2024/25 Charly Alcaraz

[Eggs]

Think he’s partly a victim of how badly balanced we are. If you’ve got Gana/Tim in there as a two you’re basically saying to Tim you have to stay disciplined for when Gana goes ball winning. I don’t think he’s anywhere near ready for that responsibility. Doucoure comes in to become a 3rd midfielder, I don’t think Alcaraz is doing that job (he certainly didn’t want to work off the ball yesterday, maybe just sulking about being out wide/on the bench).

If we had a stronger core you can facilitate someone like Alcaraz (or if he himself were a lot more effective on/off the ball you can cheat a bit). I think in games like yesterday we’re just still better being solid as a unit. Alcaraz should start against anyone outside of the top sides I’d say.

….spot on, Kev.

 

[Exeter_Gently]

I don't think Moyes fancies him,he's not the profile of a usual Moyes no10.

Charley was Thelwell signing.

Moyes doesn't seems comfortable talking about him in pressers either.

If you read Moyes's interview when he first signed he hardly give the transfer a ringing endorsement..he finished the his comments with "hopefully he can help us from now till the end of season".

Not..."if everything goes well we hope to keep him"

The problem is Blues seems to have fell head over heels with him over a short space of time so if he doesn't end up signing everyone will be up in arms.

I just think some Blues like the thought of having and Argentinian in the squad,some Blues...not all Blues before you lot start kicking off.

He's got a handful of games to show Moyes why he should be in the team before Doucoure, hopefully he goes on and does it.

 

[Neiler]

I can see the quality he’s got but I’m not convinced we couldn’t do better elsewhere.

I just thought he’d bring more needle than he has, he’s a player I thought would never really let the game just run away from him. He’s had a few now though where he’s just not got into it.

It’s not a crazy price though so I can see the appeal and he’s got obvious ability with the ball.

I know what you mean mate.

Id still 100% be prepared to invest him, hes still very young, i think hes very willing and i dont think hes ever put down roots anywhere and been given time to develop. He does remind me of Mikel on loan when he came from Sociedad (i think it was) he was very weak and often let the game pass him by - like Charly though you could see his quality. We developed Mikel or rather toughened him up enough that he could use his quality to influence a game. I think we could do the same with Charly.

As you say the value to quality ratio is good - if he was £25 -30 mill - i might blink.

 

[SuperKev91]

I don't think Moyes fancies him,he's not the profile of a usual Moyes no10.

Charley was Thelwell signing.

Moyes doesn't seems comfortable talking about him in pressers either.

If you read Moyes's interview when he first signed he hardly give the transfer a ringing endorsement..he finished the his comments with "hopefully he can help us from now till the end of season".

Not..."if everything goes well we hope to keep him"

The problem is Blues seems to have fell head over heels with him over a short space of time so if he doesn't end up signing everyone will be up in arms.

I just think some Blues like the thought of having and Argentinian in the squad,some Blues...not all Blues before you lot start kicking off.

He's got a handful of games to show Moyes why he should be in the team before Doucoure, hopefully he goes on and does it.

I think he’s just lacking that real magic where you can’t leave him out and his work off the ball/physicality don’t make up for that yet.

Watch someone like Cahill/Richi and they didn’t have real magic in their boots just real work rate and positional intelligence (combined with good instincts in the box). I thought Alcaraz had a bit of that but it doesn’t really seem like it. His quality doesn’t really mask the lack of work the other way currently (in this side).

 

[SuperKev91]

I know what you mean mate.

Id still 100% be prepared to invest him, hes still very young, i think hes very willing and i dont think hes ever put down roots and where and been given time to develop. He does remind me of Mikel on loan when he came from Sociedad (i think it was) he was very weak and often let the game pass him by - like Charly though you could se the quality. We developed Mikel or rather toughened him up enough that he could sue his quality to influence a game. I think we could do the same with Charly.

As you say the value to quality ratio is good - if he was £25 -30 mill - i might blink.

