Centre back options

Mangala has the raw materials to be excellent in the prem. Surely he can be improved with coaching and regularly games. He looked a beast against Chelsea on his debut and he put big nose in his pocket against psg as I recall. Consistency comes with playing and knowing you're trusted. I certainly wouldn't want to be marked by a combo of vk and mangala. Is VVD that much better than him?
 
Fabulous said:
He's 26. Wouldn't consider that young.
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It terms of top centre backs I think it's fair to call him young. It's a position where age and experience are a real bonus. I think he's still a couple of years away from the peak for that position.
 
bondsman said:
Mangala has the raw materials to be excellent in the prem. Surely he can be improved with coaching and regularly games. He looked a beast against Chelsea on his debut and he put big nose in his pocket against psg as I recall. Consistency comes with playing and knowing you're trusted. I certainly wouldn't want to be marked by a combo of vk and mangala. Is VVD that much better than him?
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It really just comes down to whether mangala can cope with passing the ball around at the back when we are being pressed. Defensively he's no worse than otamendi or stones imo. Vvd is a more consistent defender and better on the ball, again imo.
 
Mangala has no composure, so not sure how he is going to fit in possession based team. Teams in CL certainly will press us big time.
 
bondsman said:
It terms of top centre backs I think it's fair to call him young. It's a position where age and experience are a real bonus. I think he's still a couple of years away from the peak for that position.
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He is not young. Let's stop trying to justify that claim.He is 26. At 26 Kompany was best defender in the world, so was the dude at Real. So was the Brazilian at PSG. Bonucci popped at 27, Chielini at 25.

Yes, while some older CBs are good, they were already great at 26. For example, 26 year old Kompany was better than the current one. So no, he is not young. He is a passable backup. Not very good. But as 4th choice will do.
 
Lancet Fluke said:
It really just comes down to whether mangala can cope with passing the ball around at the back when we are being pressed. Defensively he's no worse than otamendi or stones imo. Vvd is a more consistent defender and better on the ball, again imo.
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He was around a 83% passer last season at Valencia on attempting 40 passes per game, obviously not at Stones/Otamendi level of success but around what Kolarov did. That will be inflated by another 15-20 attempts per game with the current system as a CB, which I think he will do just fine the more he gets used to the system.
 
Hypothetically, its the morning of the Chelsea away game. Pep is planning to play a back 3, we've prepared on that basis. He's then told that Otamendi has been sick overnight. Will he:

a) Replace Otamendi with Mangala
b) Change to a back 4
c) Switch another player (eg Mendy) to play in the back 3
d) Decide that Otamendi will be ok to play
e) Something else not involving Mangala

If the answer to that question is a) then we should keep Mangala. If its anything else then we should move him on.
 
cibaman said:
Hypothetically, its the morning of the Chelsea away game. Pep is planning to play a back 3, we've prepared on that basis. He's then told that Otamendi has been sick overnight. Will he:

a) Replace Otamendi with Mangala
b) Change to a back 4
c) Switch another player (eg Mendy) to play in the back 3
d) Decide that Otamendi will be ok to play
e) Something else not involving Mangala

If the answer to that question is a) then we should keep Mangala. If its anything else then we should move him on.
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Provided we are happy with the alternative to Mangala, if Kompany also calls in sick.
 
Do we have any space in the squad for a non-English CB? I'm thinking Benedikt Howedes would be perfect: German regular who seems to be able to play literally any defensive position, especially on the left-side which is where we may be looking to reinforce.
 
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pbueno16 said:
Do we have any space in the squad for a non-English CB? I'm thinking Benedikt Howedes would be perfect: German regular who seems to be able to play literally any defensive position, especially on the left-side which is where we may be looking to reinforce.
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Know what you are saying but he is another player who has suffered significantly with injurys over the last few years.
 
Kompany Car said:
Know what you are saying but he is another player who has suffered significantly with injurys over the last few years.
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Good to know. Haven't really been aware of his fitness. I'm usually very impressed whenever I see him play for Germany or Schalke, regardless of position, so i figured he deserves a mention.

If we bring in Sanchez/Mbappe, are we handcuffed with bringing in an English CB to meet the quota? I understand getting Evans since he holds down one of the toughest defenses in the league; just hesitant over the potential price being thrown around.
 
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