Time catching up with Zabaleta?

[The Fat el Hombre]

It's now like watching Gary Neville in his final few days.

Albeit, this is actually sad to watch.

His legs just won't do what his heart and head are telling him.

Nothing like Neville in his final days. Absolutely nowhere near.

People jumping the gun, as per.

 

[Dax777]

But that's my point. If I thought Zaba wasn't capable of being a second choice to a new lad coming in I'd say so. I think people are quick to call it sentiment because we're talking about players who've given us their all for 5/6/7 years when for me it's a simple case of Zabaleta game being more suited to a quick possession based game than Sagna. I don't think he should be first choice, I think we desperately need two new full backs. I don't think Zaba has fell off anywhere near as much as it's fashionable to say.
Like I said, given the choice of Sagna or Zaba as back up it wouldn't be close. It certainly wouldn't be sentimental.

I don't disagree with this, but if I were to bet who'd likely suffer a Dimechelis type drop of next season of all our fullbacks, Zab will probably be my first choice, sadly folloed very closely by Sagna. Which makes right back an even more serious need than LB. I think Clichy will be just as good next season. Injury are his only concern.

Zaba and Sagna on the other hand seem on their last hoorah of top end football. It strange that we view Sagna as the defensive fullback and Zaba the offensive. 3 years ago both were frankly top end at both ends. Having both of them next year scares me. One of them is very likely to fall straight off.

 

[Phil1]

I don't disagree with this, but if I were to bet who'd likely suffer a Dimechelis type drop of next season of all our fullbacks, Zab will probably be my first choice, sadly folloed very closely by Sagna. Which makes right back an even more serious need than LB. I think Clichy will be just as good next season. Injury are his only concern.

Zaba and Sagna on the other hand seem on their last hoorah of top end football. It strange that we view Sagna as the defensive fullback and Zaba the offensive. 3 years ago both were frankly top end at both ends. Having both of them next year scares me. One of them is very likely to fall straight off.

That's why we desperately need a new first choice. Neither have it in them for a full season anymore, especially at the level we wish to be at.
I just think if we are to keep one who only needs to play around 15/20 games tops, Zabaleta is the most suited to how Pep will have us playing. Sagna isn't comfortable at all with the ball at his feet. He doesn't like taking it off the goalkeeper which is something that'll be happening a lot more. tbf at this point I've no idea how it'll play out. A case could be made for either I suppose.

 

[Dax777]

That's why we desperately need a new first choice. Neither have it in them for a full season anymore, especially at the level we wish to be at.
I just think if we are to keep one who only needs to play around 15/20 games tops, Zabaleta is the most suited to how Pep will have us playing. Sagna isn't comfortable at all with the ball at his feet. He doesn't like taking it off the goalkeeper which is something that'll be happening a lot more. tbf at this point I've no idea how it'll play out. A case could be made for either I suppose.

I agree Zaba is the Pep likely option. Sagna used to be good with the ball at his feet. I think he just adjusted his mentality to match his age. It's sad to see what age does. You find yourself slowly tweaking your game every season, until one day you look nothing like the Player you once were. :(

 

[squirtyflower]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the premise of the OP.
Love Zab to bits, ever since his crunching debut back in 08. He has given more than anyone over the last six years but on Saturday I was sad to see the journeyman McLean run him ragged whilst in the past it would have been Zab pushing further and further back.

It's not great to see but we are coming to the end of an era with Zab, Kompany, Yaya and Silva on the wane carrying the battle scars from some very successful campaigns.
But an new era is to begin, hopefully, and we'll have other heroes to embrace.

 

[fatbloke]

Clichy is the only fullback I trust for next season. The Demichelis disease will hit one of the other 3, I'm certain of it. People expect a gradual decline. But it wouldn't be. While the decline has begun for all our fullbacks, the Demi sudden drop disease will hit at least 1 of them.

If it were up to me, ID keep Clichy and cut the other 3. Denayer in at RB. Gaya and Weiser as competition for them.

I like Gaya don't get me wrong but Angelino deserves a chance if you're going to bring in a young fullback.

 

[hihosilva]

I can't believe so many on here a writing him off, legs have gone etc. Zabba has struggled like a few players this season with multiple injuries which has caused him to have a stop start season. Don't forget he's only 31 so i would expect another 2-3 good seasons left in him. Next season I reckon we'll him fitter & stronger.

 

[mad zab]

I can see him still being our back up next season. Sagna will probably leave and I would personally bring Jason Denayer back to play in that position.

