I think Laporte will become our best defender for years to come
He'll be huge for us. This season as well. Let's face it Otamendi trying to chase down Aubameyang doesn't give you confidence. Laporte did well against him.
Agree, especially if given time his long range passing is excellent & pinpoint.
However, I for one hope Pep does not ever again task Aymeric to cover Salah as a makeshift left back like last season. Looked woefully exposed in that position, that did not play to his skillset whatsoever.
If Mendy is playing then Laporte essentially becomes the left back. Mendy high up means when balls are thrown into channels on our left Laporte has to be there to cover. Laporte was exposed but It all comes down to our style of play and how high Pep pushes the team up. Lets face it we won't play a low block and get all our men behind the ball. Of all our defenders on the left I think Laporte is the best option to cover Salah. Mendy or even Delph won't be able to handle him.
Delph would be better. Laporte started the 3-0 loss against pool and didn’t look too convincing against Salah. In the 4-3 loss Delph got injured early on.
Delph is our best option against Salah and other stars. He’s good defensively and quicker than Laporte.
I guess we'll see what Pep decides. Having Delph in the team instead of Mendy won't keep Salah honest defensively. Having Mendy in the team means Salah would have to track back defensively and pin him back at least.
Looking long term, we need the Stones/Laporte pairing to flourish. Ota is heading into free bus pass territory soon, and Vinnie's time at the highest level can only have been shortened by his numerous injuries. There will be rotation during the season though, and you'll see Vinnie and Ota featuring in games against "easier" opposition, particularly immediately before or after CL games.I said it before on some thread - Stones Laporte has to be the first choice pair this season. They have years ahead of them and now is the time to get them fully up to speed and in form. All good so far.
I said it before on some thread - Stones Laporte has to be the first choice pair this season. They have years ahead of them and now is the time to get them fully up to speed and in form. All good so far.
Agree long term, however we’re going to be met with teams who feel they can get at them in terms of physicality... Kompany and Ota will be integral to how the two of them add this to their games, especially ota, who’s passing between the lines is really under appreciated on here..... what we do have with stones and Laporte is the ability to go long and short, something Pep has clearly developed as extra armoury, laportes left foot is as sweet as they come....
I think anyone who thinks they'll get at them physically will be disappointed.
Laporte is a unit, and Stones' physicality has improved a lot since he arrived- it seems to be bizarrely tied to his confidence, when he's playing like he is now, he frequently gets into physical battles and dominates them. He absolutely manhandled Falcao for the entirety of the England-Colombia game, when 12 months earlier Falcao humiliated him by shrugging him off in the CL. He handled Lukaku easily in the play off also.
And they're only going to improve as well in that area as they get older, put Mendy and Walker either side and a goalkeeper who has qualms with coming out and clattering anything, we've got the makings of a very big, physical defence.
Being physical isn’t there problem, its when it’s applied and taking the lead.... mistakes historically happen from stones when he’s constantly pressed, improving on his consistency, which is measurably better than when he arrived, is the difference between a ‘boeteng and a baresi’.... the very top players adapt their skills set, something he is yet to do at the highest level. Don’t use the England ‘summer of love’ as some kind of barometer, it isn’t a true reflection, as yet!
I think anyone who thinks they'll get at them physically will be disappointed.
Laporte is a unit, and Stones' physicality has improved a lot since he arrived- it seems to be bizarrely tied to his confidence, when he's playing like he is now, he frequently gets into physical battles and dominates them. He absolutely manhandled Falcao for the entirety of the England-Colombia game, when 12 months earlier Falcao humiliated him by shrugging him off in the CL. He handled Lukaku easily in the play off also.
And they're only going to improve as well in that area as they get older, put Mendy and Walker either side and a goalkeeper who has qualms with coming out and clattering anything, we've got the makings of a very big, physical defence.