It's Quiet thread 14 - 'do one' edition

[Keeper!]

Ake or stones would do well in that role.

Not Stones, a rabbit in headlights when in midfield.

 

[Stoned Rose]

No worse than what we currently have!

My view on Rodri is well known on here mate.

Fucking bobbins.

 

[blue oli]

Not Stones, a rabbit in headlights when in midfield.

Different memory from me then, I don’t think he looked great I will agree but given time to settle into the role (which he never had) and he would be good - not world class but good.

I know we are looking for world class these days but he would be decent cover or rotation cover there.

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

I don’t envy anyone playing central defence in a team like ours. One momentary lapse of concentration, one stray pass and no one cares that you’ve had an otherwise excellent performance. You’re a liability, you’re a clown, your transfer fee gets trotted out, you’re no Van Dijk...

It’s an almost impossibly high standard, especially when you consider the chances we miss at the other end. You’ll see the first time Koulibaly or whoever makes their first mistake and gets pilloried for it

 

[Plain Speaking]

Of course a german with no interest in seeing an english team succeed internationally would say this. All english pundits are saying the same about Stones: he’s a weakness in this team, he’s not focused and make silly mistakes. Everyone talks about his potential but it’s not reasonable to wait 5-7 years for a guy to wake up.

People have different opinions about Stones but fact of the matter is: the club (and one can assume Pep) wanted him gone and go with Garcia and Koulibaly(?) instead. That didn’t work out so now they’re stuck with Stones and just might give him a final chance. But if Garcia stays and Koulibaly comes in, we’d have four quality cbs and then Stones. He’d be lucky to play any cup games.

Honestly just being 4th choice for Stones is bad enough when Koulibaly comes in.

Garcia is clearly Barca bound either this year or next, (Pep has said so).
Stones is homegrown, there might well be a requirement for an increased homegrown quota from the fa as we leave Europe? It would be foolish to sell him on the cheap, he has talent and hopefully will come good.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

That’s the key, fitting our system, very, very few centre backs could play in our system and Pep won’t compromise on the high line, we have a very limted choice of personnel to chose from, i think Koulibaly is the prefered option because he has the pace and physicality and has played the system regularly under Sarri but he’s far from perfect but the best option out there.

I very much think this is the real problem with our defence.
We have decent players that would look comfortable in other team’s systems. What we need for our system is someone with the experience of the most seasoned A lister CBs coupled with the speed and energy of the very best youngsters.
Why? Because we play an extremely high line while in possession and we have not retained the ball as well recently and don’t press as much consistently when we lose it.

Makes us very susceptible to a quick ball over the top.

Maybe the CB we are looking for isn’t out there.
Maybe the academy should be grooming the specific type of player we need. Shape a youngster that we see the potential in. I do get the impression more and more that, that isn’t the main purpose of our academy.

 

[manimanc]

My view on Rodri is well known on here mate.

Fucking bobbins.

I know but he’s a looker isn't he :)

 

[blue oli]

My view on Rodri is well known on here mate.

Fucking bobbins.

Could that be first year settling in ? Seems to happen to a fair few imports getting used to the prem

 

[blueparrot]

Of course a german with no interest in seeing an english team succeed internationally would say this. All english pundits are saying the same about Stones: he’s a weakness in this team, he’s not focused and make silly mistakes. Everyone talks about his potential but it’s not reasonable to wait 5-7 years for a guy to wake up.

People have different opinions about Stones but fact of the matter is: the club (and one can assume Pep) wanted him gone and go with Garcia and Koulibaly(?) instead. That didn’t work out so now they’re stuck with Stones and just might give him a final chance. But if Garcia stays and Koulibaly comes in, we’d have four quality cbs and then Stones. He’d be lucky to play any cup games.

Honestly just being 4th choice for Stones is bad enough when Koulibaly comes in.

People have different opinions whether Stones can be the player he should be, doubt many think Garcia is better though.

 

[Keeper!]

Different memory from me then, I don’t think he looked great I will agree but given time to settle into the role (which he never had) and he would be good - not world class but good.

I know we are looking for world class these days but he would be decent cover or rotation cover there.

Good player with the ball in front of him, with his back to goal a nightmare.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Did the window close. We'll get a right sided centreback.

It didn't but we play our 1st league game in 12 days and the window closes 2 weeks after that. We have 9 points to play for before the window closes. Liverpool have dropped only 32 points in the past two seasons. Only 15 points last season. The 9 points we play for at the beginning of the season are as important as any other.

