Tiemoue Bakayoko

[robsblubot 3,205]

7 hours ago, Jason said:

But conclusively saying Bakayoko would be no improvement on Matic after a few games is silly.

Is it really beneficial to have a player who's slow in passing the ball and capable of using only one foot? Matic may have more technical ability than Bakayoko at this point but the latter is better at beating the pressing game. As we have seen lots of time last season, especially against Spurs, Matic doesn't fare well when being pressed and even struggles physically. Bakayoko, on the other hand, has shown on numerous occasions that he can take the ball and bulldozes his way past people, which is incredibly in driving the opposition back. It is funny that Matic's flaws in this team seem to have been forgotten now that he's no longer playing for us.

Baka won't change his characteristics as a player anytime soon, so I do say, categorically that he is not going to be an improvement over Matic, because in my view we needed someone more technical: someone more like Fabregas, as opposed to Kante. Baka is just a more powerful (and tall) and less mobile (and skillful) kante.

We can revisit every point that "proves" Matic is a terrible player, but since I don't agree with them - and find quite silly that a player that had so many MotM performances for us, some in very tough away games, is still questioned esp about his ability to play under pressure.

I can speak for myself and am NOT impressed by Baka's technique. Would love to be proven wrong and that he himself produces many MoTM performances for us, but right now I just don't see it happening. In my opinion Matic is/was far more technical despite his flaws - some of which are overplayed around here (Diego Maradona was ridiculously one-footed).

[Jase 43,479]

23 minutes ago, Robguima said:

Baka won't change his characteristics as a player anytime soon, so I do say, categorically that he is not going to be an improvement over Matic, because in my view we needed someone more technical: someone more like Fabregas, as opposed to Kante. Baka is just a more powerful (and tall) and less mobile (and skillful) kante.

Bakayoko isn't going become a different player but he definitely has room to improve and become better Matic in the long run. You aren't wrong in saying we need a player like Fabregas in the team but was Matic like Fabregas? Would you even say Kante was skillful more than 12 months ago? Back then, people see him as just a ball winner but now, he can do so much more than that. Imagine some might change their perception on Bakayoko somewhere down the line.

23 minutes ago, Robguima said:

(Diego Maradona was ridiculously one-footed).

Unfortunately, one was a genius and the other isn't and only has one foot to play with.

[robsblubot 3,205]

1 hour ago, Jason said:

Bakayoko isn't going become a different player but he definitely has room to improve and become better Matic in the long run. You aren't wrong in saying we need a player like Fabregas in the team but was Matic like Fabregas? Would you even say Kante was skillful more than 12 months ago? Back then, people see him as just a ball winner but now, he can do so much more than that. Imagine some might change their perception on Bakayoko somewhere down the line.

Unfortunately, one was a genius and the other isn't and only has one foot to play with.

Kante skillful? nope... I said "more like Fabregas", and yes Matic is "more like Fabregas" than Baka is or will be in the near future in my opinion. I guess we will have just agree to disagree on this one.

Like I said the one-footed thing is completely overplayed around here...

[jernej93 565]

How things can change after one loss  His game is based on stamina and Conte already stated that team was tired after tough match against Atletico ... he was superb against Spanish team and actually in all games before City. I don't know who are you kidding if you actually think that Matić would make a difference in Saturdays game. Our whole team looked tired and we lacked aggressiveness. Once again - OUR WHOLE TEAM!

[Fernando 6,375]

19 hours ago, jernej93 said:

How things can change after one loss  His game is based on stamina and Conte already stated that team was tired after tough match against Atletico ... he was superb against Spanish team and actually in all games before City. I don't know who are you kidding if you actually think that Matić would make a difference in Saturdays game. Our whole team looked tired and we lacked aggressiveness. Once again - OUR WHOLE TEAM!

You make too much sense. 

Get out of here with your logical reasoning and what not. 

We just want to be knee jerk reaction people! 

[robsblubot 3,205]

21 hours ago, jernej93 said:

How things can change after one loss  His game is based on stamina and Conte already stated that team was tired after tough match against Atletico ... he was superb against Spanish team and actually in all games before City. I don't know who are you kidding if you actually think that Matić would make a difference in Saturdays game. Our whole team looked tired and we lacked aggressiveness. Once again - OUR WHOLE TEAM!

It seems like you are referring to the discussion above, so could you please point out where it shows we were discussing City's game? or that I say that Matic would've made a difference in that game? Ironically, you are the one who's referred to a single match as proof of Baka's quality.

I've been explicitly, and repeating myself on that, talking about team balance and mostly criticizing the board/manager for going for a player (Baka) we did not need. Had we not had Kante and Baka would've been an amazing signing.
you wrote, "His game is based on stamina", (and I'd add power) which I agree with completely and think is a problem, because the other guy in midfield is pretty much the same.

Now about the City game... if every time we have 2 matches in a week, which will happen a lot this season with CL and cups, we lack aggressiveness and play like shit, then we are not good enough. Personally I think these type of excuses are bollocks. The best team won...

[The Skipper 20,593]

One bad game against the best team in the division (mainly due to the way Conte set up and responded with in game management) and suddenly we forget how good the partnership versus Atletico was, and now we’re also trying to romanticise how good Matic was in big games, when he wasn’t. 

