Soccer Prospect Discussion Thread IV

[jniklast]

Weigl's been excellent, but he hasn't been Dahoud.

Weigl's role is much less spectacular, so he's not as exciting as Dahoud, but overall I think he's been a bit more consistent. But both are excellent players. Great future for the German midfield.

 

[Evilo]

Really?

You made me search :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambidexterity#Football

 

[Juni]

Lewis Baker at Vitesse on loan from Chelsea is perfect off both feet too. A couple of dead-ball examples.

 

[cgf]

Weigl's role is much less spectacular, so he's not as exciting as Dahoud, but overall I think he's been a bit more consistent. But both are excellent players. Great future for the German midfield.

Not that Weigl hasn't been a rock, but I dunno if I buy that he's been any more consistent than Dahoud...at least since the coaching change and Dahoud has become a regular. Then you add the greater responsibilities & difficulties of Dahoud's role; and he's more spectacular in my book.

 

[Deficient Mode]

Not that Weigl hasn't been a rock, but I dunno if I buy that he's been any more consistent than Dahoud...at least since the coaching change and Dahoud has become a regular. Then you add the greater responsibilities & difficulties of Dahoud's role; and he's more spectacular in my book.

Dahoud still has the occasional off game. Weigl really doesn't. I don't know about the greater responsibilities part. Weigl has also really stepped up in the past month in Gündogan's absence and showed that he isn't just a balancing, possession-securing, and structuring type of player, but that he can also play penetrating passes through the lines that lead to direct chances, and make more adventurous dribbles successfully.

 

[Evilo]

Dembele once again finalist for player of the month. This time his opponents are Ben Arfa and Mandanda.
He's favourite IMO. Though usually those are popularity contests so Mandanda will have a good chance at it.

 

[cgf]

Dahoud still has the occasional off game. Weigl really doesn't. I don't know about the greater responsibilities part. Weigl has also really stepped up in the past month in Gündogan's absence and showed that he isn't just a balancing, possession-securing, and structuring type of player, but that he can also play penetrating passes through the lines that lead to direct chances, and make more adventurous dribbles successfully.

Depends what you mean by off game. Everyone has games where they aren't brilliant, Weigl included, but Dahoud is at least nice-n-tidy in every match...even those where he isn't magical.

While I'll certainly agree with you about Weigl showing more capacity to play incisive passes than anyone expected from him last summer, even those of us who were hyping his acquisition; it's still not as much as Dahoud needs to do.

Granted, I feel like Dahoud has heavier responsibilities than Xhaka at this point, so if you fall on the other side of that discussion I can see why you'd be place more weight on the duties Weigl carries out.

 

[Jeffrey]

Dembele once again finalist for player of the month. This time his opponents are Ben Arfa and Mandanda.
He's favourite IMO. Though usually those are popularity contests so Mandanda will have a good chance at it.

Nobody will dare voting against him. In his game against OM the OM fans cheered Ousmane as he was substituted.
The OM fans are not as bad as you paint them.

 

[Evilo]

We'll see.

 

[Jeffrey]

We'll see.

BTW can you give us a breakdown on Jean-Kevin Augustin?
Is he highly rated?

 

[Deficient Mode]

Depends what you mean by off game. Everyone has games where they aren't brilliant, Weigl included, but Dahoud is at least nice-n-tidy in every match...even those where he isn't magical.

While I'll certainly agree with you about Weigl showing more capacity to play incisive passes than anyone expected from him last summer, even those of us who were hyping his acquisition; it's still not as much as Dahoud needs to do.

Granted, I feel like Dahoud has heavier responsibilities than Xhaka at this point, so if you fall on the other side of that discussion I can see why you'd be place more weight on the duties Weigl carries out.

That depends on the division of roles in each team. I guess you have to balance the relative responsibilities of the player within the team with how well and consistently he carries out those responsibilities. I think Gladbach has depended more on Kramer and Dahoud than Xhaka the past couple of years. I would say Gündogan has a more decisive role in Dortmund's play, but Weigl seems to fulfill his responsibilities more consistently. Maybe that just seems to be the case to me because in a way Weigl's job is to be consistent and not take risks that he can't reliably succeed in. I'd say the same thing about Busquets: he's one of the most consistent great players around, and he has similar responsibilities as Weigl.

Regardless, it seems that even when the rest of the team isn't working well, Weigl tends to do his job structuring and securing possession at an extremely high level: the match against Liverpool for example. I can only think of a few matches this season where he was just ok, and he has only gotten better as the season has gone on.

