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'Like David Luiz at his worst, but with the talent to be a great defender' - Introducing Inter's next Brazilian signing Juan
The young starlet looks set to be sent out on loan by the Nerazzurri, but what will he need to learn in his time away? Goal.com Brazil's chief editor tells us all about him
Jan 24, 2012 6:56:00 AM
www.internacional.com.br
COMMENT
By Andre Baibich
The 'I's just need dotting and the 'T's crossing before Brazilian defender Juan officially becomes an Inter player, and many Nerazzurri followers are already wondering how the youngster will fit into their club.
With the early signs showing that the 20-year-old center back will be farmed out on loan for the remainder of the 2011-12 season, it appears there may be plenty of opportunities for Juan to show what he's made of. And with Novara the club lined up to take him on between now and May, his talent could well be put on display in the national area.
But what attributes does he have already? What are his strongest and weakest areas? Goal.com Brazil's chief editor, Andre Baibich, has broken down the young defender's game and looks into his suitability for Claudio Ranieri's side in the longer term.
All of those problems can be attributed to his young age, as it is common for young defenders to get too anxious and to fail to read plays as well as they should. If he can mature enough to understand the subtleties of his position, and not get caught up in discussions with opponents that distract him from the game, he is talented enough to become a great defender.
My concern is over his destination right now. It seems to me that in Italy, they value defensive positioning very much, and this is one part of his game that he has to improve on. Moving to the peninsula might be a great learning experience for him to develop this part of his game, but it could also break him if he fails to learn.
By Andre Baibich
The 'I's just need dotting and the 'T's crossing before Brazilian defender Juan officially becomes an Inter player, and many Nerazzurri followers are already wondering how the youngster will fit into their club.
With the early signs showing that the 20-year-old center back will be farmed out on loan for the remainder of the 2011-12 season, it appears there may be plenty of opportunities for Juan to show what he's made of. And with Novara the club lined up to take him on between now and May, his talent could well be put on display in the national area.
But what attributes does he have already? What are his strongest and weakest areas? Goal.com Brazil's chief editor, Andre Baibich, has broken down the young defender's game and looks into his suitability for Claudio Ranieri's side in the longer term.
| MENTAL ATTRIBUTES (Marks out of 5) |
| POSITIONING |  |
| AGGRESSION |
|
| EXPERIENCE | |
| CONCENTRATION |
|
| DETERMINATION | |
| LEADERSHIP | |
| BIG-GAME PERFORMANCES |
|
| Well, I'm pretty comfortable talking about Juan as he developed at a club from the city I live in, so I have watched him quite a bit. Juan certainly has a lot of potential about him. He is a very aggressive and a physical left-footed defender, who plays with a lot of heart (sometimes too much) and has a decent amount of speed. He is also versatile, as he can play as a left-back when needed. |
| TECHNICAL ATTRIBUTES (Marks out of 5) |
| TECHNIQUE | |
| CROSSING |
|
| DRIBBLING |
|
| SHOOTING | |
| PASSING | |
| TACKLING | |
| SET PIECES |
|
| LONG SHOTS |
|
The problem for Juan seems to be in his head. He is too emotional and tends to get irritated easily during a match. Countless times I have seen him get angry at an opposing player and become violent after that. He has seen cards coming out of referees' pockets quite a few times already in his short career. Also, he tends to be overly aggressive trying to take the ball from opponents when the best move is to just keep his position. Frequently, he steps forward to try to anticipate a pass and leaves gaps behind him, much like David Luiz in his worst days. |
|
http://u.goal.com/135700/135791.jpg
| PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES (Marks out of 5) |
| PACE | |
| HEADING |
|
| INJURY PRONENESS |
|
| STRENGTH |
|
| STAMINA | |
| OVERALL | 59 / 100 |
hAll of those problems can be attributed to his young age, as it is common for young defenders to get too anxious and failing to read plays as well as they should. If he can mature enough to understand the subtleties of his position and don't get caught up in discussions with opponents that distract him from the game, he is talented enough to become a great defender.ttp://u.goal.com/135700/135791.jpg
All of those problems can be attributed to his young age, as it is common for young defenders to get too anxious and to fail to read plays as well as they should. If he can mature enough to understand the subtleties of his position, and not get caught up in discussions with opponents that distract him from the game, he is talented enough to become a great defender.
My concern is over his destination right now. It seems to me that in Italy, they value defensive positioning very much, and this is one part of his game that he has to improve on. Moving to the peninsula might be a great learning experience for him to develop this part of his game, but it could also break him if he fails to learn.
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