[Albion] Facundo Buonanotte **On Loan To Leicester 10/08/24**

[raymondo]

Ali Mac made it clear in his interview the other night that he was mentoring the younger South Americans. A couple of days away with Mac and Perv will do Facu the world of good I reckon. We have asked a lot of him in a short space of time, playing in an unfamiliar position in an unfamiliar league.
Re the loan option, we only really do this when the player is highly unlikely to feature in the first team. Facu and Ayari are clearly seen as an integral part of the first team squad and RDZ will be keen to keep them around to bring them on under his own tutelage, as he/the club has done with Enciso and Sarmiento.

Yes, I think that's right.
A break will be good for all 3 of them.

 

[kuzushi]

Great potential, no doubt he will be a very good player in another year or two, but yesterday was not the game to start him in. He’s needs to be eased into things. He’s still learning the game, and because of his age is a little lightweight against the more physical sides. Enciso or March starting instead would have made us far more effective going forward.

I hope De Zerbi reads these threads of ours. A lot of pointers for him to be found here.

 

[Machiavelli]

He went past the fullback multiple times but there was no options for him after that.

Enciso is best wide right cutting in or behind the striker.

Buonanotte is similar but probably best centrally.

Agree on the behind the striker comment, but disagree on the right. Solly was devastating and Enciso looked dangerous at that stage. When Solly went off and Enciso moved to the right, his perfomance dropped substantially. He's much better on the left than the right, that's where his best performances have come (eg Wolves).

 

[brighton_tom]

I hope De Zerbi reads these threads of ours. A lot of pointers for him to be found here.

Just my opinion

 

[kuzushi]

Just my opinion

It's a fair opinion, nothing wrong with it. I'm just being silly.

 

[dazzer6666]

FB did pretty well against Man U, increasingly grew into the game. Think he has looked comparatively more assured than Enciso did initially. Won’t be long before he’s full up to speed.

 

[Zeberdi]

getting used to 'English' football, and bulking up - or whether he can be managed to do that with limited game time with us next season.

Getting used to English football certainly but he doesn’t need to bulk up that much imo and is certainly bulkier and more physical than the more diminutive Enciso - in fact he’s managed to loose a bit of weight - I thought he was a bit too overweight when he was playing for Rosario judging from videos and photos and is now looking very much better and more muscular.

I’m completely confused though as to why anyone would think a very talented player that RDZ has brought straight into the first team after a few months of signing and started several times already will have ‘limited game time next season’ - he will be starting regularly imo after a summer of training and US friendlies- he is improving every time he plays in terms of tackling and decision making - this is not the time for him to be held back by not using him. The more he plays, the quicker he will be integrated.

He needs a bit of self belief and start taking people on.

The reticence to tackle and go one 2 one was one of the ‘weaknesses’ I noted in his debut games but that is changing - he is making more challenges and fighting harder to retain possession when tackled. I thought after the Everton match, he does need to watch his timing on tackles though - and what the ‘acceptable ’ boundaries are for EPL football challenges are or he will start collecting Yellows!

The ‘self-belief’ is there though imo, I honestly don’t believe that is a particular problem - he is a very motivated player that was a large fish in a small pond. Watching old videos of him playing with Rosy, I get the impression he was used to having the freedom to play out of position more and cover more areas of the pitch to drive the ball forward when counterattacking - we saw some of that attacking energy in the Man U game.

With RDZ however, the roles and responsibilities are very clearly defined - they need to be in order for the sort of systematic football De Zerbi wants to play to work - confidence in understanding what RDZ expects from him, where he needs to be and positional understanding of his teammates roles (and therefore his decision making) is a learning curve for Buonanotte as it has been for all the team - RDZ has some very set ideas and a very clear vision of how he wants his team to plaY - even the older ones are still re-learning approaches to their historically preferred style of play.

I think when the young, ambitious Facu really embraces the De Zerbi way and trusts that RDZ will develop and expand his game not limit it, he will make a sudden breakthrough that will surprise many of his detractors.

