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Outfox the Fox

Benkovic January Recall?

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2 hours ago, volpeazzurro said:

It may be a bit harsh but whilst I can understand that it may take players time to adapt to a different country and culture, in Soyuncu's case I don't buy the language barrier. If my job required me to have some knowledge of another language to atain big wages, with a bit of personal  effort I think I'd be quite proficient by now. In real terms, how many words or phrases do you really need to know on a football pitch. I think it's a smokescreen for the fact, as understandable that it is, that he was nowhere near good enough for Premiership football when he arrived. They probably knew this and bought his potential regardless. His debut was ok but that's all.

 

Benkovic is a separate case and appears to be doing very well but was also sent out for a reason. Though I questioned at the time the usefulness of playing in a poor Scottish league compared with the more viable comparison and competition of the Championship, I'm presuming that people better qualified than me had a reason to send him there. IF the same people who sent him there were of the opinion that he is now capable of performing at Premiership level alongside Maguire then of course he's worth bringing back. Soyuncu's feelings would not be a consideration for me as it's about whoever is the better player at a particular given time in their development. It's about them as individuals improving all aspects of their game, whether physical, temperament or communication skills and competing for a place.

 

:appl:

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39 minutes ago, 5waller5 said:

 

My guess is that Brendan Rogers is a well respected coach that plays a similar style to Puel's football, so he'd be developed as a player in the style that naturally fits his progression into a Leicester player.

 

It's hard for any centre half to get time on the ball in the Championship too - it's great for developing defending long balls and physical battles, but not for coaching composure, or for defending against patient, probing, passing attacking styles he's likely to meet when he comes "home".

Yes in fairness I had considered that and I think there's a fair bit of truth in it. Rogers does have a particular style of play agreed but he was also known for his not so great defences, particularly at Liverpool. Whilst you also have a point regarding the need for experience and defending against teams with patient probing attacking styles and the lack of that in the Championship, he's going to get even less of that against the bunch of pub teams that are in the Scottish league! Even in that area, the championship is far superior. 

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What really concerns me about this loan is, he never got the chance to know the players here, so I doubt LCFC feels like his 'home' Club.  If you care to go on Celtic Forum (Talk Celtic) there a few Press Interviews where they appear to be convincing what a great Club Celtic is and asking him loaded questions about how great it must be playing like Celtic blah blah.       I recall a similar situation when Wagner tried to 'sell' Chilwell to Kloppers by recommending him and doubtless unsettling Chilly, which I thought was disrespectful to our Club. 

 

Now this Press nonsense could be just be Celtic TV and the Daily Record trying to unsettle him and not the 'real' Club Officials.   Hopefully, the Club liaison person at LCFC is in regular contact with Benko reminding him he is coming back to us for 100% certain and he will be welcomed with opened arms.   If Celtic get dumped out of the Europa League he should be recalled for sure and if he is as good as is reported, he can make our first Team this season by fighting for a place.

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God knows what the chart below is all about, but looks like he is ready to come and play if needed in January.
 
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Foreign Leagues

Benković proving simplicity can be delightfully effective

 
 

Celtic moved closer to the top of the Scottish Premiership with an emphatic 5-0 trouncing of league-leading Heart of Midlothian at Parkhead last weekend.

The nature of the win, with flowing attacking play resulting in a glut of goals, underlined the reigning champions’ return to form. However, despite the resurgence, their excellent recent defensive record has gone under the radar.

In seven straight domestic wins, Brendan Rodgers’ side have conceded just two goals and kept six clean sheets. Their back line deserves credit for their role in this defensive improvement and Filip Benković has been at the heart of the upturn. The Croat has featured in seven games all in all, and in those seven games only Neil Lennon’s Hibernian have managed to find the net.

