To me, this season has really underlined a theme that has hovered since we signed Isco:

Isco plays a position that doesn't suit how we play. Last season we tried to shoehorn him into our formation (4-3-3, or 4-4-2), this season we tried to shoehorn his best formation into our team (4-3-1-2).

I don't think we can suffer another season of Zidiamond in LL, even if on paper it suits Isco.

So what should we do with him? I think there are a few options:

1. Sell him off like James
2. Push him further back and play him as a CM
3. Push him further up and play him as a forward
4. Keep playing him the way he is

Thoughts?

Isco's "issue" is that his style is more suitable with a team that likes keeping possession, a Spain NT type of style that is which is why he really shines for Spain. He can work both on the left and as a CM but since we are totally not gonna play like Spain any time soon, I would put him as a CM really.

Doesn't have the peripheral vision that a CM needs...  he's used to playing in or around the box his whole life, so his radius tends to be really short (and understandably so).

Like Tito... i don't think our LL problems came down to our top 13-14 lplayers.  Our issue was players 15-23.  We need to make every position competitive.

We lack goalscorers tbh.  That's the biggest problem.  So let's get some scoring depth in there, a backup holding mid and another fullback/CB of quality if we can.  Probably a better backup goalkeeper too.

Just need to make our rotations become as deep as they were 2 years ago.  Done.

I don't want to break up the core, as much as possible, after 3 straight CLs. We should ride this wave as far as it takes us.

Isco is too versatile and valuable to let him go imo. He likes Madrid and we like him. And who knows how we will be playing in a couple of years, might be able to play as a CM more comfortably or as a forward.

Absolutely. Isco is too talented to be let go, especially now that there isn't much talent in the market.

This is his home and he should retire here.

Also, @The Madrid One, and just like last year I'm going to repeat the same comment:

I'll update my sig accordingly just like you

The Demon of Carthage wrote:Also, @The Madrid One, and just like last year I'm going to repeat the same comment:

I'll update my sig accordingly just like you

we're fine, isco just needs to be reminded we dont do possessionand he needs to be faster on the ball. he played better last year.

though i do agree we could use reinforcement upfront.

Isco played much better last season, and part of it (I believe) is that he was much more restricted. His role was much more defined, now he is all over the pitch stepping on the toes of everyone from the defensive midfield to Ronaldo.

Well that's because we've had RB injury issues and Modric has had to drop far lower to help whoever plays there other than Carvajal... and I'm not talking about the Liverpool game where we wanted him to help break the press in the middle.

We've had balance issues as a result of defensive injuries and specifically at RB.  

I also think that Casemiro's regression with the ball at his feet (never very good; but he's been really bad this season)...  caused for an adjustment to get players closer to him so he can release the ball quickly and safely. So there was a link problem with the strikers as the distance with the CMs was more... and Isco was asked to help make that link.

The elephant in the room is Carvajal's injuries too btw...  he's a bit Bale-like in that sense.  That's why I really want us to go get Pavard.

Most games this season Isco has been all over the pitch, not just when we have had Carvajal out, just look at his heat maps. I think it has been detrimental to our overall play.

The overall consensus seems to be: leave Isco as he is and add better forwards ahead of him. I don't think that is a bad plan, but at the current moment we don't have better forwards.

If things stay the way they are, I think we should either restrict him to play more forward or more as a CM and abolish the Zidiamond like we did last season. But that is just me.

He can't play CM is my point...  it's like Ozil trying to play CM.  That's not who they are.  It would be a mistake IMO.

Either AM or a David Silva wing type role.  That's all he can play.

That close control and tight dribbling is wasted at CM too because he's not the type that exits that and can outrun people or have the peripheral vision to pick out the larger radius of the pitch.

To me, you want Isco in the attacking zone where he receives the ball... so when he makes those quick dribbles, he can either go for goal or make a short through pass.  That's the best way to use him imo.

Like the CL Final as an example... he was OK (not very good) when trying to help out as a 4th CM.  It was ineffective because he likes to hold the ball too long as opposed to move it along in that role.  BUT, he was very dangerous in the final 1/3...  it's all instinct in that zone and there are few with better attacking instincts than Isco.

No need to explain how much he is my favorite player and while i enjoy him in Madrid, i think the 4312 is detrimental to our team, our ability to attack and defend as well. this year in CL, the 4312 was grossly exposed in la liga, it was a disaster and in CL Bayern gave us a world of hurt attacking our width with little threat to get counter.

I really hope we go back to a 433 and if Isco can't fit, then that's too bad, maybe we should sell. As much as i would want him to play CM, i dont think that's where he would belong.

I think we should sell, our opponents are getting faster while our team is getting older and we are getting slower. We are not going to play positional football anytime soon in a way that i believe a Pep would use Isco way better than Zidane can.

If we can sell imo, to sign other types of players, we should.

I think our midfield needs to get more athletic and our forwards need to get faster.

I'm really not sure why he "can't play CM" to be honest. In a time when Eriksen, KDB, David Silva, even Wayne Rooney play CM, I don't see why Isco can't.

He has many of the attributes you would want- very good short passing range (let Kroos do the long passes), works will in tight spaces, great dribbler, etc.  I don't understand why you see that as a negative sports, let him do his tight area dribbling, dish to Kroos or Modric and we have just successfully avoided a press- which fighting the press has been a big weakness in the midfield this season.

Maybe we need something a little different, a different edge to our midfield, and if scrapping the 4-3-1-2 means trying Isco deeper, then I don't see why not. Otherwise he is going to be equally as redundant as James.