Player Watch Player Watch: Giovani Lo Celso

[DiVaio]

I like him, good value for the money.

But we should be moving heaven and earth to try and get Grealish in.

... why for Grealish?

 

[slartibartfast]

And its his first season. Some hit the ground running. Some dont. No reason for it but it is what it is.
We'll see next season. Modric took a while remember.

 

[GLC10]

He's playing with an injury, however I think playing with Sissoko and Winks doesn't help him. His best version was CM with Dele or Lamela ahead of him.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

And its his first season. Some hit the ground running. Some dont. No reason for it but it is what it is.
We'll see next season. Modric took a while remember.

Roughly 18 months. His entire career might be different had Bale not emerged as undroppable on the left and both Jenas and Palacios gotten injured at the same time.

 

[14/04/91]

And its his first season. Some hit the ground running. Some dont. No reason for it but it is what it is.
We'll see next season. Modric took a while remember.

Exactly the point I was going to make. Some people don’t give new signings from abroad any time to adapt but he’s done remarkably well.

And that’s in a very unstable environment, multiple formations across 2 managers and carrying an injury but playing on with it.

Certainly encouraging for next season.

 

[JimmyG2]

Like the boy.
Skilful with a touch of Lamela edge about him.
Confident, settled in well considering
his stats can only improve.

 

[Ronwol196061]

The last few games the field has been open because of our renewed strength in defence. Mourinho has got the players playing finally with some great energy and having Winks and Sissoko as DM's created a good shield for the counter with all the runners we have. It all works when it works. At other times it doesnt and Poch had the same problem,we dont know how to beat the bus parkers and we recycle the ball a million times with no penetration. This has to be sorted but it needs ball players not runners when the margins and spaces get smaller.This is when Lo Celso should be expected to create.
Up to now I believe he has one assist so he better start thinking of getting the ball forward.They all look good in space.Moura,Son,Lamela etc but we need to create when the counter isnt on. I have a lot of faith in Bergwjin.He does go forward and Dele has much more talent than he often shows. Between all these players we have to be able to create.
Lo Celso looks good on the ball,but he really needs to get the ball through to Kane more or at least open up defences more especially when its tight.

 

[dtxspurs]

Did the club announce this? Or did Pochettino reveal it via carrier pidgin to select posters on AC?

See this post from me when we were first linked, ages before he actually signed:

Now obviously much of what I suggested hasn’t transpired (in that our midfield needed more than just him, and that he’s not done any better than Dembele in terms of goal output) but what I write about him positionally was based on actually watching him play a fair bit, which I imagine our scouts, analysts and manager at the time had done a damn site more than me.

Posters expecting him to be an Eriksen assists and goals replacement had zero clue what we were buying and based that assessment on what wiki said about his one decent goal output return in his career amidst years of not. It’s not that he’s incapable of having a productive role in the final third, his year at Betis proves he is, but he was the standout attacking player in a poor attack, which inflated his stats.

Or the fact in the two games he started under Poch he played him in the spot that Eriksen always played in...

Sure he had more graft than Eriksen but it was clear that Poch viewed his as the successor there.

 

[WiganSpur]

I think the reality is this; We were obviously linked with Bruno Fernandes and some wanted him over Lo Celso and understandably as Bruno is a quality player. I personally was more keen on Lo Celso given the performances I'd seen him put in against the likes of Madrid and Barca.

Fast forward to now and Bruno has gone to united and he has been an assist machine and scored a fair few and has really elevated United's play. Now again understandably given Lo Celso doesn't have much to show in the goals and assist column, people are probably questioning whether we made the correct decision and are being more critical of Lo Celso.

Now I think personally that some are missing the key part of this which is that Bruno is the final piece of the puzzle for the United midfield. They already have Pogba, they already have Mctominay so that's DM and deep lying play maker sorted, they also ontop of that have Fred and Matic meaning Fernandes is coming into a midfield which was just missing that attacking prowess.

You compare that to Lo Celso. I think everybody would agree he's the only midfielder of the 3 starting today you want to make your first 11 next season. He's the first component meaning, he's facing an entirely different set of circumstances. If we had Hojbjerg then that also should hopefully mean Ndombele fits in better and suddenly our midfield is fully functioning.

Let's judge to see if we made the right decision then. Not now when we're playing with a midfield borne of necessity and with Lo Celso carrying a groin injury.

