Rightdm00 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 19 minutes ago, StanBalaban said: Comfortably our best outfield player right now. I think at this point you have to start asking who is clearly better than him in the PL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomC Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said: I think at this point you have to start asking who is clearly better than him in the PL. As a deep-lying playmaker, i.e. what the Italians call a regista, nobody is clearly better. Rodri is probably a better player overall because he's a better ballwinner. de Bruyne is a better playmaker, but he does it from an advanced position. You might say the same of Odegaard. Edited July 27, 2023 by TomC Added Odegaard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 10 minutes ago, Villaphan04 said: Came here to post both of these. He's our best & most important outfield player. His ability to progress the ball in possession is something that was lacking somewhat in the first half. Tbf think that was largely because of torres not getting on the ball and playing it forward, not sure he even passed to digne once all night. That said I really think Luiz is essentially the key to what allows us to play this pseudo 2 man midfield. It's not just that his ball playing and goal +creation is on par or better than tielemans and he can do the same level of defensive work as Kamara. Or even that he's comfortable receiving the ball in any situation in a way that none of our other players are. Or his high pressing that allows us to win the ball back more quickly. Despite all of them being factors. It's the tempo and flair/audacity that make it all work. He plays the ball quicker than anyone else and relocates quicker than anyone else, but when he's harassed he's so assured. The balls in the air? Never mind that I'm a DM in my own third, I'll do a falling over bicycle kick to the full back. Or I'll flick it over the presser and create a man advantage or a long ball that no one else sees and it's perfectly weighted for our midfielder. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 13 minutes ago, Rightdm00 said: I think at this point you have to start asking who is clearly better than him in the PL. Said this in the game thread but no midfielder outside of Manchester is better than him in England. Only odegaard is in the conversation imo. Rodri, De Bruyne, Fernandes are the only ones clearly better and casemiro is in the conversation too. But outside that he's so much better than the likes of guimaraes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Villa87 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 Absolute gem. Hope he stays for many years to come. What a £15 million he has been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 Give him another new contract, give him 8 years, he is turning out to be one of the best midfielders ever seen at the club let alone one of the best midfielders in Europe, just love watching him an absolute sublime midfield 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 He is incredibly important to us and by far our best midfielder, arguably our best player now… we’re a poorer side without him in it… Key man for Unai, that’s for sure. Need to ensure he’s around for the long term… Does seem happy and settled here, “ingrained” within the club too and has the passion and fight to go with his supreme technical ability. One of the best midfielders in the league, it’s so pleasing to see his development. As usual, it’s all thanks to Unai. Dougie was kind of hamstrung by previous managers… If we can continue to add players of a similar level over the near future, we are going to be one hell of a side. Build around him… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 4 hours ago, Villa87 said: Absolute gem. Hope he stays for many years to come. What a £15 million he has been. Thank you Suso 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 6 hours ago, MotoMkali said: Said this in the game thread but no midfielder outside of Manchester is better than him in England. Only odegaard is in the conversation imo. Rodri, De Bruyne, Fernandes are the only ones clearly better and casemiro is in the conversation too. But outside that he's so much better than the likes of guimaraes That goofy, scummy, cheating rat b*****d?! Na… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mantis Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 I know he was only 21 but can't help but feel like we got an excellent bargain when we bought him. If we were to sell him now he'd easily be a £60m+ player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 World Class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 He’s still fairly young, only 25, and could surpass most… doubt he’ll reach the level of a De Bruyne but we don’t need him to and he’s not quite the same sort of player. Less attacking. Nice to see the “playmaker” is not dead yet… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frodo Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 12 minutes ago, Mantis said: I know he was only 21 but can't help but feel like we got an excellent bargain when we bought him. If we were to sell him now he'd easily be a £60m+ player. If we're going on recent midfielders been sold I.e Rice .... then I'd be wanting similar money Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sulberto21 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 3 minutes ago, Frodo said: If we're going on recent midfielders been sold I.e Rice .... then I'd be wanting similar money Exactly! Luiz is easily worth over £100m in today’s market. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotoMkali Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 38 minutes ago, Jas10 said: That goofy, scummy, cheating rat b*****d?! Na… As much as I hate Fernandes there is no denying that he's a top quality player Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avfc1982am Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 No if's, but's or maybe's. He is the first name on the team sheet for me other than Martinez and the confidence he'll have from getting POTS will take him up another level this season. I think while many doubted him and that he'd cut it here many realised early on he'd go on to become a class player at the top level. Thankfully it's still with us and long may it continue because he is an absolutely cracking player and all-round midfielder that could play in any side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 2 minutes ago, MotoMkali said: As much as I hate Fernandes there is no denying that he's a top quality player I think it’s worth considering that the players you’ve mentioned… some are more attack minded and some.. have real defensive stalwarts or “rocks” behind them.. such as Casemiro and Rodri as you listed, Partey too. They are “freed up” and have less defensive responsibility… As much as I like and rate Kamara, he’s still young and developing and not exactly a “physical specimen” yet… but he’s brilliant and going to get better… I wonder though… is there actually some credence to the links to DMs or physical CMs (like Amrabat and Kessie)? For rest/rotation/competition reasons? Luiz isn’t afforded quite the same freedom and protection yet… yet he is still thriving and capable of adapting and shifting between roles… I’m so excited to see how much better he can get, he has time on his side… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 27 minutes ago, Sulberto21 said: Exactly! Luiz is easily worth over £100m in today’s market. Easily… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jas10 Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 46 minutes ago, Mantis said: I know he was only 21 but can't help but feel like we got an excellent bargain when we bought him. If we were to sell him now he'd easily be a £60m+ player. Suso’s best piece of business… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarryOnVilla Posted July 27, 2023 Share Posted July 27, 2023 When we first signed him, there was all the hype that Pep rated him and was reluctant to let him go. I just couldn’t see what the hype was other than a few flashes, and it was like that for the first 2 seasons. Then we got boubs in to play the 6 role and Doug moved up to be an 8 in a double pivot and boom, the player that was hyped appeared. He’s a tremendous player and he knows it, the swag he has in the pitch is only matched by his ability. sublime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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