The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[BearcatSA]

16 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Bayern being archaic does not invert fullbacks, though they used to with wing attackers with Robben for example.

I am not a fan of inverted fullbacks or wingbacks if they're not a wide crossing threat with their outside foot.  Lesser quality players tried in those positions usually cut inside to use their stronger foot but unfortunately in doing so concentrate defenders into areas around your better forward players.

Love inverted wingers with overlapping fullbacks, however.  

[GasPed]

5 hours ago, sebdeserio said:

That's because he starts his dribbles from his own half where there's much more space. Not every winger is going to be able to dribble in a phone booth like Neymar but Davies has never looked great dribbling in tight spaces when trying to break a team down, which is the type of team he faces 9/10 times.

He's actually pretty good at dribbling in tight spaces - no, he's not world class (like Neymar or Musiala), but he's pretty good just because of his quickness.  I'm sure we all remember his hero ball high (or low) lights where he'd dribble himself into a phone booth and then miraculously get out of it (or not).   Between his decent skill and ridiculous quickness, he's quite capable of holding the ball in tight spaces (noting that the ability to avoid and/or make a proper play in those tight spaces is a different skill set altogether).  

One of the biggest drawbacks he still has in breaking teams down on the wing is his lack of a right foot - he's very similar to his teammate Sane in that regard.   Contrast that with someone like Coman, who when playing on the left can take it all the way to the touchline and cross it, or chop it back and cross with his right foot (something Davies/Sane can't do), and it really limits your options.  Sadly, I don't think that Davies will ever have much of a right foot given he's now 22 and still only uses it to stand on. 

 

[Obinna]

27 minutes ago, GasPed said:

He's actually pretty good at dribbling in tight spaces - no, he's not world class (like Neymar or Musiala), but he's pretty good just because of his quickness.  I'm sure we all remember his hero ball high (or low) lights where he'd dribble himself into a phone booth and then miraculously get out of it (or not).   Between his decent skill and ridiculous quickness, he's quite capable of holding the ball in tight spaces (noting that the ability to avoid and/or make a proper play in those tight spaces is a different skill set altogether).  

One of the biggest drawbacks he still has in breaking teams down on the wing is his lack of a right foot - he's very similar to his teammate Sane in that regard.   Contrast that with someone like Coman, who when playing on the left can take it all the way to the touchline and cross it, or chop it back and cross with his right foot (something Davies/Sane can't do), and it really limits your options.  Sadly, I don't think that Davies will ever have much of a right foot given he's now 22 and still only uses it to stand on. 

 

I know what you mean. Maybe it is most accurate to say Davies is not consistently good in tight space? Sometimes he pulls off something incredible. He's incredibly creative in tight space, where his instincts are a gift. However, this doesn't always come off, leading to turn overs. I think that's the concern with him playing as a winger. We see it with Canada too, when the space isn't in the final 3rd he can cough up the ball often. He lacks close control compared to the wingers we generally consider to be world class - but that's not really a dribbling issue, if that makes sense?

[Kadenge]

2 hours ago, GasPed said:

He's actually pretty good at dribbling in tight spaces - no, he's not world class (like Neymar or Musiala), but he's pretty good just because of his quickness.  I'm sure we all remember his hero ball high (or low) lights where he'd dribble himself into a phone booth and then miraculously get out of it (or not).   Between his decent skill and ridiculous quickness, he's quite capable of holding the ball in tight spaces (noting that the ability to avoid and/or make a proper play in those tight spaces is a different skill set altogether).  

One of the biggest drawbacks he still has in breaking teams down on the wing is his lack of a right foot - he's very similar to his teammate Sane in that regard.   Contrast that with someone like Coman, who when playing on the left can take it all the way to the touchline and cross it, or chop it back and cross with his right foot (something Davies/Sane can't do), and it really limits your options.  Sadly, I don't think that Davies will ever have much of a right foot given he's now 22 and still only uses it to stand on. 

 

I recall a long range goal he scored vs Spurs with his right foot. I'm not sure why he doesn't use it more often though.

[InglewoodJack]

Nothing about this guy says winger.

 

 

 

Nothing.

Edited January 31, 2023 by InglewoodJack

[kacbru]

1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said:

Nothing about this guy says winger.

 

 

 

Nothing.

Yeah, but that's against Barcelona.  Let's see him do it against a proper team.

[GasPed]

4 hours ago, Kadenge said:

I recall a long range goal he scored vs Spurs with his right foot. I'm not sure why he doesn't use it more often though.

Very true - on occasion he can actually really whack it with his right.  I've seen him do it maybe 4(?) times...

[Joe1973]

They got Cancelo and now Davies on bench? There were rumors that club was not happy with recent form but still that's a huge message. 

[jhoops__]

Bayern is playing a lot of games so it might just be that too.   

[Obinna]

I don't watch much Man City. Isn't Cancelo primarily a right sided player? Even if he's been playing on the left, I think it's more likely Bayern play an on-loan Cancelo on the right than drop Davies to the bench.

