3 | Ruben Dias - 2025/26

sh249 said:
As I say, if Guehi proves himself a better option, great.
As for the pecking order - let’s be honest, we’ve no idea how highly Maresca might rate Dias and Guehi respectively.
I like Guehi. But I’ve not (yet) seen enough to say he’s definitely an upgrade on Dias.
Put Dias between Khusanov and Gvardiol (or two similar options) and I see no reason why he can’t get back to his best.
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I think Dias will leave this summer.
 
Georgian said:
In terms of skills yes.

But experience is important as well and leadership.

He lacks those.

But potential is there and we are lucky to have him.

Against Everton, you don't play world-class attackers and Ruben's experience and leadership is more important.

Against Arsenal, under Rodri-Bernardo's leadership, Khusanov played great match and we would have probably struggled with Ruben there, as we played high pressing and needed pace to survive their counters.

But against Everton, when Rodri wasn't there and things went wrong, Khusanov started to make simple mistakes.
Same applies to Guehi, who has just arrived to a big club from low-tier team.

That's why Ruben-Gvardiol duo is important for marathon, as most games we play against average teams and we just need to avoid simple mistakes, for which their experience helps us a lot.

if we order our defenders considering skills + experience.

1) Gvardiol - great skills, good experience
2) Ruben - average skills, great experience
3) Khusanov - great skills, small experience
4) Guehi - good skills, good experience
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You only get experience by playing and yes he wasn't as good against Everton but I would argue that Guehi was City's worst defender in that match. Who knows what would have happened if Dias was there against Everton and we can all be experts after the event has happened. Kushanov should be in our best side and you know who agrees with me, the greatest manager in our history.
 
eastmanc said:
Kushanov should be in our best side and you know who agrees with me, the greatest manager in our history.
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Both Gvardiol and Dias were injured for most of the 2nd half of the season. That's arguably the main reason why Guehi and Khusa were starters.

When both Dias and Gvardiol were fully fit, Khusa was barely playing. Which was probably a mistake on Pep's part, because Khusa could have been used to rotate Dias and Gvardiol and give them a rest while gaining experience.

Instead, these two were overplayed and got injured. So, Pep had a clear preference for Dias and Gvardiol *when* both were fully fit. And he was right, because our record with them both at CB was outstanding, i.e., title-winning, even without Rodri in there. We have never lost a title race with Dias in the team.
 
alexmcity said:
Both Gvardiol and Dias were injured for most of the 2nd half of the season. That's arguably the main reason why Guehi and Khusa were starters.

When both Dias and Gvardiol were fully fit, Khusa was barely playing. Which was probably a mistake on Pep's part, because Khusa could have been used to rotate Dias and Gvardiol and give them a rest while gaining experience.

Instead, these two were overplayed and got injured. So, Pep had a clear preference for Dias and Gvardiol *when* both were fully fit. And he was right, because our record with them both at CB was outstanding, i.e., title-winning, even without Rodri in there. We have never lost a title race with Dias in the team.
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You make good points with regards to the first half of the season, by the end of the season, even when fit , Dias was down the pecking order. Regarding never having lost a title race we had far better teams than the one that is still in transition now. Pep did a brilliant job getting us to where we finally got this season.
 
eastmanc said:
You make good points with regards to the first half of the season, by the end of the season, even when fit , Dias was down the pecking order. Regarding never having lost a title race we had far better teams than the one that is still in transition now. Pep did a brilliant job getting us to where we finally got this season.
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"even when fit" - Dias wasn't fully fit after the injury vs Madrid in March and returned to full training in May. That's why he wasn't even in the squad vs Everton.

Pep didn't play him because he wasn't match fit, i.e., fit enough to start decisive games. Drawing conclusions from that about his place in the team is not serious.

Our record with Dias and Gvardiol this season, mostly without Rodri, was excellent: translates to 88 pts over 38 games. Guehi and Khusa did really well with Rodri next to them, but after Rodri got injured vs Arsenal, they weren't stable away from home, and were all over the place at Everton.
 
decmancity said:
It wouldn’t surprise me either way tbh.

He might fancy a change of scenery and some new birds to go after. Won everything at City and I think his nose might be a bit of joint with the emergence of Khus and Guehi coming in.
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If his nose has been put out of joint, then he definitely should move on, as hes clearly not the player he used to be.

He's only out the side due to injury, its up to him to get that spot back; if he doesnt fancy it then he can go.
 
alexmcity said:
"even when fit" - Dias wasn't fully fit after the injury vs Madrid in March and returned to full training in May. That's why he wasn't even in the squad vs Everton.

Pep didn't play him because he wasn't match fit, i.e., fit enough to start decisive games. Drawing conclusions from that about his place in the team is not serious.

Our record with Dias and Gvardiol this season, mostly without Rodri, was excellent: translates to 88 pts over 38 games. Guehi and Khusa did really well with Rodri next to them, but after Rodri got injured vs Arsenal, they weren't stable away from home, and were all over the place at Everton.
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So who would you pick as a partnership because I don't this Dias is getting back in due to Kushanov.
 
eastmanc said:
So who would you pick as a partnership because I don't this Dias is getting back in due to Kushanov.
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"This Dias" means nothing. He's back from injury. He's 29, perfect age for CBs. When he was fully fit, he was 1st choice for "the best manager in history". He's been our only firm starter in defence since 2020 (when fully fit): not Walker, not Stones, not Laporte, and not Ake.

I'm fairly certain that Maresca rates Dias much higher than most fans. And if he goes, it won't be easy to replace his presence in the team, given that one of the 4 captains has already left, and another one may leave too. Football is a team game, and certain characters are very important to the group, even if their impact is intangible and hard to measure.
 
alexmcity said:
"This Dias" means nothing. He's back from injury. He's 29, perfect age for CBs. When he was fully fit, he was 1st choice for "the best manager in history". He's been our only firm starter in defence since 2020 (when fully fit): not Walker, not Stones, not Laporte, and not Ake.

I'm fairly certain that Maresca rates Dias much higher than most fans. And if he goes, it won't be easy to replace his presence in the team, given that one of the 4 captains has already left, and another one may leave too. Football is a team game, and certain characters are very important to the group, even if their impact is intangible and hard to measure.
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You are getting me mixed up with somebody who doesn't rate Ruben, I do rate him he's been excellent since he joined us, I just believe he will struggle to get in over Kush.
 
My pick in central defence would be Khusanov and Gvardiol as first choice; it offers a combination of physicality and ball-comfort that is rare.
Dias has been great for us, as has Guehi (so far). I do not think that Guehi has proven himself superior to the other three mentioned.
When Reis returns from loan, there is serious competition for places.
It is a fact that we are in a transitional moment, and sometimes this creates a moment of decision for others too. It is not that deep - things are changing and that is often a catalyst for others to wonder if they fancy a change too.
 
eastmanc said:
You are getting me mixed up with somebody who doesn't rate Ruben, I do rate him he's been excellent since he joined us, I just believe he will struggle to get in over Kush.
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There are trade-offs with most players. When fans think about Khusa and Dias they think, in simple terms, fast and slow. With City playing a high line, it's a no-brainer.

But Pep knew that and kept starting Dias. Why? Not because he was clueless, but because Dias offers things Khusanov doesn't. Because those things are less obvious, they can easily be underestimated, if not completely ignored.

Again, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dias started for Maresca. But I wouldn't be surprised if he went overseas. In that case, we'll need more experience, because when your senior CB is 26 and the other 3 are 24, 22, and 20, that's very promising for the future but maybe not enough to win the PL/CL.
 
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