Player Watch Player Watch: Rodrigo Bentancur

[Trix]

Bentancur is a technically decent player, showing composure on the ball and doesn’t mind a tackle. He is the blueprint signing moving forward.
As a team, we lack composure and technical ability in tight situations. Romero is the other class act. He shows similar composure on the ball. Until we see this as a prime attribute, we’ll never improve.

Yes and at £19mil is proof that you don't need to spend huge amounts of money on every new signing.

 

[Reado]

I think he's looked really classy the few times we've seen him. Always available, looks forward, good under pressure. I think it was the Leicester game where we played with 3 in the middle (PEH, Skipp and Winks I think) where we looked best in recent times, so would like to see him in that system in place of Winks.

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Think he’s very very good, can only get better but what really shocked me with him is how quickly he got used to being roughened up, he challenges for everything which is nice to see from a technical player

 

[PeeLee]

The new players look pretty good. As yet, though, we've seen relatively little of them. Make allowances for them. And put them in the context of other players who range from the excellent to the error-prone.

 

[Delboy75]

Not sure if posted. He just looks really comfortable on the ball. Compared to Winks and Hojbjerg that always look rushed. Can tackle good in the air, can thread a pass. Very decent player.

 

[nikojev]

Can't see what people are so hyped about. He plays sideways and backwards, seems really limited in his passing range and can't control the tempo very well. Decent engine but picks up a lot of cards and has been involved in some of the goals we've conceded by either not pressing (against southampton) or being out of position (vs wolves). This is basically how he was for Juventus, plus a lot of errors.

I'll give him time and let Conte work with him but for me he is quite average rn. Our midfield is ofc shite so he will get game time. He might be ok if you put a really good ballplayer next to him, but I don't he's a midfield maestro that will grab a game by the neck and take control.

 

[Tarricko]

I don't think he is going to blow the opposition away every game, but he is clearly a big step up and illustrative of the sort of technical player we've been missing so badly. All the best teams have loads of these types - they all have different skills but they can all stay calm on the ball and get out of tight spaces. Kovacic and Jorginho at Chelsea, Thiago at Liverpool, Pogba and Fernandes, any City player lol

We need a few more of these. Maybe one day we'll break a press.

 

[Trix]

Can't see what people are so hyped about. He plays sideways and backwards, seems really limited in his passing range and can't control the tempo very well. Decent engine but picks up a lot of cards and has been involved in some of the goals we've conceded by either not pressing (against southampton) or being out of position (vs wolves). This is basically how he was for Juventus, plus a lot of errors.

I'll give him time and let Conte work with him but for me he is quite average rn. Our midfield is ofc shite so he will get game time. He might be ok if you put a really good ballplayer next to him, but I don't he's a midfield maestro that will grab a game by the neck and take control.

In the very limited time he's played so far I've seen off the top of my head at least 3 very good through balls between numerous opposition players to put players through on goal. Considering that's not supposed to be one of his main strengths, that's incredibly encouraging. Don't get mistaken into thinking he's supposed to be a creative force because he isn't. He's been here 5 minutes and getting used to the pace of the game, and his new team mates. No player is going to come into the Premier league from the slower paced Italian league, and after 2 hours of football be able to dictate the tempo of games.

 

[tiger666]

In the very limited time he's played so far I've seen off the top of my head at least 3 very good through balls between numerous opposition players to put players through on goal. Considering that's not supposed to be one of his main strengths, that's incredibly encouraging. Don't get mistaken into thinking he's supposed to be a creative force because he isn't. He's been here 5 minutes and getting used to the pace of the game here and his new team mates, no player is going to come into the Prem and after 2 hours of football here be able to dictate the tempo of games.

Some people made their minds up about him before he even kicked a ball for us. Same with Kulusevski.

 

[dace]

imho he has come to the PL where football is played at crazy speeds from a technical and much slower league and has performed extremely well, fitted in from minute one and is an absolute upgrade on what we have, great to have him at Spurs.

 

[gavspur]

Not sure if posted. He just looks really comfortable on the ball. Compared to Winks and Hojbjerg that always look rushed. Can tackle good in the air, can thread a pass. Very decent player.

Blimey, how many touches of the ball did he get? Must have been more than anyone else?

 

[spids]

In a 3 man CM, like we saw away at Leicester, he could be the calming influence between two enforcers who will aggressively press (Skipp and Højbjerg). We simply have to play 3-5-2 now (or 4-3-3) as with only 2 CMs in a 3-4-3 anyone in the PL will out play us.

 

[Aphex]

He's quite clearly levels above our current CM's from a technical perspective.

It really is a damning indictment on the recruitment in the past.

Romero and Bentancur are encouraging additions, now we just need 5 or 6 more.

 

[Trix]

He's quite clearly levels above our current CM's from a technical perspective.

It really is a damning indictment on the recruitment in the past.

Romero and Bentancur are encouraging additions, now we just need 5 or 6 more.

