Paulo Dybala (99 Viewers)

Legend or Rookie? ***non-official poll***


  • Total voters
    140
  • Poll closed .

Cerval

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2016
26,829
No but dybala is an important player for the side and he needs to learn how to deal with teams with physical style of play
Messi is stronger than Dybala, and is also much faster. I love Paulo, but he's not the person we're designing our team around atm, and it won't happen until at least a couple of years.
Do you guys remember Dybala's last minute goal against Lazio where he was pushed and shoved, he hold off and still scored?

He's not thaaaat weak, used to be a lot worse and presently he can still hold and provoke the foul otherwise. I don't see it as big an issue as you do
 

Ronn

#TeamPestoFlies
May 3, 2012
19,519
Do you guys remember Dybala's last minute goal against Lazio where he was pushed and shoved, he hold off and still scored?

He's not thaaaat weak, used to be a lot worse and presently he can still hold and provoke the foul otherwise. I don't see it as big an issue as you do
I do, but I don't remember any other example.
 

MikeM

Footballing Hipster celebrating 4th place with Tuz
Sep 21, 2008
12,451
True, but in my opinion strength is that key parameter that he doesn't have. I can't think of any successful number 9 who doesn't have that.
Well surely Mertens is a recent example. Antonio Di Natale, David Villa. Lacazette is not exactly a beast. Timo Werner scores a lot. Gabriel Jesus stronger than Dybala? Debatable. Kevin Gemeiro scored a lot a few years ago. Griezmann has played #9 before.

But Dybala was always a #9. He had that famous goal when he was young against Milan: But he hasn't played this position in our jersey so you won't see many examples, naturally. I think the main thing is that we have CR7, and his presence pins the CBs back. So you don't need a traditional #9 to hold them there. They won't come out.

For example, you might say, well how can Dybala come get a ball at the top of the box if the CB will just follow and bludgeon him? Well the CB is gambling that CR7 doesn't take that space he leaves. Would the CB really do that? And so you can see that Dybala might come free a lot of the time as a #9 and his strength is irrelevant.

 

Ronn

#TeamPestoFlies
May 3, 2012
19,519
Well surely Mertens is a recent example. Antonio Di Natale, David Villa. Lacazette is not exactly a beast. Timo Werner scores a lot. Gabriel Jesus stronger than Dybala? Debatable. Kevin Gemeiro scored a lot a few years ago. Griezmann has played #9 before.

But Dybala was always a #9. He had that famous goal when he was young against Milan: But he hasn't played this position in our jersey so you won't see many examples, naturally. I think the main thing is that we have CR7, and his presence pins the CBs back. So you don't need a traditional #9 to hold them there. They won't come out.

For example, you might say, well how can Dybala come get a ball at the top of the box if the CB will just follow and bludgeon him? Well the CB is gambling that CR7 doesn't take that space he leaves. Would the CB really do that? And so you can see that Dybala might come free a lot of the time as a #9 and his strength is irrelevant.

I'm not saying Dybala is a bad player. All I'm saying that he needs specific setup around him to work. He's also a 100m-rated player, so I wouldn't compare him to Lazazette and Gameiro. I believe Guardiola and Sarri systems contributed a lot to Mertens and Jesus' success. I understand the setup you're explaining, and it might work, but 100m rated players should be able to play in more than one setup.
 

Clamarc

Senior Member
Sep 26, 2018
1,862
It's not a matter of physical strength, Dybala isn't that weak but unlike Berna, Costa, or Messi, he lacks the speed. He has good control which enable him to get out of tight pressing but once he gets past his opponent it'll only take few seconds to catch up with him. That's why you rarely see him dribbling the ball like Berna did yesterday. Juve game are slower when he's on the pitch since he will wait for a teammate to pass rather than dribbling the ball alone toward goal. Besides Dybala right foot is nonexistent so it's easy to corner him and make him uncomfortable. Dybala actually is similar to ADP but ADP is great with both feet and much better dribbler

Play him closer to the goal where he doesn't need to dribble more than 20 m and he'll thrive
 
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Hydde

Minimiliano Tristelli
Mar 6, 2003
38,703
Yeh. Pretty much right now the only positino left for him to play is as false 9, our tactics have pigeonholed him to that... and ironically, it could be his best formation.

After yesterday, i even think that we can survive without Mandz headers and Dybalas lack of heigh..... because ronaldo has more header prowess in him than both dybala and mandzu combined.

Dybala is the kind of player that only needs some space to unleash his left in quick plays, or kick free kicks.. Thats dybala in a nutshell
 
Jan 22, 2016
2,131
There was a period in this season where Mandzukic was out injured and we played with no real 9 in the line up.
We played really well and had lots of possession on the process.

I don't see it why we cant do that again. With both Matuidi and Emre on the pitch, we have enough cover at the back to add this guy in the line up.

Let's not forget, on his day, this guy is as impactful as Ronaldo.
 

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
41,819
Well surely Mertens is a recent example. Antonio Di Natale, David Villa. Lacazette is not exactly a beast. Timo Werner scores a lot. Gabriel Jesus stronger than Dybala? Debatable. Kevin Gemeiro scored a lot a few years ago. Griezmann has played #9 before.

But Dybala was always a #9. He had that famous goal when he was young against Milan: But he hasn't played this position in our jersey so you won't see many examples, naturally. I think the main thing is that we have CR7, and his presence pins the CBs back. So you don't need a traditional #9 to hold them there. They won't come out.

For example, you might say, well how can Dybala come get a ball at the top of the box if the CB will just follow and bludgeon him? Well the CB is gambling that CR7 doesn't take that space he leaves. Would the CB really do that? And so you can see that Dybala might come free a lot of the time as a #9 and his strength is irrelevant.

Griezmann and Jesus are much faster than Dybala.

We keep saying false 9, me too, but Dybala has looked at his best as an SS playing in a front 2, a la Del Piero. That Mandzu-Dybala front 2 in his first season here was the most effective I’ve seen Dybala in terms of his overall impact on the game. Even his better games of the Higgy era were when he stayed further forward and played off Higgy instead of always dropping deep to connect the lines.

People talk about Aguero similarities, but even his best for Man City imo has been when he’s partnered by another striker up front... Dzeko, Jesus, etc.

I’d like to see Ronaldo-Dybala-Berna. But even if it’s listed that way, I doubt we see Dybala playing as the outright 9, nor do I think it would be all that effective. He’ll be playing in more of a partnership with Ronaldo, in a free attacking role, with Bernadeschi linking the mid to them.

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This was probably the best example of Dybala playing as a false 9 for Juventus. Costa and Berna on either side of him. You could see that it is his natural position.

His natural position is a secondary/support striker in a front 2 alongside a more traditional striker. In the past this would have been exactly what he was. Unfortunately that position has fallen out of fashion in the obsessed with 4-3-3 era.
 

LiquidPLP

Senior Member
Jun 9, 2012
12,237
Griezmann and Jesus are much faster than Dybala.

We keep saying false 9, me too, but Dybala has looked at his best as an SS playing in a front 2, a la Del Piero. That Mandzu-Dybala front 2 in his first season here was the most effective I’ve seen Dybala in terms of his overall impact on the game. Even his better games of the Higgy era were when he stayed further forward and played off Higgy instead of always dropping deep to connect the lines.

People talk about Aguero similarities, but even his best for Man City imo has been when he’s partnered by another striker up front... Dzeko, Jesus, etc.

I’d like to see Ronaldo-Dybala-Berna. But even if it’s listed that way, I doubt we see Dybala playing as the outright 9, nor do I think it would be all that effective. He’ll be playing in more of a partnership with Ronaldo, in a free attacking role, with Bernadeschi linking the mid to them.

