Topic: Naby Keita Watch

[Jookie]

But I think it is already clear that he has the full range of attributes in his arsenal that can be said to be even more complete than Gerrard's.

I don't think it is clear though.

I'm not trying to downplay Keita's ability. He looks a hugely promising player. But it's not even close to being clear that he has the attributes to be more complete than Gerrard. For a start, Gerrard was a big game player. UEFA Cup final, European Cup Final, FA Cup final and League Cup final. Scorers in all 4. He was the ultimate big game player. Brought his A-game when it mattered. Where's the evidence that Keita can do that? Where's the evidence that Keita cope with the expectations of a big club?

Like I said I'm not trying to downplay Keita. He looks a tremendous prospect with a full range of attributes. But he's a million miles away from being the player Gerrard was for Liverpool. That's as much to do with how good Gerrard was than any of Keita's potential.

[JasonF]

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying he's potentially as good as/better than Gerrard. The key word is potential. He doesn't look the same type of player to me, but he has all the attributes to be an exceptional midfield player, just like Gerrard did, and was.

I'm sure we'd all love it if at the end of his time here he can be even mentioned in the same breath as Gerrard, because it'll mean he's had a long and successful time here.

[RichardM]

Is it reasonable to compare him to Modric in style & potential ability? I fucking love Modric, he's a footballing god. If Keita's even half as good as he is I'll be happy.

[jack1092]

Is it reasonable to compare him to Modric in style & potential ability? I fucking love Modric, he's a footballing god. If Keita's even half as good as he is I'll be happy.

Compared him statistically to Modric on whoscored- trumps him in everything but pass % but lets be realistic, he's not playing as deep all the time at RB, and he is playing more key passes.

[jack1092]

Haha.  It always happens.  Rawk's law:  if there are a large volume of posts about a new LFC player, eventually the conversation will converge to said player being sold, to Barca or RM, before he's kicked a ball for LFC.

You can crab it all you want but if he's a success its highly likely. Don't see the issue with saying it?

[ToneLa]

You can crab it all you want but if he's a success its highly likely. Don't see the issue with saying it?

Because it's boring and obvious and it's just fear

- Tons of players leave eventually
- Those that don't retire one day
- What about his actual LFC career?

The moral is enjoy what you have while you have it. We all die, why bother thinking about it? Enjoy life.

And this fella isn't even here yet!

[Yiannis]

Only player last season in one of the major leagues to average 3 tackles, 3 steals and 3 successful dribbles per 90'. Also 1.5 open play chances per 90's as well. He's just 21 years old and is fucking great. That's all.

[RideTheWalrus]

This threads gonna be active until next july like this page isn't it 

[Yiannis]

This threads gonna be active until next july like this page isn't it 

I'll be watching any RBL games he's in

[BabuYagu]

Hopefully! He seems to have made a very fast trajectory- one season in RB and looking a Bundesliga star already, and having his head turned by LFC. Very possible for me that he does the same here at 23 and by 25/26 he's heavily in demand. As you say he's signed a nice long contract, and i am purely speculating, but sometimes i think its best to get the tough truths out early 

Why Do We Keep Predicting The Future If We Are So Often WRONG?
Knowing what lies ahead, or thinking we do, is a matter of survival.

The study of the psychology of risk perception has found that one of the most powerful influences on fear is uncertainty. The less we know, the more threatened we feel, because lack of knowledge means we don't know what we need to know to protect ourselves.

In short, humans fear the unknown. So just make random guesses to feel better about the situation rather than just accept not knowing.

[BabuYagu]

I don't think it is clear though.

I'm not trying to downplay Keita's ability. He looks a hugely promising player. But it's not even close to being clear that he has the attributes to be more complete than Gerrard. For a start, Gerrard was a big game player. UEFA Cup final, European Cup Final, FA Cup final and League Cup final. Scorers in all 4. He was the ultimate big game player. Brought his A-game when it mattered. Where's the evidence that Keita can do that? Where's the evidence that Keita cope with the expectations of a big club?

Like I said I'm not trying to downplay Keita. He looks a tremendous prospect with a full range of attributes. But he's a million miles away from being the player Gerrard was for Liverpool. That's as much to do with how good Gerrard was than any of Keita's potential.

There is a lot that needs to go right for him to get there. Transitioning from any league to the premiership is tough.

The exciting thing is having a player who looks very capable to do so though.

[JasonF]

Don't think I've seen this one posted yet:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/IXYIebEX07c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/IXYIebEX07c</a>

[SamAteTheRedAcid]

[BeautifulGame91]

Don't think I've seen this one posted yet:

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/IXYIebEX07c" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/IXYIebEX07c</a>

Just to reinforce how good he was in that game despite Leipzig losing 2-0, this is what Schalke Sporting director said after the game.

Schalke's win was particularly well deserved as they were playing against "12 men" according to Heidel, who marvelled at the Guinea international's ability to evade the home side's attentions.

