Javi Garcia

[LoveCity]

He makes very few tackles and interceptions with his feet and the long ball game is the exception rather than the standard in English football now.

He averages less completed tackles per game (0.6) than Navas, Nasri, Silva, Kolarov and Yaya (yes, the guy who apparently can't defend manages more tackles than the player who supposedly can ONLY defend and play a simple pass) to name a few. And less completed interceptions (0.9) than Navas, Kolarov, Clichy, Demichelis and others. These are exceptionally poor stats for a pure defensive midfielder who has few other features to his game.

So he isn't really a great midfield destroyer at all. His main attribute is his size and ability to head the ball, but you need much more to be a top defensive midfielder. He's slow and not tenacious at all. Players breeze past him, when it should be him suffocating them with pressing and tackling. One of Palace's players - I forget his name - just waltzed past him with the most ridiculous ease today, not even facing a challenge from Garcia, and that led to a chance.

Also, fewer top clubs are using the Makelele/De Jong type now, with the Fernandinho/Vidal/Busquets type midfielder more effective - those with more versatility and contribution to the team. So to be an old school defensive midfielder you have to do it really well to be worth it. Garcia doesn't do it really well or even close to it.

There are so many midfielders who I think would suit us better, of various profiles. That's for the transfer forum, though.

It's up to Pellegrini. He has to ask himself: "If Fernandinho breaks his leg tomorrow, can we still win the league with Yaya and Garcia as our midfield pair?" (since he appears to favour Garcia over Rodwell). If he answers "Yes", even I, a huge Pellegrini fan, will question his sanity. :)

 

[NQCitizen]

You have your opinion, I have mine, and I saw him repeatedly pass the ball wide.

Yes crowd got frustrated at times because what was needed was a runner from midfield - like Nasri - but as I keep saying his strength is his defensive game. he's a good passer but Nasri, and Fernandinho are much more effective than he is going forward.

Most top teams have specialist defensive midfielders eg Obi Mikel. Remember Makele too? Javi Garcia is that type of player. Ideally you have a player like Fernandinho who can do both, but then when you have Fernandinho, Yaya, Silva and Nasri, how do you convince a top all round player to come here and sit on the bench like Javi Garcia

That looks very fair to me.

I do think we could replace him with someone more suited but I still think he's far from the worst player in the squad.

Still his contribution is incredibly under valued and it's poor to think that if he played Hollywood balls that occasionally came off or spent all the time out of position but ran around slide tackling to make it up for it he'd be much higher rated.

I think some posters understand that DM isn't the most glamourous of positions but still think he is failing badly. I would prefer him to make a tackle than stand in the correct position so he has a great view of the opposing player running past him.

That happens only once or twice a game though, which with his physique and the fact he's usually completely unsupported doesn't shock me. Puncheon did Kompany in exactly the same way, I don't really count that against him. If Garcia hadn't won all those headers today the long ball tactics could easily have come off and caused us huge problems (like Villa, Cardiff, Chelsea).

Good in the air, good in possession, great attitude.

Although I do think we are settled into agreeing to disagree on this.

 

[TonyM]

I'm in shock that anyone can defend him by saying he's only a liability once or twice per game but then again I'm in shock that he gets a game at all.

I really hate being so negative about one of our players, especially one who seems a decent lad. I want him gone at this point as much as anything to stop spelling bad about complaining about him. :-)

 

[Luckyman T]

Pellegrini must see something we don't in training and I think the Spanish connection at city helps Garcia get in the squad and just wish he'd score a few more headers from corner's like we know he can in important games and we could maybe give him a bit of a break but until he doe's he will be just a run of the mill midfielder.

 

[jollylescott]

He makes very few tackles and interceptions with his feet and the long ball game is the exception rather than the standard in English football now.

He averages less completed tackles per game (0.6) than Navas, Nasri, Silva, Kolarov and Yaya (yes, the guy who apparently can't defend manages more tackles than the player who supposedly can ONLY defend and play a simple pass) to name a few. And less completed interceptions (0.9) than Navas, Kolarov, Clichy, Demichelis and others. These are exceptionally poor stats for a pure defensive midfielder who has few other features to his game.

