[Albion] Marc Cucurella *Signed For Chelsea 05/08/2022*

[Johnny RoastBeef]

One assist for March last season.

4 goals and 10 assists in 5 Premier League seasons. The sort of numbers that many players in his position would be disappointed with in a single season.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Slightly off topic, but Solly should be spending significant time working on his right foot, solely on that, if for nothing else than to make him less predictable to the opposition. You’d think someone like GP would be very much an advocate of neuroplasticity, re-training the brain to a less one-sided preference through repetitive drills and practice. It can be done.

Wasn’t an issue vs west ham


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[SeagullinExile]

4 goals and 10 assists in 5 Premier League seasons. The sort of numbers that many players in his position would be disappointed with in a single season.

More to do with our inability to put the ball in the net perhaps?

I’d be more interested in his chances created stats than the other two.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

One assist for March last season.

2 in the PL in fact.

The same as Welbeck, Maupay, Mac Allister, Lamptey and Bissouma and 1 more than Cucurella and Lallana. Only 1 less than Trossard and then only 2 less than Gross who also took the majority of set pieces.

What's your point?

 

[Terry Butcher Tribute Act]

It's not Caicedo though is it? It's Mac Allister

Yep. Who certainly wasn't signed as a defensive mid. He's a good option to have there mind you. But the fact we're looking at an actual defensive mid speaks volumes

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[Justice]

2 in the PL in fact.

The same as Welbeck, Maupay, Mac Allister, Lamptey and Bissouma and 1 more than Cucurella and Lallana. Only 1 less than Trossard and then only 2 less than Gross who also took the majority of set pieces.

What's your point?

If you had only listed players that play in forward roles I think it’s obvious what my point is.

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

If you had only listed players that play in forward roles I think it’s obvious what my point is.

What? Still none the wiser.

 

[dazzer6666]

Yep. Who certainly wasn't signed as a defensive mid. He's a good option to have there mind you. But the fact we're looking at an actual defensive mid speaks volumes

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Mac has the job, but as always need two players for every position……..

 

[Johnny RoastBeef]

More to do with our inability to put the ball in the net perhaps?

I’d be more interested in his chances created stats than the other two.

His xA total for 5 seasons is about 12. So not very good.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

More to do with our inability to put the ball in the net perhaps?

I’d be more interested in his chances created stats than the other two.

Yep 4th highest in the club last season, whilst featuring less often than the 3 players ahead of him 1,8 chances per 90 compared to 1.2 for Cucurella and 1.5 for Trossard.

 

[SeagullinExile]

Yep 4th highest in the club last season, whilst featuring less often than the 3 players ahead of him 1,8 chances per 90 compared to 1.2 for Cucurella and 1.5 for Trossard.

So not too shabby then. Cheers.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

His xA total for 5 seasons is about 12. So not very good.

Comparable with Trossard per 90 last season.

Trossard any good?

 

[Badger Boy]

If we do cash in on Cucurella, we need to sign a new left back/wing back. The difference that Cucurella made was obvious. It's all very well and good having squad players to fill in when we have injuries or a loss of form, but we need to have a top class specialist if we want to maintain last season's performance. Downgrading our left back/wing back option isn't going to help us progress.

 

[GT49er]

If we do cash in on Cucurella, we need to sign a new left back/wing back. The difference that Cucurella made was obvious. It's all very well and good having squad players to fill in when we have injuries or a loss of form, but we need to have a top class specialist if we want to maintain last season's performance. Downgrading our left back/wing back option isn't going to help us progress.

From the playing point of view, keeping Cucu would be the ideal. Talk of replacing him is all very well, but thhere probably isn't a like-for-like replacement out there anyway - even when playing LCB he still frequently manages to get up into the opposition penalty area in open play. Another specialist LB would be useful, but we should not under-estimate the squad we've got, and GP's ability to manage the way we play to compensate for Cucu's departure (if he departs).
Yes, it won't be quite as good without Cucu, but any doom and gloom merchants thinking all will be lost are way wide of the mark.

 

[Guinness Boy]

4 goals and 10 assists in 5 Premier League seasons. The sort of numbers that many players in his position would be disappointed with in a single season.

But what is his position?

Potter has done a decent job of turning him into a bits and pieces utility player but he’s not a better RWB than Lamptey, he’s not better on the left of defence than Cucerella, he’s not a better 10 than Gross or wide attacker than Trossard. He fills gaps brilliantly but don’t let us go into a Premier League season with him starting at LWB, please.


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[Couldn't Be Hyypia]

Yep. Who certainly wasn't signed as a defensive mid. He's a good option to have there mind you. But the fact we're looking at an actual defensive mid speaks volumes

Nor was Biss. He was touted as a box to box midfielder. He's improved since GPott moved him deeper and gave him a different role. (It's also been safer for people sitting wide of the goals).

 

[Badger Boy]

From the playing point of view, keeping Cucu would be the ideal. Talk of replacing him is all very well, but thhere probably isn't a like-for-like replacement out there anyway - even when playing LCB he still frequently manages to get up into the opposition penalty area in open play. Another specialist LB would be useful, but we should not under-estimate the squad we've got, and GP's ability to manage the way we play to compensate for Cucu's departure (if he departs).
Yes, it won't be quite as good without Cucu, but any doom and gloom merchants thinking all will be lost are way wide of the mark.

Of course, the man is brilliant. Anyone else who would come in would be different. I wouldn't say Cucurella was a like for like replacement of Dan Burn but he proved himself to be a significant upgrade in quality. Hopefully we keep him for another season, but if not then we'll need another left back/wing back to replace him in the team and hope that he develops as Cucurella did. At the start of last season, I couldn't have imagined Cucurella playing left of a back three but he looked natural and comfortable in that position in the last few games of last season.

Whatever happens, I'm confident we'll be fine. Individuals come and go, but the squad will cope with any losses.

 

[American Seagle]

I agree with [MENTION=43418]American Seagle[/MENTION]. If City aren't offering enough to prise him away (and he'll know his market rate), then he'll know that City aren't serious about signing him. And if they aren't serious about signing him, then they won't be that serious about playing him. He's either a prized asset to them, or he's not.

Exactly. Their low-ball offer will tell him something about how they really value and see him - and it does not look good.

 

[American Seagle]

But what is his position?

Potter has done a decent job of turning him into a bits and pieces utility player but he’s not a better RWB than Lamptey, he’s not better on the left of defence than Cucerella, he’s not a better 10 than Gross or wide attacker than Trossard. He fills gaps brilliantly but don’t let us go into a Premier League season with him starting at LWB, please.


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I really don't get the Solly March bashing around here. I take it that it is some kind of "over my head" humor on this site? He is one of our best players!

 

[American Seagle]

What City offer for him isn’t going to make him less likely to go there from his perspective. It’s standard football negotiating tactics. We did the same before paying the release fee for him last year!

I really don't think so. How do you think it comes across the player? "oh we really need you and want you and will tipple your wages etc and you are our top target, Pep loves you. But yeah sorry we only mean that if we can get you for a knock-down sale price"