Eliaquim Mangala - 2017/18 performances

[CityInWashingtonState]

Vs Huddersfield, late in the game, Otamendi passed a ball from inside our box, directly to an oppo player outside our box, approaching, with team mates around him.

It was an awful, potentially disasterous mistake. They didn't score though & I'm not even sure they got a shot off. Kompany & Stones have done similar, as has Walker & KDB on numerous occasions at the halfway line or deeper & most of the time, unless it's a direct backpass, it doesn't result in a goal.

It lloks bad, but it rarely is. Same with Mangala.

BUT when he came on to win the ball in the air etc, the first thing he did, was run underneath it & lose the challenge leaving a gap behind.

That imo, is the problem with Mangala: he often doesn't do, what it says on the tin. If he did, I don't personally care if he gives away 1 goal per season with a bad pass.

He isn't defending to the required level & needs a big improvement.

Anyone is bound to make a bad pass. Center backs making such bad passes... if such passes are intercepted short... this must occur very infrequently, as such passes will often lead to goal scoring opportunities.

As I've stated above - Mangala "excels" at the horrible pass - he turns the ball over to the opposition with a bonehead pass far more than any of our other center backs, and often such passes are intercepted deep within our own half.

Stones has largely eradicated this from his game - which has turned him into one of the P/L's best center backs.

But as you've pointed out, Mangala has other weaknesses. Judgement/positioning are in question too - but horrible passing is I think his greatest defect.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Anyone is bound to make a bad pass - central defenders making such bad passes if they're intercepted short... this must not occur very often as such bad passes will often lead to goal scoring opportunities.

As I've stated above - Mangala "excels" at this - he turns the ball over to the opposition with a bonehead pass far more than any of our other center backs.

But as you've pointed out, that's not his only weakness. Judgement/positioning are in question too - but horrible passing is I think his greatest weakness.

I'm not sure he does do it more, I think it's just more noticable because he naturally looks uncomfortable. Personally I think KDB is the most dangerous player for setting up oppo attacks & he's a genius.

Mangala looks like he'll pass it badly, so when he does, people notice, but typically they all do it a similar amount imo including the goalkeeper.

Lescott used to get the same & had something like a 90% pass completion rate, in spite of playing in a team which hit it aerially to 'big' strikers a lot more often than this one does.

But he could defend.

If Mangala got his defensive shit together, I don't think there would be the same emphasis put on the misplaced passes & now I've realised how much I am tempting fate here..

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

[QUOTE="Neville Kneville, post: 10610241, member: 9845"Personally I think KDB is the most dangerous player for setting up oppo attacks & he's a genius.[/QUOTE]
KDB's turnovers are entirely different than Mangala's.

KDB makes risky passes far forward - if they work out - it's a goal scoring opportunity - if they do not, it's an interception far upfield with low danger potential.

Mangala turns the ball over passing short - right to an attacker deep in our half - or perhaps to an attacker lying central who then makes a deft pass to a deep lying attacker.

The point being - that Mangala's short passes are intercepted far, far more often than a good defender would allow - and such interceptions are far, far more dangerous than turnovers that upfield attackers make.

 

[Neville Kneville]

KDB's turnovers are entirely different than Mangala's.

KDB makes risky passes far forward - if they work out - it's a goal scoring opportunity - if they do not, it's an interception far upfield with low danger potential.

Mangala turns the ball over passing short - right to an attacker deep in our half - or perhaps to an attacker lying central who then makes a deft pass to a deep lying attacker.

The point being - that Mangala's short passes are intercepted far, far more often than a good defender would allow - and such interceptions are far, far more dangerous than turnovers that upfield attackers make.

I'm not sure that's actually true though.

 

[domalino]

KDB makes risky passes far forward - if they work out - it's a goal scoring opportunity - if they do not, it's an interception far upfield with low danger potential.

Mangala turns the ball over passing short - right to an attacker deep in our half - or perhaps to an attacker lying central who then makes a deft pass to a deep lying attacker.

The point being - that Mangala's short passes are intercepted far, far more often than a good defender would allow - and such interceptions are far, far more dangerous than turnovers that upfield attackers make.

KDB has given the ball away on the edge of our box plenty of times trying to play a hollywood pass to set up a counter - particularly last year.

To say he only gives possession away when it's low danger to us is just not true.

 

[arbabarshad]

KDB has given the ball away on the edge of our box plenty of times trying to play a hollywood pass to set up a counter - particularly last year.

To say he only gives possession away when it's low danger to us is just not true.

Leroy Sane does it quite often too. Risk and reward game. But because Leroy scores goals n brings other things to the team, he isn't picked on.

Just to add, Sane is fast becoming my favourite player.

 

[CityInWashingtonState]

I'm not sure that's actually true though.

I may be wrong, as I've not kept track, but every time I watch City, this seems to be the case.

Would be interesting to see actual stats if such stats can be reasonably assembled - otherwise, watch the next time Mangala comes on and note the number of short pass/dangerous mid-range/zipped to a covered teammate interceptions he allows.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

[QUOTE="Neville Kneville, post: 10610241, member: 9845"Personally I think KDB is the most dangerous player for setting up oppo attacks & he's a genius.

KDB's turnovers are entirely different than Mangala's.

KDB makes risky passes far forward - if they work out - it's a goal scoring opportunity - if they do not, it's an interception far upfield with low danger potential.

Mangala turns the ball over passing short - right to an attacker deep in our half - or perhaps to an attacker lying central who then makes a deft pass to a deep lying attacker.

The point being - that Mangala's short passes are intercepted far, far more often than a good defender would allow - and such interceptions are far, far more dangerous than turnovers that upfield attackers make.[/QUOTE]

yhp, as summed up perfectly in tonight's game last season where 1 bad pass by Stones led to their goal.

 

[domalino]

I'm not sure he does do it more, I think it's just more noticable because he naturally looks uncomfortable. Personally I think KDB is the most dangerous player for setting up oppo attacks & he's a genius.

Mangala looks like he'll pass it badly, so when he does, people notice, but typically they all do it a similar amount imo including the goalkeeper.

Lescott used to get the same & had something like a 90% pass completion rate, in spite of playing in a team which hit it aerially to 'big' strikers a lot more often than this one does.

But he could defend.

If Mangala got his defensive shit together, I don't think there would be the same emphasis put on the misplaced passes & now I've realised how much I am tempting fate here..

The Mangala problem for me, is that he's neither a good defender who is poor in possession, nor a good player who can't defend. He's both awkward and uncomfortable as a defender and on the ball - I don't think there's anything scarier to me as a fan than a tricky player running at Mangala near our box.

It's also been 6 months now, and I'm not seeing much of a difference in his recent games compared to his preseason - except perhaps his teammates not giving him the ball so much because they're aware of his limitations.


As a person, Manga might be among my favourite City players - every time he gives an interview or other people talk about him, I really really want him to succeed - but it just seems impossible at the moment. I feel like if he was going to come good under Pep we'd be seeing big strides of improvement by now.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I may be wrong, as I've not kept track, but every time I watch City, this seems to be the case.

Would be interesting to see actual stats if such stats can be reasonably assembled - otherwise, watch the next time Mangala comes on and note the number of short pass interceptions he allows.

I'm not saying he doesn't do it, just that I think it happens to others as well but it gets noticed more because people are (rightly) nervous when he's on the pitch.

I think a lot of that would go, if he actually produced some solid defensive performances, & getting skinned alive by some Wolves striker we have never heard of, does nothing to help that.