Spot on. Put Bruno in front of Winks and Sissoko double pivot and it's a different story.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

Or the fact in the two games he started under Poch he played him in the spot that Eriksen always played in...

Sure he had more graft than Eriksen but it was clear that Poch viewed his as the successor there.

Then one must question Pochettino’s player analysis.

 

[TOLBINY]

1 Prem assist + 1 deflected Prem goal + only uses his left foot. Not yet worthy of fans raving about him. 'Needs time to settle' is not an excuse either, look at the impact Bruno Fernandes has had since January, we could have had him for the same kind of money instead of Lo Celso or Ndombele. Gutted!

 

[danielneeds]

Spot on. Put Bruno in front of Winks and Sissoko double pivot and it's a different story.

Also, United’s defence had been solid for a while in the months before they bought him. In essence the platform was there - solid defence behind him, young extremely pacey attack to feed. It was just the right chemistry.

Then you look at Lo Celso, Barely played a game for the manager who bought him. Comes into the side playing abysmally and leaking goals all over the place. New manager comes in with completely different philosophy. He’s done really well to adapt and become a key player.

Yes, he can do more. He’s got to skills to burst through midfield more, and he can be more adventurous in his passing, but I’m happy we’ve got him. Bruno will forever have been a sliding door, and it was just unfortunate no decent offers came in for Eriksen that summer. Even if we could have sold him for £35m and not signed Clarke, Bruno could have been attainable.

 

[C0YS]

1 Prem assist + 1 deflected Prem goal + only uses his left foot. Not yet worthy of fans raving about him. 'Needs time to settle' is not an excuse either, look at the impact Bruno Fernandes has had since January, we could have had him for the same kind of money instead of Lo Celso or Ndombele. Gutted!

Comparing Fernandes and Lo Celso is like comparing chalk and cheese. Different players, different positions. Stats don't say much about CMs. He has done very very well here.

 

[TOLBINY]

Comparing Fernandes and Lo Celso is like comparing chalk and cheese. Different players, different positions. Stats don't say much about CMs. He has done very very well here.

So if Utd offered us a straight swap you would say no?

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Then one must question Pochettino’s player analysis.

blooming heck. You found it absurd that anyone on here could possibly question Daniel Levy on football but quite happy to do the same with an actual football player/manager.

 

[Hazelton]

I still have faith in Ndombele but I have to admit that the thought of Lo Celso and Bruno Fernandes as a pair in front of Hojbjerg would be unbelievable. Shame.

 

[BringBack_leGin]

blooming heck. You found it absurd that anyone on here could possibly question Daniel Levy on football but quite happy to do the same with an actual football player/manager.

My comment was clearly facetious based on the assertion, completely lacking in basis, that the poster I was responding too had absolute knowledge on Pochettino’s intended use of Lo Celso.

Stop stalking me, it’s getting creepy. I’m not flattered and your feelings will remain unrequited.

 

[dtxspurs]

My comment was clearly facetious based on the assertion, completely lacking in basis, that the poster I was responding too had absolute knowledge on Pochettino’s intended us of Lo Celso.

Stop stalking me, it’s getting creepy. I’m not flattered and your feelings will remain unrequited.

All hail king BBLG.

 

[spursfan77]

I still have faith in Ndombele but I have to admit that the thought of Lo Celso and Bruno Fernandes as a pair in front of Hojbjerg would be unbelievable. Shame.

Ndombele is an expensive squad place. Selling him really could help us in a number of positions.

 

[Timberwolf]

1 Prem assist + 1 deflected Prem goal + only uses his left foot. Not yet worthy of fans raving about him. 'Needs time to settle' is not an excuse either, look at the impact Bruno Fernandes has had since January, we could have had him for the same kind of money instead of Lo Celso or Ndombele. Gutted!

Needs time to settle is a perfectly legitimate excuse, especially given the obvious talent he has. Modric had a middling first season and Bale didn't win a game for about 6000 matches. They didn't do great on paper, but we could all see the talent they had and it was proven over time. Look at other clubs and there are also tons of great players that took at least a season to get fully up to speed: Drogba, Pires, Evra, Sterling: the list goes on and on.

If he doesn't start scoring and assisting more next season I'll start to get a bit worried, but just throwing your toys out of the pram because he hasn't lived up to Bruno after an injury blighted season in which we've had 2 managers and constant upheaval, is ridiculous.

In spite of all the challenges I've still been really impressed with Lo Celso and think he's easily been one of our best players this season.