Alves or Mancini

[peekay]

If we play him @ right back, then I have to say he is MUCH better than Finnan going forward. If Carra can be trusted to cover for him, then he will be a great contributor.

It is a very tricky choice. As rehan pointed out Mancini has more skill and more close control.Alves looks like a player who will exploit the spaces when the right winger cuts inside using his stamina.Him and Stevie G could form a world class attacking right hand side for us with Alves providing the width whenever Stevie G cuts inside. Also Alves is brilliant at crossing from the deep and has the ability to provide defense splitting passes.

Even though from a skill point of view Mancini may look a better fit,if money is not an issue I would go with Alves primarily because of his mentality.Alves is a winner, he is Sevilla's talisman,their heart,their Stevie G. When things are going wrong he is the person they look up to and he delivers.Players with that attitude are priceless and we could do with a couple of more players like that.I havent watched or heard enough of Mancini to say if he has the same mentality.

[El Jefecito]

It is a very tricky choice. As rehan pointed out Mancini has more skill and more close control.Alves looks like a player who will exploit the spaces when the right winger cuts inside using his stamina.Him and Stevie G could form a world class attacking right hand side for us with Alves providing the width whenever Stevie G cuts inside. Also Alves is brilliant at crossing from the deep and has the ability to provide defense splitting passes.

Even though from a skill point of view Mancini may look a better fit,if money is not an issue I would go with Alves primarily because of his mentality.Alves is a winner, he is Sevilla's talisman,their heart,their Stevie G. When things are going wrong he is the person they look up to and he delivers.Players with that attitude are priceless and we could do with a couple of more players like that.I havent watched or heard enough of Mancini to say if he has the same mentality.

Well reasoned

[dww]

What if Alves got his 16 assists from Midfield / RW?

Where is the 16 assists stats from? What does it mean. Usually Spanish ststs quote a figure which is the related to the number of clear goal scoring chances creates (as opposed to goals).

It's obvious that if a player comes in and does exceptionally in terms of assists/goals then they will be a good purchase but before they have played it is all speculative. You have to look at the aspects of play which a player brings.

In right mid Alves would be similar in syle to Pennant, tactically at least - all about crossing offering no threat on goal. I think that in order for us to create more space in PL games we need to have wide midfielders which offer a threat on goal and make defences worry about more different players runs and movement. I don't believe that Alves would add this to our team and partly as a consequence I don't think he would contibute 16 assists in the sense of creating that many actual goals over the season.

I happen to think Alves would be less effective in a more advanced role than he is at RB where the game is ahead of him and he can burst into the play.

[El Jefecito]

Where is the 16 assists stats from? What does it mean. Usually Spanish ststs quote a figure which is the related to the number of clear goal scoring chances creates (as opposed to goals).

It's obvious that if a player comes in and does exceptionally in terms of assists/goals then they will be a good purchase but before they have played it is all speculative. You have to look at the aspects of play which a player brings.

In right mid Alves would be similar in syle to Pennant, tactically at least - all about crossing offering no threat on goal. I think that in order for us to create more space in PL games we need to have wide midfielders which offer a threat on goal and make defences worry about more different players runs and movement. I don't believe that Alves would add this to our team and partly as a consequence I don't think he would contibute 16 assists in the sense of creating that many actual goals over the season.

I happen to think Alves would be less effective in a more advanced role than he is at RB where the game is ahead of him and he can burst into the play.

16 assists is from soccernet. Like you I don't think he could manage that in the EPL. Unlike you I think he would do much better than anyone we have.

[akjs123]

This is a tricky question. Mancini would be cheaper and Roma would probably sell him because of his bust up with Totti and they are also interested in Bellamy. Alves, on the other hand, would be much more expensive with Sevilla in no need to sell, now that they are in the CL and were challenging for La Liga till the last day.
There are very few players who have come from the Italian league to England and have been successful. If Mancini comes, it will take him atleast 6 months to adjust to England let alone our style of play and I am not sure how he will adapt to the physical side of the game. Alves's transition would be made easier by the Spanish speaking contigent of our club and I think he can adapt to the physical side.
I agree with Peekay regarding the mentality of Alves and I remember Ballague or someone saying that never before has a team been built around a full back or something to that effect. However we have seen him play as full back only and he will be playing as winger here so nobody knows how he will do in that position.
Mancini, on the other hand, if a very skillful player and he is a fantastic crosser of the ball with either foot. If I remember correctly, he had the highest number of assists in the league in his first season with Roma.
I personally think he would bring more in the final third of the pitch than Alves and he regularly scores 8-10 goals a season.

[Jayesh87]

Mancini- he has bags of flair and skills which is something we lack at the moment. Alves is more of a worker and a grafter and we have plent of them.