I don't know what the temperature has been over there on Davies since the World Cup, but I do know that right back has been a troubled spot in the recent past. Pavard is a good option, but he's not the attacker Davies is. This is why (I think) we heard so much speculation about Dest going over there. He was a target for Bayern before he joined Barcelona, then he was a target again after he joined Barcelona. I think Bayern want more attacking capabilities on the right side, as Dest is clearly an attacking player. In the end I think they settled for Mazraoui, but he never really grabbed the spot from Pavard, plus he's out injured with the same heart issue Davies was out with. They could lose him for months.

All of this suggests to me that Cancelo will be playing on the right and Davies on the left - but I could be wrong. 

[sebdeserio]

First game and Cancelo grabs himself an assist. If the plan is to have both him and Davies start at the same time Davies could benefit from teams worrying about Cancelo as well.

[narduch]

Just realized this is the Cup.

I wouldn't read too much into Davies not starting.

[El Hombre]

Just now, narduch said:

Just realized this is the Cup.

I wouldn't read too much into Davies not starting.

I thought that too except that every other position has a first-choice player there.  Seems odd that Davies is out.

[InglewoodJack]

5 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

I thought that too except that every other position has a first-choice player there.  Seems odd that Davies is out.

Goretzka and Gnabry are also on the bench.

Davies is often the guy that gets dropped from the starting lineup for non-league games, probably because he plays 90 minutes almost every game. He was an unused sub against Viktoria Koln, he came off the bench against Inter in Champions League, Bayern probably knew they were going to wash Mainz anyways. 

Plus they also have a league game on Sunday against Wolfsburg, and they're just one point ahead of the second place team, so they probably want their best players at full strength for the game that matters.

[InglewoodJack]

25 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I don't watch much Man City. Isn't Cancelo primarily a right sided player? Even if he's been playing on the left, I think it's more likely Bayern play an on-loan Cancelo on the right than drop Davies to the bench.

I don't know what the temperature has been over there on Davies since the World Cup, but I do know that right back has been a troubled spot in the recent past. Pavard is a good option, but he's not the attacker Davies is. This is why (I think) we heard so much speculation about Dest going over there. He was a target for Bayern before he joined Barcelona, then he was a target again after he joined Barcelona. I think Bayern want more attacking capabilities on the right side, as Dest is clearly an attacking player. In the end I think they settled for Mazraoui, but he never really grabbed the spot from Pavard, plus he's out injured with the same heart issue Davies was out with. They could lose him for months.

All of this suggests to me that Cancelo will be playing on the right and Davies on the left - but I could be wrong. 

If the apps are to be believed, Cnacelo is playing as a right mid today, with Pavard behind him. They're also using a 3 man backline instead of their regular four, so technically, it's De Light that's in Davies' spot today.

[InglewoodJack]

Lol he just scored btw 

[jordan]

 

[Kadenge]

 First the WC goal and now this one. The Phonz is pretty good on headers. 

[PegCityCam]

3 hours ago, Joe1973 said:

They got Cancelo and now Davies on bench? There were rumors that club was not happy with recent form but still that's a huge message. 

What rumours? 

[Obinna]

12 minutes ago, PegCityCam said:

What rumours? 

I guess those rumours will be short lived with that goal, to the extent they existed to begin with. 

[Aird25]

42 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

 First the WC goal and now this one. The Phonz is pretty good on headers. 

It's certainly an area that he's improved. He was very weak in the air with Vancouver, but I suppose he was still just a kid

[Joe1973]

15 hours ago, PegCityCam said:

What rumours? 

This is the post I saw the day before the game...

https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/2023/1/31/23579320/alphonso-davies-bayern-munich-transfer-cancelo-manchester-city-blind-mazraoui-stanisic-de-ligt-sule

According to a report from Sport1’s Kerry Hau (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), part of the reasoning behind Bayern Munich’s acquisition of Joao Cancelo from Manchester City was the club’s concern over the recent dip in form from Alphonso Davies.

The Canadian star, who burst on to the scene at Bayern Munich during the 2019/20 season, has not looked like the same player of late — and the club has noticed per Hau:

Even though Bayern were interested for a long time, the move wasn’t planned as Cancelo wasn’t on the market before last weekend. Nagelsmann had already given (Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan “Brazzo”) Salihamidžić the name of Cancelo last year. A short conversation between the coach and Brazzo was enough.

Cancelo is mainly planned at right-back but can also play on the left. Bayern are aware of Davies’ current drop in performance — the Canadian seemed unfocused and not quite fit in the first three games of the new year. Blind is planned more of a backup center-back.

[A.D.I.D.A.S.]

17 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

Lol he just scored btw 

JD, Staq, Cyle...  Phonzie doesn't want to be left behind 😆

[InglewoodJack]

57 minutes ago, A.D.I.D.A.S. said:

JD, Staq, Cyle...  Phonzie doesn't want to be left behind 😆

Yesterday's slate of games included a Lille game where JD didn't play, a Porto game where Steph didn't play, a Troyes game where Ugbo didn't play, a Basel game where Millar didn't play, a Celtic game where AJ wasn't too flashy, and a Bayern game where Davies was on the bench. AD knew the fans needed a little something to avoid the entire day being a total dud, so he gave us a goal.

That, to me, is natural leadership, and why he will be our next captain.

[narduch]

Starting v Wolfsburg