All these links to a "left footed possession CH" aren't very good for Mangala's prospects.
Imo if Mangala is going to last, he has to be a totally dominant defender, to make up for his less than brilliant ability on the ball. Then at least slightly weakening one aspect would strengthen another.
He isn't that player when he comes on, he's just 'ok' or sometimes not 'ok' at all.
If we have an average defender who is not so comfortable on the ball then even an above average defender who is comfortable on the ball, is an upgrade.
What we really need to improve us further, is a central defender of the same quality & potential, as our attack. We may have one in Stones. Another would make us very difficult to stop, for years to come.
But that then means that Otamendi and Kompany have to be happy as 3rd/4th choices. I doubt Pep will want to rotate his CBs in the same way he does his attack; the partnerships are everything.
He has no choice.
There are too many games.
Then you have to prepare for Otamendi and/or Kompany leaving and you're back at square one. It's very unusual to find a decent player who's happy to be a fourth choice. It's why we should have started playing Denayer after he got back from Celtic.
If they are that sulky then good riddance. The strikers, who are worth 3 times as much, have to accept it.
We are below square 1 at the moment. We have one reliable centre back going into the toughest period of the season & he was completely unreliable for the last few seasons & could find himself playing next to Mangala rather than Stones or Kompany. Or a fullback or midfielder playing there.
There is no telling how Otamendi will perform in those conditions. We just have to hope he maintains this form if/when it happens & becomes the leader.
It's the single best chance the rest of the Premier League has, of catching us.
our strikers are different though as we often change formations and personal upfront. i think thats easier to do with attacking players. we shouldnt be rotating the centre backs all the time. yes we have had injuries, but most of the season we have had the same centre backs. i think it would be difficult to spend 40 or 50m say on another centre and say to him you'll be a bench player- which he would be as stones, kompany and ota would all be ahead of him. we should be going for someone who doesnt mind being on the bench otherwise they will just end up leaving for more first team football.
i dont think it would work having basically 4 first choice centre backs. i can't think of many teams that have that and ones that do usually end up leaving.
Oh Lawd! Revisionist history here.Kompany should not be ahead of anybody unless they are struggling. He is completely unreliable.
He should just do what he is asked to, from now on.
The current situation proves beyond all doubt that we are a cb short. We are hoping Mangala can cover it. If he can't we are one injury away from going from an elite unit, to a patch up job. That injury is Vincent Kompany, who spends most of his life injured.
If we have 4 cbs, 4 fullbacks & a full squad of quality players, we should then be trying to win 4 competitions, every season.
Any players who aren't happy, can move on & be replaced by the same quality.
They will all likely play, as we will also pick up injuries & suspensions. When Kompany was fit, Pep rotated his cbs.
Oh Lawd! Revisionist history here.
This is you doing what you always do. Finessing truth to fit your new false reality.What the fuck are you talking about !! ?
I've been saying we need central defenders for three fucking years & that it's a huge mistake to rely on Kompany.
I still think we need central defenders.
The infatuation with VVD is over the top. I'd rather the Christiansen kid from Chelsea or a few lefties abroad.We should not rely on Kompany at all. His so injury prone and after a long period of no games and finds his way in the starting XI, he will be making mistakes. I feel for him, his such a quality CB but we better see a CB come in on January. Pep knows this season is a great chance to win the title and shut the critics up, no telling how things are going to be next season, so now we really have to throw everything we got at it. In order to continue to win, we have to get someone else. Pep doesn't trust Mangala, and even stated he won't stop him if he wanted to leave, I mean that is him just saying, "Mangala, I love you but gtfo!".
In terms of options.
I would love to see VVD at City. Idk about you guys but I've always seen him as a younger version of Kompany but with speed and much better on the ball. The problem will be that the Saints will demand so much money. Imo, I think he will go to Liverpool because VVD was already pushing to go to the club before the window closed. Liverpool want a CB badly and will wait until the summer. I doubt he joins us. I mean for Liverpool the price was 70mil, what do you guys think the price will be for City, 90mil? I just don't see Pep wanting the club to break the bank for him. I think either Ingio Martiniez or Johnny Evans will come in.
What I've seen of Christiansen looks great, but do you seriously think there is any chance of them selling him?The infatuation with VVD is over the top. I'd rather the Christiansen kid from Chelsea or a few lefties abroad.
This is you doing what you always do. Finessing truth to fit your new false reality.
1. To say "you've been saying we needed new Central defenders for 3 years" is silly. And can only make sense to someone who plays loose with facts.
Your point all along was that we needed a top CB to partner Kompany and take over the control of our defense when Kompany is injured.
The reason why you held this opinion ( like many) is because you didn't think either Stones or Otamendi were good enough withoiy Kompany. And thus needed Kompany to play well.
The fact since then have shown Stones and Otamendi to be good enough. Thus your fear that we only had one good capable ( but injury prone) defender and thus the basis for your reason why we needed another top defender has been proven false. We have 3 top Defenders. Not 1 like you thought. And thus still suggesting you were right we needed another CH flies in the face of fact and trurh
As it turns out ( and as some kept telling you all summer) we have 3 capable CBs.
So to now say you've been saying we needed CBs without putting what that meant in context is At best Trump-ian subterfuge at its finest and at worst a bit delusional
Like I said...... Revisionist History!!!!
Stop
You are like a spoilt little fucking kid.
I said we need TWO centre backs. One to partner Kompany & one to cover if he is, as usual, injured.
Because we spent 50 mil on Stones I assumed we were going to go with him
This is you doing what you always do. Finessing truth to fit your new false reality.
1. To say "you've been saying we needed new Central defenders for 3 years" is silly. And can only make sense to someone who plays loose with facts.
Your point all along was that we needed a top CB to partner Kompany and take over the control of our defense when Kompany is injured.
The reason why you held this opinion ( like many) is because you didn't think either Stones or Otamendi were good enough withoiy Kompany. And thus needed Kompany to play well.
The fact since then have shown Stones and Otamendi to be good enough. Thus your fear that we only had one good capable ( but injury prone) defender and thus the basis for your reason why we needed another top defender has been proven false. We have 3 top Defenders. Not 1 like you thought. And thus still suggesting you were right we needed another CH flies in the face of fact and trurh
As it turns out ( and as some kept telling you all summer) we have 3 capable CBs.
So to now say you've been saying we needed CBs without putting what that meant in context is At best Trump-ian subterfuge at its finest and at worst a bit delusional
Like I said...... Revisionist History!!!!
Stop it!