23 Sep 2020 13:48:46
Ed001, Sunday was the first time I watched Thiago play. I thought he was comparable to Xabi Alonso. Since you have a better eye for these sorts of things, would you agree? Cheers.

{Ed001's Note - no, not even similar. Xabi was possibly the best holding midfielder ever to play the game, with a fantastic ability to read the game and make a challenge. Thiago is not in the same league defensively and not the best in the challenge. On the ball Xabi was much better at the so-called quarterback pass from deep. Thiago is a fantastic player but he is much more like Iniesta or Xavi than Xabi, particularly Xavi but with the skill to beat a man like Iniesta. Thiago's skill is in moving the ball quickly around the pitch, without needing to take extra touches and in his constant movement. I wouldn't say Thiago is in the same league as Iniesta like, but he is that kind of player.}

23 Sep 2020 14:31:06
Exactly Ed and it's his speed of mind vision and passing that will be like the conductor to the orchestra of our front 3/ 4 with its constant moving, running and swapping positions that defenses won't be able to handle over 90 minutes.

23 Sep 2020 14:32:36
Thiago is far more progressive to Xabi. He is very quick in releasing the ball but isn't someone who would be seen in the 6-yard box. Thiago is excellent against the press. Xabi's job was different. Xabi had an excellent reading of the game.
Thiago is an actual 8 with first-class passing and movement. Not sure who is closest but both Modric and Xavi are the closest.

23 Sep 2020 14:56:28
Cheers Ed001, I'm well chuffed, regardless. I guess I got carried away with motd fever 😁.

23 Sep 2020 15:13:07
Xabi was so great that he made and already-great Steven Gerrard better. And I'll leave it at that.

23 Sep 2020 15:21:45
I can see where you're coming from OES and have to admit I thought the same watching Thiago too. It's been a long while since Xabi played for us though so it may have been sentiment more than anything!

23 Sep 2020 15:36:22
I thought he was excellent but still early days. Most notable for me though was how much whip, curve and dip he could put into just his regular passes, with perfect control.

23 Sep 2020 16:42:24
What’s your impressions on the mix for a midfield 3 with Thiago in there Ed001?
I got the feeling that he’s quite Fabinho-like pace wise and I’m not sure about having them both in a 3 or, put it this way, playing them together in certain situations?
I’d have Thiago with two more mobile midfielders, like Gini and Henderson.
That was my initial feeling anyway.

{Ed001's Note - it really depends on how it is being used and against who. I can see pretty much any 3 of them working in the right situation.}

23 Sep 2020 16:46:08
Xabi wasn’t that great for Liverpool he had his best years after he left. The season before he left he was brilliant though.

23 Sep 2020 16:49:34
The only player that ever reminded me of Xabi was me in my pomp to be honest.

23 Sep 2020 22:28:38
What markp08 said have to agree! He wasn’t a star for us good player not a great player that he went on to be!
Loved xavi Alonso those.

24 Sep 2020 05:31:31
Ed out of any current player today who would you say plays most similar in terms of how he moves and uses the ball. I know every team plays differently and midfielders never have the same options but I think verrati would be the closest in terms of the positions he takes up, how he wants to keep the ball moving quickly with simple 1 touch passes but what I love is how he will pick the moment and ping one forward to break between the lines or else open spaces by switching the play with long passes to wide when the time is right to shift defences, also the ability to turn or drop a shoulder to beat a man is effective in being unpredictable. Pirlo in his younger days also was very underrated in his ability to beat a player with tidy turns and touches.

{Ed001's Note - there isn't really anyone who plays like Alonso around. There are very few who play his way these days, the game has changed to be honest.

I love Verratti but he is not really like Xabi. Xabi's probably closest to Makalele, if you really had to pick someone. Again I wouldn't really say he was like him either.

Not sure how you think Pirlo was underrated, he played as an attacking mid in his younger days, precisely because of his ability to beat a man.}

24 Sep 2020 06:57:25
How about fabregas ed01? Do you think comparison can be made between thiago and fab?

{Ed001's Note - not unless Thiago stops bothering to work back and becomes slower than a tortoise in hibernation. Fabregas is one of the most overrated players of all time. He was good when he broke through at Arsenal, then it all went to his head and they had to put him in a place where his laziness defensively would be less of a liability. Thiago never stops. Fabregas wishes he was ever as good as Thiago. By the time he was Thiago's age, you needed a calendar to time a Fabregas run.}

24 Sep 2020 08:53:21
Thiago s best attribute is his vision. I think his vision is the best in the world right now.

I love how he can pick an unbelievable pass in a split second while also apologising to the other 2/ 3 options he saw in the same second.

I was even more impressed that he was able to pass as he always does in his first game without training. This shows that it is 100% vision driven and not having learned patterns in training and being able to execute. I think he will make us so much more unpredictable as a result and a better team.

I expect he will get much better defensively than he was Sunday once he s had a few weeks training however I don't see him reaching the energetic levels fab, hendo and wijnaldum. Combine thiago with a selection of 2 of these three midfielders and we have a world class midfield. I would not trust right now thiago being in the same midfield with ox/ kieta against the big boys. Against the bottom half perhaps.

26 Sep 2020 05:05:59
Lmao ed01. Okay, good. Lol @fabregas.