Yeah international windows are a complete waste of time especially when your national team sucks. Also more opportunities for players to get hurt.
Having these two international breaks so soon after the season starts in Sept and Oct are so foolish. It takes the momentum away from the start of the season.
That was a decent control then one-two he played but it's hilarious what we praise when it confirms our bias That Michael Owen interview posted yesterday comes to mind; Owen was a terror as a teenager and he sees people glowing over this teenager being able to beat out some nobody Venezuelan midfielder who plays for Toulouse. Confirmation bias. It's incredible.
This guy is absolutely not a winger, like at all. I like him though, very silky smooth touches, but in situations where Yamal was burning people down the wing, Mastantuono cuts back because he doesn’t have the pace at all.
Like Endrick, he might have been born in the wrong decade. I loved watching prime Isco and James but they were never fit for modern football.
Yeah he may end up a tweener if we don't focus his development to being more central in midfield. Now as a midfielder he has some potential but would need time.
In that sense I'm less worried about him than I am about Arda. I think Franco's physical profile will turn out fine for midfield. With Arda, I'll always be concerned he's too slight to play against tough opponents, and he has the same issue as Franco with lacking pace to play wider. I really rate Arda's ball-playing characteristics but share the same "tweener" concerns.
Neither is Jude Bellingham, but we've seen how effective Jude can be in attack. I don't know what the worry is about the profile as if we need symmetry on both flanks. I'm more than fine with Mastantuono playing up top with the likes of Guler Tchouameni and Fede behind him. He will give us a level of added control and progression that a traditional winger might not.
The problem with Arda is less physiciality and more spatial awareness, coordination, concentration, decision making timing etc, more mind than body stuff. Thats why he drifts out of games, but then he has a lot of flair and creativity, he thinks outside of the box, very instinctive in small spaces and obviously phenomenal technique, so he will make enough killer passes, dribble and make space for a shot, cross etc to justify his presence. Mastantuno is a wide dictator for me and Arda a central attacking midfielder, him developing strength and engine will help alleviate some defensive issues, not all because positioning is a mental thing too, but this should get slightly better with experience and coaching. tldr I see no issue with Arda and Franco playing together. The whole pace thing is laughable. If you have good timing and know when to make your move that does the job. Raw pace is only a substitute for intelligence. Mastantuono is an extremely methodical player and thats the kind of football we should be playing, methodical football. Thats why he fits the philosophy and makes the team better on the pitch.
I think its fine starting off playing RW. He might benefit from playing different positions, so long as its not overdone. He'll eventually settle at AM or CM, I feel.
Yeah. Right now he’d be most effective and comfortable playing as a central attacking mid where he can link up in tight spaces and not need to burn people for pace. A midfield of Tchouameni, Valverde, Jude, Mastanuono could be saucy in the future. This is why Jude is an elite player, he can play effectively anywhere in midfield, there’s no question as to whether he can adapt to role X, Y, Z. Eventually I think he had to want to play the deeper Modric role for the good of the team though, because he will be able to do it like no one else.
Jude hasn’t been playing out wide. And as for symmetry, I would argue that’s exactly what you need in our 433 (if Jude plays central mid full time), especially when you have Vini on the left side occupying multiple defenders, a right winger with tenacity and pace would create havoc to the opposition. Tenacity and pace being attributes Rodrygo has lacked on the right wing.
Those are good points. Arda seems more finesse and beauty while Franco seems more aggression, work rate and precision. Both aren't wide players and will occupy the same position in this side for the future
He doesn't even need to jump into the deep end yet. Right now this team should be playing Vinicius, right of center... the perfecr postion for Franco currently as well. Let Trent occupy the wide right and Fede play box to box but cover as safety. That sorts out our right side, Vinicius, Franco and our left side with Rodrygo. Yeah a 4222 type deal?
I also think Franco would greatly benefit from having an overlapping right back. He would make better use of it than Vini has been doing with Carreras so far. Fine signing in my opinion. Looks his potential is sky high.