Yeah I wouldn’t be against signing him I just don’t think it’s a no brainier by any means.

He does strike a heavy ball though, we need a few of those. Garner made a difference in that respect from set pieces when he came on (a half of just Harrison who can kick a ball was horrific).

If you could light a bit of a fire in him and get him really working off the ball I think the rest would come in this environment. Second he hears a roar or two at Goodison it might all click that he should be doing the yards first.

Sounds backwards but I just think so far it’s his application that’s lacking more than anything.

 

[Eggs]

I don't think Moyes fancies him,he's not the profile of a usual Moyes no10.

Charley was Thelwell signing.

Moyes doesn't seems comfortable talking about him in pressers either.

If you read Moyes's interview when he first signed he hardly give the transfer a ringing endorsement..he finished the his comments with "hopefully he can help us from now till the end of season".

Not..."if everything goes well we hope to keep him"

The problem is Blues seems to have fell head over heels with him over a short space of time so if he doesn't end up signing everyone will be up in arms.

I just think some Blues like the thought of having and Argentinian in the squad,some Blues...not all Blues before you lot start kicking off.

He's got a handful of games to show Moyes why he should be in the team before Doucoure, hopefully he goes on and does it.

…I really don’t think it’s about Doucoure v Alcaraz, with games we have coming up I’d be surprised if Doucoure doesn’t start. It’s more whether Moyes sees him as a starter next season with a better balanced squad.

Moyes mentioned ‘lack of quality in certain areas’ again yesterday. It could suggest he’d want a conventional no10 if he’s able to strengthen where he wants. Hopefully we’ll now have a proper transfer strategy, be interesting if that includes Alcaraz.

 

[billyblue80]

I don't think Moyes fancies him,he's not the profile of a usual Moyes no10.

Charley was Thelwell signing.

Moyes doesn't seems comfortable talking about him in pressers either.

If you read Moyes's interview when he first signed he hardly give the transfer a ringing endorsement..he finished the his comments with "hopefully he can help us from now till the end of season".

Not..."if everything goes well we hope to keep him"

The problem is Blues seems to have fell head over heels with him over a short space of time so if he doesn't end up signing everyone will be up in arms.

I just think some Blues like the thought of having and Argentinian in the squad,some Blues...not all Blues before you lot start kicking off.

He's got a handful of games to show Moyes why he should be in the team before Doucoure, hopefully he goes on and does it.

Could be right but how many starts has he had in the ten? One? Hard to judge off that and a few starts on the wing and some sub appearances

 

[Exeter_Gently]

…I really don’t think it’s about Doucoure v Alcaraz, with games we have coming up I’d be surprised if Doucoure doesn’t start. It’s more whether Moyes sees him as a starter next season with a better balanced squad.

Moyes mentioned ‘lack of quality in certain areas’ again yesterday. It could suggest he’d want a conventional no10 if he’s able to strengthen where he wants. Hopefully we’ll now have a proper transfer strategy, be interesting if that includes Alcaraz.

I don't know mate...I take your points but am just not sure Moyes fancies him

Obviously the likes of me and yourself can only deduce what we can by reading between the lines because we're not in Moyes head.

 

[Exeter_Gently]

Could be right but how many starts has he had in the ten? One? Hard to judge off that and a few starts on the wing and some sub appearances

I know...he needs a proper run of games. If he doesn't get them in the next few weeks then the writing is on wall I think.

That's almost an admission that Moyes isn't having him, because that's the exact time Moyes should be playing him,to get him bedded in for next season.

 

[Simon Buttle]

I don't know mate...I take your points but am just not sure Moyes fancies him

Obviously the likes of me and yourself can only deduce what we can by reading between the lines because we're not in Moyes head.

Think he has been bought in as a Kudus type but Alcaraz doesn't actually have his versatility of positions and does need to play in the middle if we want to see what he can actually do.

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

I don't think Moyes fancies him,he's not the profile of a usual Moyes no10.

Charley was Thelwell signing.

Moyes doesn't seems comfortable talking about him in pressers either.

