this could be a bit long. but i just to say my piece on a few topics floating around the past few days/weeks.
i go based on links we can deem credible for many reason (profile fit plan/project, fit budget. also under the reality of our transfer policy, until something (ownership changes)
1. Formation change (3 man mid). i don't think there is any indication of formation change. same shit happened last summer, some were convinced we were changing formation based on nothing.
first., continuity is the name of the game. drilling our system (which works) till it becomes 2nd nature for the players, where they can find each other with their eyes closed. so i don't see us leaving a formation that brought us success just to try something new.
and based on the (potential) signings, namely Sanches, we're not gonna play with a mid 3 with those CMs we will have. it'll be short... especially knowing that Sanches and Bennacer will miss about 10 games each..it seems evident to me that they're signing for their 4231 as they have always done
and 4231 is the best formation for us... most Malleable and flexible. it can easily be altered into most other formations for specific needs of a game by switching either a player or just asking a player or 2 to play a slightly modified role. it ain't broken so they wont' break it. they'll reinforce it.
2. Adli is your AM. embrace it! yes he is also a CM but his purpose here will be primarily AM.
10+10 as the AM was stylistically what suits this team best...a deeper AM (CM/AM hybrid) who can playmake/pass. and Brahim for his first stint here was brought to have Variety being more of a final 3rd AM (AM/SS) ... and the same was true for this yea, just that we could not get our target for 10+10 replacement (CM/AM) by the name of Vlasic... so as Vlasic moved to west ham, they tried for their next CM/AM name on the List, Adli. And i'm convinced they tried to get him in immediately but Bordeaux insisted on keeping him for the season, which could explain why this deal happened at the very end of the market.
later in the market there were rumours of bigger names coming , which never seemed logical to me. James Rodriguez, Bernardo Silva (my brother Hitch was hyped for this one) ... not only they're not the deeper CM/AM that i think they were looking for ... but profile wise they simply were waaaaay out of line + they publicly express confidence in Brahim and gave him #10 so it'd either be a young AM competing as equal or even as 2nd but not a star to put him straight to the bench
all that to say, With Brahim here as the AM/SS the other AM will be IS a CM/AM named Adli...with most out other mids being able to fill in (Sanches Being the most fitting ... the lack of Deeper AM(AM/CM) forces Pioli to play a DM a AM in some games where he needs his AM to disrupt the opposition playmaker. last season he would just instruct 10+10 to do it. As a CM he had the workrate and enough strength to do it while still being able to provide some quality going forward...so not another AM/SS , sorry to piss on the Dybalians' parade.