We have other areas of the team that need more attention than right back.

 

[malg]

Unfortunately I have to agree with the premise of the OP.
Love Zab to bits, ever since his crunching debut back in 08. He has given more than anyone over the last six years but on Saturday I was sad to see the journeyman McLean run him ragged whilst in the past it would have been Zab pushing further and further back.

It's not great to see but we are coming to the end of an era with Zab, Kompany, Yaya and Silva on the wane carrying the battle scars from some very successful campaigns.
But an new era is to begin, hopefully, and we'll have other heroes to embrace.

Absolutely bang on. These guys have given their all to the team, and we've been lucky to see some absolutely scintillating football, and they've brought trophies. For me, there may be more to come from some:

1. Kompany - if his fitness gets sorted, we could get a great couple of seasons from him yet.
2. Zab- really don't know. I'd like to see more, but it wasn't just fitness on Saturday, McLean had him all ends up. He's had a few bad days at the office, but I'm hoping it's because all of our defenders have suffered over the last couple of seasons and maybe he'll improve next season, but if I'm honest I think we've seen the best of him.
3. Yaya - for me, our most important player when we've been at our best. However, it looks like the legs have gone, and at some point we need to choose between him, Silva, KdB and Stirling. We can't play all of them, or even 3 of them without the opposition picking us off.
4. Silva - I know people go on about the ankle injury, but I just think, like Yaya, we've seen the best. Like Yaya, I don't think he has the engine to chase back either, so tough decision for the manager to drop one of them, but it appears to be a tough decision he can't make.

 

[Dax777]

I like Gaya don't get me wrong but Angelino deserves a chance if you're going to bring in a young fullback.

Like I said, perhaps Angelino needs playing time with other top end players to look the part, but watching him at NYCFC, he didn't seem out of place (I.E. he didn't seem like a young player with immense quality just buying time in a lower quality league). It seemed more like that was his level. Didn't look special. Was goos with his cross, good going forward ( even though he list possession a sometimes trying to do to much) and was average defensively.

Gaya on the other hand has looked the part in a quality league. Stronger in the tackle, better ball control and better understanding of team interplay. The key for me is legitimate competition for Clichy.

 

[sir baconface]

Marriage and fatherhood have done for him!

Ruthless asassins, those two ;)

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Zabs has lost a yard of pace , but i believe he could become a great defensive midfield player in the mould of NDJ or Mascherano at Barca , he reads the game , likes a tackle and rarely gives the ball away , and would die for the club , just hope Pep can utilise him in some capacity for a couple of seasons , then we can give the Zabman the best and most deserved testimonial ever seen in Manchester.

 

[Phil1]

Absolutely bang on. These guys have given their all to the team, and we've been lucky to see some absolutely scintillating football, and they've brought trophies. For me, there may be more to come from some:

1. Kompany - if his fitness gets sorted, we could get a great couple of seasons from him yet.
2. Zab- really don't know. I'd like to see more, but it wasn't just fitness on Saturday, McLean had him all ends up. He's had a few bad days at the office, but I'm hoping it's because all of our defenders have suffered over the last couple of seasons and maybe he'll improve next season, but if I'm honest I think we've seen the best of him.
3. Yaya - for me, our most important player when we've been at our best. However, it looks like the legs have gone, and at some point we need to choose between him, Silva, KdB and Stirling. We can't play all of them, or even 3 of them without the opposition picking us off.
4. Silva - I know people go on about the ankle injury, but I just think, like Yaya, we've seen the best. Like Yaya, I don't think he has the engine to chase back either, so tough decision for the manager to drop one of them, but it appears to be a tough decision he can't make.

I've seen you dig out Silva a fair whack this season (with justification on some occasions) but I've no idea why you keep trying to equate him to Yaya. Their games are completely different, they have different bodies, are different ages and they have different strengths and weaknesses.
This lack of engine required to track back? Where does it come from? If he was playing in a team that knew their jobs and stayed compact he wouldn't need to spend the whole game stuck on the left then have to track back after we invariably give the ball away.
You also seem to dismiss the ankle injury as something inconsequential when it's obviously played a huge part in his poor form. Having to play week in week out because there's nobody left available will cause it more damage week by week. Ideally he should have been rested about six weeks ago but he's found himself having to play nearly every minute.
Is he the David Silva of 2/3 years ago? No, probably not. Have we seen the best of him? I'd say he's got plenty left to give.

