Aymeric Laporte

[BlueDejong]

Thankfully, so does Pep;)

What do you think about Ante Coric ?

 

[BenjaniMwaruwari]

£100 million on center backs that haven't done well this season doesn't really fill me with much confidence

 

[g180aj]

Thankfully, so does Pep;)

So assuming we have a front 3 of Sterling, Kun and Sanchez with Kev at the top of a midfield triangle then who partners Gundongen at the base?

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

I would be rather unhappy if our club had pursued the best coach in the world and then didn't pay up for the players he wants, so if Pep wants this lad we pay up and shut up if we're not happy. I do think this transfer, if it goes through, does put an end to the pursuit of Stones, if he is being pursued. Pep knows how he wants us to play and who he feels can play his way, and he doesn't seem to live in a world where attackers attack, defenders defend and midfielders...midfield. When we have really failed this season it's been a systemic failure. Our possession game hasn't been good enough (we had 60%possession) but when we lose the ball there's no midfield screen, the fullbacks are stranded upfield and the CBs are left wondering whether to attack the ball, drop back or stand there and be overrun. Yesterday was a case in point where Koeman had figured out that the best thing to do was simply take out our CMs by hitting the space just behind them and running at our CBs. I'm not sure what Otamendi and Mangala could have done about it. So presumably Pep will address the problem of defending as a unit, and maybe Laporte has virtues here we don't know about. When we have the ball Pep presumably sees skills which will allow him to take the ball forward and distribute it, rather like a CDM.

 

[Omnia Vincit Riot]

So assuming we have a front 3 of Sterling, Kun and Sanchez with Kev at the top of a midfield triangle then who partners Gundongen at the base?

Pogba.

 

[Labatt Blue]

So assuming we have a front 3 of Sterling, Kun and Sanchez with Kev at the top of a midfield triangle then who partners Gundongen at the base?

Have you heard of Fernandinho..he plays for city and having a great year !

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

What do you think about Ante Coric ?

Had never heard of him until the recent links.

I trust Pep in pretty much every identification.

 

[capiloton]

pep tried to play with 3 CB, i guess.

 

[ankitptrivedi]

thats a ridiculous amount of money to spend on a 21 year old if true. we really need to start looking at some cheaper/clever options i.e. spurs with Alderweireld.

More than anything, I think it's the system(or lack of system) which makes our defenders look poor. Leicester and Spurs have a strict defensive system going on along with tremendous work rates from their players. Most of the times we struggle cos of the players out of position.

I'm sure with a younger squad and a proper defensive system, pretty soon we'll have solid defenders too.

 

[Silva_Spell]

I do hope we are not shoehorning Denayer in at right back simply because he's homegrown?

He doesn't seem to have the raw pace and agile frame that a modern day full-back requires?

Stones' natural position was at right-back, so who knows?

I wanted Rose and Cresswell, but that ship looks long sailed.

Denayer is rapid.

Stones is quite slow in comparison