I agree with you. That's why a centre back is one of the priority position for this summer.If we had a very strong CB pairing (in whatever form) then all the other problems would still exist. But for me having a strong CB pairing is the best way of mitigating them
I agree with you. That's why a centre back is one of the priority position for this summer.
Because Otamendi & Stones lack the quality our team needs, so they both should be replaced.
Now what would you do to strengthen that position?
our current options would be:
Laporte
Eric Garcia
Fernandinho <- needs to be replaced in a year.
Harwood-Bellis
This is only in theory, but one other CB is probably enough. If whichever of Otamendi or Stones sticks around can play far more assuredly with a top CB next to them (even if it's as 4th choice) then we should be fine. Laporte + New CB going forward is best. One of those two with Fernandinho, or the 4th CB if necessary should do fine for the most part. Garcia will always have a reliable partner in cups. I think Harwood-Bellis will still be a League Cup defender unless he performs excellently in those then he'll be bumped up. I wouldn't be too shocked btw if we get another CB and it's actually Fernandinho that's phased out (although not sold) rather than Stones or Otamendi, although I don't expect that.I agree with you. That's why a centre back is one of the priority position for this summer.
Because Otamendi & Stones lack the quality our team needs, so they both should be replaced.
Now what would you do to strengthen that position?
our current options would be:
Laporte
Eric Garcia
Fernandinho <- needs to be replaced in a year.
Harwood-Bellis
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.
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.
if that is the case, As Fernandinho was our best CB this season, and as Eric Garcia had briefly overtaken John Stones during the injury crisis,This is only in theory, but one other CB is probably enough. If whichever of Otamendi or Stones sticks around can play far more assuredly with a top CB next to them (even if it's as 4th choice) then we should be fine.
Unfortunately for me it's probably more complex and I've missed something. What's your thinking on the CB conundrum?
If whichever of Otamendi or Stones sticks around can play far more assuredly with a top CB next to them (even if it's as 4th choice) then we should be fine.
However, it would hamper Kev's effect on games going forward, but perhaps it's what is needed at the moment.
Trying to unsettle our dealsPersonally can’t see Liverpool being willing to part with the type of money this will require given the climate, they pulled the plug on Werner, who knows?
I love the detail you go into to justify your point, although I don’t agree with absolutely everything you say you do explain what you think is going to happen really well and why we would be doing it. I just hope if it does happen it pays off as there is a lot of young talent that would set us up for the long run.if that is the case, As Fernandinho was our best CB this season, and as Eric Garcia had briefly overtaken John Stones during the injury crisis,
Can we then trust Eric Garcia & Fernandinho to both be 3rd choice CB? especially if for high pressure games we can play a Back 3 and offer more stability to the both of them & our full backs?
Fernandinho has shown us this season that he might be an old midfielder but he is still one of our best CB
(out of a bad bunch admittedly)
Eric Garcia has shown that his height & lack of speed is not a problem for him to play in the Premier League, it's not like he is not aware of his own physical shortcoming.
(he started along side Fernandinho at CB against Everton & Sheffield United)
Garcia & Dinho have showed this season that they could play in a back 4 if paired with a Top CB & If a high pressure game requires it, then they could also play in a back 5 for more stability
We also have Kyle Walker who could also play & use his pace brilliantly as a CB in a back 5, if it was ever needed.
One of our best performance this season was when we played a Back 3 in the second half against Sheffield United at home. Rodri was one of the 3 CB, and he played the role brilliantly.
So before we think about hitting the market, we have one Top CB & four 3rd/4th choice CB options:
looking at these options, the 2nd choice CB has to be a crucial buy. & the one thing I notice amongst these current options is the fact that only 1 of the 5 CB options is left footed.
so since the 3rd and 4th choice CBs are all right footed & would flourish even more if they were played in a back 5 system(even though with a Top CB beside them they can play in a 4), my focus on the market would be a left footed Top CB.
this would allow us to play both the new Top LCB & Laporte along with one of the RCB if a high pressure game calls for more stability.
with Fernandinho being 35 & leaving next season, buying a Top LCB, would allow us to also bring in a new inexperienced RCB prospect to be an understudy to him. With Harwood-Bellis also maybe bieng more regular once Ferna leaves.
this would give us 6 CB options:
[2 Top Left footed CB]
Aymeric Laporte
(New Centre-Back)
[4 Right CB Options]
Éric Garcia
Fernandinho
(Understudy to Ferna)
Harwood-Bellis
[2 Additional RCB options]
Kyle Walker
Rodri
that's why once we have positional fluidity on the pitch at CB & DM for example, it would allow Kevin to freely go forward or push back down to form a 2 man midfield