Douglas Luiz - coming back?

[Ads]

Always worth remembering he's 22.

[Dante Lavelli]

Always worth remembering he's 22.

Agreed. He’s being judged, arguably, from Man City’s perspective.  Think of him as one of our own..

[Uknowthescore]

He will be ours for good next year. No way Man City are paying for him back in the summer.
There is a player in there and this not so good run of form could work in our favour

[PaulWinch again]

Always worth remembering he's 22.

Yup he’s a belting player who’s suffering a bit of a dip. But there’s no doubt to me that we’re a much better team with him in it.

[Rudy Can't Fail]

What has happened this guy? It's like his twin brother is playing for us lately.

He might be sulking that he can't travel to join up with the Seleção. He'll get over it.

[pauliewalnuts]

What has happened this guy? It's like his twin brother is playing for us lately.

He might be sulking that he can't travel to join up with the Seleção. He'll get over it.

I was reading this post and planning to drop a Bolsonaro 'get over it' joke, but am assuming you're way ahead of me.

[LeeB]

I like to think he's reigning it in to put Citeh off, as ridiculous as it obviously is.

"Please Meester Smith, no make me go to cotton village, it's small, wet and choc full of hijo de puta"

[Moonraker]

I agree Lee, just posted the same on the match thread. A cunning plan....

[brontebilly]

He played in a more advanced position last season. Scored some screamers in a team that conceded an absolute hatful. After the Covid break he was moved to a more defensive position. While he’s not going to be the more flamboyant version he is playing a very unsung role. He’s was a big reason as to why we stayed up and also why we have made such incredible strides defensively as a club. A lot of his work goes very unnoticed in his positioning and he provides very good cover for the back four. Admittedly he’s probably had a bit of a dip in form as the whole team has but I think he generally gets unjustly criticized because of how good he had look playing a different role in the past.

He was dreadful last season pre covid, Barkley esque really, some flashes of ability matched by a poor attitude and application. But the player that emerged after the restart was transformed. A hard edge sitting in front of the back four next to Hourihane usually. Combative, playing on the half turn and looked a player of real promise.

But this season right from early on he has struggled , even in comfortable wins against Fulham and Liverpool he was poor. His form has been a patchy for a while now. Smith clearly rates him, as we all do, but he has come back in for Nakamba on a couple of occasions recently and played really poorly. Yesterday was the worst really. He was genuinely hopeless. Ball watching for their shot off the post, ball watching for their counter attack from our corner. Offered absolutely nothing with the ball apart from promptly returning it to our full/centre backs. Just seemed to be lost out there.

I honestly don't think he is good enough to play as the sitting midfielder in a three. I think he needs someone next to him in a two. A young Gareth Barry type ideally that would really McGinn to play further forward.

[RamboandBruno]

He played in a more advanced position last season. Scored some screamers in a team that conceded an absolute hatful. After the Covid break he was moved to a more defensive position. While he’s not going to be the more flamboyant version he is playing a very unsung role. He’s was a big reason as to why we stayed up and also why we have made such incredible strides defensively as a club. A lot of his work goes very unnoticed in his positioning and he provides very good cover for the back four. Admittedly he’s probably had a bit of a dip in form as the whole team has but I think he generally gets unjustly criticized because of how good he had look playing a different role in the past.

He was dreadful last season pre covid, Barkley esque really, some flashes of ability matched by a poor attitude and application. But the player that emerged after the restart was transformed. A hard edge sitting in front of the back four next to Hourihane usually. Combative, playing on the half turn and looked a player of real promise.

But this season right from early on he has struggled , even in comfortable wins against Fulham and Liverpool he was poor. His form has been a patchy for a while now. Smith clearly rates him, as we all do, but he has come back in for Nakamba on a couple of occasions recently and played really poorly. Yesterday was the worst really. He was genuinely hopeless. Ball watching for their shot off the post, ball watching for their counter attack from our corner. Offered absolutely nothing with the ball apart from promptly returning it to our full/centre backs. Just seemed to be lost out there.

I honestly don't think he is good enough to play as the sitting midfielder in a three. I think he needs someone next to him in a two. A young Gareth Barry type ideally that would really McGinn to play further forward.

On your last point, I think a good deep lying midfielder should be a priority pre season, that will both support Dougie like you say and allow McGinn to move up to the Barkley role. That, a right sided winger and another forward.

[LeeB]

I like the lad Bissouma at Brighton, but they'd probably want the earth for him.

[AV82EC]

I like the lad Bissouma at Brighton, but they'd probably want the earth for him.

We can afford the earth....

[Toronto Villa]

I love some of the revisionism about Douglas. He wasn’t dreadful at all pre Covid.  This is a player during last season where a number of fans were genuinely concerned that Man City would exercise the buyback clause he was playing so well at times. And that only heightened after the Covid break.

[Ian.]

I don’t know what some people have watched but for a large part of this season Luiz was one of our best players. Before Christmas most wanted us to try and tie up his contract so Man City wouldn’t ask for him back. He’s struggled since the Covid Issue we had at the club that’s true. It happens, form can drop and it will come back.

[brontebilly]

I love some of the revisionism about Douglas. He wasn’t dreadful at all pre Covid.  This is a player during last season where a number of fans were genuinely concerned that Man City would exercise the buyback clause he was playing so well at times. And that only heightened after the Covid break.

It's also a player even Drinky was selected ahead of by Smith....revisionism indeed