Kalidou Koulibaly

[Homar]

Koulibaly is world-class. There is no doubt about it. I’ve watched him many times in the Champions League. He’d suit the PL very well. Has all the necessary physical attributes and reads the game extremely well. He is one of the best one-on-one defenders that I’ve ever seen. Makes very few errors. I’d sign him if we can keep the fee to £70m or less.

I do feel though that this will be entirely contingent on overturning the UCL ban. He’ll have no shortage of suitors and I can’t imagine he’d turn down another big European club if the ban is upheld.

 

[Stockport Blues]

we have two full backs who can't defend.
(Mendy, Cancelo)

we have two inverted wingers.
(Sterling, Mahrez)

Laporte in the middle of a Back 3 would give great stability to the 2 CB either sides of him.

our two best left footed defenders are injury prone.
("Laporte", Mendy)

Kyle Walker Is amazing at defending counter-attacks but useless in possession.

but a 29 year old right footed Centre-Back is going to fix all of our problems.

Fair points, but as a City Fan do you really think Bastoni will solve our defensive problems? Also you didn’t answer my question of whether you think Bastoni would want the transfer

 

[Ezzy]

Fair points, but as a City Fan do you really think Bastoni will solve our defensive problems?
Also you didn’t answer my question of whether you think Bastoni would want the transfer

A single player won't solve our problems.

Bastoni would allow us a huge amount of flexibility. considering the importance of footedness balance, especially in defense, he would also allow us to rest Laporte without much of a problem.

A 3 centre-back formation will allow our attacking full-backs & inverted wingers to flourish, while giving stability to our less experienced CBs.

Bastoni's ability on the ball, especially his crossing, is at an incredible level. 20 years old and he is establishing himself as starter in an Antonio Conte team.

Laporte had a long term injury, came back, and then picked up a hamstring injury. Mendy's been unlucky with injuries since his first long term one.
Bastoni would allow us to cover both positions without losing the footedness balance.

Him bieng left footed would also allow us to bring in an inexperienced right footed CB, as an understudy to fernandinho, who has a year left on his contract.

in conclusion replacing Stones & Otamendi with
Bastoni & an inexperienced right CB would give us:

1)a replacement & partner to Laporte in Bastoni
2)a 5th choice CB behind Garcia & Fernandinho
3)have not much impact on Garcia's playing time

the next step to fixing our defense is to:
fix the balance of our midfield, along with the aggressive press from our front 6.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Whenever you're ready mate.

 

[Stockport Blues]

A single player won't solve our problems.

Bastoni would allow us a huge amount of flexibility. considering the importance of footedness balance, especially in defense, he would also allow us to rest Laporte without much of a problem.

A 3 centre-back formation will allow our attacking full-backs & inverted wingers to flourish, while giving stability to our less experienced CBs.

Bastoni's ability on the ball, especially his crossing, is at an incredible level. 20 years old and he is establishing himself as starter in an Antonio Conte team.

Laporte had a long term injury, came back, and then picked up a hamstring injury. Mendy's been unlucky with injuries since his first long term one.
Bastoni would allow us to cover both positions without losing the footedness balance.

Him bieng left footed would also allow us to bring in an inexperienced right footed CB, as an understudy to fernandinho, who has a year left on his contract.

in conclusion replacing Stones & Otamendi with
Bastoni & an inexperienced right CB would give us:

1)a replacement & partner to Laporte in Bastoni
2)a 5th choice CB behind Garcia & Fernandinho
3)have not much impact on Garcia's playing time

the next step to fixing our defense is to:
fix the balance of our midfield, along with the aggressive press from our front 6.

Appreciate the detailed reply. I like the idea of Bastoni coming in and learning off the best left footed defender in the world and I like the idea of a back 3 it’s just who is on the other side of Laporte I and many other supporters are worried about hence so many want a right footed starter (Koulibaly, Skriniar, Dias etc) to immediately help with the issues we have had at the back.

I feel what we have missed is a leader at the back like we had in Vinnie, Laporte may be class but he doesn’t strike me of much of a leader at the moment and as much as I love Fernandinho he doesn’t have the same effect at the back as he had in midfield.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

Koulibaly---Laporte---Bastoni

Sorted.

 

[LucahArchie10]

we have two full backs who can't defend.
(Mendy, Cancelo)

we have two inverted wingers.
(Sterling, Mahrez)

Laporte in the middle of a Back 3 would give great stability to the 2 CB either sides of him.

our two best left footed defenders are injury prone.
("Laporte", Mendy)

Kyle Walker Is amazing at defending counter-attacks but useless in possession.

but a 29 year old right footed Centre-Back is going to fix all of our problems.

I tend to agree about back 3 but we need somone like David Alaba imo left of Laporte, not sure what Koulabily is but those 3 would be sexy with Walker & Garcia.

Cancelo isnt needed & Mendy isnt good enough simple

 

[Larry Stranger]

A single player won't solve our problems.

Bastoni would allow us a huge amount of flexibility. considering the importance of footedness balance, especially in defense, he would also allow us to rest Laporte without much of a problem.

A 3 centre-back formation will allow our attacking full-backs & inverted wingers to flourish, while giving stability to our less experienced CBs.

Bastoni's ability on the ball, especially his crossing, is at an incredible level. 20 years old and he is establishing himself as starter in an Antonio Conte team.

Laporte had a long term injury, came back, and then picked up a hamstring injury. Mendy's been unlucky with injuries since his first long term one.
Bastoni would allow us to cover both positions without losing the footedness balance.

Him bieng left footed would also allow us to bring in an inexperienced right footed CB, as an understudy to fernandinho, who has a year left on his contract.

in conclusion replacing Stones & Otamendi with
Bastoni & an inexperienced right CB would give us:

1)a replacement & partner to Laporte in Bastoni
2)a 5th choice CB behind Garcia & Fernandinho
3)have not much impact on Garcia's playing time

the next step to fixing our defense is to:
fix the balance of our midfield, along with the aggressive press from our front 6.

Would this mean Kev in a 2 man midfield?

 

[Matt Diablo]

https://www.thesun.ie/sport/football/5593562/liverpool-napoli-koulibaly-lovren-transfer/

 

[Ezzy]

I feel what we have missed is a leader at the back like we had in Vinnie, Laporte may be class but he doesn’t strike me of much of a leader at the moment and as much as I love Fernandinho he doesn’t have the same effect at the back as he had in midfield.

that is just an emotional take a lot of our fans just like to tell themselves in order to ease the disappointment of our current season, IMO.

as I said before Laporte won 43 of 50 PL games with Stones & Otamendi as the main partners.

In the 18/19 PL season Kompany played:
13 games as a starter (7 starts afters Feb 27th, Matchweek 28)
1230 minutes
Kompany only started after Stones got injured around the Carabao Cup Final.

should it of been Stones or Otamendi who picked up that long term injury instead of Laporte, then nobody would've been talking about we miss Kompany's leadership & should've replaced him.
It would've just been the fans shifting the majority of the blame on the David, Gundogan, Rodri Midfield & Fernandinho not bieng used in his DM position.

As we have seen yesterday, Kyle Walker is incredible at defending counter-attacks. If we have the balance of the team right, then we have an incredible player who already has tons of experiences playing in a Back 3.

Would this mean Kev in a 2 man midfield?

3-4-3 and 3-5-2.

So yes he would find himself in a 2 man Midfield at times.
But with a False 9 in the line up, it would then be a fluid system during the course of the game.

Some of our Centre-Backs learning to play DM(vise-versa) will also allow for more fluidity during the course of the game.