Kalidou Koulibaly

The best we can ask for is a competent and reliable defensive centre backs to minimise mistakes and our best pressing players to minimise opportunities to make mistakes. At the back end of 18/19 we had Kompany and Laporte playing together and it showed.
What showed exactly if you don't mind me asking?

Because Laporte & John Stones were our CB pairing until February(around the Carabao Cup Final V. Chelsea), When Stones got injured.

and during that time in the League:
1 Draw @ Wolves
1 Draw @ LFC

1 Loss @ Chelsea (Unlucky loss, awful finishing)
1 Loss @ Leicester (Gundogan's first game at DM)
1 Loss V. Palace (Stones Playing DM)

1 Loss @ NCU

I remember vividly around the March International break, when stones was close to being recovered, Guardiola was essentially begging Gareth Southgate not to select Stones & to let him recover fully, so that we can have him back for the season run-ins.

Unfortunately Stones didn't regain his form in time & Kompany was healthy again.
 
Last edited:
What showed exactly if you don't mind me asking?

Because Laporte & John Stones were our CB pairing until February(around the Carabao Cup Final V. Chelsea), When Stones got injured.

and during that time in the League:
1 Draw @ Wolves
1 Draw @ LFC

1 Loss @ Chelsea (Unlucky loss, awful finishing)
1 Loss @ Leicester (Gundogan's first game at DM)
1 Loss V. Palace (Stones Playing DM)

1 Loss @ NCU

I remember vividly around the March International break, when stones was close to being recovered, Guardiola was essentially begging Gareth Southgate not to select Stones & to let him recover fully, So that we can have him back for the season run-ins.

Unfortunately Stones didn't regain his form in time & Kompany was healthy again.
Back end, as in the end of the season.

From February onwards Kompany started playing games regularly and our defence became relatively impenetrable. I forgot to mention Otamendi really stepped up too in this time, but in final stretch (the back end) Laporte and Kompany being paired allowed the team to be extremely solid, when we absolutely had to not concede goals and drop points.

In fairness, when Stones was fit in the first half of the season we were almost that level too. My point being having 2 competent CBs who can play the positional and passing game Pep likes goes some way.
 
Is Pep really resorting to Pellegrini's rigid defensive plan, which he himself totally destroyed not so long ago, by us simply knocking the ball past it & running ?

Or are the players supposed to use their judgement hold the line then quickly drop off, as the ball is played ?

I only ask because if the answer is A, imo we are fucked.

And if Garcia was playing for Real Madrid or Barca etc, against us, would we be more confident, or less confident of beating them than if they had KK ?
Why does it have to be A or B? Talk about twisting a situation to suit, so essentially you're trying to manufacture two ficticous situations:
1) you can only play offside in a rigid system.
2) you can only use your judgement to drop off.

How about using your judgement to play offside because you know you've not got the pace to outrun your opponent, very simple and very effective, if Mendy wasn't as thick as a brick.
 
Rodri is going to take our pressing levels above what we had in 17/18.

He's just outrageously good at reading where a player under pressure is going to try and pass or run, and just intercepting them and releasing the ball forwards to start attacks.

This season he's been caught out with some weak pressing ahead of him letting people off the hook and leaving him caught too high up the pitch, but with Rodri-Bernardo-KDB, we'll just swamp anyone.
Gundogan is equally phenomenal at this, even though he often gets zero credit for it.

Well, almost zero as I and a few others don't let it slide ;)
 
Back end, as in the end of the season.

From February onwards Kompany started playing games regularly and our defence became relatively impenetrable. I forgot to mention Otamendi really stepped up too in this time, but in final stretch (the back end) Laporte and Kompany being paired allowed the team to be extremely solid, when we absolutely had to not concede goals and drop points.

In fairness, when Stones was fit in the first half of the season we were almost that level too. My point being having 2 competent CBs who can play the positional and passing game Pep likes goes some way.
Yes I understand, I was just pointing out that we were very solid in the first half of the season with Stones.

the 4 Loss are because of tactical / Personnel Issues, Nothing a world class CB could do to prevent those losses.

I think you guys are REALLY OVERPLAYING the Kompany Effect towards the end of the season.

we were much more focused on the defensive side of things. That is why we only conceded 1 goal from open play in 14 Games
(Against Watford, Zinchenko was at fault, nothing a world class CB can do to prevent that)

But you have to remember:
We almost conceded against Leceister at 86 mins..... because of mistakes from our full-backs(Zinchenko I think)
If it was not for Kelechi bieng a blue, that would've been a goal.

