Dani Alves

Depends if Diego Costa's in the vicinity

Guardiola complains his system doesn't work as he has the oldest set of full backs in Clichy, Sagna, Zabaleta who can't get up and down the pitch...

So he signs a 34 year old.

Genius.

comment by Arthur Johnson (U6426)
posted 10 hours, 53 minutes ago
City are going to need to keep the ball much better than last season. If he does actually get significant playing time I can see him getting roasted on the wing time and again.
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By who? He's better than most right backs in the prem and not many of them get roasted time and time again.

He was splendid last year for Juve. Be interesting to see who else we get at fb.

Used carefully he could be a really good addition, at least the business is being done early which should help a quick start to the season.

Plenty of teams with little attacking threat he can play against, West Ham, Swansea, Rags etc which will give others a rest.

Aye Alves was world class against the best teams in the Champions League but he'll have to be used carefully

Would put bums on seats though and boy do you need them.

comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 49 minutes ago
Aye Alves was world class against the best teams in the Champions League but he'll have to be used carefully
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That smiley's totally uncalled for, not least because bomdia's absolutely right.

Alves doesn't have it in him any more to produce that kind of performances on a regular enough basis. To conclude that on the back of his final couple of months of CL and Serie A form is to completely ignore the fact that he didn't really play a proper FB role in those games, that he stank for more than 2/3rds of his time at Juve, and that for the most part he'd already looked way off his best in his final two or three seasons at Barça.

Of course he'll have to be used carefully. Certainly not for 60 games a season, and certainly not in a role where he has any great defensive responsibilities.

comment by Arthur Johnson (U6426)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by RenegadeOF (U9457)
posted 49 minutes ago
Aye Alves was world class against the best teams in the Champions League but he'll have to be used carefully
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Thatsmiley's totally uncalled for, not least because bomdia's absolutely right.

Alves doesn't have it in him any more to produce that kind of performances on a regular enough basis. To conclude that on the back of his final couple of months of CL and Serie A form is to completely ignore the fact that he didn't really play a proper FB role in those games, that he stank for more than 2/3rds of his time at Juve, and that for the most part he'd already looked way off his best in his final two or three seasons at Barça.

Of course he'll have to be used carefully. Certainly not for 60 games a season, and certainly not in a role where he has any great defensive responsibilities.


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City need to cover those 60 games and if he can have 10-15 starts and another 10 off the bench that will probably do, especially if he mentors some of the youngsters who, despite the comments, are coming through the EDS. I expect some games will be 3 at the back as well. Games against teams that don't score much he will be fine, Hammers, Rags, those types of games.

Agree with that post too, bomdia.

In response to Baz, even when he was at his best, teams would look to exploit the space behind him. Expect more teams to do that now he's lost a fair bit of pace. It's much easier to roast a player who's just had to sprint back 60 yards, and doing so now will take a lot more out of Alves than it did five or six years ago. That's why I think City would need to restrict those situations to an absolute minimum - be that through better ball-keeping or better support from CBs and CMs.