Murillo Santiago Costa dos Santos of BRASIL!

[DocForest]

There issue within football clubs at the moment and that is with the data analysts. Most of them are being helicoptered in straight from university (also ties in with my post a few days ago regarding salaries at football clubs in the FFP thread) and a lot of these guys have never played football let alone understand professional football. They are then being a lot of power in terms of decisions and strategy which is causing a power struggle with managers and others, I know from within a manager that lost his job very recently because of this issue which stretched as far as having more input than appropriate in team selection.

We all know that football is extremely nuanced and stats do not tell the whole picture, there are some things that you can only determine with your eyes and ears. Clubs have got an issue they need to resolve here because recruitment shouldn't solely be based on data and team selection input shouldn't even be on the table.

Totally agree but it seems it's already being used at national level in other sports, not just football.

England Women turn to AI to aid borderline team selections

Head coach Jon Lewis says the tool proved crucial in last year's drawn Ashes series

www.espncricinfo.com

paragraph from the article :-

Lewis was first exposed to the technology, provided by London-based company PSi, while coaching UP Warriorz in the inaugural WPL last year. He has since spoken with the likes of England Rugby Union coach Steve Borthwick about the system, also used by English rugby league side Wigan Warriors and English Football League One side Wigan Athletic, which allows coaching staff to simulate various match-ups and scenarios.

 

[Well Red]

Micah Richards says Our Murillo is "a great little player". I thinks he's brilliant too but if he is not that tall coud he play infront of a back three/four?
In the old days he could have ben a 'sweeper' behing them!
Either way I think if we have to sell to avoid points deductions I'd rather we lose MGW - as he will want to be off chasing an England place I'm guessing.

 

[Rzar]

If this weekend is his last game then it has been an absolute pleasure to watch him this season. I have never liked a player so much, his first game he shat his pants everytime he touched the ball, then a week later he ran past about 8 players and almost scored the Puskas award (and almost got it another 2 times). The Premier League is tough but it's players like him that make the frustrations worth it as we could never dream of watching a player like this a few years ago.

He will win the lot as a player, he has absolutely everything you need for the top level. He's like a mix between Cannavaro & Roberto Carlos & I truly believe he will get close to that level.

 

[valspoodle]

Seeing him on the odd occasion on TV and other games just on highlight clips makes me think that his energetic defending and last minute interceptions are much better seen live in the flesh, so to speak.

You lose a lot of that dynamism on tape and on the very specific view TV gives you.

 

[Gyros Peter]

I remember seeing him playing in the flesh the first time (against Luton I think) and realising that he had the same range of passing from his right foot as he did from his left.

It's a real rarity that a player can literally take my breath away with their passing, but this kid has made my jaw drop so many times now I've lost count - I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing in those early days: he'd ping the ball perfectly over 60+ yards with the sort of consistency I lacked over 10!

And while defensively he's more than capable I've just enjoyed watching some kid with 14 (?) senior games to his name come into 'the best league in the world' and not only making the step up look absolutely effortless, but making 99% of those CB's I've watched in the red shirt before him look absolutely terrible by comparison.

The kid is absolutely going all the way - I hope I get to see more of him with us in the coming years but I'm going to savour watching him v Burnley just in case I don't. A bit like watching Collymore, Keane and even Clough in his prime, we won't see another one like him around the place for a while when he's gone.

What. A. Player!

 

[Notcher]

The last player we had that could ping a ball 60-70 yard like that was Guedioura but Murillo does it far more consistently and he's still a young lad.

It tells you everything when even in Brazil they called him the Brazilian Beckenbaur. By coincidence and for some context I watched John Stones a few times when he was a young lad breaking through at Barnsley, who they called the Barnsley Beckenbaur and Murillo is ahead of John Stones at the same age.

 

[Gyros Peter]

The last player we had that could ping a ball 60-70 yard like that was Guedioura but Murillo does it far more consistently and he's still a young lad.

It tells you everything when even in Brazil they called him the Brazilian Beckenbaur. By coincidence and for some context I watched John Stones a few times when he was a young lad breaking through at Barnsley, who they called the Barnsley Beckenbaur and Murillo is ahead of John Stones at the same age.

Gueddy could only do it with the one peg too, and like you say was less consistent. Crazy.

 

[Strummer]

The last player we had that could ping a ball 60-70 yard like that was Guedioura but Murillo does it far more consistently and he's still a young lad.

It tells you everything when even in Brazil they called him the Brazilian Beckenbaur. By coincidence and for some context I watched John Stones a few times when he was a young lad breaking through at Barnsley, who they called the Barnsley Beckenbaur and Murillo is ahead of John Stones at the same age.

You know who Murillo reminds me of, with his passing?

Lothar Matthäus, when he moved back later in his career to play as a sweeper.

 

[Gyros Peter]

What's ridiculous is that the level of platitudes (by way of comparison with the real greats of the game) are in this are pretty accurate - my old man said in his early days Murillo reminds him of Bobby Moore!

Next level players require next level comparisons!

