Analysis: Is Antoni Sarcevic the answer at right wing-back? | PASOTI
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Analysis: Is Antoni Sarcevic the answer at right wing-back?

Jul 19, 2018
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argyle.life
Is Antoni Sarcevic the answer at right wing-back?

While the goals are flowing down the left, nothing is coming from the right. Were you to examine all of the goals scored by Plymouth Argyle this season, you could conclude that seven have been created down the left wing, nine from the centre of the pitch, and none from the right.

Given that, if you are looking for the player best suited to take over from Joe Riley at right wing-back then Antoni Sarcevic may be the best solution.

 

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It's a no from me.
Edwards, Byron Moore and George Cooper, three players with experience of playing at RWB, would be ahead of Sarcevic, Tafari Moore can also play there.
 
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Sarcevic is possibly the worst candidate for the wingback role at the club. He isn't blessed with natural fitness and can only just about cope with the movement required of his midfield role. Sticking him at wingback would be like watching Homer Simpson trying to run a marathon.

Sorry, it's a no from me.
 
Apr 4, 2004
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I think it's a really good shout. He's got good energy is comfortable getting stuck in and has decent end product. Worth a try. I suspect he won't fit in to Lowes system through the middle. Can anyone explain why he isn't suited?
 

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Sarce does have that box to box ability when fit, but his first touch is well, let's say not too great, which leads to his second touch, which tends to be on someone's shin. He would take a booking a game I reckon back there. (Not that he doesn't get enough where he plays now).
It's a no from me.
 

The Doctor

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WoodsyGreen":1qs34kwh said:
Sarcevic is possibly the worst candidate for the wingback role at the club. He isn't blessed with natural fitness and can only just about cope with the movement required of his midfield role. Sticking him at wingback would be like watching Homer Simpson trying to run a marathon.

Sorry, it's a no from me.

Except that Homer could easily run a marathon if he wanted to.
 
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I am negative over this idea, He is not quick enough going forward to take advantage of the RWB position he would be occupying and there is absolutely no evidence of an ability to cross accurately whilst running forward any better than Riley nor Tafari Moore. He is better off staying in the position he knows, rather than one he possibly be trying to learn.
 
May 21, 2015
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I'd prefer sticking with Riley and letting him get used to playing the position rather than shoehorn others in.
His delivery can improve. He's a decent set piece taker and is a good quality RB for the league, he just needs to get used to the different needs of what Lowe wants from the RWB position. Sooner rather than later.

Having said that this is a good piece that certainly highlights how Sarce might be an asset in the position.
 
Jul 19, 2018
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6
London
argyle.life
PL2 3DQ":mjfpzniy said:
It's a no from me.
Edwards, Byron Moore and George Cooper, three players with experience of playing at RWB, would be ahead of Sarcevic, Tafari Moore can also play there.

I wouldn't put Edwards there because that takes him out of CDM, and he is by far the best candidate for that position. As I mentioned at the end, Moore and Cooper would both be candidates to play there too - I even mentioned it when analysing Cooper - though as far as I am aware Cooper has never played right wing-back.
 
Jul 19, 2018
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Quintrell_Green":387me7lt said:
I am negative over this idea, He is not quick enough going forward to take advantage of the RWB position he would be occupying and there is absolutely no evidence of an ability to cross accurately whilst running forward any better than Riley nor Tafari Moore. He is better off staying in the position he knows, rather than one he possibly be trying to learn.

Out of interest, is this a response to the article, or the idea itself? Because I made sure to include multiple examples of him assisting goals from the right-wing when he played for Fleetwood.
 

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It’s a total myth that Sarcevic is ‘unfit’, he has the sort of pigeon chest that often leads to a player being called overweight, lazy etc. In actual fact, when playing I’d say that Sarcevic probably covers more ground than anyone else. He has a great engine.
 

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I've read the article. It is an interesting piece of analysis (as always), especially the examples of Sarcevic setting up goals from the right side at Fleetwood. It does make a reasonable case that he could do a job at right-wing-back from an attacking perspective. However, there are two major flaws with the analysis/article that I would like to see considered properly (I've got my academic 'marking' hat on here!):

1) there is no analysis of whether Sarcevic has the requisite attributes to fulfil the defensive part of the role
2) it is argued that Sarcevic is the 'best' option for the position (or at least that he could be the best) but other players are suggested (Byron Moore and George Cooper). I think the article ought to put these three up against each other and compare their suitability if the intention is to argue that Sarcevic is the best bet.

I have a suspicion that Moore will be the one to end up in this role once two other speedy central strikers are properly fit (my guess is Telford and Rudden). The one thing the wing-back absolutely needs is pace and Moore certainly has that. In addition, he quite often gets back to help out the defence, even when playing as a striker, and seems to be pretty good at his defensive duties, so I think he fits the bill much more than Cooper and Sarcevic in my opinion.

[Just to pick up on Cobi's point which came in while I was typing. Sarcevic may well cover a lot of ground, but he is not quick. For example, he couldn't make the kind of run that McFadzean made to score his second against Crewe. Moore could.]