I agree 6 is what's optimally required, personally I'd be happy with 4 in the Summer as long as they were all starting XI upgrades. A CB, RWB, CM and a forward are what is absolutely necessary. A core of Hugo, Romero, Dier, Bentancur, Kane and Son with at least 4 other starters would signify a successful first year for FP and really give Conte something to work with next season. I think there could be more than that but that'll depend on who leaves imo. We have to be realistic here in that we aren't going to get a fully finished squad this Summer, but that doesn't mean we can't make what we've got competitive for trophies.

 

[Bobbins]

Yes and at £19mil is proof that you don't need to spend huge amounts of money on every new signing.

All of our best signings in the last decade have been relatively-cheap or medium-priced players.

Vertonghen, Dembele, Eriksen, Toby, Son - and younger players like Walker, Rose and Dier.

Every single time we've gone out there and smashed our transfer records or gone big on a player it's failed.

Every, single, time.

Yes, it's much more difficult to do the types of deals for those players listed above these days as most European teams have wised-up to stop selling their assets cheaply, and every young player in England is now insanely overpriced at every level of the structure - but the Bentancur deal shows there is still quality to be found out there at the right price.

I have very little faith that we'll keep doing the right thing, though.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

All of our best signings in the last decade have been relatively-cheap or medium-priced players.

Vertonghen, Dembele, Eriksen, Toby, Son - and younger players like Walker, Rose and Dier.

Every single time we've gone out there and smashed our transfer records or gone big on a player it's failed.

Every, single, time.

Yes, it's much more difficult to do the types of deals for those players listed above these days as most European teams have wised-up to stop selling their assets cheaply, and every young player in England is now insanely overpriced at every level of the structure - but the Bentancur deal shows there is still quality to be found out there at the right price.

I have very little faith that we'll keep doing the right thing, though.

Just got a notification for this. He makes a good point.

 

[Aphex]

Just got a notification for this. He makes a good point.

It doesn't take into account wages and the fact that some of those players we just couldn't attract.

No way we were able to sign Cancelo, Silva, Mahrez, Gundogan. All of those players apart from Zinchenko, we wouldn't have been able to bring to the club.

I'm not excusing our scouting, it's been appalling, but because City are higher in the food chain, they are able to take advantage of some of these deals, even when they are actually fairly reasonable fees. Unfortunately what we seem to find, is we are only able to attract a certain level of player when bigger clubs aren't in for them. You look at Lo Celso and Ndombele and you wonder, did the other elite clubs steer clear precisely because they saw something we didn't? I think there is truth in that. I think we were able to do those deals because the clubs went to us, ' go for it, we don't want'.

 

[ukdy]

He makes a good point

It's actually a terrible point, because it solely focuses on just the raw number cheque book aspect. I agree on the scouting letting us down, but those players wouldn't have come to us.

The stature of City, their European competition prospects, playing alongside 2 world class players in every position, the salary structure of the club and also recent history of Man City are vastly different to Tottenham. This is also true in varying degrees for Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool against Tottenham.

Bentancur is a good start, I've liked everything I've seen of him since he joined. More of the same please.

 

[CoopsieDeadpool]

It doesn't take into account wages and the fact that some of those players we just couldn't attract.

No way we were able to sign Cancelo, Silva, Mahrez, Gundogan. All of those players apart from Zinchenko, we wouldn't have been able to bring to the club.

I'm not excusing our scouting, it's been appalling, but because City are higher in the food chain, they are able to take advantage of some of these deals, even when they are actually fairly reasonable fees. Unfortunately what we seem to find, is we are only able to attract a certain level of player when bigger clubs aren't in for them. You look at Lo Celso and Ndombele and you wonder, did the other elite clubs steer clear precisely because they saw something we didn't? I think there is truth in that. I think we were able to do those deals because the clubs went to us, ' go for it, we don't want'.

It's actually a terrible point, because it solely focuses on just the raw number cheque book aspect. I agree on the scouting letting us down, but those players wouldn't have come to us.

The stature of City, their European competition prospects, playing alongside 2 world class players in every position, the salary structure of the club and also recent history of Man City are vastly different to Tottenham. This is also true in varying degrees for Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool against Tottenham.

Bentancur is a good start, I've liked everything I've seen of him since he joined. More of the same please.

I thought the point was pretty clear, in respect that the outlay hasn't been well spent in comparison to City's business.

I never even suggested we could attract the players listed, or pay the wages they are on at City. And neither did the Tweet.

Sorry.

 

[hughy]

Just got a notification for this. He makes a good point.

It's easy when you have an unlimited supply of funds to throw at signings though, more chances of some sticking. They have had their fair share of disappointments for the money spent. £50m on Mendy, £40m on Ake, £40m on Mangala, £40m on Otamendi. Also £46m on Sane who is a fantastic player who for one reason or another never really worked out for them and £50m on Stones who has blown hot and cold throughout his City career.