Manuel Locatelli - DM - Sassuolo (112 Viewers)

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Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
41,819
Maybe. Probably. I'm always skeptical of hyped up Italian players.

Barella also played pretty much every match for Cagliari. Locatelli started sometimes and came off the bench, then Milan loaned and sold him. Milan certainly haven't been football Chomsky's but that would be a concern of mine.

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Not sure, and I'm also not sure he will take us to the next level either. He's better than what we have though.
Being sceptical is fine. We all should be. And clearly our management had been sceptical of young Italian CMs... as we have missed Verratti, Barella, Tonali, Locatelli (thus far), Sensi, amongst others over the years. Lots of young Italian mids that are/were better than the young mids we purchased instead.

Locatelli has been fantastic for Sassuolo. He left Milan at 20. Hadn’t fulfilled his promise yet. He seems to be on his way there now.
 

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pavluska

Senior Member
Apr 25, 2013
7,339
So a marginal upgrade on center mids and a downgrade on the advanced midfielder position :sigh:
Downgrade how?

Hard to downgrade when you have Ramsey, who's never available, and Berna. I think discarding Berna will feel like winning the CL.

Failing to get an established creative player, I see the backup SM-AM (likely SM-CM under a diff coach) being a good young player with potential who is capable of holding his own when Wes has to play CM. And then have Correia as reserve.
 

Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
111,312
Being sceptical is fine. We all should be. And clearly our management had been sceptical of young Italian CMs... as we have missed Verratti, Barella, Tonali, Locatelli (thus far), Sensi, amongst others over the years. Lots of young Italian mids that are/were better than the young mids we purchased instead.

Locatelli has been fantastic for Sassuolo. He left Milan at 20. Hadn’t fulfilled his promise yet. He seems to be on his way there now.
I really wanted Tonali. I was impressed with him early on. Sensi I don't care about as much.

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The second coming of Palombo
Sounds about right.
 

Lion

King of Tuz
Jan 24, 2007
31,740
getting locatelli solves a couple of issues for this squad.

locatelli sitting deep means we can push arthur higher up pitch. i think arthut ball retention skills and ability to open space will be useful to forwards and wingers making runs. it also means no more bentancur ball playing. bentancur is another player that will benefit from not needing to play deep but higher up the pitch
 

X Æ A-12

Senior Member
Contributor
Sep 4, 2006
86,576
getting locatelli solves a couple of issues for this squad.

locatelli sitting deep means we can push arthur higher up pitch. i think arthut ball retention skills and ability to open space will be useful to forwards and wingers making runs. it also means no more bentancur ball playing. bentancur is another player that will benefit from not needing to play deep but higher up the pitch
How about Rabiot? How do we fix him?
 

Bjerknes

"Top Economist"
Mar 16, 2004
111,312
:tup:

Of the current crop of young Italian mids, Barella and Tonali were the two I really wanted. Very disappointing that we didn’t get either one.
It really is.

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locatelli sitting deep means we can push arthur higher up pitch. i think arthut ball retention skills and ability to open space will be useful to forwards and wingers making runs.
All that means is side passes further up the pitch. Doesn't really solve anything.
 

K.O.

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2005
13,883
I've seen Locatelli in few matches with Sassuolo and I'm totally unimpressed. He's just another decent midfielder who's in the same category with Rabiot and Bentancur if not lower.

Wasting big money on those young Italians when you can find much better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad is not smart. It's even more stupid considering we've already been there with the likes of Bernardeschi.
 

Robee

Senior Member
Jun 21, 2011
5,500
I've seen Locatelli in few matches with Sassuolo and I'm totally unimpressed. He's just another decent midfielder who's in the same category with Rabiot and Bentancur if not lower.

Wasting big money on those young Italians when you can find much better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad is not smart. It's even more stupid considering we've already been there with the likes of Bernardeschi.
Couldn't agree less. The fact that he's actually suited to the position we haven't been able to fill since Pirlo left, is a massive upgrade over those 3 already. Bentancur, Rabiot & Bernardeschi still haven't found their ideal positions on the field, let alone in the Juve 11.

Locatelli can spray cross-field passes, shoot towards goal, drive the ball forward, is confident and controlled on the ball which lets him control the tempo and he's a strong guy with a very good tactical awareness. In fact he reminds me of Marchisio in the after-Pirlo.

The thing, as you said, is the price. But he'll probably command a very doable salary and in the long run that will weigh through. And maybe, just maybe we can lower the price with another player...

