Player Watch Player Watch: Giovani Lo Celso

[Tucker]

He’s looked a perfect fit for the system in the two games we’ve seen so far. I’m not going to let myself get too excited yet though. He needs to do it consistently against higher level opponents.

Promising signs though.

 

[mdharris]

GLC can play. He was a starter in the Argentina team until the injury. Would be a world cup winner.

 

[sandros kung fu kick]

A few years back? You mean 15 years ago?

Gio wasn’t 15 years ago?!?

 

[robotsonic]

Gio wasn’t 15 years ago?!?

Signed June 2008.

...we're old.

 

[EQP]

I hope we see Bissouma | GLC | Maddison at some point during pre-season. Think that could be a really dynamic trio for us.

 

[Khilari]

Just looked up his stats.

In the 19/20 season (Poch sacked, Mourinho took over), he played 37 times having come on as a sub in 15 of those games, starting 22 games in all comps. His Premier League tally for this seasons was 28 starts, started 15 games.
We finished 6th that season.

In 20/21, in the Premier he played 18 matches, starting 11 times and in 21/22 this was 9 games, 2 starts.

I remember he was injured a lot, usually fit for international duty but not available a lot of the time for us.
He has looked really good for Villarreal and Argentina and I think there's a really good player there.

However, he either isn't suited to the Premier League, doesn't/hasn't enjoyed playing in the defensive Spurs teams over the last two seasons he was here or injuries will always curtail any progress he could make. But he has shown flashes of an excellent player and over these last two preseason games has looked one of our best creative players on the ball. I'd love for him to stay and be able to put together a run of games. He would be a quality alternative to Maddison and Bentancur if either were to be injured.

Whether we cash in and hope Ndombele can rekindle some form or find a move for another MF like Gallagher or Douglas Luiz is hard to predict. He probably is the more sellable given his form for Villarreal over the last 2 seasons.

 

[rossdapep]

If Lo Celso can stay fit them you would prefer him over Gallagher or Luiz.

We want Gallagher for his energy and press but Lo Celso can do that AND pick passes.

His creative element is higher

 

[el_principe]

A lot of people don’t realize how good GLC is in 4-3-3 w/ an attacking minded coach. Here is his resume for Argentina (I have all the stats of the players)

In the last 22 Argentina games:
1. After Copa America 2021, Argentina did NOT concede any goal at all when GLC was on the pitch. Yes 0 goal in 694 mins (all the mins of GLC in the last 22 Argentina matches after Copa America). He is the only player among all players with such impact (conceding 0 goal). So this is to answer if he can play together with Maddison or not. He is very underrated and excellent defensively.

2. Offensively? Argentina players with the most assist since Lionel Scaloni took over:
1 | Lionel #Messi [14].
2 | Giovanni Lo Celso [10].
3 | Rodrigo DePaul [9].

So he is the second best in that department!

3. Ale Mac Allister is good but Argentina played the best football when GLC (who was supposed to be the starter instead of Mac Allister) was on the pitch. GLC is more complete and mobile than Alexis.

4. His best position is MLC. He combines very well with De Paul. There he contributes a lot defensively and offensively. So yes I think Bissouma-GLC-Maddison will work as Maddison doing De Paul role for the Spurs.

 

[amathews3416]

If Lo Celso can stay fit them you would prefer him over Gallagher or Luiz.

We want Gallagher for his energy and press but Lo Celso can do that AND pick passes.

His creative element is higher

Gallagher's stats in premier league vs Lo Celso show otherwise. He is statistically a superior player than Lo Celso in this league, 4 years younger, and homegrown.

 

[JUSTINSIGNAL]

I hope we see Bissouma | GLC | Maddison at some point during pre-season. Think that could be a really dynamic trio for us.

As much as that midfield looks sexy on paper it will get run through by any competent hard pressing opposition. Need a box-to-box option as one of the 8s. Sarr or Bentancur when he’s back.

 

[carpediem991]

Gallagher's stats in premier league vs Lo Celso show otherwise. He is statistically a superior player than Lo Celso in this league, 4 years younger, and homegrown.

If reports are true and Chelsea turned down a 40m offer for Gallagher, its not worth to continue talking about him as a deal is clearly not working.

