Cyle Larin

[An Observer]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Larin and Mallorca host Atlético de Madrid tomorrow Saturday, 9pm local time. 

Mallorca has only lost or drawn the last few games, while Atlético has a very poor away record this season. They really just need 5-6 points in these last 5 games to avoid any threat of relegation.

My barber this week, who's French and a France and Real Madrid fan, was saying hey, I saw Steve Nash was at the Spanish Cup, giving me my Canadian tie-in, and then we got into this big talk about the Nash brothers, about Martin, where they were from, when they went to Canada. Of course he had no idea about Larin, no idea Canada were playing France, and then "oh, Davies is Canadian? David at Lille is Canadian?", to conclude "you guys have good players".

I was in our Brussels office a couple of months back.  And when I mentioned to one of the French guys that worked there that I was Canadian, the first thing out of his mouth was “that Jonathan David” is an amazing striker….and then caveated it to say “do you follow football?”

[Kent]

Saw this feature on Sportscentre tonight, promoting the Copa America.

https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/video/the-summer-of-soccer-can-cyle-larin-come-up-clutch-for-canada-again-at-copa-america~2914261

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

Subbed on m. 62, as they are down at home vs. Atlético Madrid 0-1. Up high with Muriqi.

[Unnamed Trialist]

He's playing well, a couple offsides, but also beating them, and some combination play that was not reciprocated. Seems intense, as they are still behind, 0-1 m. 83.

They are still overly inhibited when it comes to driving to goal, especially with those two strikers up there.

[narduch]

Starting v Las Palmas.

Mallorca need a win here to stay out of the relegation battle

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

I just turned it on, but he's just been taken off. No idea how he's done, m. 64, leading 1-0.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Their win yesterday was critical, as other results have relegation spot Cádiz at 29 points, 5 back of two other teams and six back of Mallorca, with three to play.

If they'd lost, they'd have relegation 3 points back.

Still does not make his season any better, but relegation would really damage his status. 

There are rumours of Aguirre being replaced at Mallorca, in fact the press've been asking him about his contract all year. He is out of contract end of June. A few interesting names come up, like Arraste at Osasuna. Aguirre's loved in Mallorca, but the play and results are a bit lacking, this season was very grey and uninspired. I do think Larin would do well to have a coach that has a better sense of how to play him. 

[Joe MacCarthy]

14 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Their win yesterday was critical, as other results have relegation spot Cádiz at 29 points, 5 back of two other teams and six back of Mallorca, with three to play.

Coincidentally, Mallorca and Cadiz have the same results in the last five games

[narduch]

Starting v Osasuna

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

2 minutes ago, narduch said:

Starting v Osasuna

But will he play under Marsch😉?

[narduch]

Just now, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

But will he play under Marsch😉?

I honestly wouldn't hate playing with only 1 striker, especially against strong teams

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 minute ago, narduch said:

I honestly wouldn't hate playing with only 1 striker, especially against strong teams

That's what he was doing at Leeds, but even against Liverpool and Napoli he played with 2 strikers in his Salzburg days. Maybe he has matured. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

35 minutes ago, narduch said:

I honestly wouldn't hate playing with only 1 striker, especially against strong teams

Happens that Larin is all alone up top this evening.

I actually think a sole striker, a wing, and a mid transitioning to wing isn't a bad setup vs stronger teams. Ie leaving Larin out. 

[Obinna]

I can see a front 3 of Davies-David-Buchanan under Marsch, with Larin coming on for David. 

With those 3, you have elite athleticism and ability to interchange and press (so long as Buchanan is dialed in, I guess). We know David is a fine presser and Davies I have no doubt will press like hell, but someone made a comment in another thread about Buchanan and pressing? He does have the speed and athleticism to help form a formidable front 3, not to mention the skill, directness and verticality. 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

I can see a front 3 of Davies-David-Buchanan under Marsch, with Larin coming on for David. 

With those 3, you have elite athleticism and ability to interchange and press (so long as Buchanan is dialed in, I guess). We know David is a fine presser and Davies I have no doubt will press like hell, but someone made a comment in another thread about Buchanan and pressing? He does have the speed and athleticism to help form a formidable front 3, not to mention the skill, directness and verticality. 

I guess we should get into this somewhere.