But I'm curious which "better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad" you mean. An all-rounder that perfectly fits that distributing role is very hard to find.
 

K.O.

Senior Member
Nov 24, 2005
13,883
But I'm curious which "better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad" you mean. An all-rounder that perfectly fits that distributing role is very hard to find.
If I knew names, I would've mentioned them. I'm not a football scout. But I'd imagine young players with loads of potential are there in the Eredivise, Ligue 1 and Belgian Pro league. Not mentioning all the other minor European leagues.

I judge Locatelli, first by what I saw in the few games I watched Sassuolo. And then I turn into his overall stats to make sure I'm not missing something out. I see nothing special about the kid. We don't want to be tricked into this overhyped Italian youngsters year in year out.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/273539/Show/Manuel-Locatelli
 

Karim30

Allegri is back, life is back.
May 6, 2012
3,610
Couldn't agree less. The fact that he's actually suited to the position we haven't been able to fill since Pirlo left, is a massive upgrade over those 3 already. Bentancur, Rabiot & Bernardeschi still haven't found their ideal positions on the field, let alone in the Juve 11.

Locatelli can spray cross-field passes, shoot towards goal, drive the ball forward, is confident and controlled on the ball which lets him control the tempo and he's a strong guy with a very good tactical awareness. In fact he reminds me of Marchisio in the after-Pirlo.

The thing, as you said, is the price. But he'll probably command a very doable salary and in the long run that will weigh through. And maybe, just maybe we can lower the price with another player...

But I'm curious which "better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad" you mean. An all-rounder that perfectly fits that distributing role is very hard to find.
I totally agree with the Marchisio comparisons. As for the price I am sure it can be spread out with a loan deal+obligation to buy+bonus. Similar to Chiesa, Barella and Tonali deals that’s very common and would allow us to focus on another midfielder and a starting caliber fullback.
 

Nejc

Senior Member
May 13, 2006
1,989
Downgrade how?

Hard to downgrade when you have Ramsey, who's never available, and Berna. I think discarding Berna will feel like winning the CL.

Failing to get an established creative player, I see the backup SM-AM (likely SM-CM under a diff coach) being a good young player with potential who is capable of holding his own when Wes has to play CM. And then have Correia as reserve.
I prefer 10 games of Ramsey (as he is injured for the rest) and 40 of Mckennie than just 50 of Mckennie. I dont consider Bernadeschi for that or any other position.
I would prefer spending money on the “advanced” midfielder that would replace Ramsey instead of someone that would replace one of Rabiot and Bentancur as I think it would improve the team more. With the current way of playing we could have prime Xavi and Iniesta there and it wouldnt matter much if the other 8 players just watch them from a distance before the ball comes their way.
 

Robee

Senior Member
Jun 21, 2011
5,500
If I knew names, I would've mentioned them. I'm not a football scout. But I'd imagine young players with loads of potential are there in the Eredivise, Ligue 1 and Belgian Pro league. Not mentioning all the other minor European leagues.

I judge Locatelli, first by what I saw in the few games I watched Sassuolo. And then I turn into his overall stats to make sure I'm not missing something out. I see nothing special about the kid. We don't want to be tricked into this overhyped Italian youngsters year in year out.

https://www.whoscored.com/Players/273539/Show/Manuel-Locatelli
Well, don't take this the wrong way but it's too easy criticising and saying one can do better if you don't actually say how and who or at least give an example.

There will always be a better deal, in hindsight as well but at some point you have to make choices.

Plus we're desperately in need of a new Italian core. Buffon, Chiellini and Bonucci will be gone very soon which leaves us in the starting 11 with Chiesa, all on his own.
 

pavluska

Senior Member
Apr 25, 2013
7,339
I've seen Locatelli in few matches with Sassuolo and I'm totally unimpressed. He's just another decent midfielder who's in the same category with Rabiot and Bentancur if not lower.

Wasting big money on those young Italians when you can find much better and cheaper players with greater potential abroad is not smart. It's even more stupid considering we've already been there with the likes of Bernardeschi.
Damn. Now I feel like watching Sassuolo games, scout like ole days. Our mid future hangs on this decision.

One thing I was confused about - he seemed to play the second CM role and not the deeper of the two CMs, but here everyone calls him a regista. I know in younger years he regista'd, but does he play there for Sass and impresses (allegedly) in both of their CM roles?
 
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