Gnidrologist
Senior Member
If we only could afford world class players. Like Ajax or Slavia quality. But all we can get are scrubs like Griezman.
Either way scoring in just 4 of 27 games is shocking for a 100ME+ forward. Irregardless of coach.
Its not only about worldclass players. Guardiola had problems to fit in Ibrahimovic - we looked better with freaking Bojan. I expect no coach in the world to make Griezmann, Suarez and Messi work. Or Griezmann, Messi and Fati/Dembele.
Edit: Paco is still underwhelmimg.
Either way scoring in just 4 of 27 games is shocking for a 100ME+ forward. Irregardless of coach.
It's not if you use him on the left wing. He can't even cut inside and shoot since he is left footed. Mastermind Ernie used Vidal as a 9 instead of Suarez .
Thats exactly the point, no? And it has been repeated over and over again. He has no place for us. I dont doubt his ability or professionalism - and I actually quite like him. There is no magic wand aka a guy like Klopp or Guardiola, who can fix his positional issues. Just look at Liverpool/City, they dont have issues like that, because they dont need to fit in players, who dont fit. Salah, Mane and Firmino all play their best position.
You see similarities between Firmino and Griezmann? Just compare their hold up play (which is essential). Tadic is stronger in that aspect as well. I just cant see Griezmann leading the line effectively. He has no attributes for that (or even for a false 9 role).
He was leading the line very well at Atletico or for France, with half the service teams like City/Liverpool could provide. The difference is these teams employed a pivot player up front. Whereas City/Liverpool have moments where they leave that space empty, making runs into it rather than playing with a pivot. This is why when Firmino, Tadic, or Aguero vacate the central '9' space, other players appear and score. Most notably Salah, Sterling, or even attacking midfielders like Van de Beek, or Wijnaldum, or Bernardo.
We lack any kind of movement patterns like that. That's why he doesn't score for us. Only way he can score for us playing the way Ernie is using him is if he turns into Neymar overnight.
He was leading the line very well at Atletico or for France, with half the service teams like City/Liverpool could provide. The difference is these teams employed a pivot player up front. Whereas City/Liverpool have moments where they leave that space empty, making runs into it rather than playing with a pivot. This is why when Firmino, Tadic, or Aguero vacate the central '9' space, other players appear and score. Most notably Salah, Sterling, or even attacking midfielders like Van de Beek, or Wijnaldum, or Bernardo.
We lack any kind of movement patterns like that. That's why he doesn't score for us. Only way he can score for us playing the way Ernie is using him is if he turns into Neymar overnight.
Griezmann was effective for atletico and France as he had license to go where he wanted on the pitch, which is okay as he was/is technically the best player on those teams. We can't let him do that for us as that what messi is for us and he is a level above. A dumb signing by the board. We can play him as a LW or CF but he won't be as good. I don't think even a different manager will be able to improve his level too much for us
So does Firmino. He has license to look for spaces, and move just about everywhere in the final 3rd because Mane and Salah will be in sync and will also take up the right spaces to ensure that an effective shape is maintained.
You can have more than 1 player with freedom in the final 3rd as long as you know what you are doing as a manager. Check City and Liverpool, or even lesser examples like Ajax or Napoli under Sarri, and look at how their front 3 have license to move just about everywhere. Sterling is as much of a striker as Aguero in many moments. Same for Salah and Mane. How do you think they get so many goals? Mane, Salah and Firmino are all forwards and all can occupy the space at no9 at different moments in time.
What we're talking about here is mostly elite management, vs crap management. Griezmann would slide in perfectly at all of City, Liverpool, or Ajax, or even Bayern, PSG or Dortmund and would have an immediate impact.