"Everyone has seen that RB are a top team, especially since they played with 12 today," Heidel told journalists, as reported by Spox. "Naby Keita plays for two!

"The kid is unbelievable," he added. "I've rarely seen anything like it.

"Even when three [Schalke players] were on him, he somehow managed to keep hold of the ball."

[alonsoisared]

The first 3 and a half minutes of that is just him giving the ball away

Interesting to watch, he seemed to be playing much higher up the pitch there? The limited i've seen of him he seems to have started much deeper but ran into the number 10 space, rather than starting in it.

[BabuYagu]

The first 3 and a half minutes of that is just him giving the ball away

Interesting to watch, he seemed to be playing much higher up the pitch there? The limited i've seen of him he seems to have started much deeper but ran into the number 10 space, rather than starting in it.

I think this is the difference between a typical midfielder and someone like Gerrard/Keita.

Take Gini for example - schooled in Dutch football he looks at the game in terms of diamonds. He looks forward, then diagonal then sideways for passing options, then looks back if there are none. Possession is paramount and therefore will likely not take on a risky forward pass unless completing it results in a  goalscoring opportunity. Which means as an #8 that is great. Counter attacking too it is great. But against a low block he struggles to move the ball forward. If you have him next to Coutinho who will move between the lines to link midfield and attack he will find him, but Gini is unlikely to get the ball to Firmino in those situations himself. He needs a link man beside him.

Gerrard and Keita only look forward. If there is no forward option then they shift the position of the ball either with a one two or dribble then look forward again. If there is no forward option they will force it. There are clear problems with such a player in certain situations. Like if you are trying to have a patient approach or want to take the sting out of a game and slow it down. It was a problem we know Rafa had with Gerrard at times. But that negative is offset by the huge positive such a mindset brings especially to a side who wants to hurt people in transitions. Unlike Gerrard - who I think is easier to nullify with a low block (or turn into a long range shooting threat only) as he excels at attacking space Keita thrives in tight spaces which makes me think against those low block sides his unpredictable dribbling from areas teams don't like to face it (e.g.  a typical #6 and CB isn't built to deal with a low center of gravity player unlike wingers and full backs) will help him shine.

[BabuYagu]

btw Sabitzer looks a handy player in Leipzig games I am watching of this season. Didn't notice him really last season.

[Dim Glas]

btw Sabitzer looks a handy player in Leipzig games I am watching of this season. Didn't notice him really last season.

yes he is. I've been mentioning him every time people ask about Leipzig players since last season, he doesn't get much attention cos of other players there I guess! Not as 'highlight' as some others, but very effective and important to their team.

[BEAST]

I hope he has his suit for the Ballon D'or ceremony picked out 

[BabuYagu]

yes he is. I've been mentioning him every time people ask about Leipzig players since last season, he doesn't get much attention cos of other players there I guess! Not as 'highlight' as some others, but very effective and important to their team.

I watched them a handful of games last season. Those I didn't see I tried to get highlights or every touch of Keita. I can see he mostly played on the right last season which is why I barely remember him.

I realised recently when watching teams I pay a lot of attention to certain players (e.g. for Leipzig I would focus on Werner, Forsberg, Keita, Orban) and as a result not really notice others. I watch them both on and off the ball.

[Black Bull Nova]

The first 3 and a half minutes of that is just him giving the ball away

Yeh,  not the best advert for those watching with attention deficit disorder, if you'd seen just the first three minutes he looked like a downgrade from Jay Spearing.

Luckily there is more to him than that but we have to wait a year unless we play Leipzig (surely they've put a clause in, imagine if we played them in the final and our CL status was dependent upon it, that would put him in a spot)

[thekitkatshuffler]

Only player last season in one of the major leagues to average 3 tackles, 3 steals and 3 successful dribbles per 90'. Also 1.5 open play chances per 90's as well. He's just 21 years old and is fucking great. That's all.

He's 22.

Best years are behind him.

[princeoftherocks]

Now, y'all gonna call me racist but, come on...

[Jay797]

Sorry if this as been asked before but I can't be bothered to trawl through 10 pages, but is this a done deal as far as a transfer & money/price/wages are concerned? By that I mean if he has a massive season this coming season could his price go up or worse could he be sold elsewhere?

[thekitkatshuffler]

Now, y'all gonna call me racist but, come on...

Yep.  Racist confirmed.

[BabuYagu]

Sorry if this as been asked before but I can't be bothered to trawl through 10 pages, but is this a done deal as far as a transfer & money/price/wages are concerned? By that I mean if he has a massive season this coming season could his price go up or worse could he be sold elsewhere?

It's a signed deal.

Only time I know of such a deal falling through was Mikel to United when United successfully sued for something like 300% to 400% of the transfer fee that had been agreed for breach of contract.

So while, yes, anybody can just refuse to honour any contract, they would have to face the legal ramifications for doing so.