So he isn't really a great midfield destroyer at all. His main attribute is his size and ability to head the ball, but you need much more to be a top defensive midfielder. He's slow and not tenacious at all. Players breeze past him, when it should be him suffocating them with pressing and tackling. One of Palace's players - I forget his name - just waltzed past him with the most ridiculous ease today, not even facing a challenge from Garcia, and that led to a chance.

Also, fewer top clubs are using the Makelele/De Jong type now, with the Fernandinho/Vidal/Busquets type midfielder more effective - those with more versatility and contribution to the team. So to be an old school defensive midfielder you have to do it really well to be worth it. Garcia doesn't do it really well or even close to it.

There are so many midfielders who I think would suit us better, of various profiles. That's for the transfer forum, though.

It's up to Pellegrini. He has to ask himself: "If Fernandinho breaks his leg tomorrow, can we still win the league with Yaya and Garcia as our midfield pair?" (since he appears to favour Garcia over Rodwell). If he answers "Yes", even I, a huge Pellegrini fan, will question his sanity. :)

That is a very fair analysis of his attributes.

In many respects Javi is an old fashioned defensive player. Unfortunately his skill set doesnt suit the modern game which City is adopting, with flexible, adaptable and fast moving midfielders. As LC has stated City will be looking for midfielders in the Fernandinho mould, not the Javi type.

 

[VOOMER]

He isn't just average he actually has negative effect on the team when he plays. In the same way Edin doesn't fit. He is slow, heartbreakingly lacking in confidence and needs replacing while being sent out on loan. That said, Boyota provided little at right back going forward which is crucial to our style of play, so that would be 3 players not really up to the mark today and only one was replaced, over to you amigos?

 

[pudge]

He makes very few tackles and interceptions with his feet and the long ball game is the exception rather than the standard in English football now.

He averages less completed tackles per game (0.6) than Navas, Nasri, Silva, Kolarov and Yaya (yes, the guy who apparently can't defend manages more tackles than the player who supposedly can ONLY defend and play a simple pass) to name a few. And less completed interceptions (0.9) than Navas, Kolarov, Clichy, Demichelis and others. These are exceptionally poor stats for a pure defensive midfielder who has few other features to his game.

So he isn't really a great midfield destroyer at all. His main attribute is his size and ability to head the ball, but you need much more to be a top defensive midfielder. He's slow and not tenacious at all. Players breeze past him, when it should be him suffocating them with pressing and tackling. One of Palace's players - I forget his name - just waltzed past him with the most ridiculous ease today, not even facing a challenge from Garcia, and that led to a chance.

Also, fewer top clubs are using the Makelele/De Jong type now, with the Fernandinho/Vidal/Busquets type midfielder more effective - those with more versatility and contribution to the team. So to be an old school defensive midfielder you have to do it really well to be worth it. Garcia doesn't do it really well or even close to it.

There are so many midfielders who I think would suit us better, of various profiles. That's for the transfer forum, though.

It's up to Pellegrini. He has to ask himself: "If Fernandinho breaks his leg tomorrow, can we still win the league with Yaya and Garcia as our midfield pair?" (since he appears to favour Garcia over Rodwell). If he answers "Yes", even I, a huge Pellegrini fan, will question his sanity. :)

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/8UL5bt7.gif[/bigimg]

It's like he has cement in his boots

 

[VOOMER]

He isn't just average he actually has negative effect on the team when he plays. In the same way Edin doesn't fit. He is slow, heartbreakingly lacking in confidence and needs replacing while being sent out on loan. That said, Boyota provided little at right back going forward which is crucial to our style of play, so that would be 3 players not really up to the mark today and only one was replaced, over to you amigos?

 

[celticfc482]

Just a fact of the player does not suit the league, its too fast for him and he's too slow for it.

 

[moomba]

Won 12 aerial duels yesterday apparently.

Thought he was OK myself, did the job he was asked to do. No more, no less.

Suspect some had him down as having a bad game before 3pm yesterday.