The international Break Debate – Caglar Soy

He's class. Better than what we currently have starting, barring Maguire.
Give the guy time!

Eventual back three................... Benkovic, Maguire, Soyuncu, with wing-backs.

I think Puel has a dilemma.

If he starts with 3 centre-backs, with Chilwell and/or Ricardo/Amartey as wing-backs, then he has problems as who to start in midfield. Obviously N'didi with either Mendy, Iborra or Silva, then factoring in Maddison, Grey, Ghezzal, Albrighton, with the forwards Vardy, Ian and Okazaki. Wow! How do you pick the team?
I actually feel sorry for Puel and the squad.

Back to the post............. Soyuncu will be 1st choice soon enough i reckon. Given the chance!

"All that said, I agree with Nev on this. He’s a talented but young player, has struggled to settle and needs time. Nothing to see here yet. But I’d be surprised if he started the next game. Maybe he’d get a bench place but maybe not".

He's a full international played 19 times for Turkey including world cup qualifiers. In fact he is playing for them right now!

Benny has played 5 times for Tunisia.

Yeah but we all know about him, anyway Soyuncu is 22, when does a young player become old enough,

For a centre back, a position that demands consistency, that’s still very young.

comment by True Blue (U9486)
posted 7 minutes ago
Benny has played 5 times for Tunisia.
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That’s a fair point.

There are a few good international teams, but the vast majority are a standard well below the Premier League.

So the boy played 90 minutes and a clean sheet against the mighty Bosnia - get him him v Arsenal

From the reports it took him time to settle in Germany, particularly language, and he made mistakes in his first few games especially as he likes to play out from the back. He’s going to be fine for Turkey as he’s already settled in that team.

Can completely understand holding him back until he’s more settled given our boo boys. A couple of mistakes and they’ll be on his back...

Puel is also playing it well if he’s highlighting Morgan’s days are numbered whilst giving time building up credible replacements, if anything Evans looks like a sticking plaster and a source of learning for the youngsters (along with a couple of others) rather than a player you’d want to build a successful side around.

If over the next 2 seasons we’re able to finish well in the league to help retain key players our centre backs could be Maguire, Soyuncu, Benkovic plus the likes of Johnson or Knight who are highly rated. Maguire would be peaking in terms of experience and hopefully a leader of a defensive unit by then.

And that maturity with players reaching peak age ranges would extend to the likes of Ndidi, Maddison, Gray (fingers crossed), Chilwell, Iheanacho, Ward (below peak age), Barnes, Amartey and Periera. With a lot of those having high game time relative to their age. With perhaps Diabate, Kapustka, Thomas, Iverson plus others in the u23 still in the make or break zone.

A good spread across the team making me think Puel, unless he enters relegation form, will be retained for some time.

It feels like we’re building for a sustainable future with a initial mature base level in about circa 2 years, that can then be maintained and again built from, rather than the make or break Slimani or Silva type signings. Not going to say Musa as think he’s one of the former and one of the boo boys success stories.

So if that means we need to ease players in I think we’re doing the right thing although it probably won’t reflect well from a fans perspective (not a brigade or anything) on Puels already slow personality.

And just to add how good would Krameric have been to us now had he stayed. He’d very much fit this type of formation and play - suggesting we have been building (at a youth and development level at least) for some time.

Solid points Cupcake.
Definately agree on Evans - a temporary measure in his position until others step up.