#14 | Aymeric Laporte - 2021/22 Performances

[Legal Alien]

You’d imagine Zinchenko would be screaming at him to go?

Looking at it again today, he was caught in two minds with Benzema behind him, Dias sprinting back and it looks like Zinchenko doesn't know what to do either, so a shitshow all round really.

Oh well, it's gone now, we won so time to move on

 

[Legal Alien]

How this guy has usurped Stones this season, after the previous season Stones had, is an absolute joke.

Stones was unavailable for the beginning, and for a lot of the season, so he was given a chance.

 

[supercity88]

Top of the league and we won it last season. Reached the final of the CL last season and good chance of the same happening this season. To say he isn’t good enough is harsh. He isn't perfect but a very good player.

He wasn't part of the CL side last season nor a starter in the league. Dias and Stones are our best two CBs. Laporte is prone to diving in when it's unnecessary and often has a tendency to do something stupid in big games whether that be a lapse in concentration and giving the ball away or a poor pass.

He should have made Vini think about what to do by moving between him and Benzema so he was caught in two minds. The communication was lacking though. Zinchenko should have been screaming to him to take the ball, Ederson could have come out a bit to make the angle harder or force Vini into making a decision earlier. But it is what it is.

It was a makeshift back 4 and I don't think he can be blamed for the penalty, he had to challenge for the ball and was unlucky it then hit his arm. That situation arose thanks to yet more complacency in possession. When we went 3-1 up I was screaming for us to play keep ball and slow the game down, we didn't. Ferny pressed to win the ball and set Phil up but then made the mistake of trying to do exactly the same again, when sitting off and holding Vini up or fouling him was a better option. And he knew it. Then Mahrez, despite us being comfortable and having numbers on the right, looks to switch play but hits an awful pass which leaves us stretched again. Chances to clear but perhaps Foden should have hoofed it rather than try and be intricate.

Anyway, we won 4-3 and we know we gave them three gifts. It's happened in their games against PSG and Chelsea, but they won those. We've shown, even with that we can beat them. So if we tighten up and play a more controlled game in Madrid we should be winning more comfortably. I'm sure Pep will be watching the PSG game back, and the Chelsea one and nailing the system. Our usual game plan will see us through though.

 

[blueju]

So it is handball!

Blatant handball, didn’t need to raise his arm.

 

[blueju]

Looking at it again today, he was caught in two minds with Benzema behind him, Dias sprinting back and it looks like Zinchenko doesn't know what to do either, so a shitshow all round really.

Oh well, it's gone now, we won so time to move on

True and no matter the mistakes by our players they were brilliant…who’d have ever thought we’d batter a full strength Real side?

 

[youngbob]

Not the same since his injury really. Still very good and pretty reliable most of the time, but nowhere near the best CB in the league like he was once. If he's happy being second choice at City then I'm happy to keep him, but Dias and Stones is our best partnership and we need to stick with them going forward. Laporte's stronger on the ball than Ake is, but he's always got a dropped bollock in him and his recovery speed has plummeted since he came back from such a long lay-off. Think he needs to decide for himself.

 

[Dax777]

Towards the end of Vini Jnrs run Laporte is actually running *away* from him. Was screaming at him at the time to come across and baffled at what he chose to do.

Hopefully Stones overcomes his niggles. At this level he makes a difference.

I tend to agree to be honest. Just think the bigger error came from Dias initially.

My sense and I could be wrong, is that Dias's decision was sanctioned. I see John Stones do this sometimes too. Jump really high and try to hem the opposition in. But it looked silly coz many of our players weren't in press mode.

So my silence on Dias has more to do with the fact I've seen this kind off over aggressive play from our CBs often before.

That said, still a dumb decision though. But in my view Dihno lost on a gamble and Laporte showed no guts and no intelligence.

 

[Dax777]

True and no matter the mistakes by our players they were brilliant…who’d have ever thought we’d batter a full strength Real side?

Everyone. At many points in that game Madrid was worse than Watford.

Teams like Madrid are tailor made to get spanked by us the first Time we meet in a season because they are unaware of how much better we are than they are.

Madrid is an team with a suspect defense and an aging Midfield who play straight up no matter the opposition. They are a better version of the Portuguese team we beat 5-0 away coz they played us straight up.

Sadly, these teams adjust on the second legs and become more defensive and tactical. I expect Madrid to be less open in the return leg and that might turn our a very different type of game that either side may lose.

We should have spanked them like 6-2 or 6-1

We missed a trick here and may potentially cost us. :(

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Everyone. At many points in that game Madrid was worse than Watford.

Teams like Madrid are tailor made to get spanked by us the first Time we meet in a season because they are unaware of how much better we are than they are.

Madrid is an team with a suspect defense and an aging Midfield who play straight up no matter the opposition. They are a better version of the Portuguese team we beat 5-0 away coz they played us straight up.

Sadly, these teams adjust on the second legs and become more defensive and tactical. I expect Madrid to be less open in the return leg and that might turn our a very different type of game that either side may lose.

We should have spanked them like 6-2 or 6-1

We missed a trick here and may potentially cost us. :(

I agree with the general thrust of your argument, but on this occasion I don't actually expect Madrid to be much cagier or more defensive in the return leg. They don't really have the personnel or mentality to pull it off, and Ancelotti isn't a particularly tactically agile manager

It also really helps that there's no more away goals rule. If they just had to nick a 1-0 at the Bernabeu I'd be much more concerned about them sitting deep and trying to counter, but as they need two goals to win I think it'll be another fairly open match

 

[Dax777]

I agree with the general thrust of your argument, but on this occasion I don't actually expect Madrid to be much cagier or more defensive in the return leg. They don't really have the personnel or mentality to pull it off, and Ancelotti isn't a particularly tactically agile manager

It also really helps that there's no more away goals rule. If they just had to nick a 1-0 at the Bernabeu I'd be much more concerned about them sitting deep and trying to counter, but as they need two goals to win I think it'll be another fairly open match

I hope you are right. My instincts tells me they'll sit back more this time. They looked shell shocked after the 1st half. I doubt anyone had ever cut them open and dominated them with that much ease before.