Full Backs

[Dobsy]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

 

[Rocket Sauce]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

To be honest, I can see the validity of your point, but unfortunately, NOBODY else is stepping up to do the job. We just need to identify someone who can defend and has the engine to get up field to support the attack while being able to sprint back to defend. Milner is the perfect candidate for this, not Kolo Toure. I don't know of any others who would fit this description in our squad.

If we switched to a 4-4-2, I wouldn't worry about playing a centre back out of position in the fullback position as we would be providing a natural width with our formation, assuming our wide guys hugged the touch line.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

Clichy and Richards are big losses, and when both don't play we are easy to play against. We are so narrow that we depend on attacking fullbacks to give us width and penetration when teams are well organised. It's a simple football point but has been a big problem this season.

 

[alextheswede]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

100% correct

 

[Marvin]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

I agree with this. Nasri also gives us width

 

[decmancity]

We are missing them and we are reliant on them either running beyond and taling defenders with them allowing more space for everyone else.

But!

We should be good enough to tweak the team and change there style for the games there missing.

 

[waspish]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

I agree we miss mica the most

 

[Dobsy]

We are missing them and we are reliant on them either running beyond and taling defenders with them allowing more space for everyone else.

But!

We should be good enough to tweak the team and change there style for the games there missing.

I agree with this: with the key full backs out we should switch up our style and find another way to win. It's as though there's no plan B.

A few people have said to me that we rely too heavily on our full backs but I disagree. I think the rest of the team is so good that opposition teams are focused on just blocking them out down the middle. In turn that means that the only place we can penetrate is on the flanks. If opposing teams switched their focus to the full backs, then they'd have to leave more space for Yaya, Silva, Aguero, Tevez and Nasri. If they did this they'd get killed and they know it, so they prefer to take the risk of what Kolarov, Clichy, Maicon or Richards would do to them.

A special mention for Zabaleta who has been heroic but isn't as much of an attacking threat as the four above IMO.

 

[Blueroses]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

+1

hit a nail on the head! you are right my friend I pray we can get them back soon any more dropped points and the title is out of reach > <

 

[Ric]

Apologies if there's already a thread, I can't see it.

There's lots of finger pointing at the moment over our run of bad form: Mancini is making mistakes; summer buys weren't good enough; I've even heard "Yaya is lazy". Does anyone agree with me that having Kolarov, Clichy, Richards and Maicon out is the simple explanation for our bad form?

We're so strong through the centre that teams are sitting 10 behind the ball through the middle, so we need to stretch the game and get around them. Our 4 best attacking full backs are out. This didn't happen last season, it has done this season. If two of them were fit, we'd have stonked Reading and Sunderland.

I don't think it's the sole reason for our poor form, but it's certainly a factor.