 

[fatbloke]

Like I said, perhaps Angelino needs playing time with other top end players to look the part, but watching him at NYCFC, he didn't seem out of place (I.E. he didn't seem like a young player with immense quality just buying time in a lower quality league). It seemed more like that was his level. Didn't look special. Was goos with his cross, good going forward ( even though he list possession a sometimes trying to do to much) and was average defensively.

Gaya on the other hand has looked the part in a quality league. Stronger in the tackle, better ball control and better understanding of team interplay. The key for me is legitimate competition for Clichy.

If anyone can get the best out of a young player like Angelino, it's Pep. With more midfield competition being brought in (Gundogan and hopefully Pogba) I think Delph might be used at left back too so I'd rather spend the money elsewhere as good as Gaya is.

 

[Dax777]

If anyone can get the best out of a young player like Angelino, it's Pep. With more midfield competition being brought in (Gundogan and hopefully Pogba) I think Delph might be used at left back too so I'd rather spend the money elsewhere as good as Gaya is.

I'm avhugr proponent of Delph at leftback. I think he is tailor made for it. So you'd get no objections from me on that one.

On a side note, if we get Pogba, Gundogan, and Laporte, what other areas would you suppose are more important than the likely Kolarov replacement?

 

[taleofbluehalves]

I'm avhugr proponent of Delph at leftback. I think he is tailor made for it. So you'd get no objections from me on that one.

On a side note, if we get Pogba, Gundogan, and Laporte, what other areas would you suppose are more important than the likely Kolarov replacement?

The thing about Delph is that he's not exactly been a success playing left midfield so fullback? Not sure.

 

[malg]

I've seen you dig out Silva a fair whack this season (with justification on some occasions) but I've no idea why you keep trying to equate him to Yaya. Their games are completely different, they have different bodies, are different ages and they have different strengths and weaknesses.
This lack of engine required to track back? Where does it come from? If he was playing in a team that knew their jobs and stayed compact he wouldn't need to spend the whole game stuck on the left then have to track back after we invariably give the ball away.
You also seem to dismiss the ankle injury as something inconsequential when it's obviously played a huge part in his poor form. Having to play week in week out because there's nobody left available will cause it more damage week by week. Ideally he should have been rested about six weeks ago but he's found himself having to play nearly every minute.
Is he the David Silva of 2/3 years ago? No, probably not. Have we seen the best of him? I'd say he's got plenty left to give.

I mention him because I feel he gets a free ride from a fair whack of people on here when I feel he's had a poor season (and as I've always said, he's certainly not alone - in fact it's difficult to pick out players who have been good over the last two seasons). The ankle gets a mention because this is the excuse mentioned for his poor form. If he has an ankle injury, he shouldn't be playing if it so obviously affects his performance, however he may well be telling the manager that he can play through it. This would be even worse, and once again, as I've said before, the manager is setting players up to fail. Maybe this is why Aguero is dropping so deep now, he just doesn't have any trust in our midfield to play that killer ball?

As I've said on other posts, maybe de Bruyne coming back will create that movement that Silva needs? I don't know, I just know he's been poor, and that being the case, he deserves the same amount of stick that others are getting.

 

[flb]

With Pep loving three at the back will we really be buying fullbacks anyway, he set up with three CB's at Bayern with Lahm at pivot when attacking only then to go to a four when being attacked.

Could Zab play that type of role?

 

[BillyShears]

I mention him because I feel he gets a free ride from a fair whack of people on here when I feel he's had a poor season (and as I've always said, he's certainly not alone - in fact it's difficult to pick out players who have been good over the last two seasons). The ankle gets a mention because this is the excuse mentioned for his poor form. If he has an ankle injury, he shouldn't be playing if it so obviously affects his performance, however he may well be telling the manager that he can play through it. This would be even worse, and once again, as I've said before, the manager is setting players up to fail. Maybe this is why Aguero is dropping so deep now, he just doesn't have any trust in our midfield to play that killer ball?

As I've said on other posts, maybe de Bruyne coming back will create that movement that Silva needs? I don't know, I just know he's been poor, and that being the case, he deserves the same amount of stick that others are getting.

Spot on mate, but you have to be careful criticising Silva. He gets a free ride and a free pass from many on here no matter how wank he is.

 

[eversince 76]

With Pep loving three at the back will we really be buying fullbacks anyway, he set up with three CB's at Bayern with Lahm at pivot when attacking only then to go to a four when being attacked.

Could Zab play that type of role?

Zab might. Clichy won't. Kolarov will.