Who do you see, in the AMC postion? Kone?

Assuming a back 4?

Though I read he did a little 3/5 at the back at points early with Salzburg and late with Liepzig, not really that long ago. (Looking at the lineups with Leipzig, quite a few games with Klostermann and Gvardiol and another centreback, as recently at December 2021.)

 

But maybe we shouldn't fill up Cyle's thread on game day?

 

 

 

[Norrin Radd]

2 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Who do you see, in the AMC postion? Kone?

I’d love to see David in that role. He looked great playing in the middle against Trinidad.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

3 minutes ago, Norrin Radd said:

I’d love to see David in that role. He looked great playing in the middle against Trinidad.

I actually thought somewhat the opposite. 

He did a lot of things you like in that position because he works hard and is generally tidy wherever. But kept getting the ball in positions where he wasn't likely to score, which in the end is his biggest role. 

Maybe without 2 strikers bogging up the box ahead of him and in a counterpress system it works better.

[jhoops__]

Larin has 2 goals in 32 La liga matches…pretty shit year if we’re honest.

[Norrin Radd]

24 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

I actually thought somewhat the opposite. 

He did a lot of things you like in that position because he works hard and is generally tidy wherever. But kept getting the ball in positions where he wasn't likely to score, which in the end is his biggest role. 

Maybe without 2 strikers bogging up the box ahead of him and in a counterpress system it works better.

He was playing behind two strikers when he was in Belgium, and he was still able to score a lot of goals, so I'm not sure if that would necessarily be an issue.

I'd love to see him play behind one striker and between the two attacking wide players. He has the ability to control the flow of attack to a degree that I don't think anyone else on the team can match.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 minute ago, Norrin Radd said:

He was playing behind two strikers when he was in Belgium, and he was still able to score a lot of goals, so I'm not sure if that would necessarily be an issue.

I'd love to see him play behind one striker and between the two attacking wide players. He has the ability to control the flow of attack to a degree that I don't think anyone else on the team can match.

Unfortunately he will be facing teams that defend better or load the box (like T&T) as opposed to what Gent faced in Belgium.  Which to be fair, made it it fun to watch. 

He is by far our best poacher and our best presser from the front.  Unless someone can come close in those roles I think he needs to be up top.  

I think Eustaquio dicates the came better from a purely playmaking role and I think Kone can provide the athleticism that Marsch would want, with a lot of good passing and range shooting. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

50 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

I guess we should get into this somewhere.

..........

But maybe we shouldn't fill up Cyle's thread on game day?

His fault for not scoring (lame attempt at a reverse jinx).

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

I guess we should get into this somewhere.

Who do you see, in the AMC postion? Kone?

Assuming a back 4?

Though I read he did a little 3/5 at the back at points early with Salzburg and late with Liepzig, not really that long ago. (Looking at the lineups with Leipzig, quite a few games with Klostermann and Gvardiol and another centreback, as recently at December 2021.)

 

But maybe we shouldn't fill up Cyle's thread on game day?

 

 

 

yeah, given his lack of goals it's probably safe to discuss it here, a bit. 

I have been wondering about who the 3rd midfielder would/could be. My preference remains Ahmed, followed by Choniere, then whoever steps up (Fraser, Paton, Loturi, Osorio, Piette, Hoilett). Outside of a shock Metcalfe call, or trying Nelson in the middle (which I would be a big fan of), I think those are probably the options in the near term. 

Back 4 is what I imagine, so 4-3-3, but like you say maybe a 3/5 back, with Davies and Buchanan the wingbacks. That's how we looked against Belgium and did quite well to press them.

And by the way we had Larin come off the bench for that one, too. So, maybe that's going to be the role he settles into under Marsch. Let's see. 

Also, if we play with a 3/5 back, what would that mean for Johnston? Backup to Buchanan? I think Bombito is going to be the guy at RCB under Marsch and probably rightly so. 

[red card]

Larin misses out in being #1.

 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

8 minutes ago, red card said:

Larin misses out in being #1.

 

Bar Larin, pretty much the list of strikers West Ham have been linked with...

[InglewoodJack]

I think his body of work gives him more than enough grace to get auto call ups at least through 2026, but I can be sold on a single striker with Larin off the bench. Wouldn’t hate to see how some of our other strikers link up with JD though.