[Eeyore]

It's a signed deal.

Only time I know of such a deal falling through was Mikel to United when United successfully sued for something like 300% to 400% of the transfer fee that had been agreed for breach of contract.

So while, yes, anybody can just refuse to honour any contract, they would have to face the legal ramifications for doing so.

Wasn't the Van Nistlerooy situation similar.

[BabuYagu]

Wasn't the Van Nistlerooy situation similar.

No United backed out of the deal due to concerns over a weakness in his knee at the time of his medical. To prove them wrong he made a training video showing he was fine and injured himself. When he recovered the eventually signed him.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/apr/27/newsstory.sport13
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2000/apr/28/newsstory.sport8

[nyrrard]

How crazy is this? Haha!! Not even kicked a ball and people are acting like babies.
"He will be blabla in a couple of blabla". The internet seems to make stupid more stupid every day.

Really buzzed about this signing. Looking forward to next season already

[invader_gir]

So let me get this straight:
if we bought him this season and he is still there = people complain
if we bought him this season and he played for us= people complain
if we missed out on him = people complain

 

There is no pleasing people around here it seems.

[BeautifulGame91]

It's a signed deal.

Only time I know of such a deal falling through was Mikel to United when United successfully sued for something like 300% to 400% of the transfer fee that had been agreed for breach of contract.

So while, yes, anybody can just refuse to honour any contract, they would have to face the legal ramifications for doing so.

Regarding the Mikel deal ,did United announce him as their player with Mikel signing the contract or was that a pre contract agreement?

[deadsetred]

Yep.  Racist confirmed.

Huh? So only white people can have dopplegangers? Sounds like something a white person would assume.

[T.Mills]

Huh? So only white people can have dopplegangers? Sounds like something a white person would assume.

You're white, you're Ben Affleck.

[12Kings]

I don't think it is clear though.

I'm not trying to downplay Keita's ability. He looks a hugely promising player. But it's not even close to being clear that he has the attributes to be more complete than Gerrard. For a start, Gerrard was a big game player. UEFA Cup final, European Cup Final, FA Cup final and League Cup final. Scorers in all 4. He was the ultimate big game player. Brought his A-game when it mattered. Where's the evidence that Keita can do that? Where's the evidence that Keita cope with the expectations of a big club?

Like I said I'm not trying to downplay Keita. He looks a tremendous prospect with a full range of attributes. But he's a million miles away from being the player Gerrard was for Liverpool. That's as much to do with how good Gerrard was than any of Keita's potential.

He's in the mold of Gerrard, exactly the same at the same point of his career. How old was Gerrard in 2005?

[ThePoolMan]

He's in the mold of Gerrard, exactly the same at the same point of his career. How old was Gerrard in 2005?

He was 25 in 2005.

By the time he was 22, Gerrard was the vice captain of the team and had already won the UFA Cup, FA Cup, League Cup, and Super Cup as well as PFA Young Player of the year. He became captain when he was 23.

[TealC]

Now, y'all gonna call me racist but, come on...

He is more of an Akon for me 

[plura]

Huh? So only white people can have dopplegangers? Sounds like something a white person would assume.

Haha It's really not that like and a million miles away from dopplegangers.

[Conocinico]

Now, y'all gonna call me racist but, come on...

What's Frank Bruno got to do with this?

[BeautifulGame91]

Keita is completely different player to Gerrard .Why are we even comparing both ?[emoji52]

[ThePoolMan]

I think this is the difference between a typical midfielder and someone like Gerrard/Keita.

Take Gini for example - schooled in Dutch football he looks at the game in terms of diamonds. He looks forward, then diagonal then sideways for passing options, then looks back if there are none. Possession is paramount and therefore will likely not take on a risky forward pass unless completing it results in a  goalscoring opportunity. Which means as an #8 that is great. Counter attacking too it is great. But against a low block he struggles to move the ball forward. If you have him next to Coutinho who will move between the lines to link midfield and attack he will find him, but Gini is unlikely to get the ball to Firmino in those situations himself. He needs a link man beside him.

Gerrard and Keita only look forward. If there is no forward option then they shift the position of the ball either with a one two or dribble then look forward again. If there is no forward option they will force it. There are clear problems with such a player in certain situations. Like if you are trying to have a patient approach or want to take the sting out of a game and slow it down. It was a problem we know Rafa had with Gerrard at times. But that negative is offset by the huge positive such a mindset brings especially to a side who wants to hurt people in transitions. Unlike Gerrard - who I think is easier to nullify with a low block (or turn into a long range shooting threat only) as he excels at attacking space Keita thrives in tight spaces which makes me think against those low block sides his unpredictable dribbling from areas teams don't like to face it (e.g.  a typical #6 and CB isn't built to deal with a low center of gravity player unlike wingers and full backs) will help him shine.

This is an excellent description of the kind of player that Keita and Gerrard are, as well as how they differ from each other.