 

[Gyros Peter]

I'll add another - the last time I saw passing like Murillo's down at the city ground was when Ruud Gullit played sweeper for Chelsea.

(Which incidentally was one of the best footballers/performances I ever saw in the flesh - just levels above.)

 

[Mr. Blonde]

You know who Murillo reminds me of, with his passing?

Lothar Matthäus, when he moved back later in his career to play as a sweeper.

High praise indeed!

 

[Any Time Now]

I just hope when he decides to leave he makes the right move. I've seen too many talented players make the wrong move and their progress hits a brick wall at a 'big club'. Obviously the most important part is making sure we get a good price for him, but I always back the good guys to do well in football and Murillo is without doubt one of the good guys (with bags of ability)

 

[Ian Moore Gone Little]

You know who Murillo reminds me of, with his passing?

Lothar Matthäus, when he moved back later in his career to play as a sweeper.

I hadn’t heard the ‘Brazilian Beckenbauer’ epithet but I too think he has the makings of a world-class sweeper (as opposed to a central defender because of his passing range and relative weakness in the air) and mentioned Beckenbauer in a discussion about this, in which my friend reckoned Murillo would be Tottenham’s POTS next season and I plaintively hoped that he’d continue his development as a starter here rather than on someone else’s bench with the odd start in the League Cup.

 

[king_congo_red]

I hadn’t heard the ‘Brazilian Beckenbauer’ epithet

Me either - and it would be remarkable for a player to gain such a nickname after just 13 League appearances...

 

[Notcher]

Me either - and it would be remarkable for a player to gain such a nickname after just 13 League appearances...

I believe it was given by his coaches and teammates. I believe that Murillo himself mentioned it when he signed and that Tim Vickery guy who's the south american football expert mentioned it

 

[Gyros Peter]

There was a telegraph (iirc) article that had the Bekenbauer thing running through the piece - Murillo discusses it.

 

[Bobby The Brain]

You know who Murillo reminds me of, with his passing?

Lothar Matthäus, when he moved back later in his career to play as a sweeper.

I was positive you were gonna say Luke Chambers.

 

[Rzar]

It's a real rarity that a player can literally take my breath away with their passing, but this kid has made my jaw drop so many times now I've lost count - I actually couldn't believe what I was seeing in those early days: he'd ping the ball perfectly over 60+ yards with the sort of consistency I lacked over 10!

Mate even now, just from the Chelsea game - there was that pass in the second half where he absolutely thumps it towards the right wing (sounded like the ball popped it was that good a connection) and looked like it was going well out, then everybody in the ground suddenly realized it was an incredible pass which resulted in a massive "ooooohhhh" *clap clap clap*.

I could watch him all day. Never seen technique like it.

 

[Sal]

We need this kid to stay. At least another season.

 

[Notcher]

Mate even now, just from the Chelsea game - there was that pass in the second half where he absolutely thumps it towards the right wing (sounded like the ball popped it was that good a connection) and looked like it was going well out, then everybody in the ground suddenly realized it was an incredible pass which resulted in a massive "ooooohhhh" *clap clap clap*.

I could watch him all day. Never seen technique like it.

I think I've mentioned it before but sometimes you hear a player play a ball and you go "ohhh that's different, that's a different sound" and it's usually someone that finds such a sweet spot on their connection. They're usually ballers

 

[Ashley]

He's wank, and should be left to rot at Forest for the foreseeable future. Nothing to see here!

That Count Vlachula fella is absolutely mint though, I really hope no one makes an FFP busting offer for him this summer!

 

[tomw94]

I actually think it is more realistic he stays for another season.
I don’t think other clubs will be ready to part with the £70m when he has had just the 1 full season his whole pro career.
End of next season though if he keeps this level or scarily even gets better, he will be gone 100%.

 

[YellowBelly Red]

Mate even now, just from the Chelsea game - there was that pass in the second half where he absolutely thumps it towards the right wing (sounded like the ball popped it was that good a connection) and looked like it was going well out, then everybody in the ground suddenly realized it was an incredible pass which resulted in a massive "ooooohhhh" *clap clap clap*.

I could watch him all day. Never seen technique like it.

I agree totally. When he drives forward, he has that "hairs on the back of your neck" excitement and anticipation moment about him. Not felt that since the days of Collymore.

 

[MaxiRobriguez]

I actually think it is more realistic he stays for another season.
I don’t think other clubs will be ready to part with the £70m when he has had just the 1 full season his whole pro career.
End of next season though if he keeps this level or scarily even gets better, he will be gone 100%.

Disagree.

Big clubs if they're in need of a ball playing left side centre back won't want to see him go to a rival because they dallied.

They'll move early if there is competition for signature.

 

[Est.1865]

I know it’s easy to over hype your own players, but Murillo has been sensational. Few inexperienced errors/moments, but for someone with so few top flight games behind him, he’s been a revelation.

As noted above, true ball playing left side CB. He would fit into the top 2 or 3 teams in the best European leagues, PL included.

Not sure how we get through the summer without having to cash in from a can’t turn down size offer.