This guy’s had no pre season and has still put in some very good performances, amongst one or two average to bad ones, and now we’re clamoring back for Matic. As many have told me on here - Drinkwater is Matic’s replacement, remember? If there’s anyone you want to compare Nemanja to it’ll have to be him. 

[manpe 10,855]

5 minutes ago, The Skipper said:

One bad game against the best team in the division (mainly due to the way Conte set up and responded with in game management) and suddenly we forget how good the partnership versus Atletico was, and now we’re also trying to romanticise how good Matic was in big games, when he wasn’t. 

This guy’s had no pre season and has still put in some very good performances, amongst one or two average to bad ones, and now we’re clamoring back for Matic. As many have told me on here - Drinkwater is Matic’s replacement, remember? If there’s anyone you want to compare Nemanja to it’ll have to be him. 

Your post is true, there are a lot of kneejerkers around here who have no common sense or ability to analyse and answer the "whys" in a rational way.. the same ones who romanticize the likes of Kalou in hindsight, while he was the worst player in the world when he was still here. But that last bit isn't true, Bakayoko is Matic's replacement (starting XI), Drinks is Chalobah's (bench).

[The Skipper 20,593]

1 minute ago, manpe said:

Your post is true, there are a lot of kneejerkers around here who have no common sense, the same ones who romanticize the likes of Kalou while he was the worst player in the world when he was still here. But that last bit isn't true, Bakayoko is Matic's replacement (starting XI), Drinks is Chalobah's (bench).

If we look at the profiles of both players - wouldn’t you say that Baka is Chalobah’s replacement, whilst Drinkwater is more like Matic? 

Of course Baka > Chalobah and Matic > Drinkwater, but my main point really is it’s weird to compare Matic and Bakayoko and say that Matic is a better passer for example when they’ve got completely different profiles. 

[manpe 10,855]

Just now, The Skipper said:

If we look at the profiles of both players - wouldn’t you say that Baka is Chalobah’s replacement, whilst Drinkwater is more like Matic? 

Not important if we look at replacements. Baka replaced Nemanja's spot and Drinks Nate's, simple as that. Comparing player profiles is a different thing, but if you asked, then I wouldn't compare Baka to any of them.. different from Matic, different from Chalobah. If I had to, I would place Baka closer to Matic though. Nate played too little for the first team to form any substantial opinion and Drinksy hasn't kicked a ball for us yet, what he did at Leicester is not important to me at this point, I need to see him in our system first.

[The Skipper 20,593]

4 minutes ago, manpe said:

Not important if we look at replacements. Baka replaced Nemanja's spot and Drinks Nate's, simple as that. Comparing player profiles is a different thing, but if you asked, then I wouldn't compare Baka to any of them.. different from Matic, different from Chalobah. If I had to, I would place Baka closer to Matic though. Nate played too little for the first team to form any substantial opinion and Drinksy hasn't kicked a ball for us yet, what he did at Leicester is not important to me at this point, I need to see him in our system first.

Watched Nate at youth level lots, I must say that his destiny as a player is that of a profile similar to Bakayoko’s - a pretty strong, decently technical defensive midfielder. 

Drinkwater’s partnership with Kante when they won the title is quite similar to that of Matic - Kante. He’s a decent defensive CM with good passing range, so a deep lying playmaker. Similar profile to Matic. It’s a shame he’s injured but he should be back after this international break to confirm the above. 

Even Conte’s alluded to keeping Matic and Bakayoko. I think I remember him mentioning that he wanted to break Bakayoko into the team slowly, as an understudy to Matic. Thus, it isn’t inconceivable that Matic ~> Drinkwater and Chalobah ~> Bakayoko. 

[the wes 7,212]

Tiemoue Bakayoko - who scored on Saturday - promised to dye his hair blue when he got his first league goal for the club. (Sun)

Get that hair dye Baka 😃😃😃

[positivefootball 195]

Without Kante carrying him he looks pure garbage. 

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

Again everyone could see we needed someone like Tolisso to compensate Bakayoko. A central midfielder with both technical and  physical attributes. We are now in a situation were an injury to Kante makes Conte put David headless chicken Luiz in midfield and we get totally dominated

[Jase 43,479]

What's with Bakayoko giving away fouls in dangerous areas?!

[Johnnyeye 7,405]

12 minutes ago, MrExcalibur100 said:

Again everyone could see we needed someone like Tolisso to compensate Bakayoko. A central midfielder with both technical and  physical attributes. We are now in a situation were an injury to Kante makes Conte put David headless chicken Luiz in midfield and we get totally dominated

im so livid that we had a whole summer to adress these issues and yet again we fail to adress those issues, this board is a joke

[spyros_cfc 52]

I called him pretty lazy in the beginning of the season, then i thought i was wrong. Well, he is pretty arrogant through most games and maybe lazy indeed. Needs to improve.

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

1 minute ago, Johnnyeye said:

im so livid that we had a whole summer to adress these issues and yet again we fail to adress those issues, this board is a joke

It's almost as if they take special delight in watching managers fail after a season of success. It's common sense we had to capitalize on the gift title (and it was a gift since no one expected it) that Conte delivered. Instead they hang him to dry. I don't know what to say anymore. Roman needs to take a hard look at himself also.