How would Joao Moutinho have changed us?

[Rossi22]

I vary from content to delighted with 9 of our 11 players. It's just two of the front four positions(not Lennon or Bale) where I feel like it's just letting us down massively.

 

[thfcsteff]

I think he most certainly would've been playing alongside Sandro/in the middle with him...Moussa would've been in the hole...again, I think the difference would've been in how fast that initial movement from midfield is as he does look to pass forwards as quickly and efficiently as possible. Rossi makes a good point in so much as more chances for our strikers to miss!!!!! But in short, I think that the biggest change would've been in what happens when we get the ball/retrieve possession and where 'that' initial midfield pass goes.

 

[johnola]

He'd need a complimentary forward to make any difference. We badly lack penetration centrally, one man is not going to solve that.

 

[spurspinter1]

How has he been playing this season in the Portugese league? Have many seen him?

I was very honest about the fact that I'd not really seen him enough to make a judgement, he hadn't really impressed in the few times I've seen him.

I think if a player is really worth 22m to us I'd imagine that many would have watched him this season out of pure enjoyment of his ability

 

[skyfarer]

He'd need a complimentary forward to make any difference. We badly lack penetration centrally, one man is not going to solve that.

I agree with this. Moutinho has better vision and picks out the pass on the counter more quickly than our other CMs, but our strikers are really unsuited for playing on the counter - neither actually drive into the box. Defoe likes to linger and shoot from outside, Ade likes to drift out wide.

However, Bale might be the main beneficiary - he'd have more time and space to surge onto the ball. Ade can play him in but it'd be *very* useful for a CM to be able to do so, especially with Ade's inconsistent ball control these days.

With Moutinho, we'd probably play a 4-3-3, with a mobile three-man midfield of a DM (Sandro/Parker), a runner (Dembele), and a passer (Mouts), all of whom are quite good at pressing - though it depends on whether our striker can actually score (since none of those three are prolific).

***

This season Moutinho hasn't been playing that well - he's always been considered inconsistent from what I've heard - but still has a pretty mesmerizing 3.3 Key Passes, 76 passes, 2.5 tackles per game in the CL. That Key Passes figure is substantially higher than Modric and VdV's numbers at any time last season, or any of our players this season.

I don't think he's worth 22m considering options elsewhere, but I think it's easy to see why AVB would want him so much. Other players may have a better return on value, but they're not proven to be as loyal to AVB and capable of understanding his methods and instructions. After the Chelsea debacle, is it any wonder that AVB prefers players he knows he can trust?

 

[Gutter Boy]

We've had the best midfield in the league. Sandro, Dembele and Moutinho as a trio would have been simply awesome.

I'm probably in a minority of 1, but I still think he might turn up in May. I just suspect we didn't try for him again in January because we put in place a deal for the summer instead.

 

[Mumorn]

I've not seen as much of Moutinho as I would have liked this season but whenever I HAVE seen him play he seems to struggle to take the game by the scruff of the neck and times the game just passes him by without him making a mark on the game. Usually those games were with Portugal so I imagine his role there is completely different to that of Porto.

 

[raboner]

If my mum had a set of testicles, she'd be my second dad.

 

[africanspurs]

jao moutinho gets rolled out again , but not when things are going well

who knows how e would have helped us. i know dembele has won us points, BIG points......we might have been steady but not flying as high in the league

I love this, i really do. AVB and Tottenham getting the old impatient treatment. 12 games unbeaten and we have lost just one game that seemed like a sure thing for at least a point.

the problem is that arsenal are once again on a mammoth run. thats it. that is really it. nothing to do with jao or anyone we missed. we shouldnt need jao to get us 3 points at the lane, we didnt need jao when we dominated liverpool, and we shouldnt need him moving forward for this season

can jao play on the wing? provide competition and cover for lennon? if not then he and his silly wages can jog on

 

[Armchair Expert]

What would he have brought? For a start, and most crucially, it would have meant that an injury in center mid wouldn't have left us relying on the likes of Parker and Livermore to try and get champions league football. We're now one Dembele injury away from a midfield meltdown.

 

[NWND]

Thing is someone above said we need a back-up winger , Townsend has looked really good at qpr so far. I really think he has stepped it up a level since going there, he always looked a threat for us as he is lightning and aggressive in taking his man on, but at qpr he seems to be developing more awareness, technique and end product. He probably did need that loan but it's kind of annoying as we could do with him now Lennon is out, but if Lennon stayed fit he'd be stuck on the bench not developing like he is now, but next season I think he can help us a lot, especially as he looks pretty comfortable on either flank!

 

[Baleforce]

its one of those things, ideally he'd never get a game here whereas on loan he'll theoretically start every week which is much better for his development

it's arguably hurting us in the short term but we'll have a better player on our hands in the long run

he's also under far less pressure at qpr than he would be here

 

[Mumorn]

Watching him against Israel. He's been dire. Portugal losing 2-1.

 

[Rorschach]

Watching him against Israel. He's been dire. Portugal losing 2-1.

Hmmm... I watched him play for Portugal a few months back (can't remember who they played) and he was almost anonymous in the game. I was thinking to myself, is this who we are pinning our hopes on? I presume AVB has a good read on the guy so I trust his judgement but for the money being mentioned maybe we should be looking for someone a bit better. It was only one game mind.

 

[Mumorn]

Hmmm... I watched him play for Portugal a few months back (can't remember who they played) and he was almost anonymous in the game. I was thinking to myself, is this who we are pinning our hopes on? I presume AVB has a good read on the guy so I trust his judgement but for the money being mentioned maybe we should be looking for someone a bit better. It was only one game mind.

Wasn't Ecuador was it when they lost 3-2. I watched that too and he was poor then as well.

 

[Rorschach]

Wasn't Ecuador was it when they lost 3-2. I watched that too and he was poor then as well.

Yeah that could have been it, or if it was a different match then that is 3 recent matches he has not performed in. It is still a small sample size I suppose.

 

[Mumorn]

Yeah that could have been it, or if it was a different match then that is 3 recent matches he has not performed in. It is still a small sample size I suppose.

I guess you can't really judge by internationals though. I mean Messi was poor in international games up until last year as times yet we all know what he is like. Same with some of the England guys too.

 

[Gutter Boy]

Hmmm... I watched him play for Portugal a few months back (can't remember who they played) and he was almost anonymous in the game. I was thinking to myself, is this who we are pinning our hopes on? I presume AVB has a good read on the guy so I trust his judgement but for the money being mentioned maybe we should be looking for someone a bit better. It was only one game mind.

But you could equally have watched one game from the Euros where he completed owned Xavi and Iniesta.

 

[Mumorn]

But you could equally have watched one game from the Euros where he completed owned Xavi and Iniesta.

I watched that game and he didn't. I do remember Arsenal/Barca though where Wheelchair owned Xavi and Iniesta and both ended up giving him there shirts.