Summer Mercato 2011

[GeoTav]

Is Coentrao THAT good?

He played only 4 WC2010 matches in the very defensive Portugal team. Brazil were OK with a draw while both CI & NK didn't possess any great wingers. In knock-out match against Spain, Ramos dribbled pass him twice.

Benfica is the current champion of Portugese league, but their from in CL was awful and Coentrao didn't have any star performances.

Only Bayern pursued him some weeks after WC, but for now there are only some random rumors.

His game against Lyon was amazing but ... he played as a winger. Actually, with Benfica, he generally plays as a winger and not as a LB. It's a Portuguese Bale, or Bale is a Wallish (?) Coentrao, take it the way you want !!

I think we should look for two LBs: a defensive minded one and an attacking minded one, using them depending on our opponent (and depending on the way they develop their game too of course). The problem of Antonini is that he isn't that good in defence (in the game against Tottenham, he didn't stop Lennon at all, letting him crossing each time he wanted to do so, and it wasn't a problem of pace) nor is he in attack (almost none of his crosses results with a goal) ...

If we consider Abate to be a starter for next season, we still need a backup for him. Then, Zambrotta could stay, he would be the 5th FB, able to play on both sides, so to help us if there are some injuries.

Of course, such a scenario means selling/releasing Antonini (rumours are that he could go to Juventus this summer, especially if Criscito comes), Oddo, Jankulovski and Didac Vila.

FB roster: LB, LB, Abate, RB, Zambrotta
That's 3 players to buy, that's probably too much for that to happen, but if it had to happen, it would be perfect, then, if we had to suffer a big injury crisis with our FBs, no need to have the likes of Oddo or Janku who are overpaid, just launch some youngster for some games !! Who knows, we could be surprised like we were with Merkel.