Other clubs seem to find them and without paying 50 m a pop.LB is a big problem and has been for years. Angelino, Zinchenko, Mendy none of them close to the standard needed. A real quality LB would improve the team tremendously.
Finding one is another matter.
Other clubs have a system that doesn't expose their full backs.Other clubs seem to find them and without paying 50 m a pop.
Then maybe the world's greatest football manager should take a look.Other clubs have a system that doesn't expose their full backs.
Then maybe the world's greatest football manager should take a look.
Yes of course it is. We havent signed a decent LB for decades. You could argue that Tarnat was our last decent proper left back.
Kolarov was nothing special. Cost us numerous goals.It became a problem around after Kolarov left. He's by no means a pacy LB but he compensates that with a good footballing brain. Also, his long-range shots are lethal and his long-range through passes and diagonals are less predictable to crosses.
Zinchenko was a good candidate and we should have given him more chance to grow into the position as we have been with Foden.
Kolarov was nothing special. Cost us numerous goals.
I don’t deny he won us points but he did cost us a lot at left back.. not as much as clichy mind.. he was the best out of the pair (overall) just seen him as an average LB with a bullet left foot, tbf, something like Mendy is.. tho I do think with regular game time and less social media Mendy might be a good one for us. HopefullyI wouldn't say numerous, but he did cost us a few. As did Clichy, Lescott, Kompany, Stones more than others. On the flipside, like Kompany, Kolarov also pulled us out of losing situations. The equaliser against sunderland, the match-winning goal against Swansea in the dying seconds for 3 points, the first goal against Everton after clever play by I remembered Silva and Sterling to Kolarov. It would have been the winning goal too if not for Nasri scoring for 2-0 on the 89th. The other goals that added to our tally that more often than not gave us room to breathe in tight scoring matches. He also releases Sane at the right through a sharp diagonal pass from the left, a tactic that Pep continuously used to intentionally have Kolarov pulling in opposition players so Sane can do his explosive runs.
Kolarov is not a world class LB, above average at most. But class LBs are rare to find in the market, and until now we still haven't found one. But on the grand scheme of things, Kolarov contributed to the points table.
Anyone think that Pep might be looking at Ake to fill the left back berth?
He has the pace to play there and Bournemouth fans say he did well in that position for them.
Left and right back are both problems. Im kinda done with the replays of walker playing someone slightly onside.
I thought he was disappointing... eye catching runs were few and far... I'd like to know the stats on his direct involvement in goals against us. Maybe its just something i noticed that made me bias...To be fair Walker was immense for the most part last season,saw off the challenge of his so called replacement as well
Left and right back are both problems. Im kinda done with the replays of walker playing someone slightly onside.