Do you think we should "cash out" on him?
Don't get me wrong, I love the guy and in the right system he's the best in the world in what he does.
The issue is, we're not really playing to his strengths. Apart from a few performances (Liverpool in super cup comes to mind) we haven't seen his best for a season and a half now.
Again, that's through no fault of his own, he's an incredible player, just perhaps not what we need? A midfield 3 of Jorginho, Kovacic and Kante just doesn't offer enough of a goal threat and the former 2 have shown their worth this season.
He's also 29 in March and right now we could get a huge fee for him.
Even I'm not sold on this idea, but where 2 seasons ago he looked irreplacable, I can't say I feel the same now so thought I'd just open it up to debate.
Kante
posted on 10/1/20
He does get a little lost too far up on occasion....& yeah he has a great engine for recovering back...but still think he'd be better sat where Jorg plays at times...maybe allowing him & Kova a touch further forward
posted on 10/1/20
I would have hated to have to play against someone like Kante...he's on you like a dog, & will inevitably have that bone off you...
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That's exactly why Kante isn't & should never be a DM. When you have a player like that who can go for 90 mins straight without tiring, why on earth would you shackle him to a role that restricts how high he can press people?
Kante's best role is a kind of B2B/ball winning CM hybrid in a mid 2. Playing him in a mid 3 presents problems cos he will have to play a bit offensively from time to time, but the solution isn't playing him as the DM. You lose far more than you gain out of him doing that + it'll change the dynamic of the teams build up play enormously cos he's not brilliant with the ball - he'd play like a really aggressive anchor man, you'd have to play out to the flanks or go long which it easier for opposition to deal with.
posted on 10/1/20
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 7 hours, 15 minutes ago
No - Kante is no playmaker...which to me is why he should be a tad further back...breaking up stuff & regaining the ball - probably for others to set up something...
I would have hated to have to play against someone like Kante...he's on you like a dog, & will inevitably have that bone off you...
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I don't think Kante being not a playmaker justifies playing further back. A lot of holding midfielders are deep lying playmakers; arguably most playmakers in general these days play from deep
posted on 11/1/20
Kante is not a box to box midfielder. The very name box to box implies he’s good in the other opponents final third but he isn’t.
He is a defensive midfielder, just in his own way. He doesn’t sit in front of the defence but he’s still a defensive midfielder. The way to get the best out of him is to play 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 with Kovacic or Loftus cheek playing the Matic/Drinkwater role. Conte literally gave us the blueprints for how to make Kante amazing. All we need to do is follow them.
posted on 11/1/20
comment by W A H L . (U22321)
posted 4 hours, 33 minutes ago
Kante is not a box to box midfielder. The very name box to box implies he’s good in the other opponents final third but he isn’t.
He is a defensive midfielder, just in his own way. He doesn’t sit in front of the defence but he’s still a defensive midfielder. The way to get the best out of him is to play 4-4-2 or 3-4-3 with Kovacic or Loftus cheek playing the Matic/Drinkwater role. Conte literally gave us the blueprints for how to make Kante amazing. All we need to do is follow them.
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I agree he isn't really a box to box player, most of his attributes are geared towards defending from the front.
In regards to formations I disagree, our match against Arsenal saw him improve vastly when Jorginho came on.
We also don't really have the players for either a 4-4-2 or a 3-4-3, and would need at least another transfer window to nail these formations.
posted on 11/1/20
It's hard to define what Kante is but it's closer to a B2B than a defensive midfielder. For Leicester & Chelsea's two man midfields he was the one pushing higher than Drinkwater & Matic, his MO as a player is one who DOESN'T sit in regardless of the system/has the freedom to move like a B2B does - so he can't be defined as a CDM or any variation of deep lying midfielder.
Two man mid systems are the key to showcasing his abilities though, 100%.
posted on 11/1/20
comment by Sheriff JW Pepper (U1007)
posted 1 day ago
He does get a little lost too far up on occasion....& yeah he has a great engine for recovering back...but still think he'd be better sat where Jorg plays at times...maybe allowing him & Kova a touch further forward
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Surely kante would be wasted, just sitting.
He needs to be free to press with someone else sitting, be it Matic, Drinkwater, Kova, Jorgh, etc
posted on 11/1/20
comment by Devil D.A. (U6522)
posted 3 hours, 24 minutes ago
It's hard to define what Kante is but it's closer to a B2B than a defensive midfielder. For Leicester & Chelsea's two man midfields he was the one pushing higher than Drinkwater & Matic, his MO as a player is one who DOESN'T sit in regardless of the system/has the freedom to move like a B2B does - so he can't be defined as a CDM or any variation of deep lying midfielder.
Two man mid systems are the key to showcasing his abilities though, 100%.
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posted on 11/1/20
comment by Nickasaurus (U9257)
posted 13 minutes ago
comment by Devil D.A. (U6522)
posted 3 hours, 24 minutes ago
It's hard to define what Kante is but it's closer to a B2B than a defensive midfielder. For Leicester & Chelsea's two man midfields he was the one pushing higher than Drinkwater & Matic, his MO as a player is one who DOESN'T sit in regardless of the system/has the freedom to move like a B2B does - so he can't be defined as a CDM or any variation of deep lying midfielder.
Two man mid systems are the key to showcasing his abilities though, 100%.
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Yep. Leicester, Conte Chelsea, France
posted on 12/1/20
comment by Devil D.A. (U6522)
posted 3 days, 8 hours ago
It's close between that one & the Sidwell-Ben Haim-Pizarro one, suppose it depends which you think out of Rudiger & Malouda was the bigger crumb of comfort. Also who was the bigger loss, Robben or Costa.
Both windows were terrible.
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Ah the window that killed young Jose
Memories