6 - Gavi

ajnotkeith

Senior Member
I still don't get the De Jong discourse. He's amazing.

Only real flaw I would say is defensive prowess. Sometimes he fails to pick up runs or press ballcarries, other than that, he is great.

Has the technical, tactical and physical sides of football..
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Mainly to get Frenkie deeper + the obvious lack of a LW. Doesn’t change my point at all.

It absolutely does change point and no it was not mainly about FDJ.. he was about one of few things that was working in midfield in those games before changed formation.

Was far better than Gavi and was MOTM at both DM and CM in that run of games before WC.

Move to a midfield 3 then where is Gavi? 5th choice?
 

mc_lovin

Senior Member
It absolutely does change point and no it was not mainly about FDJ.. he was about one of few things that was working in midfield in those games before changed formation.

Was far better than Gavi and was MOTM at both DM and CM in that run of games before WC.

Move to a midfield 3 then where is Gavi? 5th choice?
Yep. But I am not advocating to change to a midfield 3. It’s purely hypocritical in the mid- to longterm.
 

BBZ8800

Senior Member
I have wrote before, with young players:

1. there is an element where they play at like 130-150% of their abilities in the first months.
They are extremely motivated, they are running like crazy, they are giving 200% in every duel and in the early months of their career, they can often look better than they actually are (young Fati was similar)

But after some time, that motivation wears off, they get hyped and their performances drop from 150% to normal level and then we see "real themselves".

2. on the other hand, regarding fans, in the early months, they are in a honeymoon phase and they see only good moves from a player and overrate them a lot, because = a player is so young, imagine what he'll do in 2-3 years when he'll get better.
After 1-2 seasons, fans' hype also wears off and they start to see more and more players of flaws which were brushed off in the early months due to classic alibies:
He is young, he will improve.
There's a lot of room for an improvement.
Leave the kid alone, he is 18-19 ffs etc

But on the other hand, sadly, a lot of players have stayed exactly the same as when they were aged 19.
Puig, Dembele, Fati from the players in the last few seasons.

So, fans often dream about a young player and his future and project like 10-20-30% improvement in all of his skills in upcoming years.
But they don't account that a player is already playing at 150% due to his motivation and that he'll soon drop a lot and that even with some improvements, he'll often look exactly the same as today (because playing at 150% of skills due to being highly motivated is still higher than playing at 100% with slightly improved skills in the future).

Gavi looks like a textbook example of these two problems.
He was playing good due to giving 200% of himself in the early matches.
And fans were fooled with his passion, running and being young.
When you remove that passion and giving 200% of himself, there is not too much left about Gavi.

I mean, a kid doesn't know how to tie his laces.
It is hard to expect from him to become the new "computer/Einstein" in midfield like Xavi, De Bruyne or Pirlo with his IQ.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Aye but you have said same about plenty players that have been far better than claimed would be.

Works both ways.

When lecturing about 'I was right on Gavi' then do remember it was claimed that Kessie was better than Pedri/FDJ etc and likes of Braithwaite have been praised as Barcas best attacker while Lamal is just another over rated youngster who is to limited to play in first team etc.

I am sure Mingueza was claimed to be the one youngster who has what it takes also.. while Balde, Araujo etc.. all over rated and wont be much use in first team.
 

BJJ

Well-known member
I have wrote before, with young players:

1. there is an element where they play at like 130-150% of their abilities in the first months.
They are extremely motivated, they are running like crazy, they are giving 200% in every duel and in the early months of their career, they can often look better than they actually are (young Fati was similar)

But after some time, that motivation wears off, they get hyped and their performances drop from 150% to normal level and then we see "real themselves".

2. on the other hand, regarding fans, in the early months, they are in a honeymoon phase and they see only good moves from a player and overrate them a lot, because = a player is so young, imagine what he'll do in 2-3 years when he'll get better.
After 1-2 seasons, fans' hype also wears off and they start to see more and more players of flaws which were brushed off in the early months due to classic alibies:
He is young, he will improve.
There's a lot of room for an improvement.
Leave the kid alone, he is 18-19 ffs etc

But on the other hand, sadly, a lot of players have stayed exactly the same how they were aged 19.
Puig, Dembele, Fati from the players in the last few seasons.

So, fans often dream about a young player and his future and project like 10-20-30% improvement in all of his skills in upcoming years.
But they don't account that a player is already playing at 150% due to his motivation and that he'll soon drop a lot and that even with some improvements, he'll often look exactly the same as today (because playing at 150% of skills due to being highly motivated is still higher than playing at 100% with slightly improved skills in the future).

Gavi looks like a textbook example of these two problems.
He was playing good due to giving 200% of himself in the early matches.
And fans were fooled with his passion, running and being young.
When you remove that passion and giving 200% of himself, there is not too much left about Gavi.

I mean, a kid doesn't know how to tie his laces.
It is hard to expect from him to become the new "computer/Einstein" in midfield like Xavi, De Bruyne or Pirlo with his IQ.
💯

Another factor is the ridiculous amount of money floating around nowadays and social media. A kid gets exposure in social media,hype train starts and clubs start throwing ridiculous amounts at a young kid.
 

BJJ

Well-known member
Gavi supposedly gets almost 7 million a season. How many people earn that kind of money and stay motivated and hungry in their job?
Most would do enough to get by.
 

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Gavi supposedly gets almost 7 million a season. How many people earn that kind of money and stay motivated and hungry in their job?
Most would do enough to get by.

That is unfair argument against Gavi really and could be applied to just about any footballer at that level.

Motivation doesnt look an issue with him.

He currently looks to have a very immature mentality in terms of decision making on and off ball and fairly limited on ball in terms of vision and range of passing etc.

This should all improve when he calms and plays with a clearer head and not thinking he is the worlds hardest dwarf.

Keeping him in team regardless of how poor he is doent help. He needs to be in and out more.
 
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JohnN

Senior Member
Not sure I can complain much about Gavi.
Fdj, Pedri and Gundo are much better but at least we didn't pay for him and he is young.
 

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