João Cancelo (33 Viewers)
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Fullback is a 2 way position for quite a few decades now in football just like a b2b midfielder, attacking is just as important as defending (tbh for a big team that controls most of the ball I'd say it's even more important than defending) and if you can't do both you're going to be a very limited player. All the best fullbacks in the world right now or 10 years ago were at least good in the attacking phase, most of them great. Imagine Chiellini with his limited skills on the ball never switching to CB and having his whole career in LB, he'd be another jabroni.
Imagine you have prime Chiellini and prime Marcelo, one a monster defender and bad in the attacking phase, the other a monster attacker and bad in the defensive phase, who do you pick as your LB? 
I love Giorgio and he's probably my favorite defender ever, but I'm picking Marcelo 10 times out of 10 to play left back.
I love Giorgio and he's probably my favorite defender ever, but I'm picking Marcelo 10 times out of 10 to play left back.
Except Joao Cancelo has 16 assists combined in 3 years (9942 minutes) at City. His assist rate is lower at City than it was here at Juve. 621 minutes/assist at City vs 520 minutes/assist at Juve. So how does that exactly make up for being an appalling defender?
For reference, Trent Alexander Arnold has 42 assists in those three years. Cuadrado had 19 assists last year alone. Cancelo hasn’t reached that total in 3 years combined.
For reference, Trent Alexander Arnold has 42 assists in those three years. Cuadrado had 19 assists last year alone. Cancelo hasn’t reached that total in 3 years combined.
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I'm not going to pretend I watch City at all besides the random CL game, but at Juve Cancelo surely made up for the few defensive errors (tbh there weren't that many and even less of them lead to goals, maybe 2 or 3 big mistakes) he made with his build up play and assists. The big problem was his attitude.
Judging from how EPL fans rate him, how Guardiola rates him (he's their most played player and just got extended for 5 years) + his stats in whoscored and transfermarkt, I'd say he's probably doing even better at City. Last night surely was a poor one for him, but you can't rate a player based on one night.
Judging from how EPL fans rate him, how Guardiola rates him (he's their most played player and just got extended for 5 years) + his stats in whoscored and transfermarkt, I'd say he's probably doing even better at City. Last night surely was a poor one for him, but you can't rate a player based on one night.
Look, he brought up assists, not I. Going by that metric, I disagree that he’s good enough creating goals to make up for being an appalling defender. Cuadrado as a RB is a far better defender and that speaks volumes.
He’s a good player, he was good here, he’s good there… but he’s not currently a great player and the hand-wringing over him is silly imo.
He’s a good player, he was good here, he’s good there… but he’s not currently a great player and the hand-wringing over him is silly imo.
I agree that Cuads is a better defender, imo Cuads for the past 2 years has quietly been one of the best fullbacks in the world, our team and results just haven't been good enough to really have him in the conversation, similarly to SMS and Lazio. If we had a Cuads also on the opposite side of the pitch, Ronaldo's stint here probably would've been a lot more successful.
Cancelo has 9 assists this season. Of course he's good enough at creating goals, how many did you want, 18?
Cancelo has 9 assists this season. Of course he's good enough at creating goals, how many did you want, 18?
I agree that Cuads is a better defender, imo Cuads for the past 2 years has quietly been one of the best fullbacks in the world, our team and results just haven't been good enough to really have him in the conversation, similarly to SMS and Lazio. If we had a Cuads also on the opposite side of the pitch, Ronaldo's stint here probably would've been a lot more successful.
Cancelo has 9 assists this season. Of course he's good enough at creating goals, how many did you want, 18?
Cancelo has 9 assists this season. Of course he's good enough at creating goals, how many did you want, 18?
And no, 9 assists in 4262 minutes, or 1 assist every 473 minutes is not good enough to make up for being a shit defender imo.
Anyways, we just disagree. No point in discussing this further.
It's wrong to look just at assists imo, you can create goals without actually making the final pass. And also, assists depend as much on the finisher as on the passer, you can make 10 brilliant passes without the striker converting. Not saying that's Cancelo, no idea tbh, but I know what he did here, and I liked it. I'd like to see him with Haaland next season, Sterling and Jesus aren't great goal scorers
As I said, I think he’s a good player, I just don’t think he’s some truly great player that justifies the handwringing in this thread every time he has a good match. And like it or not that handwringing almost always happens when he has matches that show up on the score sheet. It doesn’t give a clear picture of a player, but it contributes to one.
Danilo, for example, has been fantastic for us since the swap, one of our more consistent, solid performers, and he rarely has an assist. It was the same with Lichtsteiner, a brilliant player in his prime.
Danilo, for example, has been fantastic for us since the swap, one of our more consistent, solid performers, and he rarely has an assist. It was the same with Lichtsteiner, a brilliant player in his prime.