Kolo Toure

[Georgian Maestro]

I remember LEscott v rags left SMalling on his own 6 yards infront of goal, which was the game where Lescott headed it backwards into the oponents path and they scored??? I can't remember but it was last season. Also Lescott has a habbit of letting strikers getting infront of him too easily, I'm not trying to slate him like I said I think he really has pulled his finger out but the guy is so much like Dunne, quality but when he fucks up he fucks up big...

Completely agree.
Lescott had a strong end to the season and i was happy for him. But he is prone to making a big mistake and his ability on the ball is poor. He was bought as an improvement on Richard Dunne but the truth is he's not, in fact they're very similar players. 24m was a joke

Oh god please don't remind me, Mark Hughes and his imperfection of having unlimited funds at his disposal.....

I said to my dad earlier today that Lescott looks panicky on the ball his composure is unbelievably poor when under pressure he just hoofs it anywhere without looking where as Kompany is a lot more cool and collective. I think Savic and Boyata are 2 years away from competing in our first team but we defo need a more composed centre back next to Vinnie, either that or put Zabba at centre back??? actually forget that probably a stupid idea.

You let yourself down there :)
I think it we'll get away with it in the main this season but for me it's the next area we need to strengthen whether it be in Jan or next summer

 

[Tricky Dickys Right Foot Shot]

I remember LEscott v rags left SMalling on his own 6 yards infront of goal, which was the game where Lescott headed it backwards into the oponents path and they scored??? I can't remember but it was last season. Also Lescott has a habbit of letting strikers getting infront of him too easily, I'm not trying to slate him like I said I think he really has pulled his finger out but the guy is so much like Dunne, quality but when he fucks up he fucks up big...

Completely agree.
Lescott had a strong end to the season and i was happy for him. But he is prone to making a big mistake and his ability on the ball is poor. He was bought as an improvement on Richard Dunne but the truth is he's not, in fact they're very similar players. 24m was a joke

I remember when Kompany dithered and Nani took the ball off him to score, I remember when Kompany Was beaten to the ball by Osman for Everton to beat us yet again, I remember when Carragher today dropped a bollock to allow Bolton to score. In the same game the ball bounced in front of Cahill and over his head. I remember when Vidic let Yaya slip past him to concede a goal in the semi final of the FA Cup, and its happened to him countless times before. I saw Ivanovic and Terry have a mare today on MotD.

These are all great defenders (ok maybe not Carragher), but my point is all defenders make mistakes, week after week, but we know that they are all very good if not world class players. So why are you not allowing Lescott the same luxury?

because every mistake Lescott makes costs us a goal and it's not just 1 or 2 he makes I'm sure there have been a good few that has always had this forum saying "where was (insert goal scorers name here) marker" and 70% of the time his marker is always Lescott he does have the tendancy to allow strikers get ahead of him too easily which is strange as the guy is a big defender, also when he has his arms around an opponent in our box I cringe with all my might knowing that a penalty is going to be conceded.... Still he's nowhere near as shit as he was when he first came, but could you imagine Lescott against David Villa or Ibrahimovic??? Oh god I bare to even think....

 

[jpargo]

Kolo IMO should be given opportunity to win back his spot. He will have to become fit again but people forget that City defence got progressively worse when Kolo was suspended. City defence with Kolo/Kompany was rock solid and City easily had the best defence in the league. It would be unfair to blame Lescott for the defence getting worse, but it would be inaccurate to say City defence was better with Lescott/Kompany partnership as the stats proof otherwise.

Given the size of the squad teamsheet should be based on form rather than some sort of pre-arranged starting 11.

 

[ramsdale4]

Completely agree.
Lescott had a strong end to the season and i was happy for him. But he is prone to making a big mistake and his ability on the ball is poor. He was bought as an improvement on Richard Dunne but the truth is he's not, in fact they're very similar players. 24m was a joke

I remember when Kompany dithered and Nani took the ball off him to score, I remember when Kompany Was beaten to the ball by Osman for Everton to beat us yet again, I remember when Carragher today dropped a bollock to allow Bolton to score. In the same game the ball bounced in front of Cahill and over his head. I remember when Vidic let Yaya slip past him to concede a goal in the semi final of the FA Cup, and its happened to him countless times before. I saw Ivanovic and Terry have a mare today on MotD.

