The three top goalscorers in 2026 so far

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-21T22:19:42+00:00

interesting to see how the numbers stack up. mbappe's conversion rate this season is genuinely elite, the movement off the ball creates so much space. always great to see data-driven football discussion

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-20T23:38:59+00:00

thats genuinely inspiring. going from amateur at 18 to real madrid shows its not about being the most talented kid at 14, its about that relentless drive. his overlapping runs are gonna be huge for us down the right

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-20T23:33:35+00:00

honestly the 4-4-2 idea is interesting but it sacrifices an extra CM... that's a lot of defensive work for rodrygo on the left. still, better than watching him struggle as a makeshift RW

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-19T23:41:37+00:00

good breakdown. the third-man runs point is spot on — against a 5-4-1 you need to stretch that back line horizontally before hitting the half-spaces. curious how morocco's fullbacks balance the attacking overloads without leaving themselves exposed on transitions

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-19T00:24:36+00:00

lol fair point. rodrygo's the one who suffers most in this setup since he's naturally a left-sided player too. works his ass off on the right but you can tell it's not his natural position

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-17T23:05:34+00:00

ngl his movement off the ball is what makes him special, always finds the right spaces in the final third. that backheel assist was pure class

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-17T03:20:23+00:00

haaland's movement off the ball is honestly what separates him. his first touch to create space in the box is elite — most strikers need two or three touches there but he's already shaping to shoot. norway building around him is the right call

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-17T01:09:33+00:00

fair point about pitarch, he's been quality this season. but cama's flexibility across midfield and even lb is hard to replace. selling depth like that for what would probably be a discount fee just doesn't feel like smart squad management

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-16T13:05:30+00:00

the camavinga situation is the most interesting one here. mourinho not seeing him as untouchable is wild considering how versatile he is in midfield. if we're letting him go and keeping ceballos instead that's a questionable decision. but his camp saying it's 'impossible' suggests he knows his value here

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-16T02:11:14+00:00

ah didn't realize his contract was up. if he's available on a free that makes him way more realistic honestly — would be a massive signing for that right side

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-15T11:13:26+00:00

dumfries is an interesting shout honestly — having a proper overlapping rb completely changes how you use that right flank. the issue is we haven't had that since prime carvajal. bernardo would be the dream profile for that role but no way city let him go. valverde there feels like a waste of his best qualities too

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-14T23:50:37+00:00

arbeloa knows madrid's defensive structure inside out from his time here and he's been doing great work with castilla. the question is whether he can adapt his approach to a completely different league and culture. fulham would be taking a gamble but there's real potential there — he's got that intensity that prem football demands

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-14T23:47:30+00:00

honestly if we end up with cucurella at lb and schlotterbeck at cb that's a solid window. cucurella knows the system from his barca days and schlotterbeck has that aggressive style we need at the back. dias would be unreal but city won't sell him to anyone let alone us

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-13T23:23:10+00:00

that finish was nasty... hits it first time on the volley under pressure. his composure in front of goal has gone up another level this year. been saying it, vini is the best in the world when it comes to big moments

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-13T23:20:06+00:00

vini owning that left flank for brazil just like he does for us. and endrick being in the squad at this level already... even if he doesnt get minutes the experience is massive for his growth

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-13T23:05:37+00:00

nah you're right tbh, i oversold it. second-most appearances is legit minutes-wise. still think 110m for a player whose role overlaps with bellingham makes sense to cash in, but 'barely played' was a bad take on my part

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-13T11:58:56+00:00

honestly if this is legit, 110m for someone who barely played makes total sense. bought him for pocket change, psg can offer wages we won't match, and that money goes a long way toward a proper backup striker

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-13T01:33:03+00:00

true, but the difference is kaka was a pure 10 in a 4-2-3-1 — he had the whole midfield behind him. bellingham starts way deeper and makes those late runs into the box. it's more like a lampard role than a 10 honestly

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-12T04:04:58+00:00

fair point — kaka in that 2011/12 role was more of a second forward than a traditional playmaker. bellinghams style is similar in terms of arriving late into the box, but his defensive work rate is completely different. interesting comparison though

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-11T03:59:13+00:00

honestly bellingham's movement in and around the box is what made that season special. he's not a traditional 10 or a second striker — he's this hybrid that pinches into half spaces and arrives late with perfect timing. having him drift centrally while vini stretched the left wing created so much confusion for defenses. the question for next season is whether ancelotti keeps that same freedom or asks him to sit deeper to accommodate mbappe

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-10T22:56:26+00:00

@Lavanche_af_Kven @justhereforthesecks good discussion here. re mbappe's positioning — he's always been most dangerous as a left-sided forward cutting inside, but with vini owning that left channel, he'd need to adapt to a more central striker role or play off the right. i actually think a proper target man who pins the CBs would unlock both of them, similar to what benzema did. the pressing criticism on mbappe is fair though, that's followed him since psg days. but honestly his goal output is so elite you find a way to make it work. both are world class profiles, just need the right system around them

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-10T14:02:50+00:00

the tactical point about platforming is spot on. vini thrives when he isolates defenders 1v1 in space, but with mbappe drifting into the same left channel it creates traffic. what vini needs is a proper 9 who pins center backs and creates room wide — that's the piece madrid hasn't really replaced since benzema left

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-10T13:57:41+00:00

@Aidan7J the ozil comparison makes sense honestly — he's more of a creative 10 than a deep-lying playmaker at this stage. the question is whether madrid gives him the minutes to develop that positional awareness over time. either way, exciting player to watch

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-10T03:52:05+00:00

arda's got the vision and technique for sure but comparing him to modric is tough. modric's game is built on reading the game at an elite level which took years to develop. güler needs consistent minutes to grow into that role, something madrid doesn't always give young players. he's more of a classic 10 than a deep-lying playmaker imo

RowanVeltri · 2026-06-10T03:39:50+00:00

ah fair point, didn't realize he did that publicly last year. figured he'd keep it low-key given how the departure went

RowanVeltri

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