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His natural position is a secondary/support striker in a front 2 alongside a more traditional striker. In the past this would have been exactly what he was. Unfortunately that position has fallen out of fashion in the obsessed with 4-3-3 era.
You're not wrong in what you're saying but we don't have a classic #9 except Mandzukic now. Besides, in 433 we obviously don't play with an SS, you need to have the width.
The point here though is that Dybala has to play closer to the goal, he's wasted when playing so deep. IMO with Ronaldo, you can definitely play Dybala as a false #9. He'll be swapping positions with Ronaldo anyway. It' just that Dybala shouldn't be deployed as a winger, that's Bernardeschi's and Costa's job (Cuadrado would fit the bill as well but he's been injured for so long :( ).

IMO Dybala's biggest downside is lack of speed but acceleration. Being weak is not a problem when he plays closer to the goal and is constantly on the move (yeah, those two are really necessary, Mertens is a good example here). He's not that easy to dispossess in tight spaces but actually very easy to make a foul on. It's exactly the opposite in open spaces far away from the goal I'd say.

Either way, I think it'd be very nice if Allegri gave Dybala a couple of games where he'd play much closer to the goal with either Ronaldo or even Kean. Mandzukic is completely off form right now, so having alternatives is much needed. Serie A is in the bag, so I expect Max to try new things out and revive Dybala who so far seems like a shadow of his former self. I'd hate to lose him because of lack of room for such a gifted and effective player.
 

Post Ironic

Senior Member
Feb 9, 2013
41,819
I think what I’m trying to say is that with a front 3 of Ronaldo-Dybala-Bernadeschi in a 4-3-3 on the teamsheet.. our attack is not actually going to look at all like 4-3-3 front line... and Dybala isn’t going to look like a #9/false 9 because that’s not really the way he plays, even when he played closer to goal for us and centrally in the past. He’s always loved drifting out wide right, and he’s always dropped deep to get involved in build-up. And with Ronaldo who loves playing in and around the box for long periods of games... and Bernadeschi who often cuts in centrally to create from just outside the box... that looks to be more of a positionless trio than anything else (which is very intriguing).

What has me excited about the idea of those 3 forming our attack (at times), is just how versatile they all are. All 3 can and will drop deep and help build play... all 3 can create chances for others... all 3 can operate centrally or drift wide... 2 of the 3 are lethal finishers, and the other isn’t half bad... etc. They could confuse the shit out of defenders with their movements, switches, overlaps, and creativity.
 

Cerval

Senior Member
Feb 20, 2016
26,829
He did play well for 20 minutes. Do you think that he should start over Bernadeschi based on that game performance? Thats another question all together
Never implied so, simply that he played well. Both can play, it doesn't have to be one or the other

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I'm also fine with benching Dybala if the team plays better, but I'm sure he can still add something to the squad. Either startibg or from the bench
 

The Quazis

Senior Member
Dec 21, 2012
5,083
I think what I’m trying to say is that with a front 3 of Ronaldo-Dybala-Bernadeschi in a 4-3-3 on the teamsheet.. our attack is not actually going to look at all like 4-3-3 front line... and Dybala isn’t going to look like a #9/false 9 because that’s not really the way he plays, even when he played closer to goal for us and centrally in the past. He’s always loved drifting out wide right, and he’s always dropped deep to get involved in build-up. And with Ronaldo who loves playing in and around the box for long periods of games... and Bernadeschi who often cuts in centrally to create from just outside the box... that looks to be more of a positionless trio than anything else (which is very intriguing).

What has me excited about the idea of those 3 forming our attack (at times), is just how versatile they all are. All 3 can and will drop deep and help build play... all 3 can create chances for others... all 3 can operate centrally or drift wide... 2 of the 3 are lethal finishers, and the other isn’t half bad... etc. They could confuse the shit out of defenders with their movements, switches, overlaps, and creativity.
@MikeM
 

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