[El Jefecito]

This is a tricky question. Mancini would be cheaper and Roma would probably sell him because of his bust up with Totti and they are also interested in Bellamy. Alves, on the other hand, would be much more expensive with Sevilla in no need to sell, now that they are in the CL and were challenging for La Liga till the last day.
There are very few players who have come from the Italian league to England and have been successful. If Mancini comes, it will take him atleast 6 months to adjust to England let alone our style of play and I am not sure how he will adapt to the physical side of the game. Alves's transition would be made easier by the Spanish speaking contigent of our club and I think he can adapt to the physical side.
I agree with Peekay regarding the mentality of Alves and I remember Ballague or someone saying that never before has a team been built around a full back or something to that effect. However we have seen him play as full back only and he will be playing as winger here so nobody knows how he will do in that position.
Mancini, on the other hand, if a very skillful player and he is a fantastic crosser of the ball with either foot. If I remember correctly, he had the highest number of assists in the league in his first season with Roma.
I personally think he would bring more in the final third of the pitch than Alves and he regularly scores 8-10 goals a season.

You are better informed than me. Do you really think Mancini would adjust that quickly?

[peekay]

Mancini- he has bags of flair and skills which is something we lack at the moment. Alves is more of a worker and a grafter and we have plent of them.

I think your being a tad unfair on Alves there.I agree that Mancini has more flair but Alves has a few tricks up his sleeve.But my opinion has been biased by watching the Sevilla Barcelona match where Alves single handedly raped Barca.They just couldn't handle him.Never in my life had I seen such an influential performance by a right back.He initiated every Sevilla attack.
So if we buy him and Torres,we have two players who have single handedly destroyed Barca couple of times.So finals will be a cakewalk when we meet them in Moscow

Alves has played right winger before when Sergio Ramos played right back.he was then shifted to right back when Jesus Navas emerged and Ramos was sold.So it is not like he is going to be played in a position he has never played before.

Also anyone know how Mancini is at set pieces.Alves seems to be decent at them?

[akjs123]

You are better informed than me. Do you really think Mancini would adjust that quickly?

I also said that most players from Italy have flopped. And that it would take him atleast 6 months to adjust to life in England. How much time he takes to adjust to the game here is something only time will tell.

[akjs123]

Alves has played right winger before when Sergio Ramos played right back.he was then shifted to right back when Jesus Navas emerged and Ramos was sold.So it is not like he is going to be played in a position he has never played before.

The question is not whether he can play right winger but if he can exert the same kind of influence playing right winger because he will be playing much higher up the pitch and his game is not based on too much individual skill.

[El Jefecito]

The question is not whether he can play right winger but if he can exert the same kind of influence playing right winger because he will be playing much higher up the pitch and his game is not based on too much individual skill.

Alves spends more time in the final 3rd than he does the first 3rd. So I have no concerns on that score.

[El Jefecito]

I also said that most players from Italy have flopped. And that it would take him atleast 6 months to adjust to life in England. How much time he takes to adjust to the game here is something only time will tell.

I defer mate. I think Alves would be productive pretty much from the off

[Howard_lfc]

Where is the 16 assists stats from? What does it mean. Usually Spanish ststs quote a figure which is the related to the number of clear goal scoring chances creates (as opposed to goals).

It's obvious that if a player comes in and does exceptionally in terms of assists/goals then they will be a good purchase but before they have played it is all speculative. You have to look at the aspects of play which a player brings.

In right mid Alves would be similar in syle to Pennant, tactically at least - all about crossing offering no threat on goal. I think that in order for us to create more space in PL games we need to have wide midfielders which offer a threat on goal and make defences worry about more different players runs and movement. I don't believe that Alves would add this to our team and partly as a consequence I don't think he would contibute 16 assists in the sense of creating that many actual goals over the season.

I happen to think Alves would be less effective in a more advanced role than he is at RB where the game is ahead of him and he can burst into the play.

Sorry Dave but Alves is a goal threat. Just watch his link up's around the box, little give-and-go's and he's also scored from well outside of the box.

[dww]

Sorry Dave but Alves is a goal threat. Just watch his link up's around the box, little give-and-go's and he's also scored from well outside of the box.

Fair enough, you may well have seen nmore of him than I. I have only seen about 5 games but he has never looked a menace on goal to me and 9 in 142 games for Seville is not an outstanding record. I know he plays RB a lot but he does take some set pieces from what I have seen.

I'm happy to accept that my evidence may be flawed - but I wanted to explain myself.

[peekay]

My favorite article about Alves.Posted after the Sevilla barcelona match and I agree with every word he says

He wears red-and-white braces on his teeth and a cheeky grin on his face, has a haircut that's only half-finished and loves nothing more than sneaking Santa hats down his pants - even if they do get covered in curly black hairs. He comes from Juazeiro in Brazil but is so perfectly integrated into Spanish life that on the way home from games he sits at the back of the plane munching jamón with fans, never ever misses an episode of gossip-fest Aquí Hay Tomate, and wears a bullfighter's get-up to Seville's April fair. He joined Sevilla for €1m in 2003, could have gone to Liverpool for €16m last summer and might yet join Barcelona for over €20m.

