Joe Hart (joined Torino on season long loan - Official)

[Phil1]

If Kompany gets fit, he plays.

Yeah, I think it'll only be fitness issues that keep him out as well.

 

[flb]

I think deep down inside you know that Pep's decision on Hart wasn't taken after 45 minutes of pre season training - it was taken sometime last season. He's obviously decided that he wants a new number 1 at the club and as importantly, would like Joe to leave the club. That speaks volumes to me about the depth of change which Pep wants to implement. You may well be right that in the short term this, along with the ripping up of the central defence, was unnecessary, but in the long term these things were always going to happen. We can argue the toss about Joe having played a year under Pep, or even Mangala, but ultimately he was always going to decide against these guys. Better he does it now and we start with a clean broom.

For the record, I think Vinny's next. I suspect that even when he's fit he's going to be behind Stones/Otamendi, and by January it'll be clear that if he wants to play regularly he'll have to find another club.

Not sure about you last sentence fella tbh, a fit Vinny is first on the team sheet and if he wants the option to play three at the back then there is not a cat in hells chance he will leave-and i don't even see why you have said it to be honest.

Even if we buy another CB we need 4 at the club-Denayer and Mangala look toast so we would have Otimendi, Stones, Vinny and Kolorov (!)

 

[Marvin]

Agreed, but if he's settled on what his 'best' partnership is and it doesn't include Vinny what do you do with the club captain/country captain earning 200k a week plus who's only going to be playing maybe 15/20 games max over the course of the season?

I'm not saying this will definitely happen, maybe Vinny comes back and kills it in training and remains fit. But my gut feeling from Pep's press conference and the way we've shaped the team is that Stones will be the first choice right sided CB, with Vinny only really coming in to deputise for him when he's injured or needs a rest. That's only sustainable for one season.

If we are going to compete in the Premiership and the Champions League we need more than two top quality defenders.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Yeah, I think it'll only be fitness issues that keep him out as well.

He's by far the best defender we've got. He's one of the quickest. He's good enough on the ball for the system to work, we don't need both cbs to be playing clever passes all the time.

I can imagine him plus Stones & 1 other in a 3 as well.

It will be down to fitness & staying fit. Not football.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

Where's the Hart thread?

 

[FanchesterCity]

Hart "throwing games for money" is without any question the most unberlievable thing ever written on here, and believe me there has been some strange stuff written on here, please explain that comment.

I think he was just giving an example of a more extreme situation where fans might not know what's going on behind closed doors.
Perhaps a slightly better example might be a player having it away with another player's wife or a problem with alcohol etc. i.e. something we'd be completely unaware of, but unacceptable to a club.

That is absolutely no suggestion of that with Hart, it's merely an example of stuff that's outside footballing and training matters. Paul McGrath was considered a great player and yet behind the scenes was turning up drunk. We simply don't see everything that goes on with all the players, I think that was his point illustrated in extreme terms.

 

[aguero93:20]

Where's the Hart thread?

We swapped it for a mouldy cheesestring.

 

[adrianr]

If Kompany gets fit, he plays.

Disagree. Posted many times; He was never going to build his defence around Kompany like Mancini did and Pellegrini tried. I'd still bet my house on him picking the stability of Stones + whoever and letting them nail it down, rather than chuck the lot the moment Kompany feels ready to play again and letting him walk straight back into the side. If we had managed to get Laporte as planned he would definitely be out. The fact we were after him as Stones as primary targets tells me Pep doesn't think a whole lot about Kompany getting back into this side long term.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Where's the Hart thread?

Dropped!

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

I think he was just giving an example of a more extreme situation where fans might not know what's going on behind closed doors.
Perhaps a slightly better example might be a player having it away with another player's wife or a problem with alcohol etc. i.e. something we'd be completely unaware of, but unacceptable to a club.

That is absolutely no suggestion of that with Hart, it's merely an example of stuff that's outside footballing and training matters. Paul McGrath was considered a great player and yet behind the scenes was turning up drunk. We simply don't see everything that goes on with all the players, I think that was his point illustrated in extreme terms.

I was indeed giving an example of an extreme situation that none of us would know about but could influence the manager or club's decision making.

The problems at Swansea last season for example were down to a personal issue between two people that escalated dramatically and led to Monk (who was piggy in the middle) being sacked.