If you read Moyes's interview when he first signed he hardly give the transfer a ringing endorsement..he finished the his comments with "hopefully he can help us from now till the end of season".

Not..."if everything goes well we hope to keep him"

The problem is Blues seems to have fell head over heels with him over a short space of time so if he doesn't end up signing everyone will be up in arms.

I just think some Blues like the thought of having and Argentinian in the squad,some Blues...not all Blues before you lot start kicking off.

He's got a handful of games to show Moyes why he should be in the team before Doucoure, hopefully he goes on and does it.

Moyes has even said he wants to see Ndiaye in the 10 before the season ends. Between Doucs, Ndiaye, Mcneil and Alcaraz that's a glut for one position and it seems Alcaraz is at the back of the queue for it

 

[Zatara]

It's no good putting him out wide when he is much more effective in the number ten role, especially with Beto, who often does well off balls played into his feet, in front of him.

As others have mentioned, I would consider a frontline of Ndiaye -- Alcaraz -- McNeil, with Beto up top.

Thats the one missing opportunities not to have seen 2/3 yesterday.

Earliest we might get that is Ipswich at home next month, even then it’s probably not something Moyes would be able to stomach.

Then he should be sacked and left to die on the hill of HarrisonBrojaDoucoure.

….i know I’m in a minority of one here but I can honestly see where Moyes is coming from. Doucoure’s inclusion maybe helps Ndiaye get in more threatening advanced positions.

It’s all about what the team does with the ball and without the ball. Essentially, Ndiaye isn’t an orthodox winger, when we have possession he’ll often pop up centrally or be close to Beto but when the opposition has the ball he has to do his bit defending wide areas. What I noticed yesterday was how often Doucoure was in our LB area when we didn’t have possession (not sure I seen him near O’Brien).

Maybe Doucoure covering the left side is exactly what Moyes wanted him to do.

Thjs may make sense if there was statistically a favourable amount of passes and tackles/duels won.

I think Doucoure lets us cheat in the middle and up top, he’s essentially doing the job of a third cm and a second striker at the same time. It masks a lot of our deficiencies currently - he is really so poor with the actual ball though.

I’m not sold on Alcaraz at all I must be honest. He’s clearly got some quality but I’d be concerned about how effective he is in games and for me there are question marks about his application. When he came in I thought he had that Richy/Cahill type work rate and nuisance value but yesterday he looked disinterested.

Its the reverse Cahill.

Would Cahill have been effective at left or right wing? How about as a deep midfielder?

"Oh, but yesterday he didnt run around alot and didnt get the ball out on first the left and then the right wing".

Imagine saying the same if Cahill was the player?

The fault is with Moyes, solely.

When Alcaraz has been used centrally hes looked like an emerging Ndiaye level player.

No logic to leaving Alcaraz on the bench and its even more stupid to replace the player who could link with him...with him.

On the wing -- Moyes madness.

 

[billyblue80]

Moyes has even said he wants to see Ndiaye in the 10 before the season ends. Between Doucs, Ndiaye, Mcneil and Alcaraz that's a glut for one position and it seems Alcaraz is at the back of the queue for it

Ndiaye is a ten/split striker he is good on the left but is mainly there because we lack balance and wing options

 

[EFC_FRANCIS]

Ndiaye is a ten/split striker he is good on the left but is mainly there because we lack balance abd wing options

Which begs the question on is it better to buy Alcaraz and have Ndiaye out of position or skip on Alcaraz and get a proper winger in to get the most out of Ndiaye

 

[billyblue80]

From the echo yesterday:

"Alcaraz has settled quickly and is keen to remain on Merseyside.

Asked whether his contract situation could impact his use of Alcaraz, Moyes said: “It is coming into my thought process a little bit. He has done well but obviously we want to give ourselves every chance to see what we are going to do with it.”

I guess it's down to Charly to perform these next few weeks, I do think he is worth buying myself even at 12m you could double your money even if it doesn't work out, but I am not the manager.