Celtic were first linked with Benković prior to last season’s January transfer window. The player, at that time, was enjoying his third straight campaign of first-team football with Dinamo Zagreb. He had already captained his club in a Champions League match against Sevilla at the tender age of 19 and was rumoured to be interesting some of England’s top sides, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

 

Ultimately, the 21-year-old signed for Leicester City in the summer, joining for a fee of £13million. The money involved in the move explained why Celtic hadn’t made a serious bid to sign the youngster – the fee Leicester paid was around £4million more than the record-breaking amount the Scottish giants paid for Odsonne Edouard in the same window.

However, while a permanent deal wasn’t financially viable, a loan deal was arranged when Benković decided a temporary spell away would be best for his career. He arrived in Glasgow on deadline day for a season-long loan; within two weeks he made his debut against St Mirren.

The move to Celtic evidenced the player’s mentality – he wanted to continue developing rather than sit on the substitutes’ bench.

“I made the transfer to Leicester but I saw their situation – there were a lot of defenders,” he said per the Daily Record. “I looked at the situation realistically and wanted somewhere to have a better chance to play and to improve my game. It’s football and sometimes you must look to other places to get a chance because only with games can you get better.”

So far, Benković has received the game time he wanted to further his progress. In the process, he has bolstered Celtic’s defence.

 

An assured centre-back, he keeps things simple with the ball. Rarely does he take more than two touches, ensuring build-up remains at a reasonably high tempo, and he doesn’t over-complicate proceedings, preferring to find a nearby teammate than opt for the thrilling diagonal or play into congested areas. All of this minimises the risk of turnovers and helps Celtic to dominate possession.

Without the ball, he is equally efficient. Standing tall at 6ft 4ins, he is a physically strong defender who tends to win his one-on-one duels. He’s tough, organised and committed, and he has not yet been caught out since arriving in Scottish football. As a consequence, Rodgers’ side have looked a far more commanding defensive outfit in recent weeks.

Benković’s performances have caught the eye, with former Celtic striker John Hartson writing that the centre-back “exudes composure and confidence at the back” in a column for the Evening Times. Club legend David Hay has also waxed lyrical about the 21-year-old’s showings.

“I don’t think I’m the only one who has really taken to Filip Benković. For me, he looks the part,” Hay said. “He is a reliable central defender, which is exactly what Celtic have been searching for.

 
BlockingCrossingOffensive PassingBuild-up PassingLong BallsPassive DefendingActive Defending50%

“Calm under the ball or with it at his feet, he reads the game superbly, never seems to be rushed and I can see why Leicester City paid £13million for him in the summer.”

As well as passing the eye test, Benković’s numbers compare favourably to his central defensive colleagues. Kristoffer Ajer is the only one to average more defensive and aerial duels per 90 minutes, but Benković’s success rates in both categories – 55.85 per cent and 83.4 per cent respectively – are substantially higher than that of Ajer, Dedryck Boyata, Jack Hendry, and Jozo Šimunović.

Furthermore, while Benković averages fewer interceptions per 90 than all bar Ajer, he averages more clearances and blocks than any of his centre-back teammates.

These statistics only serve to confirm his quality in duels on the ground or in the air, as well as his blunt-yet-effective, mistake-free approach to defending.

In short, when he plays, Celtic play better. In seven games with Benkovic in defence, their expected goals against (xGA) per 90 minutes is 0.47 compared to a season average of 0.78. Their shots conceded per 90 is 1.71 compared to a season average of 2.75. And their goals against per 90 is 0.29 compared to a season average of 0.71.

While the quality and quantity of goals scored has garnered most of the headlines, good defending has been the unsung aspect behind Celtic’s recent success.

And, as the numbers show, Benković’s role in the defence’s increasing solidity cannot be understated.

 
 

 

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34 minutes ago, mozartfox said:

 

 
 
 
 

Benković proving simplicity can be delightfully effective

 
 

Celtic moved closer to the top of the Scottish Premiership with an emphatic 5-0 trouncing of league-leading Heart of Midlothian at Parkhead last weekend.

The nature of the win, with flowing attacking play resulting in a glut of goals, underlined the reigning champions’ return to form. However, despite the resurgence, their excellent recent defensive record has gone under the radar.

