Mehdi Benatia

[Antimadridista1]

Benatia plays in Bartra/Pique's position (right centre back). So if you have to sell someone, it'll be one of this two players. Mascherano plays as a left centre back , and Puyi will retire soon -> this is where we need to have a new centre back and not sure that Benatia is the one we need, unless we sell one of Pique and Bartra.

 

[DonAndres]

CB's can switch between right and left, it's hardly a major alteration. If wingers can swap sides seamlessly when that changes their entire game, how is it hard for central defenders to do it when it changes nothing but the distance of a few yards and their strong passing/clearance side.

 

[The Observer]

Pique started as a LCB anyway. Only reason he's playing on the right now is because of his diagonal balls which are easier to execute for a right footer playing on the right side.

Benatia is a top class CB. I have no clue how Roma got him for € 13 million or rather how Udinese agreed to sell him for such a low fee as they usually rip clubs off. He's comfortably better than David Luiz, Agger and many other "high profile" centerbacks. I'd offer € 35 million for him in a heartbeat. Obviously our scouts don't know that he exists which is a different story.

 

[JamDav1982]

Pique started as a LCB anyway. Only reason he's playing on the right now is because of his diagonal balls which are easier to execute for a right footer playing on the right side.

Benatia is a top class CB. I have no clue how Roma got him for € 13 million or rather how Udinese agreed to sell him for such a low fee as they usually rip clubs off. He's comfortably better than David Luiz, Agger and many other "high profile" centerbacks. I'd offer € 35 million for him in a heartbeat. Obviously our scouts don't know that he exists which is a different story.

Masch hits more diagonal balls than Pique though and he plays on left.

I think Pique played on the right with Masch as he was the more defensive of the two and it would be Masch who would step out to try and win ball early while Pique would stay back more and cover Alves also.

 

[KingMessi]

Or rather how Udinese agreed to sell him for such a low fee as they usually rip clubs off.

Especially to a club in the same league as themselves.

Also didn't Pique play left cb against RM? He did well in that game. One or both of Musacchio and Benatia will greatly mend our defensive woes.

 

[The Observer]

Masch hits more diagonal balls than Pique though and he plays on left.

I think Pique played on the right with Masch as he was the more defensive of the two and it would be Masch who would step out to try and win ball early while Pique would stay back more and cover Alves also.

I know. Obviously it's technically not impossible to hit long diagonal balls from LCB with your right foot to the right wing but it's certainly harder because most players would usually hit those balls with the inside of their foot. When you play on the left and have to hit a target on the right, the target isn't facing the direction of your inside foot though. So you'd have to turn your body. Next time I have to pay attention how Mascherano does it. Maybe he's comfortable hitting with the laces. Or it isn't as uncomfortable for a small statured guy to adjust the body direction as it is for big Pique.

The Alves thing is also true anyway. Although, with Alba now, it doesn't make a difference.

 

[JamDav1982]

I know. Obviously it's technically not impossible to hit long diagonal balls from LCB with your right foot to the right wing but it's certainly harder because most players would usually hit those balls with the inside of their foot. When you play on the left and have to hit a target on the right, the target isn't facing the direction of your inside foot though. So you'd have to turn your body. Next time I have to pay attention how Mascherano does it. Maybe he's comfortable hitting with the laces. Or it isn't as uncomfortable for a small statured guy to adjust the body direction as it is for big Pique.

The Alves thing is also true anyway. Although, with Alba now, it doesn't make a difference.

Yeah it makes much less difference now and as someone else said Pique and Masch switched round for Real Madrid game and Pique probably had his best game of season.

When you look back you realise just how perfectly balanced that defence with Abidal, Puyol, Pique and Alves was.

 

[Hamzah]

It's easy you just turn the ball and hit it with the inside of your foot. I can do it.

 

[ThwiX]

Have we even been linked with this guy?

 

[khaled_a_d]

Jusy wondering ,since when CBs are classified in into LCB and RCB in real life?

 

[KingMessi]

Have we even been linked with this guy?

I think we were two summers ago, but I'm not too sure. But then again, we weren't ever linked to Song before we bought him, so there is hope.

 

[Galning]

It's easy you just turn the ball and hit it with the inside of your foot. I can do it.

Sign Hamzah.

 

[abual3bed1]

Jusy wondering ,since when CBs are classified in into LCB and RCB in real life?

I was going to ask this very question. I don't where this came from! Hopefully not from football manager.

 

[Hamzah]

Sign Hamzah.

Haha. I can't do the other stuff though

 

[Paganinisrvnge]

Everything I've heard is that this guy's been fantastic this season for Roma. I've only gotten a glimpse of a few Roma matches myself but from what I've heard, he should be someone we go after.