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

[GeorgeHeslop'sTackle.]

Depends on how good a partnership develops during his absence I guess. I think he'll get his chances over the next 12 months but he may have to wait his turn. Of course if Stones and Otamendi/Whoever can't form a decent partnership, he'll be straight back in no doubt. However, I could see him on his way next Summer if he has the same kind of injury problems as last season.

Think he might decide to retire, anyway, if that were the case, tbh.
It would be heartbreaking to see him playing in another club's colours.

 

[Proy]

Well I don't think we will sign another cb & I agree Otamendi isn't the kind Pep would sign. Pep is talking about playing him against aerial long balls. If VK was fit, he'd be playig tonight. Ota has a good leap, but he's like Vinny's weedy little brother by comparison.

I'm not sure that Kompany and his fitness has influenced this decision, but Pep seems pretty intent on using Kolarov in whatever capacity he can.

Tbh mate, watching what I did on Saturday, I'm not even sure you could say we had a 'centre back'. We played with such fluidity until the final 3rd, I don't think I could point to any player in the back 4/5 or whatever it was and say that's his position and it's clearly defined.

 

[Phil1]

*The scenes when Kolarov is playing CB in front of a fit Kompany*

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

He had an iffy season trying to do everybody else's job because of the complete & utter shambles that old fuckwit had put together. When he then settled down to do his own thing, he was again, fantastic but then the injuries kicked in.

All of our cbs look better next to Kompany than next to each other. Reason being, he is miles better than all of them.

This! Kompany is a leader and the defence with him in it looks so much more assured than it does without him. Aside from Stones, Kompany is also the best ball playing centre back at the club. A leader who is good on the ball, that is an incredible combination.

This is not a Hart scenario, who clearly does not fit the way Pep wants the team to play. This is about Kompany's fitness. I have no doubt that a fully fit Kompany gets in Guardiola's team, however Pep does not have the sentimental or emotional attachment that we do. Kompany has to show him he is fit and can be relied on.

Kompany has come back from injury many times before, but this one is his most important. He is playing for his future at City, there is no doubt about it. A short lived return followed by an injury set back would be catastrophic. Fingers crossed he can come through it and thrive under Pep, but one thing is for sure if it doesn't work out it won't be through lack of effort.

 

[its a Barm]

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.

mmmm ok then point taken, just an odd way of putting your point over.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Sometimes a manager DOES pick an inferior player, and rightly so.

There comes a point when a great player starts to decline - be it through injury or just a little slower etc.
At a given point in time, that player MIGHT still be a better player than the young lad coming through the ranks or a younger less experienced transfer (like Stones). However, if the manager chooses to stick with the older guy because he is 'better' at any given moment in time, he's effectively cashing in for a quick return today whilst delaying the progress of the younger lad tomorrow - which might be more costly further down the line.

One of the great dangers of 'play the best player on any given match day' is that you can easily end up going one or two seasons too long with a great player like Vinnie or Gerrard etc, then all of a sudden their form really does drop off the edge of a cliff and you're not prepared. The lad who was waiting in the wings isn't ready.

At best there has to be a transition period from the old guard to the new, but it takes a brave manager to rotate the old vs new player when every game seems to be very important and there's a temptation to always play the 'better' (older guard). That's when this 'play the better player on any given day' doesn't work - because he's the better player on every day, but can't play 50 games a season.

I suspect Kompany is now approaching or at this stage. We all know he's great, and when fully fit he would be most City fans first choice - but most City fans would end up playing him almost every game! It makes more sense (to me) to rotate the CB's and possibly prolong and improve Kompany's fitness whilst giving him a chance to pass on some experience to Stones. 18 months from now I would be surprised in Kompany is a regular starter. If his injury troubles completely disappear, then sure, we could have another 3 or even 4 years out of him, but Pep can't possibly build a team around a fairly unlikely possibility.

 

[FanchesterCity]

Kompany has come back from injury many times before, but this one is his most important. He is playing for his future at City, there is no doubt about it. A short lived return followed by an injury set back would be catastrophic. Fingers crossed he can come through it and thrive under Pep, but one thing is for sure if it doesn't work out it won't be through lack of effort.

When you say he's come back from injury many times before, it's like saying someone has quite smoking many times.
We all love the guy and think he's an amazing player, but he simply hasn't recovered from injuries in the way you suggest.
Hopefully we've been rushing him back a little to much, and that's the prime issue in the past - thus this time we have taken our time. if that's the case, then fantastic. But I think Pep's had to work on work on the assumption he might not come back - and if he does, it's a fantastic bonus.

 

[BlueCityfan]

Well I don't think we will sign another cb & I agree Otamendi isn't the kind Pep would sign. Pep is talking about playing him against aerial long balls. If VK was fit, he'd be playig tonight. Ota has a good leap, but he's like Vinny's weedy little brother by comparison.

I could be wrong. But i'm sure Txiki knew last summer Pep could be our manager soon. I'm sure he took that into account when signing players. Anyway, i don't think Kompany falls into the Toure/Denayer/Hart category. Kompany is fast, good in the air, is good on the ball, and more importantly.....is an intelligent footballer.

 

[Bellamy's Caddy]

When you say he's come back from injury many times before, it's like saying someone has quite smoking many times.
We all love the guy and think he's an amazing player, but he simply hasn't recovered from injuries in the way you suggest.
Hopefully we've been rushing him back a little to much, and that's the prime issue in the past - thus this time we have taken our time. if that's the case, then fantastic. But I think Pep's had to work on work on the assumption he might not come back - and if he does, it's a fantastic bonus.

To be fair I'm not suggesting he has recovered from injuries, I think that's been a big part of his recurring problems. What I was getting at is that when he has returned to the team he has still been crucial to our performance, not just making up the numbers.

I agree that we have been rushing him back, this time he has had months to work on the recovery without the added pressure of a key champions league game to be back for. Pep is definitely planning for life without Kompany (and Hart etc), he would he daft not to given Kompany's injury track record. But equally if Kompany can get himself fit and train well I can't see Pep not selecting him. In my opinion it all hinges on Kompany's latest injury comeback and I really hope it works out.

 

[Walking on the blue moon]

Look at Iker Cassillas: Genuinely thought of as one of the best 'keepers in the world in his prime. Played 725 games for Madrid's first team and 167 games for Spain. Came through the Madrid youth team and played for Spain at every age group. Club captain, national team captain. Lifted many trophies as captain of both teams. As recently as 2012 he won La Liga Best Goalkepper award. Easily in the top ten of Real Madrid's legends and they're the most successful club in European club football history.

He still plays, but not for Madrid. He's at Porto. Things change. Even for club legends.

Ah one of the many crimes Mourinho and Florentino Perez committed in Real Madrid. Almost single-handedly destroyed Iker Casillas' career by benching him for a vastly inferior player simply because he did the right thing for his national team.

Back to Hart though. I don't know what's going on beind the scenes, nor can I discern if the rumours about Hart's attitude are true. Things are not going well for him at the moment, but I hope that if he does go, he would be given a better farewell than Iker Casillas. He has after all been a wonderful servant and there is no need to discredit his ability or personality for justification of his departure.