That's an awfully simplistic way too look at things. Lescott was average at best. The problem hasn't been replacing Lescott. Every CB we've had since has been far superior. The problem is keeping Komps healthy and fostering CB chemistry and continuity. Lescott was a ripoff at 24 million 6-7 years ago. It's the equivalent of paying 55 million now. Silva cost us about similar.
For me buying stones would be a punt, and an expensive one at that. We've not exactly been successful with the last few centre halves either.
For me buying stones would be a PINT, and an expensive one at that. We've not exactly been successful with the last few centre halves either.
If Everton rejected around £40M from Chelsea what exactly are they expecting now? I guess we have to sign our obligatory"pull your pants down" signing. £50M.
Lescott made Kompany a better player when next to him & was part of, imo, the best cb pairing City have had since Watson & Doyle.
The rest of Komapny's partners since have just dragged him down a level & made him work harder.
None have been fit to lace Lescott's boots as defenders & probably don't even keep the ball significantly better in spite of all the criticism he received for that. On top of that he was a great personality who fought heart & soul for the team .
Imo that makes him a bargain, & one of the key signings of the era where we turned from serial losers to winners & we will be lucky to replace him with the next 100 mil we spend. As a defender we probably won't replace him. We'll just learn to accept much less because the passing is good
I'm assuming you play/played Sunday league football
Haha burnt!
when you play a team in the Sunday league...
And another! You are on fire today.
Lol you got the wrong impression mate, I meant when you play a team in the Sunday league you'll come across that one tall centre back who's hard to get past
The CB partnership has gone downhill ever since Mancini left. It's not about Lescott. Nastasic looked fantastic under Mancini and was preferred to Lescott at the end. Then Pellegrini came in and suddenly he and Lescott looked hopeless, as has every other partner for Kompany so far.Said the same about Lescott as soon as he left and was ridiculed on here by one of the footballing Pellegrini loving experts who resides on this site.
Our CB partnership has gone downhill ever since he left as you so rightly say.
They turned down that bid off the back of a fantastic debut season for Stones and they'd be mad to turn down that kind of money this time.
Oops, forgot I was talking about Everton for a second.
oh I get you! haha you should of stuck with the original! ;) yeh I know what you mean. I think his biggest issue might be the expectations that have been placed on him since last season, every error made is now analysed and commented on by the media etc, I think I am guilty of doing the same
Couldn't agree more!It is most definitely a punt & for that reason I don't understand it.
I can understand it if the reason for signing him is fear, that he becomes good somewhere else & we miss out, but I don't get it how he is the best option we could possibly have for cb.
If you just take his basic set piece defending, it's been fucking woeful. As bad as Nastasic, worse than Boyata. Weak. Sure, he can learn to be better 'if' & only 'if' he is made of the right material.
But why do we have to be the club who pays a load of money to sort out that, & everything else wrong in his game ? Why do we want to make it our problem & not let it be someone elses?
There is really no other kid anywhere we could work on for less cost ? Maybe one who naturally likes fighting for & winning the ball under pressure at corners etc, for example, rather than having to be taught it ?