 

[jbstarr14]

Honsetly think its because he was a defensive mid and felt when he was playing he did all the work and the creative players got all the glory. And he has taken that into him management

Great observation

 

[jbstarr14]

Let's not get too excited just yet, it's only been a couple of pre-season games. Yes he has looked good but I want to see him perform to a high standard regularly in the league before I start believing.

To be clear right off the bat - this is not a personal dig at you @HildoSpur - it’s just that this particular post epitomises perfectly for me the problems surrounding the club at present.

I think this is the wrong way around - rather than belief following success, I feel that belief leads to success. We, as a club, as fans, and yes - the players, have been ‘driving with the handbrake on’ for years now. We’re tentative in everything we do, always waiting for things to go wrong, and so (understandably) trying to mitigate against the potential for disappointment by not allowing ourselves to get carried away.

The thing is, getting carried away is fun, and isn’t that what we all want? To have fun…?

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

 

[glacierSpurs]

Brilliant. Just keep fit and stay happy. We will have one hell of a midfield.

 

[HildoSpur]

To be clear right off the bat - this is not a personal dig at you @HildoSpur - it’s just that this particular post epitomises perfectly for me the problems surrounding the club at present.

I think this is the wrong way around - rather than belief following success, I feel that belief leads to success. We, as a club, as fans, and yes - the players, have been ‘driving with the handbrake on’ for years now. We’re tentative in everything we do, always waiting for things to go wrong, and so (understandably) trying to mitigate against the potential for disappointment by not allowing ourselves to get carried away.

The thing is, getting carried away is fun, and isn’t that what we all want? To have fun…?

Although I understand what you are saying, we have literally posters saying Lo Celso is our best midfielder. There is a balance to be had.

 

[jbstarr14]

Although I understand what you are saying, we have literally posters saying Lo Celso is our best midfielder. There is a balance to be had.

Acknowledge that - was more of an overall observation on how our approach to supporting the club from an emotional perspective has changed, rather than whether GLC is ‘the answer’.

I’ve found myself ‘holding back’, and it’s honestly a bit of a half-life. Trying to allow myself to be ‘all in’ like I used to be.

 

[Nick-TopSpursMan]

As much as that midfield looks sexy on paper it will get run through by any competent hard pressing opposition. Need a box-to-box option as one of the 8s. Sarr or Bentancur when he’s back.

I'm not sure.

Lo Celso is very tenacious and gets stuck in, he's played in deeper midfield roles too, he's not afraid to tackle.

Is a midfield 3 of Bissouma, Lo Celso and Maddison any more lightweight than Rice, Havertz and Odegaard which Scum are almost certainly going to play as a 3? Or when City in the past have played Rodri, De Bruyne and Silva in a midfield 3?

I accept in tough away games or against certain top opponents at home we may want to add a more rounded 8 like Bentancur or Sarr instead of Lo Celso or Maddison for extra durability and protection in transition, but there will be a lot of games where we could play Bissouma, Lo Celso and Maddison to break teams down and dominate with the ball.

 

[alfie103]

To be clear right off the bat - this is not a personal dig at you @HildoSpur - it’s just that this particular post epitomises perfectly for me the problems surrounding the club at present.

I think this is the wrong way around - rather than belief following success, I feel that belief leads to success. We, as a club, as fans, and yes - the players, have been ‘driving with the handbrake on’ for years now. We’re tentative in everything we do, always waiting for things to go wrong, and so (understandably) trying to mitigate against the potential for disappointment by not allowing ourselves to get carried away.

The thing is, getting carried away is fun, and isn’t that what we all want? To have fun…?

But I think what you are saying is a problem. We massively overhyped our own players and then when they don't perform to these expectations, we either then criticise them or try and blame everybody else but them.

 

[djhotspur]

As much as that midfield looks sexy on paper it will get run through by any competent hard pressing opposition. Need a box-to-box option as one of the 8s. Sarr or Bentancur when he’s back.

Based on what thought? Lo celso is mobile and presses well. You obvs would start him and maddison away at top sides but you could play both agsinst low blocks and have a lot of creativity. It all depends on cbs though as I think you’d need to form a back 3 with pace when we have the ball.