I think he has been scapegoated by some fans very unfairly in the past few games - both of which has shown exponential progress in all areas of his game despite not having had the academy or pre-loan experience of many of our other young signings - and I honestly don’t know why he has been at the receiving end of so many disparaging remarks tbh - all evidence points to this lad oozing raw talent and having almost unlimited potential who deserves a bit of love and support from the fans.

 

[GT49er]

Getting used to English football certainly but he doesn’t need to bulk up that much imo and is certainly bulkier and more physical than the more diminutive Enciso - in fact he’s managed to loose a bit of weight - I thought he was a bit too overweight when he was playing for Rosario judging from videos and photos and is now looking very much better and more muscular.

I’m completely confused though as to why anyone would think a very talented player that RDZ has brought straight into the first team after a few months of signing and started several times already will have ‘limited game time next season’ - he will be starting regularly imo after a summer of training and US friendlies- he is improving every time he plays in terms of tackling and decision making - this is not the time for him to be held back by not using him. The more he plays, the quicker he will be integrated.

As I said, the loan route is good for some. Doubtless the club will use metrics unavailable to you and I to decide if this would be the best way ahead. At the moment, he is a bit behind the curve (and that is no criticism of an 18 (or is it 19?) year old - keep hooking him at half time? - or other ways forward. Let's see what the club decides to do (and hope it's successful).

 

[BadFish]

I hope De Zerbi reads these threads of ours. A lot of pointers for him to be found here.

He does, thats why he is so good!!

Note that we didn't do a 'how not to get beaten by a Dyche team' thread?

He hasn't go a clue without us

 

[Klaas]

Ibiza, footballers and rest, don't normally go together.

I caveat that heavily, with the fact that I don't know they are actually there

Ibiza, ENGLISH footballers and rest, don't normally go together.

Can not imagine Alexis going out necking pills and raving all night. Sensible chap.

 

[nwgull]

It's a fair opinion, nothing wrong with it. I'm just being silly.

I often consider the futility of many of the discussions and arguments on here about who should play where etc. Sometimes it gets so heated that you’d think that the consensus of NSC actually picks the team!

 

[Marshy]

Anyone who thinks this lad isnt good enough is an idiot !

proper player.

 

[raymondo]

I often consider the futility of many of the discussions and arguments on here about who should play where etc. Sometimes it gets so heated that you’d think that the consensus of NSC actually picks the team!

And while we pull our hair out in frustrating discussions and arguments...3 of the squad relax on the beach in Ibiza

 

[raymondo]

Anyone who thinks this lad isnt good enough is an idiot !

proper player.

He'll be good . Starting life in the PL is hard and he's been dropped straight in. Enciso didn't look great at first, and now he's very strong.

 

[nwgull]

And while we pull our hair out in frustrating discussions and arguments...3 of the squad relax on the beach in Ibiza

On the assumption that they’re not going out on the piss, this seems like a quite a sensible approach at this stage of the season.

 

[Joey Jo Jo Jr. Shabadoo]

On the assumption that they’re not going out on the piss, this seems like a quite a sensible approach at this stage of the season.

It’s possibly also been allowed to ease the disappointment Facundo felt after we blocked his u20s call up. Few days on the beach with a couple of mates enjoying the sun will help him get his head straight if there was any lingering problems.

 

[raymondo]

On the assumption that they’re not going out on the piss, this seems like a quite a sensible approach at this stage of the season.

I agree, it's very sensible, it's us fans I was chiding

 

[kuzushi]

He does, thats why he is so good!!
Note that we didn't do a 'how not to get beaten by a Dyche team' thread?
He hasn't go a clue without us

That's true, we didn't

 

[BadFish]

That's true, we didn't

What more proof do you need?

 

[albionalex]

Ibiza, ENGLISH footballers and rest, don't normally go together.

Can not imagine Alexis going out necking pills and raving all night. Sensible chap.

Not that this means anything but I understand he and his gf broke up recently.