He is 23 years old, his name is Daniel Alves da Silva and right now he's the best player in Spain. He could also be about to win the league title after an unbelievably good performance helped take his side top with Saturday night's rip-roaring 2-1 victory over FC Barcelona at the Sanchez Pizjuán. Which isn't bad for a club whose budget is €30m, compared to Real Madrid's €346m, Barcelona's €242m and Valencia's €133m. And which certainly isn't bad for a kid who arrived as a complete unknown four seasons ago.

Nowadays, Alves is a hero at Sevilla - loved for his personality and his play, his commitment and his comedy in a city that endlessly boasts of its guasa. He is, after all, the man who attended a formal, town hall reception dressed in the traditional off-duty suit of the sevillano bullfighter, was attacked by uptight Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera as a "clown" for doing so, and sought revenge by taking the suit to the city derby ready to wear on the triumphant journey home - only for his side to lose. The man who had rather more success with his celebratory Father Christmas hat, finally scoring the goal that ended his itchy-goolie hell. And the man who got his Spanish passport and seemed to be tipping the wink to Luis Aragonés by dying his hair red and yellow - only to gigglingly admit it was supposed to be red-and-white but he's not much cop with the dye.

Luckily, out on the pitch Alves, like Chief Wiggum, is a whole lotta cop. A former Under-20 World Cup winner with Brazil, he has been in Spain's top 20 players for the last two years according to Don Balón - outranking David Villa and every single Madrid player. This season, he currently lies fifth (just behind Andres Iniesta, Freddie Kanouté, Santi Cazorla, and Nicola Zigic), boasts more assists than any other player in the league, and is involved in more moves than anyone else in Spain. Which is pretty good for a right-back.

But then Dani Alves is no ordinary right-back. He has played at right-back, right-midfield, left-back, left-midfield, central midfield and in St Petersburg last season even played up front - winning a penalty and providing an assist. He plays everywhere - and in the same game, too. He is, says this morning's AS: "Three players in one: a central midfield playmaker with a winger's soul who plays at full-back." He is a one-man band, a phenomenal athlete who screams and tears round the pitch like a hyperactive child, a Roberto Carlos for the right. Only Alves can defend. In fact, he can be a right horrible little ******* when he wants to, diving and kicking and tugging to his heart's content. It's no coincidence that as well as topping the assists charts, he leads the way in yellow cards and fouls. In short, Alves can do everything.

Just ask Barcelona.

Alves turned up for Saturday's clash between first and second with half his hair missing, leaving a kind of big-type Mohican for the reading impaired. There was a simple explanation - superstition dictates he cut his hair before big games and, as there are so many big games coming up, he reasons that they only way he'll be able to continue doing so is by cutting it in stages - and, besides, while there was something missing from his head, there was nothing missing from his performance. Because Alves was simply sensational.

At 10.28, Barça were on the verge of taking a giant leap towards being champions: 1-0 up, they had a penalty and Sevilla were down to 10 men. At 2-0 the game, and possibly the title race, was over (especially with Madrid, though much improved, subsequently dropping two more points at the Bernabéu). Barça would have climbed five clear of Sevilla, six above Valencia, and eight ahead of Madrid. But Andrés Palop saved Ronaldinho's penalty and, with 10 men, Sevilla raced back into the game, led by Alves.

The Brazilian was not alone of course - Palop's penalty save was his fourth of the season, Christian Poulsen was outstanding as an emergency centre-back, José Luis Martí controlled the midfield brilliantly and Kanouté was, as ever, superb - but he it was who sparked Sevilla's equaliser, sprinting in from the right and finding Kerzhakov, who finished brilliantly; he it was who scored the free-kick which put them 2-1 up; he it was who was involved when Ludovic Giuly was sent off with half an hour to go, killing Barça's resistance; and he it was who was somehow still running and twice very nearly added a third in the dying minutes, just failing to finish a fantastic move in the 93rd minute and then smashing a shot off the bar in the 94th minute after another unstoppable run.

It would have been a superb goal. It would also have been an important one. By winning 2-1, Sevilla climbed a point clear of Barça; by winning 3-1, they would also have levelled the head-to-head goal difference, which could prove decisive at the end of the season. That was why Alves left the Pizjuán a disappointed man. The fans, meanwhile, left in the mood for a party. Sevilla are top, Alves has blown the title race wide open.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/sport/2007/03/05/hats_off_to_awesome_alves_as_s.html

He may not have the talent of Mancini but he has the ability to be one of the most important players for us due to his application,cleverness and mentality.
There is a reason why Rafa has been after him for the best part of 2 years.
And Alves is consistent,he delivers week in week out.