold him the next year to SD for $12M, the same amount they paid for Malik.
He was so clearly the MVP of his team this season.... W/L record w/ and w/o him was shockingly different (With: 23/3/1, Without 3/2/3). Now we are all waiting to see that player show up and perform for the USMNT.
That’s DAVIES which also adjusts for the age curve. Unfortunately I don’t think you can find Eredivisie players in the more customizable search function and look at the un-age adjusted goals added metric. FYI Saibari was at .24 DAVIES/90
I spent some time with the site, thanks again and there are some comparable players age wise, and a spec player comparison tool we can utilize thankfully, which just so happen to go back to some earlier discussions about players Paxton .09. Bredan .03 unfortunately in his case the Championship numbers are also able to be ran against all ages and yikes! There are 17 Leeds players available, Brendo is 13th. Tried linking the comparison tool, but site needs some work.
Interesting blog on why Bayern should buy back Malik based on his '23 winger production. The blog acknowledges that this season he is playing CM. Compares his stats to Raphinha. https://www.bavarianfootballworks.c...n-be-bayerns-solution-to-missing-out-on-wirtz
Pochettino's actual Quote on Malik: "The physiognomy of [Tillman] is similar to Dele Alli," Pochettino said at a press conference ahead of Tuesday's game against Mexico. "Malik is an unbelievable talent. Of course, Dele Alli was an animal, very competitive. He was unbelievable when he arrived at 17 years old from MK Dons. [It was] impossible to stop him. We are not talking about playing football, we're talking about competing, killing everyone — teammates, opponents. Sometimes we needed to stop him and say, 'Calm [down], we need to arrive in a good condition to play.' "If we talk about talent, maybe they have similar talent, but of course, they came from different backgrounds. Malik, we need to use our experience to try to challenge him to compete in this way. Because if Malik competed the way that Dele used to, for sure he has the capacity, the talent, the body, the power, everything. "It's true that he's still young, and has a character that we need to help to express a little bit more. But he's an unbelievable talent."
To me, everything he's said about Tillman is a positive. And who watching Tillman drive PSV since his injury return thinks he isn't driven or motivated to win? Yes, every player needs to find a way to "express their character" for the team he's on. That expression might have to be molded differently with the USMNT than PSV. Its a different team and group of players after all. As I said earlier in the thread, one of the challenges with Tillman for the USMNT has been that its Pulisic who is the "straw that stirs the drink." With Pulisic out, I'm really intrigued to see how Tillman performs this summer. Cuz there's a chance he could really grab the bull by the horns and be the best player on the field for the USMNT. Who would think its impossible for Tillman to drive the USMNT in the way he just did with PSV????
You're not the only one who has phrased it this way but that's not what Pochettino is saying and not what I am saying (and I think others are saying). He's not aggressive. He's not a dawg out there, to use the expression. He doesn't fight tooth and nail for the ball or assert his will on the game. Pochettino didn't say Dele Alli was "driven" or "motivated to win" -- he said "[It was] impossible to stop him. We are not talking about playing football, we're talking about competing, killing everyone — teammates, opponents." Young Alli is at one end of the spectrum for sure, and Tillman's never going to be there. He's never going to rip up a referee's book of cards and walk off the pitch, either. Of course, Clint grew up in Nagodoches and Alli moved around, had a mother who struggled with alcoholism, and ended up living with unofficial foster parents, etc. Good news for Malik is he doesn't have to get to that level of intensity to be good, but there's a huge difference between "being motivated to win" and the level of aggression and fire Poch and others are looking for him on the field. He lets the game come to him and if he asserted himself more, he'd be better for it.
Except that he said: The physiognomy of [Tillman] is similar to Dele Alli," What does physiognomy mean? Thats a really weird word to use, and so maybe there's something lost in translation. physiognomy means: PHYSIOGNOMY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster If he's using that word in the way its defined than he's saying that Tillman is projecting THE SAME external temperament and character as Deli Alli...................not the opposite. But let's be honest, we don't know what the hell he's talking about.
Pochettino literally says: "If we talk about talent, maybe they have similar talent, but of course, they came from different backgrounds. Malik, we need to use our experience to try to challenge him to compete in this way. Because if Malik competed the way that Dele used to, for sure he has the capacity, the talent, the body, the power, everything." That's clear as day. We don't need to go into the non-native English speaker's use of a word most native English speakers have no idea what it means.
The guys from call it what you want podcast talked shop on the roster decisions and were laughing about how they hit on only 11 of their 18 locks, but one thing that got mentioned was that while away in Europe for a UEFA coaching training (I think 2 of them), they ran into guys from Rangers and PSV, and heard nothing but non-stop raves for Malik. Pure anecdotal evidence, but the commentary including from an ex-teammate I believe at Rangers (or was it a coach?) was basically that the guy is awesome. Earnie's take they quoted was really unusual and different, it was about his personality/mental make up (sounded like an introverted take), and that you really need to work on communication with him to bring out his best, or that's my paraphrase anyway. Sounded like a bit of gobbledygook which might have also been linked to tangible issue with communicating with him properly to bring out his best.
I am and have been a huge fan of Malik since day one when he chose the USMNT. I wonder if his apparent soft spoken attitude has impacted him a bit with the US, plus perhaps the position he's played. I often wonder if he's integrated into the team even 30% much less higher. I would like to see him given some free reign to see what he can do.
I think he’s referring to temperament, outwardly expressed, ie: they’re both quiet and deferential or goofy and irreverent, whatever it is. But then he discusses the difference in their competitive nature. Of course I’m totally guessing, Poch is a mystery to me.