Illarramendi hype

The real gem, and the one that Marca bizarrely failed to mention, is Asier Illarramendi. Permit me to take a deep breath, because in ten years of writing this column I've tried very hard to not make over-the-top statements (they tend to come back and haunt you, down the line), but if there is something approaching an Alonso clone, or to push the envelope further, a potentially better player still, then this is the guy. I've been watching Sociedad for over 20 years now, and Illarramendi ('Pea mountain' in Basque) is the best thing I've seen since Alonso. The whispers are that Barcelona have already made their move, because they see him as a better Xavi-clone than Thiago. Xavi or Xabi? Only time (and euros) will tell.

There are parallels. Like Alonso, Illarramendi is quiet and discreet, and was slightly tubby in his youth. In footballing terms, he has started at the opposite end of the central midfielder's continuum to Alonso, in that his basic instincts are defensive and his ball-distribution is what you notice next. With Alonso, as with Pardo, it was the other way around. But Illarramendi, still only 23, perfectly epitomises the second most wonderful quote from Spanish football, from Jorge Valdano. "Hay jugadores quien, si les dejas en un bosque sin brujula, siempre saldrán. La mayoria se perderá". (There are players who, if you leave them in a forest without a compass, they'll always find their way out. Most players will get lost.) It's the perfect description of the good central midfielder. If you play on the wing, there is always time and space, and one guy to worry about. But the central midfielder is always surrounded by trees. He has to constantly find space, he has to find a way out. Only a certain type of player fits this mould, and he rarely needs pace, or even a great physique. They can be tubby but mightily effective. Think of Jan Molby in his later years.

futbol wrote:You have Godric. Why would you sign anyone?

sportsczy wrote:I've watched quite a bit of Sociedad lately because Bein Sport has carried their games in France... this article is way over the top. Good player though. But there's better out there.

The Franchise wrote:

I heard before him being called "the closest thing to Xavi"...which is intresting, but I remember when Gerard Lopez was the next Guardiola...he was a talented boy too, but sometimes it just doesnt work out.

So I would just say lets wait and see. From what I see, I see a pretty talented player though, clever, moves well, is available and naturally is technically gifted.

futbol wrote:You have Godric. Why would you sign anyone?