Sandro Tonali

[Andy]

1 hour ago, madras said:

Looked well suited the last few games. 

 

Nah, he can't have, Italians can't adapt in this league. It's a well known fact. 

[andycap]

I recall when he weren't getting picked I said that city and Co would be looking at him. 

And a few on here where saying he wasn't good enough for them or words to that effect 😂. 

 

 

Edited December 31, 2024 by andycap

[GeordieDazzler]

 

[Andy]

One thing I noticed last night was that he seemed a lot more vocal than I've seen previously. He was dishing out a few words to Joelinton and Bruno for either not pressing in sync with him or not being where he wanted them to be. I think as he grows in the team he'll become a real leader for us in the middle. 

[wormy]

1 minute ago, Andy said:

One thing I noticed last night was that he seemed a lot more vocal than I've seen previously. He was dishing out a few words to Joelinton and Bruno for either not pressing in sync with him or not being where he wanted them to be. I think as he grows in the team he'll become a real leader for us in the middle. 

 

 Said after the Villa game, he'll be in that leadership group and the captain pecking order soon enough. Strikes me as the kind of player that feeds off of that responsibility.

 

It'll really help put him in the shop window for his come and get me plea to Milan, too. 

[duo]

6 hours ago, PauloGeordio said:

[duo]

3 hours ago, KaKa said:

Pretty outrageous the extent to which he has transformed the team.

 

The difference he has made defensively is a joke. That midfield gap is rarely present anymore.

 

Big reason why we have not conceded in the last 4 games.

 

Do we have the best midfield in the league?

Yes - not just as individuals but collectively. The interchanging / passing with each other destroyed Man U in the 1st half.

[Heron]

1 hour ago, Roids said:

this is rubbish, Howe was being over pragmatic getting him bedded in. I'm glad we're finally here though 

 

 

 

It's not rubbish though. Players take time to bed in and he has had to undertake that process to get us to where we are now at.

[TRon]

8 hours ago, PauloGeordio said:

 

 

Love it.

[nufc123]

4 hours ago, SUPERTOON said:

I keep mentioning it after every game, I absolutely love his speed of play and his one touch passing.

It looks so easy, but its so effective.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

4 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

 

Love it.

Especially the new badge. 

[Roids]

45 minutes ago, Heron said:

It's not rubbish though. Players take time to bed in and he has had to undertake that process to get us to where we are now at.

it's rubbish, he was an highly touted regular for Milan as well as an Italian international replacing Sean Longstaff

[Heron]

1 hour ago, Roids said:

it's rubbish, he was an highly touted regular for Milan as well as an Italian international replacing Sean Longstaff

Aye it doesn't mean he slots straight in and fits the set up

[Memphis]

My favorite kind of player and one we haven't had in a long time. Finally able to play the role he is suited for. He is the type of player the very best sides have, always available to receive a pass, always ready to distribute and continue a move.

 

Scans the field constantly, always seems to know exactly where to go with the ball. Makes intelligent late runs and is absolutely going to get goals - obviously should have had one yesterday. 

 

He is instrumental in allowing everyone ahead of him to express themselves. His emergence is crucial to our current form. Love him.

[Magpie]

Tell you one thing, I'd have him on more set pieces, still being massively underused from that perspective. He's miles better than Bruno for instance.

[Deuce]

Had that shot not hit the post that would’ve been a goal of the year contender. Insane buildup.

[Jimburst]

15 hours ago, madras said:

Didnt know where to put this thought but here seems as good a place as any.

 

This midfield hasn't peeked yet, they're only just jelling. I think Tonalis delay at moving in to his position was him getting the pace of the prem and also Bruno getting to Tonalis pace, the keeping the ball moving, more first touch in certain areas.

 

For all we are still basically at first sight a 433, since Tonali has moved there is a lot more going on. So looking forward to how(e) this evolves going forward.

 

 

 

 

Peaked, gelled, Tonali's. 

[dave s]

lots of people were screaming for a midfield general to solidify that gap in front of defence. think we got him here, but he’s also slick as fuck in other ways. really exciting 

[madras]

1 hour ago, Jimburst said:

 

Peaked, gelled, Tonali's. 

All done deliberately to prove my intelligence isn't artificial

[Stottie]

I thought Tonali was a bizarre signing given our needs, our budget, and the limited record of Italians in English football, but have been proved wrong. I thought this because he played in a double pivot at Milan and didn't do something that obviously fitted our system when we bought him. He's now operating mostly as a single pivot, but with one press-resistant, foul-drawing, key-passing eight and another dynamic ball-carrying, ultra-destroying, former-striker one. It was not obvious that Tonali would thrive doing this, but its looking very good on the evidence so far. 

 

My overall theory though is that if you sign good enough players, you can teach em a new system. This also applies to barroom discussions of players from the past. The better ones would likely thrive in modern football too, but would merely learn different skillsets. They would not be stuck in whatever outdated role they did in the 1980s, 1990s, or whenever.

[Conjo]

2 hours ago, Magpie said:

Tell you one thing, I'd have him on more set pieces, still being massively underused from that perspective. He's miles better than Bruno for instance.

 

Agree he's being underused, but Bruno can put in some set pieces I haven't seen Tonali do, like that awkward floated free kick, which isn't really floated but floats (  ) from the edge of the box that Schar scored against Liverpool as the most recent clear example. It's more a case of utilising the right set piece takers for the right situations imo rather than one being "miles" better than the other.

[andycap]

Captain material for me like. 

Not afraid to lead by example and get stuck into our star players if needed. 

[midds]

Looks like a Rolls Royce atm, he's got the lot - touch, technique, range of passing, awareness, vision, quick and can break forward and get involved in the final third, got a decent shot on him and more than capable of playing that killer pass, decision making looks superb too. He also looks motivated and is a talker too, other players respond to him and he'll raise their games as a result. He's top fucking class

[PauloGeordio]

20 minutes ago, midds said:

Looks like a Rolls Royce atm, he's got the lot - touch, technique, range of passing, awareness, vision, quick and can break forward and get involved in the final third, got a decent shot on him and more than capable of playing that killer pass, decision making looks superb too. He also looks motivated and is a talker too, other players respond to him and he'll raise their games as a result. He's top fucking class

Yeah but other than that what's the Roman ever done for us?

[M1tche]

That pop it off and move to find a better bit of space, looks so simple and is a very effective to bet the press and be more press resistant. 

 

It's also 1 of the most frustrating things to try and do when players don't just give back to you after the bit of movement. So glad they're all OK the same wavelength, and it works so often.