These are all great defenders (ok maybe not Carragher), but my point is all defenders make mistakes, week after week, but we know that they are all very good if not world class players. So why are you not allowing Lescott the same luxury?

because every mistake Lescott makes costs us a goal and it's not just 1 or 2 he makes I'm sure there have been a good few that has always had this forum saying "where was (insert goal scorers name here) marker" and 70% of the time his marker is always Lescott he does have the tendancy to allow strikers get ahead of him too easily which is strange as the guy is a big defender, also when he has his arms around an opponent in our box I cringe with all my might knowing that a penalty is going to be conceded.... Still he's nowhere near as shit as he was when he first came, but could you imagine Lescott against David Villa or Ibrahimovic??? Oh god I bare to even think....

Every mistake he makes costs us a goal? Hes a defender isn't he? So a mistake by a defender or goalkeeper usually does end up costing us a goal. Whoever the defender is.

The rest of your post is a load of shite as well to be honest mate.

 

[Georgian Maestro]

I remember LEscott v rags left SMalling on his own 6 yards infront of goal, which was the game where Lescott headed it backwards into the oponents path and they scored??? I can't remember but it was last season. Also Lescott has a habbit of letting strikers getting infront of him too easily, I'm not trying to slate him like I said I think he really has pulled his finger out but the guy is so much like Dunne, quality but when he fucks up he fucks up big...

Completely agree.
Lescott had a strong end to the season and i was happy for him. But he is prone to making a big mistake and his ability on the ball is poor. He was bought as an improvement on Richard Dunne but the truth is he's not, in fact they're very similar players. 24m was a joke

I remember when Kompany dithered and Nani took the ball off him to score, I remember when Kompany Was beaten to the ball by Osman for Everton to beat us yet again, I remember when Carragher today dropped a bollock to allow Bolton to score. In the same game the ball bounced in front of Cahill and over his head. I remember when Vidic let Yaya slip past him to concede a goal in the semi final of the FA Cup, and its happened to him countless times before. I saw Ivanovic and Terry have a mare today on MotD.

These are all great defenders (ok maybe not Carragher), but my point is all defenders make mistakes, week after week, but we know that they are all very good if not world class players. So why are you not allowing Lescott the same luxury?

I take your point to an extent
I think my main gripe with Lescott is his composure on the ball (or lack of it). For the money he cost and considering he was replacing the limited Richard Dunne i was expecting a footballing centre half. But he's far from that and in the Champions League he may get found out in that respect

 

[ramsdale4]

Completely agree.
Lescott had a strong end to the season and i was happy for him. But he is prone to making a big mistake and his ability on the ball is poor. He was bought as an improvement on Richard Dunne but the truth is he's not, in fact they're very similar players. 24m was a joke

I disagree. I think he is better on the ball than most people give him credit for. Ok he's not David Silva, or even Kompany, but he doesn't lump it forward (like some on here have stated), nobody does in our team now. I think his body language may let him down, as he does have that uneasy look about when the ball is at his feet but he makes good positive passes, doesn't hesitate and never shy's away from receiving the ball. And those that are waiting for him to make a mistake needs to rethink what it means to be a City fan. He is an experienced international footballer who was pivotal to our success last season. I reckon he will thrive against the top teams.


I remember when Kompany dithered and Nani took the ball off him to score, I remember when Kompany Was beaten to the ball by Osman for Everton to beat us yet again, I remember when Carragher today dropped a bollock to allow Bolton to score. In the same game the ball bounced in front of Cahill and over his head. I remember when Vidic let Yaya slip past him to concede a goal in the semi final of the FA Cup, and its happened to him countless times before. I saw Ivanovic and Terry have a mare today on MotD.

These are all great defenders (ok maybe not Carragher), but my point is all defenders make mistakes, week after week, but we know that they are all very good if not world class players. So why are you not allowing Lescott the same luxury?

