6 | Nathan Ake - 2024/25

Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
As soon as he is fit enough to start then he goes to left back for me. Gvardiol for all his qualities is not a left back.
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I’m still utterly baffled as to why he won’t switch Gvardiol to the middle and Ake to left back.

Then again, I’ve been calling for Nunes and Grealish (when fit) to be tried in the middle, which will also never happen, so I’m acutely aware that I’m wasting my breath! :)
 
Brought a much needed calmness and solidity to our defence last night. We looked a different team defensively with him there. Both Akanji and Gvardiol didn’t put a foot wrong while Aké was on the pitch.

Aké went off at 3-0 on 69mins and we fucking crumbled defensively without him.

He also played well when he came on as a sub against Spurs on Saturday.
 
M23 Citizen said:
Brought a much needed calmness and solidity to our defence last night. We looked a different team defensively with him there. Both Akanji and Gvardiol didn’t put a foot wrong while Aké was on the pitch.

Aké went off at 3-0 on 69mins and we fucking crumbled defensively without him.

He also played well when he came on as a sub against Spurs on Saturday.
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This has been the issue this season generally. Players out of form not being able to be taken out of the firing line because everyone else is injured. Players like Gundogan that were brought in to maybe start 20 games and be a cool head to see us through games having to run the midfield every game. Newcomers like Savinho being expected to be our most consistent creative outlet with everyone else being in and out of the team. A 34 year-old Walker having to play every game because even the option of playing Akanji or Stones out there has disappeared.

Last season around this time, Gvardiol was out of form, and Ake was brought in. When Gvardiol was brought back into the team later on, he was all the better for it.
 
Once all the central defenders are back, he should immediately return as the first-choice left-back. No more experimenting with repeated failures, just play the best man in his best position, and the results will follow. It’s as simple as that.
 
bluethai said:
Once all the central defenders are back, he should immediately return as the first-choice left-back. No more experimenting with repeated failures, just play the best man in his best position, and the results will follow. It’s as simple as that.
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True, but you assume that's going to happen. Ake and Stones are both made of glass, and have been for most of their City career. We've got away with it for so long by having Dias and Akanji, who both had decent injury records. But now this season they've been crocked too, at exactly the same time that all of our defensive cover has disappeared.

I personally thought the long-term plan was for Gvardiol to play CB anyway, in which case, it amazes me that we've not brought any first choice full backs in over the last few windows.

Also the tactics have sort of amazed me. I know Gvardiol is a threat going forward, but we've won in the past by playing 4 CBs more conservatively and avoiding them joining the attack too much of overlapping.
 
Anyone doubting Nathan needs to look at what happened when he was on, and what happened when he was off. OK Akanji when fit and Dias would probably have got over the line yesterday, but we are well short of defensive cover.
 
Bournemouth Blue said:
Anyone doubting Nathan needs to look at what happened when he was on, and what happened when he was off. OK Akanji when fit and Dias would probably have got over the line yesterday, but we are well short of defensive cover.
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He's great for the 30% of the season he is available. Therein lies the issue. His hamstrings are goosed.
 
Yeah right, but we should have already qualified if we had a competent defence. Feyenoord did their homework, watched what Sporting CP did, and repeat. God help us against the stronger teams
 
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