In seven straight domestic wins, Brendan Rodgers’ side have conceded just two goals and kept six clean sheets. Their back line deserves credit for their role in this defensive improvement and Filip Benković has been at the heart of the upturn. The Croat has featured in seven games all in all, and in those seven games only Neil Lennon’s Hibernian have managed to find the net.

Celtic were first linked with Benković prior to last season’s January transfer window. The player, at that time, was enjoying his third straight campaign of first-team football with Dinamo Zagreb. He had already captained his club in a Champions League match against Sevilla at the tender age of 19 and was rumoured to be interesting some of England’s top sides, including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.

 

....

 

Thanks for this....

 

Despite the 'no-nonsense' comments, you can see he's more than capable of (nonsense?) long passes (with both feet too) in these clips;

 

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=298

 

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=332

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=482

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=531

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=554

 

 

 

 

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8 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

 

Thanks for this....

 

Despite the 'no-nonsense' comments, you can see he's more than capable of (nonsense?) long passes (with both feet too) in these clips;

 

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=298

 

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=332

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=482

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=531

            https://youtu.be/0cn-xM4sXX4?t=554

 

 

 

 

Should have added.... there's a load more examples in the rest of that video.

 

Along with those are some top quality examples of the 'letting them know you're there' school of defending.

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On 06/11/2018 at 07:28, volpeazzurro said:

It may be a bit harsh but whilst I can understand that it may take players time to adapt to a different country and culture, in Soyuncu's case I don't buy the language barrier. If my job required me to have some knowledge of another language to atain big wages, with a bit of personal  effort I think I'd be quite proficient by now. In real terms, how many words or phrases do you really need to know on a football pitch. I think it's a smokescreen for the fact, as understandable that it is, that he was nowhere near good enough for Premiership football when he arrived. They probably knew this and bought his potential regardless. His debut was ok but that's all.

 

Benkovic is a separate case and appears to be doing very well but was also sent out for a reason. Though I questioned at the time the usefulness of playing in a poor Scottish league compared with the more viable comparison and competition of the Championship, I'm presuming that people better qualified than me had a reason to send him there. IF the same people who sent him there were of the opinion that he is now capable of performing at Premiership level alongside Maguire then of course he's worth bringing back. Soyuncu's feelings would not be a consideration for me as it's about whoever is the better player at a particular given time in their development. It's about them as individuals improving all aspects of their game, whether physical, temperament or communication skills and competing for a place.

 

Good post.

 

Should we loan Soyuncu out in January if he is unable to get into our first 11? He might benefit from a loan like Benkovic. 

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10 minutes ago, Reg Vardy said:

Big question is despite signing a new contract will Harry go in January, if Benkovic comes back we have four, five,six options , including two in the under 23’s at centre back....

Those u23s will never get a game here. Hughes and Knight are the same age as Benkovic and still playing against kids.

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48 minutes ago, Reg Vardy said:

Big question is despite signing a new contract will Harry go in January, if Benkovic comes back we have four, five,six options , including two in the under 23’s at centre back....

Harry won't go in January. A few of the players have said in interviews that Harry's told them he's committed to us for the full season, and no doubt Harry will have said the same to Vichai...

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I really hope he looks at the young English international players that have forced through moves to the bigger clubs. 

 

It hasn't work for an majority of them. Not to say we're the right, or even best, choice for his career but there are better places to be than Man Utd. 

 

This Sancho has shown that the concept of having to play IN England to play FOR England is becoming out dated. Man u would be the very worst fit at this point in both parties existence. 

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26 and on a five year deal. Every player reaches a point where they are at an age when their value drops, largely due to age. Maguire will be sold within the next two years. Leicester whilst a decent sized football club, haven’t spent £25m on two young centre halves not to sell an older one for £75m...and as Harry’s age goes up his value goes down.

The Beckham transfer to Real is a good example, and there are countless others of great players being sold, when they know values start dropping. Slimani is prime, we overpaid for an ageing forward then struggled to sell him. Basically he is worth nowt in two years time. 

At the same time Soya and Benko will go through exactly the same process......

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