Eliaquim Mangala - 2017/18 performances

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By my count the only fit players in the senior squad left at the club over the international break are :

Mangala
Tosin
Yaya
Foden
Zinchenko

So Pep and his staff have 12 days to work with Mangala pretty much 1 to 1 and try to turn him into a suitable option for us.

This kind of very intense focus on 1 player is not unusual for Guardiola, there's a great passage in Pep Confidential where he completely breaks down Javi Martinez's defending and drills him for hours until he's doing it Pep's way.

However, Mangala is not Javi Martinez.


This does seem like his last throw of the dice though, he'll be gone in the summer guaranteed, but this would be his last opportunity to have a revival and maybe make it through January and be a part of this teams season.
 
He doesn't play football well enough to be a defender in our side, it's that simple. Go to a team where playing triangles with your keeper under pressure isn't a prerequisite and I'd put good money on him becoming a mountain of a defender. He is definitely made to play English football, and he's still better than most central defenders in the league.
 
He doesn't play football well enough to be a defender in our side, it's that simple. Go to a team where playing triangles with your keeper under pressure isn't a prerequisite and I'd put good money on him becoming a mountain of a defender. He is definitely made to play English football, and he's still better than most central defenders in the league.

I invariably agree with your opinions as they are usually similar to mine ;-)

Can't agree this time though as it's not just that he isn't a ball player I don't think he can defend against anyone that is clever and fast over the first five yards and there are a few forwards that fit that category in the Premiership. I don't think he suits the division let alone us. I'm not trying to be funny but his limit would be Scotland for me. Inter want him admittedly but only for free.

He can't see danger coming and is often out of position.
 
Mangala is a man maker against aggressive physical players, unfortunately Costa has fucked off, big nose is fucked and andy carroll is shite
 
Assuming he comes in for the Leicester game, then he can expect Mahrez, Vardy, and Gray running into the spaces between where he would play and Delph.
 
Thought his performance in the 0-0 at Leicester the season they won the title was one of the best he's had for us, got to all the hoofs over the top first and allowed us to camp in their half. There's not much subtlety about Leicester so the game could suit him.
 
Always had a soft spot for the lad, it will be interesting to see how he performs with stones, one cb with passing ability and the other with pace and raw strength. Hope he gets the nod for Leicester, not being selected in place of Otamendi would totally deplete the little confidence he has left imo.
 
Apparently the Mangala discussion found its way in the upcoming "Leicester-City" topic, where it changed from him either playing instead of the suspended Otamenid to if he's good enough to be in the squad. I think Mangala is a decent defender, one that will have a mistake in him and not suited to play in the way we are now. Than again Otamendi in recent history was a defender that sat on his behind way too often and looked like he wasn't able to pass a ball to a teammate. I like to think he was even on his way out, with Real mentioned to be interested. Loads on here couldn't wait to see him pack his bags.

Delph, not being a particular scapegoat though and probably because he is English, was in a similar position as in hardly anyone seeing a future at City for the player, only for him to have done a U-turn that is similar to when he first didn't and than did sign for us from Villa. Delph was lucky Mendy got himself injured and Pep doesn't see Danilo fit to play his way as a leftback (he has no problem putting Danilo at rightback though). Lucky, because he was able to put a string of games together that made him the leftback that plays like it'll be hard for Mendy to regain his starting position.

So back to Mangala, why are so many convinced he has absolutely no future at our club?

If he plays vs Leicester I hope he plays a blinder. Not as much for the player, but it'll suit the teamresult. And therefore I see absolutely no point in scapegoating the player who, and we can all agree on that, has behaved like a true professional during his time at City or on loan elsewhere. Never said a bad word about our club or anyone from it. Opinions to me is a discussion why Mangala can or can't play vs Leicester. Pointing out he is not good enough to play in the PL isn't. To finish it of, I find it baffling we can actually scapegoat on of our players with the way things are going right now.
 
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