19 Jan 2018 22:08:47
Ed01. Do you think oezil could do the deep lying playmaker role?
{Ed001's Note - depends on how he is asked to play. If you mean like Pirlo, though he would at least shadow opponents rather than just get out of their way like Pirlo did, then yes. If you mean like Xabi Alonso, then not a chance. He certainly has the vision and the range of passing. It is usually easier but less effective to play from deeper as you tend to get more time, hence why Pirlo would drop so deep to start with, according to himself, to get more time on the ball. However that was in Italy, where every team defended deep and did not use a press. If you are up against a team that presses, a DLP is going to be hounded and struggle to have an impact on the game.}
20 Jan 2018 07:08:46
Thanks for reply ed. Yes more like Pirlo as I can’t imagine anyone doing what Alonso did. One of my very favourite players. Both real and Bayern were at their best with him in the team.
{Ed001's Note - and Liverpool were so much stronger when he played for them.}
20 Jan 2018 07:54:56
Yes indeed they were. Giving that you won the CL in his first year highlights the fact. With no disrespect to Liverpool I should have been more specific in that real and Bayern were considered in the top 3 teams in Europe along with Barcelona at the time and he made both those clubs significantly better. I think pep himself rates him highly and trying to remember past pep quotes maybe the best best that pep has managed.
20 Jan 2018 10:45:45
Pirlo, now that was a footballer you would pay to watch. Not sure there are too many about like him at the moment. Reminds me of going to watch Ian Bogie when he played for the Orient. Ok so not in the same class of Pirlo of course, but for there level he stood out a country mile, and you knew you was watching a player who should never have been playing at that club, so it was a massive bonus to see him play. Plus my wife liked his legs!