Our best CB has COVID. Ake limped off the other night. Garcia isn't good enough and doesn't want to be here. Stones is probably injured or crying in a corner somewhere. Otamendi is Otamendi. We need a top CB in now, not in 4 weeks time.

 

[The slaughtered lamb]

Of course a german with no interest in seeing an english team succeed internationally would say this. All english pundits are saying the same about Stones: he’s a weakness in this team, he’s not focused and make silly mistakes. Everyone talks about his potential but it’s not reasonable to wait 5-7 years for a guy to wake up.

People have different opinions about Stones but fact of the matter is: the club (and one can assume Pep) wanted him gone and go with Garcia and Koulibaly(?) instead. That didn’t work out so now they’re stuck with Stones and just might give him a final chance. But if Garcia stays and Koulibaly comes in, we’d have four quality cbs and then Stones. He’d be lucky to play any cup games.

Honestly just being 4th choice for Stones is bad enough when Koulibaly comes in.

You could be right and Stones is too far gone to come back to his best, he’s in the last chance saloon that’s for sure. But I would guess a German would be just as likely to give an honest opinion as any English pundit, most of whom would love us to fail.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Could that be first year settling in ? Seems to happen to a fair few imports getting used to the prem

Fingers crossed but I’m not hopeful on what I have seen so far.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

My view on Rodri is well known on here mate.

Fucking bobbins.

Agree. Rodri Giggs has done more for City than he has

 

[Semper aggressus]

I think Stones is definitely worth sticking with, he's shown he can play at our level, he just needs to get his head right and bulk up a bit. I really think he can get back to his best with us, and apart from Koulibaly is better than any centre back available that we could buy right now.

For me I just don't rate Garcia as a centre back at all, he's too small and too slow for this league in that position. He might be decent as a defensive midfielder though, his passing is good and his tackling. In my opinion Stones is far better in central defence though, even when not on top form.

I reckon Laporte, Stones and Ake aren't bad as our first choice central defenders! Who is better than any of them in our league; only van Dijk that I can think of. All three are better than anyone at rags or Chelsea or Arsenal.

 

[blueparrot]

It didn't but we play our 1st league game in 12 days and the window closes 2 weeks after that. We have 9 points to play for before the window closes. Liverpool have dropped only 32 points in the past two seasons. Only 15 points last season. The 9 points we play for at the beginning of the season are as important as any other.

Our best CB has COVID. Ake limped off the other night. Garcia isn't good enough and doesn't want to be here. Stones is probably injured or crying in a corner somewhere. Otamendi is Otamendi. We need a top CB in now, not in 4 weeks time.

There's still a lot of buying and selling to do for all teams, Chelsea are probably ahead of us, every other team probably behind us in being set for next season. It'll be fine.Regardless your original point that funds for a centre back were spent on Ake has no foundation as we are obviously still looking at around £65-70 mill budget as we always have been.

 

[mancity2012_eamo]

Could that be first year settling in ? Seems to happen to a fair few imports getting used to the prem

I’m willing to give him a bit of leeway but have to admit that not only did I find him slow last season but also slow of thought, which was more worrying.

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but Stones is not reliable, therefore we need another player, irrespective of his form.

Every signing is a roll of the dice. No guarantee any of them will stay fit and in form.

Stones has had a bad run with injuries but none are the type that should slow him down long term - he needs to get his head down and he can come good. Mendy on the other hand has had a similar run and has bolloxed his knee. I'd put money on Stones having the better career going forward.

 

[Plain Speaking]

I don’t envy anyone playing central defence in a team like ours. One momentary lapse of concentration, one stray pass and no one cares that you’ve had an otherwise excellent performance. You’re a liability, you’re a clown, your transfer fee gets trotted out, you’re no Van Dijk...

It’s an almost impossibly high standard, especially when you consider the chances we miss at the other end. You’ll see the first time Koulibaly or whoever makes their first mistake and gets pilloried for it

Agreed, in some games even the world class KDB has uncharacteristically misplaced several passes, fans overlook it, but if that's a defender he gets dog's abuse.

 

[domalino]

Alaba is available, he wants to play in midfield why don't we let him, he plays CDM for Austria and he's very good there

I would imagine the fact he wants to be paid €385,000 a week is the main reason.