The most startling thing to me, was that Stones looked like a child by comparison.
He is absolutely nowhere near Kompany in any area of football, at present. And that includes passing the ball.
it was one game, hes been out for about 6 weeks swell. overall this season hes been good. it might not have been you, but if I'm right you never rated him anyway.
Yet VK can come in half fit & nail it straight away."
kompany is world class and has been doing it for years now, there at completely different stages. company at 23 wasnt amazing every game.
Pep says he's been crucial this season. Maybe he hasn't been world class, esp at the beginning of the season, but I liked wait I saw esp. around a couple of months ago.
Whilst I'm a big fan, you can see the levels behind the top class CBs he currently is. He needs to go his aggression, a big problem of mine is how he continually backs off rather than making the tackle.
thats his style of play though. you dont have to go sliding into tackles all the time. maldini was a player with a similar approach.
IF we move in for Boateng and IF Vinny stays healthy, do we see Stones progression being affected? We took a huge hit on the chin with him and only up until his injury were we beginning to see the improvements. I wonder if we do get Boateng or another CB what happens to Stones. I think we know Otamendi becomes the lesser of 4, but if Vinny is fit surely he's commanded his spot now.
IF we move in for Boateng and IF Vinny stays healthy, do we see Stones progression being affected? We took a huge hit on the chin with him and only up until his injury were we beginning to see the improvements. I wonder if we do get Boateng or another CB what happens to Stones. I think we know Otamendi becomes the lesser of 4, but if Vinny is fit surely he's commanded his spot now.
Do you reckon there would be any point in trying Stones in front of the back four at some point?Stones has led a charmed life of playing regular Prem football whilst regularly dropping his teams in the shit, because people in the game believe in him.
He will continue to get game time, but each passing year, he will be expected, more more, to justify his selection. In the end, if he's still in the team, it was all worthwhile, if he isn't, we spunked 50 mil.
Do you reckon there would be any point in trying Stones in front of the back four at some point?
I think it might suit him more than centre back tbh but then I'm not someone who knows exactly what Pep wants in every position, I still find myself mystified by a lot of stuff that is going on under Pep. I think we absolutely need to bring in a top centre back this summer who can actually defend and organise. That could interfere with his progress so if he can adapt then it would still allow him first team football and he can drop back into defence if required. When I see Pep playing Fernandinho at right back and kolarov at cb, I think stones is at least worth a go in that role.In a Mancini setup I recon that would be a goer but whether he has the skills for that job in a Pep team, I don't know.
What do you think ?
I think it might suit him more than centre back tbh but then I'm not someone who knows exactly what Pep wants in every position, I still find myself mystified by a lot of stuff that is going on under Pep. I think we absolutely need to bring in a top centre back this summer who can actually defend and organise. That could interfere with his progress so if he can adapt then it would still allow him first team football and he can drop back into defence if required. When I see Pep playing Fernandinho at right back and kolarov at cb, I think stones is at least worth a go in that role.
I'm absolutely convinced that if we don't sign a decent keeper and a proper centre back this summer then we won't challenge for the title. I suppose kompany could play 50+ matches but where is the sense in spending pots of cash but leaving us in a situation where one injury to an injury prone player leaves us more or less back at square one? We won't do that will we? I know this is conjecture but I half suspect that if stones hadn't got injured, we might now be looking at a summer with kompany on his way out and us possibly in the Europa league. What actually happened could be the thing that really kick starts things for Pep if it has allowed him to see just how important it is in such a competitive league to have a player with genuine defensive instincts in the heart of the defence.The one weakness Pep has imo, & I don't just mean City I also mean even his best teams, is the lack of steel, when his method goes wrong. It appears as if he is trying to address that in this transfer window, with rumoured targets, although so far we just have another attacker ;)
But imo, if Pep organised his routine with the team, to just take half a step back sometimes, maybe more than ever now, at City, he has the players to spring out & rip an opposition apart, from a 'defensive' position. In that case, it wouldn't always need a superb ball player in front of the defence & maybe someone like Stones who is competent on the ball, but can then be a fully qualified extra defender, would be perfect, to help spot danger, keep out the opposition & spring counter attacks.
I don't think it will happen though. I think it will still be cb job for Stones & I think we need to sign another top one as backup for VK, otherwise we will once again be all fur coat & no knickers.
I'm absolutely convinced that if we don't sign a decent keeper and a proper centre back this summer then we won't challenge for the title. I suppose kompany could play 50+ matches but where is the sense in spending pots of cash but leaving us in a situation where one injury to an injury prone player leaves us more or less back at square one? We won't do that will we? I know this is conjecture but I half suspect that if stones hadn't got injured, we might now be looking at a summer with kompany on his way out and us possibly in the Europa league. What actually happened could be the thing that really kick starts things for Pep if it has allowed him to see just how important it is in such a competitive league to have a player with genuine defensive instincts in the heart of the defence.
Well if he knew how big a miss kompany was going to be then buying Stones last summer was never going to suffice. For all his potential, nobody could have watched him at Everton and come to the conclusion he was going to fill the void. I suppose Laporte put a spanner in the works by pulling out of his move but there was still plenty of time left to buy someone who could actually defend competently. But at least what you're saying suggests they will be going for a top cb this summer which is essential.He alluded to 'Manuel' missing Kompany 'a lot', over the last couple of seasons, so it does seem as if this was a known problem & the fact we tried to sign Bonnucci (& Laporte), suggests that Otamendi/Stones was not seen as the solution, even at the start.