Dodo arrived at the Inter this summer from Roma and despite some mixed performances overall the player has been statistically prolific with his crossing. The winger has the best cross accuracy in the Serie A with 18 successful crosses, not including corners.
Source: FcInterNews.it
18!? That’s just over a cross a game. One cross!! The other 54 end up in the hands of the keeper..
If Dodo were played as an out-and-out winger with our current squad we could look like (and I am serious, just bear with my reasoning)
—————– Icardi ——————-
—-Dodo — Hernanes — Palacio —-
——– Kovacic – Kuzmanovic ——–
– Jesus – Vidic – Medel – D’Ambrosio –
————–Handanovic —————
Handa, Vidic, Icardi and D’ambrosia need no explanation in this formation. let’s work back through the outfield players. Dodo isn’t insanely strong defensively right now-he may indeed improve if he’s continually played as a lb. or he may not. his attacking talent is already very much present albeit raw though. we don’t have a surplus of wingers in our squad. let’s give him a shot out wide in a more attacking role. yet appreciating he probably would play better in a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-3-3 just yet the wide players have been drawn back towards the midfield. That Palacio is ageing and losing some space suggests he may be better suited to dropping back from a 4-3-3 too so that he can use more cunning instead. and help pack the midfield when necessary.
hernanes would take the trequartista role. why him over kovacic? well kovacic may be our no 10 but he’s young and capable of doing something special wherever he’s played. he can be a regista/trequartista as the situation demands. that said he wouldn’t be quite as deep as kuz in this formation-he’d be almost a cm/no 8 but his passing and vision would make those tags not totally true.hernanes is more of a straight attack-minded player. he may not do it so well as kovacic but he’s got it for sure. he had a similar role at lazio. kuz has been statistically described as someone who guards the defence but takes no forward passes, always playing the ball back or sideways. i think if manic could improve that he’d be a better option than m’vila in this position. his defensive focus also covers for kovacic somewhat when e decides to be more creative a little further forward. when kova moves forward hernanes may also move to fill a box-to-box role.
behind kuz would be the intelligence and leadership of medel and vidic-in my eyes our best cb pairing atm. they complement each other so so so well. their heights and speeds cover for each other. their fierceness is incredible and would rival any pairing in serie a. Juan would be a nice touch on the left to add some height to the backbone in compensation for medel. and to keep the backbone defensive rather than attacking. his younger legs would also help out vidic now and again maybe. meanwhile he could learn to be marshalled by vidic so 1 day he can take over that role.
Think of Kovacic as Fabregas in Mourinho’s Chelsea. how was it mou described him..? “he’s the no 7-something unique that lies between the no6 and no8 positions. but he can also play as a no 10 when needed”. he’s versatile. he’s the ace in the hole 😉
that’s what i think fits kovacic the best , instead mancini keeps playing him in a david silva type position which doen’t seem to fit him , sorta like MAZZARRi called kovacic “our hamsik” hopefully mancini isn’t as stubborn as MAZZARRi
He has droped in quality since MAncio came and made him play left back – we should try him out as a pure winger!
We need a quality right wing for next season. Montoya would be my choice if we could somehow reach an agreement with Barca. Nagatomo, Jonathan and dambrosio are solid for replacements
right backs you mean- in a 4-3-3 that is!
You are right, I ment right back. Plus Cerci or Lavezzi, most preferably Konoplyanka since his contract expires in June and we can sign him in January.
Handa/Bardi
Montoya-Rannochia-JJ-Dodo
Hernanes-medel-kovacic
Cerci-Icardi-Konoplyanka
if he can work on his defensive side he would be perfect
really?????
Some of his crosses were predictible, overall he has been one of inters dangerous player.
That was just Milan, usually he’s better at his crossing.