YoungWolf
World Cup 2014 PTG Champion - Not actually that Yo
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2010
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https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...itical-i-need-to-do-better-in-the-final-third
Nuno wants Traore to play as a striker. I just don't see that ever working.
The only thing I can think is that this is using the definition of striker that Nuno used with the media that one time. I.E., he considers all of the front three as strikers.
He can't really mean using Adama centrally. He just can't. Can he?
I think you are probably right Alan. Nuno has said it himself that he wants Traore to position himself higher.
My issue with Traore isn’t his end product (though of course that can be improved). His crossing is okay and when he runs at players in the final third, he causes issues for the opposition.
My issue is his general play in the team. When we signed him, having watched the way he could run with such speed and control from deep and the way a team like France counter attacked in the World Cup I could see the thinking from the club. And as Nuno keeps stressing, we want people who are going to offer different qualities to the team.
Problem is, so far he just hasn’t been able to function well within the team, which is what I think people (fairly so) predicted. His best performance in that sense was Spurs away I would say. He wasn’t electric at all times but his defensive positioning was better, he was able to reiieve pressure on the team breaking forward from deep and had the run on Davies at times. Typical he came off injured in that game!
It was a gamble and it doesn’t look like it will pay off but I think Nuno and the team are prepared to be patient with him. Cav is more likely to be sold first and then Costa for all his talent just looks bereft of confidence.