What about our first & Second Legs Vs Spurs?
Laporte made two mistakes, & Kompany Missed the header that hit Llorente's arm...

Yes Kompany Is one of the best Leaders, but are you guys just not OVERPLAYING it just because he scored the winning Goal?
 
Put this one in the same bracket as Kane. Not going to happen. I’m sure it’ll keep the transfer forum busy for a couple of months though.
 
Koulibaly seems to want to stay at Napoli? Should we be pushing him to come if he’s happy where he is?
 
Yes I understand, I was just pointing out that we were very solid in the first half of the season with Stones.

the 4 Loss are because of tactical / Personnel Issues, Nothing a world class CB could do to prevent those losses.

I think you guys are REALLY OVERPLAYING the Kompany Effect towards the end of the season.

we were much more focused on the defensive side of things. That is why we only conceded 1 goal from open play in 14 Games
(Against Watford, Zinchenko was at fault, nothing a world class CB can do to prevent that)

But you have to remember:
We almost conceded against Leceister at 86 mins..... because of mistakes from our full-backs(Zinchenko I think)
If it was not for Kelechi bieng a blue, that would've been a goal.

What about our first & Second Legs Vs Spurs?
Laporte made two mistakes, & Kompany Missed the header that hit Llorente's arm...

Yes Kompany Is one of the best Leaders, but are you guys just not OVERPLAYING it just because he scored the winning Goal?


Exactly koudabilly ain’t gonna come in and fix the problems lol.
 
Exactly koudabilly ain’t gonna come in and fix the problems lol.
How could he not improve our defence, alongside having Laporte back. It’s not as if we have many problems to fix, we’ll finish 15 ish points off where we should be. Sort out central defence including Laporte back up and better left back option problems fixed, doesn’t have to be Koulibaly but it has to be somebody and he’s one of the best.
 
We concede bad goals, we don't concede a lot of goals.

City have the second best-defensive record in the league, conceding just two more than Liverpool, one less than United and far superior to blocking teams such as Sheffield United and Wolves - Ederson could win Golden Gloves - us scoring so many more goals than anybody else.

It was the same when Vinny or Demichelis were in the back-four, experienced as fuck and reliable most of the time but always a team conceding laughable goals.

I think a deal for Ake makes solid sense and would rather we can get Stones to refocus, than spend £70m on Koulibaly. Stones has all the system playing tools and is still only 25. If he can't stay fit, then Garcia must continue to get his chance.

It is the make up of the system in front of the back four which mainly needs to change. A proper left-sided attacker would ensure our left-back isn't caught seventy yards from his own goal if teams are able to transition on us - would also like another left-back to challenge Mendy.

Rodri needs help and would much rather see us spend big cash on another midfielder with legs and a top-class forward.
All true matey but the bad goals conceded
is the weak link in the champions League, better teams than utd,Southampton and arsenal are lurking and the I've on the break. I'd love Ake instead of koulibaly personally, he will be moulded into a top class high line defender
 
Yes I understand, I was just pointing out that we were very solid in the first half of the season with Stones.

the 4 Loss are because of tactical / Personnel Issues, Nothing a world class CB could do to prevent those losses.

I think you guys are REALLY OVERPLAYING the Kompany Effect towards the end of the season.

we were much more focused on the defensive side of things. That is why we only conceded 1 goal from open play in 14 Games
(Against Watford, Zinchenko was at fault, nothing a world class CB can do to prevent that)

But you have to remember:
We almost conceded against Leceister at 86 mins..... because of mistakes from our full-backs(Zinchenko I think)
If it was not for Kelechi bieng a blue, that would've been a goal.

What about our first & Second Legs Vs Spurs?
Laporte made two mistakes, & Kompany Missed the header that hit Llorente's arm...

Yes Kompany Is one of the best Leaders, but are you guys just not OVERPLAYING it just because he scored the winning Goal?
Nope,vinny was a leader who calmed everyone ,that winning run would have not been done without him,he has been a massive miss this season
 
Why are we not after Sergio Ramos?

Leader? Check

Scores Penalties? Check

Won't Block Garcia? Double Check

Led his Team to a Title? Give him #4 shirt
 
All true matey but the bad goals conceded
is the weak link in the champions League, better teams than utd,Southampton and arsenal are lurking and the I've on the break. I'd love Ake instead of koulibaly personally, he will be moulded into a top class high line defender
Whether we get Koulibaly or not, I'd like us to get Ake. I think he has very good potential to succeed in our system.
 

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top