FC Basel V Manchester City - Post-Match Thread

[Blue Llama]

Interesting. Vinnie initially joined us as a holding midfielder - passing the ball well is an essential part of that position. While opening up the opposition with a killer pass is not his strenhth, his short passing game is ok.

That's not correct. He played CB for Hamburg and Belgium when he joined us but for some reason Hughes gave him a few games as a DM, possibly because Vinnie fancied being more involved in the game. At least that was the way the press reported it. He was not a success, he lost the ball in dangerous positions and did not have the speed from a standing start to recover the situation. He was quickly returned to CB duties wher he excelled along with Lescott.

 

[Cityfan]

That's not correct. He played CB for Hamburg and Belgium when he joined us but for some reason Hughes gave him a few games as a DM, possibly because Vinnie fancied being more involved in the game. At least that was the way the press reported it. He was not a success, he lost the ball in dangerous positions and did not have the speed from a standing start to recover the situation. He was quickly returned to CB duties wher he excelled along with Lescott.

Vinnie played midfield for us right from the start and was generally pretty good at it though his form suffered a little with a small broken foot bone towards the end of his first season.
He didn't really play central defense for us until an injury crisis put him there under Mancini.
He was clear an outstanding central defender but was still a decent midfielder.

 

[Blue Llama]

sorry he wasn't a good dm. if he was as good as you say why at a time when we needed a dm did he end up back where he played for former teams?

 

[HarrytheBlue]

That's not correct. He played CB for Hamburg and Belgium when he joined us but for some reason Hughes gave him a few games as a DM, possibly because Vinnie fancied being more involved in the game. At least that was the way the press reported it. He was not a success, he lost the ball in dangerous positions and did not have the speed from a standing start to recover the situation. He was quickly returned to CB duties wher he excelled along with Lescott.

In 2009, when commenting on signing a 5-year contract Vinnie said "My favourite position is in midfield, but I can deliver just as good a job from central defence".

 

[bainy]

Vinnie played midfield for us right from the start and was generally pretty good at it though his form suffered a little with a small broken foot bone towards the end of his first season.
He didn't really play central defense for us until an injury crisis put him there under Mancini.
He was clear an outstanding central defender but was still a decent midfielder.

Some stato needs to give the facts here.
I remember Vinnie being pushed into midfield for a few games at the start of his career....pushed as he was always considered a CB.

 

[mscenterh750]

His debut v the hammers was in midfield and he was fucking brilliant.

 

[Blue Llama]

In 2009, when commenting on signing a 5-year contract Vinnie said "My favourite position is in midfield, but I can deliver just as good a job from central defence".

he did because he wanted to play there but his best position was cb.

 

[Cityfan]

sorry he wasn't a good dm. if he was as good as you say why at a time when we needed a dm did he end up back where he played for former teams?

When he was moved back we didn't need a defensive midfielder, we had Barry and DeJong, the press joke in the summer was that we were a team of defensive midfielder's as we bought Yaya to add to Barry, De Jong and Kompany,. The fantasy football comp still had him as a midfielder.

 

[Newtoncc]

Basel got beaten 2-0 at home yesterday so obviously took its toll.

 

[JGL07]

Vinnie played midfield for us right from the start and was generally pretty good at it though his form suffered a little with a small broken foot bone towards the end of his first season.
He didn't really play central defense for us until an injury crisis put him there under Mancini.
He was clear an outstanding central defender but was still a decent midfielder.

I thought it was Kolo Toure’s ban after failing a drug test that established Kompany alongside Lescott in Central Defence?