Hans-Dieter Flick

[Temptation]

What is a physical player in your eyes? Because PSG play with a midfield of Fabian Ruiz - Vitinha - Neves and none of them are 'physical' midfielders in a traditional sense. They're however intense, apart from Ruiz. And that's the best midfield in the world.

Defensive Midfielders who are physically dominant and technically great don't grow on trees. There's arguably only one such guy in the world and he's seemingly injured every other week now.

And yeah you cannot play for Barca or even RM, PSG, City, etc. unless you're also technically excellent. That's why Palinha flopped at Bayern and why PSG sent Ugarte's ass to Manchester United.

Two DMs that bring a lot of physicality, but are a complete liability in possession and under pressure.

Neves is a physical player.


You don't need to be big to be physical.


Kante and Keane were small men who were extremely physical.


Gavi is tiny but a physical player.

 

[Temptation]

Goretzka was a monster in Bayern's sextuple season under Flick but he isn't a DM. He was a box to box beast.


He's finished though.

 

[Temptation]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1982851031886438657

 

[Haraldinho]

Better to not expect too much from them. Just try to avoid humiliation.

 

[khaled_a_d]

Neves is a physical player.


You don't need to be big to be physical.


Kante and Keane were small men who were extremely physical.


Gavi is tiny but a physical player.

Then Pedri is also a physical player too. He is one who ran more than most, win duels more than most, and disposed less than most.

 

[DonAK]

Neves is a physical player.


You don't need to be big to be physical.


Kante and Keane were small men who were extremely physical.


Gavi is tiny but a physical player.

That's why I said 'physical' in a traditional sense.

The man want big players that are tall and powerful. The type of players there's plenty of, but very few that are also technically gifted.

 

[Rassvet]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1982851031886438657

Built different

 

[Rassvet]

It's a post match quote you dumbfuck. Not my take on the game. Get a brain.

cooked him

 

[KingLeo10]

Yaya Toure was so good in his prime that he started at CB in 09 CL final v CR7, Rooney, and Tevez and kept a clean sheet

 

[serghei]

Then Pedri is also a physical player too. He is one who ran more than most, win duels more than most, and disposed less than most.

He isn't. Ferran Torres probably runs more than Mbappe during a game.

Pedri runs a lot, but at lower pace and intensity compared to someone like Vitinha or Neves. If you see both, the difference in intensity is notable and easily observed with naked eye. Speed, intensity, stamina, how sturdy you are vs players breathing down your neck and pressing you, these are part of a player's athletic ability.

It's not even about height or how much you run (in midfield everyone who is good runs a lot anyway, putting in most kms in their teams). Messi for example was short, but fast, strong, durable in duels, and had insane acceleration.

 

[Temptation]

Then Pedri is also a physical player too. He is one who ran more than most, win duels more than most, and disposed less than most.

No. Pedri is slow and weak.

Running the most doesn't necessarily make you the most physical.

 

[serghei]

It is not a huge difference between them on pure individual level (since Vitinha plays in a more cohesive midfield structure), but Pedri is naturally a bit of a slower player. When you take a player who is not some athlete in the first place and you ask him to cover a huge area, it becomes an even bigger problem. And for what? For Olmo and Fermin?

You ask Vitinha to cover a wider area in a midfield 2, he'll probably struggle more and he wouldn't look quite as fresh as he does for PSG.

This is Pedri average heat map:

This is Vitinha's: