2025/26 Charly Alcaraz

[Clarky cat]

Unless he was struggling with injury it made no sense to substitute him before the woeful McNeil yesterday. McNeil idly watched Wolves score and was bent over double around the 40th minute after contributing absolutely nothing other than being dispossessed. Madness to treat players like this if you want to keep them onside.

 

[blindbert]

I think Charly carries the ball forward quickly and uses it well. Looks composed in posession and has a good shot on him. Perhaps unfair to judge him when playing with the 2nd pick wingers and CF (arguably).

 

[Zatara]

I would like to see KDH Next to Garner to see how that works, but him Grealish and Garner are on the same wavelength, so do we want to break that up.

Grealish needs players that can compliment his game, or he will end up getting to frustrated..

I said in 2023 id have Onana as Anchor with KDH (who i suggested we sign) and Garner as the 2 CMs in front of him.

The issue we have is thats probably not going to work as we dont have a 6 and it wouldnt be defensive enough to pair them with a 10.

Than Alcaraz? He is

Alcaraz is top notch in transition, takes risks to create chances and is a 10.

KDH is an 8 that looks to pass forward to attacking players, but is being used as a seemingly safety first 10.

I dont see there being any comparison.

 

[ElGato]

Good in transition but makes so many basic handling errors in the middle of the park, turning over possession needlessly

Frustrating player to watch, and can see he frustrates himself sometimes

No way should he have been taken off ahead of McNeill yesterday though. Baffling decision

 

[blueconverse]

Wish he would stop slipping over. Same at Leeds. Get some bigger studs ladb

 

[toffeeblue9]

I said in 2023 id have Onana as Anchor with KDH (who i suggested we sign) and Garner as the 2 CMs in front of him.

The issue we have is thats probably not going to work as we dont have a 6 and it wouldnt be defensive enough to pair them with a 10.



Alcaraz is top notch in transition, takes risks to create chances and is a 10.

KDH is an 8 that looks to pass forward to attacking players, but is being used as a seemingly safety first 10.

I dont see there being any comparison.

I don't disagree with any of that, and yet KDH is still infinitely better as a 10 than Alcaraz is.

To be an effective 10, you need to have quality on the ball, be able to look after it and have some guile in terms of creating chances.

Charly is basically a better version of Doucoure. That won't be a popular opinion for a lot of blues who are still blinded by him creating a couple of goals when he signed, but the difference between him in the team and someone who looks after ball like KDH (despite him not even really being a 10) is night and day

 

[Curtis]

Charly is basically a better version of Doucoure. That won't be a popular opinion for a lot of blues who are still blinded by him creating a couple of goals when he signed, but the difference between him in the team and someone who looks after ball like KDH (despite him not even really being a 10) is night and day

The assertion Charly is a better version of Doucoure is a very questionable take in my opinion. Charly is a completely different type of player than Doucoure despite them both featuring in an attacking mid role , yesterday he was underwhelming and ball retention can be an issue like It was for Doucoure, although it was in a completely different context , Doucoure was terrible on the ball along with making basic passes , Charly is pretty proficient with his passing and marauding down the pitch. Charly concedes the ball because he's over ambitious, Doucoure was just unpolished.

 

[SuperKev91]

He’s alright, has some pretty big flaws but some potentially really good upsides too.

Basically, an alright squad player who could develop further.

 

[ToffeeTim]

The assertion Charly is a better version of Doucoure is a very questionable take in my opinion. Charly is a completely different type of player than Doucoure despite them both featuring in an attacking mid role , yesterday he was underwhelming and ball retention can be an issue like It was for Doucoure, although it was in a completely different context , Doucoure was terrible on the ball along with making basic passes , Charly is pretty proficient with his passing and marauding down the pitch. Charly concedes the ball because he's over ambitious, Doucoure was just unpolished.

Alacaraz is much better on the ball but significantly worse than Doucoure out of possession. We are much easier to play against with Alcaraz in that position because he is really not good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the field

 

[TheBigIguana]

I don't disagree with any of that, and yet KDH is still infinitely better as a 10 than Alcaraz is.

To be an effective 10, you need to have quality on the ball, be able to look after it and have some guile in terms of creating chances.

Charly is basically a better version of Doucoure. That won't be a popular opinion for a lot of blues who are still blinded by him creating a couple of goals when he signed, but the difference between him in the team and someone who looks after ball like KDH (despite him not even really being a 10) is night and day

I’d like to disagree with the being able to look after it bit. Part of being in that spot is giving the ball away. Unless you’re Messi or De Bruyne or something you won’t be able to threaten enough if you’re not losing it at times. It’s part of the job.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Alacaraz is much better on the ball but significantly worse than Doucoure out of possession. We are much easier to play against with Alcaraz in that position because he is really not good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the field

We took 12 points from his 7 starts last year. Even if this is true, and I think people are getting too comfortable saying it like some unassailable fact, he’s clearly doing enough otherwise for it to be alright.

 

[W84 Dum Freeze]

Alacaraz is much better on the ball but significantly worse than Doucoure out of possession. We are much easier to play against with Alcaraz in that position because he is really not good at pressing and winning the ball back high up the field

With Grealish's first touch excellence we are more likely to be with the ball upfield this season compared to the previous few.
Hopefully Alcaraz can be utilised when we have the greater possession.

 

[SuperKev91]

I’d like to disagree with the being able to look after it bit. Part of being in that spot is giving the ball away. Unless you’re Messi or De Bruyne or something you won’t be able to threaten enough if you’re not losing it at times. It’s part of the job.

It’s not the passes etc. I think most people are referring to. He’s just awful at hiding the ball. Watch Grealish/N’Diaye (Pienaar back in the day), they know how to get their body across when carrying it so you either let them go or you take them out.

For someone who wants to carry the ball as much as he does Charly has GOT to be better at hiding it.

 

[TheBigIguana]

It’s not the passes etc. I think most people are referring to. He’s just awful at hiding the ball. Watch Grealish/N’Diaye (Pienaar back in the day), they know how to get their body across when carrying it so you either let them go or you take them out.

For someone who wants to carry the ball as much as he does Charly has GOT to be better at hiding it.

I mean again it’s not something that has really stopped him from being good at the main job of his position

 

[HalfTimeSayers]

With grass ahead of him, I like him. He’s positive.

With opposition players around him he is borderline terrible. But it’s not a crap first touch, he just dawdles when he hasn’t time to and it gets pinched. Definitely something he can improve on. Surprising as he looks the sort to be good escaping from tight spaces as he has good technical ability, but his brain isn’t quite urgent enough yet when surrounded.