 

[Evilo]

BTW can you give us a breakdown on Jean-Kevin Augustin?
Is he highly rated?

Mildly.
He's a nice youngster who can provide some goals but, IMO, he's not PSG quality. Nor will he ever be.
Blanc likes, him that seems clear. But he's not on Ongenda's level. I think Blanc uses him because he doesn't have any other striker on the roster outside Ibra and Cavani.

 

[Power Man]

Mah boy Zakaria scored 2 goals in Atletico Madrid's last 2 games (Youth Division de Honor).

Atletico has won La Liga

 

[cgf]

That depends on the division of roles in each team. I guess you have to balance the relative responsibilities of the player within the team with how well and consistently he carries out those responsibilities. I think Gladbach has depended more on Kramer and Dahoud than Xhaka the past couple of years. I would say Gündogan has a more decisive role in Dortmund's play, but Weigl seems to fulfill his responsibilities more consistently. Maybe that just seems to be the case to me because in a way Weigl's job is to be consistent and not take risks that he can't reliably succeed in. I'd say the same thing about Busquets: he's one of the most consistent great players around, and he has similar responsibilities as Weigl.

Regardless, it seems that even when the rest of the team isn't working well, Weigl tends to do his job structuring and securing possession at an extremely high level: the match against Liverpool for example. I can only think of a few matches this season where he was just ok, and he has only gotten better as the season has gone on.

I think that's likely a big part of it. Dahoud's job is to push through the midfield and feed the forwards, so even when he's not at his best he needs to be forcing things; whereas if Weigl's incisive passes aren't on point or materializing in time, then just playing careful horizontal balls is fine he doesn't need to force anything.

 

[Theon]

He's no Ashley Young.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Rashford scored again. Where did this guy come from? Was he that good at youth level for Man United? I hadn't heard of him until he debuted for United, and I'm someone who follows prospects.

 

[Evilo]

Nobody will dare voting against him. In his game against OM the OM fans cheered Ousmane as he was substituted.
The OM fans are not as bad as you paint them.

Dembele wins player of the month.
He had 42% of the votes.

Mandanda had 39%
Apparently, they dared.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Pulisic got his first goal today. He's done a good job in the minutes he's gotten. He's really skilled and is not out of place playing for Dortmund at age 17. He still makes some mistakes in the final third that a more experienced player probably wouldn't make, but I think if you give it another few years he's going to be really good. His overall ability is outstanding for a player of any age.

 

[Evilo]

Uefa Youth league final is tonight : PSG-Chelsea.

 

[ProPAIN]

Chelsea retained the title with a 2-1 win. Couldn't watch the match, hopefully someone who did can give some insight.





Now the problem is how will they retain it since there is no automatic qualification for the winner as of now. And Chelsea have to win their domestic league which isn't a sure thing. "Odds are against them" says Juni.

Pretty much the same team will play Man City for the FA Youth Cup too.

The club's youth and women's teams are doing better than the senior team

 

[Ace Rothstein]

delete

 

[Evilo]

Lucky win for Chelsea from what I could gather. PSG missed a penalty and missed a lot of chances late.
Not that it takes away anything from a two time winner. This PSG team was spectacular though.

 

[Juni]

Wouldn't say lucky (mind, I'm heavily biased) but PSG were the better side in the second half, had possession and territory yet for their 18 shots they only had as many on target as Chelsea. Collins, penalty aside, didn't have a hard save to make and Chelsea were great defensively, limiting the chances PSG could have inside and only momentarily slipping up for Meite's goal.

Nkunku's the best player in this PSG team, he's an incredible prospect. Meite is a monster with a rocket of a left foot, Ikone is something else, just a nightmare prospect of pace and skill that even he doesn't know how to use properly. Edouard was disappointing all weekend but I know he's better than that, Augustin was very poor for a player who has his experience, and both CBs Eboa Eboa and Doucure leave something to be desired.

Also really liked Georgen the RB, he's got something about him.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Juni, how did Kyle Scott play? More importantly though, how does he figure at Chelsea? I see he signed a new contract recently. Do you think he'll go out on loan next season? Will he stay with the U-21's another season or do you think he'll move on to another club soon?

 

[Evilo]

Yes Georgen is a nice player. Nkunku and Edouard are top prospects.
I share your view on Augustin. I've always felt Blanc overrated him.