I take your point to an extent
I think my main gripe with Lescott is his composure on the ball (or lack of it). For the money he cost and considering he was replacing the limited Richard Dunne i was expecting a footballing centre half. But he's far from that and in the Champions League he may get found out in that respect

I disagree. I think he is better on the ball than most people give him credit for. Ok he's not David Silva, or even Kompany, but he doesn't lump it forward (like some on here have stated), nobody does in our team now. I think his body language may let him down, as he does have that uneasy look about when the ball is at his feet but he makes good positive passes, doesn't hesitate and never shy's away from receiving the ball. And those that are waiting for him to make a mistake needs to rethink what it means to be a City fan. He is an experienced international football who was pivotal to our success last season. I reckon he will thrive against the top teams.

 

[Jumanji]

Remember when Lescott beat Ferdinand and Vidic in the air to score in the CS? Are they shite now?

I assume Kompany's shite as well....
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtfeFbLyKrk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b32xsUnfaLM[/youtube]

 

[Andouble]

could've sworn one or two of the ITKs that don't post here anymore said that Mancini does not rate Kolo in the slightest.

 

[Jumanji]

could've sworn one or two of the ITKs that don't post here anymore do not rate Kolo in the slightest.

 

[Georgian Maestro]

could've sworn one or two of the ITKs that don't post here anymore said that Mancini does not rate Kolo in the slightest.

I don't think either of them are the long term answer

 

[Love_Each_Day]

Toure at his best is better than Lescott at his best but Lescott is a lot more reliable in my opinion. Toure can be world class against footballing teams like Arsenal and Chelsea but then look a nervous wreck against dirty hoofball teams like Everton and Stoke. Mancini didn't seem keen on Lescott when he arrived but I think Lescott has won him over somewhat with his solid form from the second half of last season. Also like has already been said I don't see why Kompany is left out of these discussions, I don't think he was that great towards the end of last season and he's looked shaky so far this season. But we'll get it sorted out again soon and be very difficult to score against this season I'm sure.

 

[BlueGun]

Toure at his best is better than Lescott at his best but Lescott is a lot more reliable in my opinion. Toure can be world class against footballing teams like Arsenal and Chelsea but then look a nervous wreck against dirty hoofball teams like Everton and Stoke. Mancini didn't seem keen on Lescott when he arrived but I think Lescott has won him over somewhat with his solid form from the second half of last season. Also like has already been said I don't see why Kompany is left out of these discussions, I don't think he was that great towards the end of last season and he's looked shaky so far this season. But we'll get it sorted out again soon and be very difficult to score against this season I'm sure.

He's the club captain... and captains don't start on the bench.

 

[JoeMercer'sWay]

to be honest I don't think Vinnie is exactly pulling up trees either so to put the blame at Lescott's door I think is unfair, particularly when Vinnie made the most costly mistake of all in the Charity Shield.

Don't think there was too much we could have done with the Bolton goals, they just happen sometimes.

Tomorrow's a big game but it's up to Vinnie to lead from the back, and quite honestly I prefer Lescott to Kolo but would replace both but only with a world class signing like Thiago Silva or Pique, and as that's not gonna happen then I don't see the point in signing another ok centre back like Cahill, Samba or whoever.

 

[Motty]

How do you think mancini will do it? Personally i think kolo should play all European games assuming he's fit. However, im not sure about the premier league, i think Mancini will literally just wait for a reason to replace him for Lescott as i think deep down Toure is a better defender.

But what would you do, wait for Lescott's form to dip then stick him in, or just be a ruthless bastard and put him straight back in the team. The problem with the latter is it sends out bad signals as far as getting picked on merit goes and its admittedly very harsh on joleon. However what happens if lescotts form doesn't drop? is kolo realistically gonna sit on the bench through out the whole premier league season, it may also upset yaya.

Decisions Decisions ...

Kolo is a professional guy and I'm sure he would understand that after ban, and especially considering how well the team have done while he has been banned, that he can't just walk back into the team when he comes back, and that he will have a hard fight for his place. I would be quite annoyed with him if he did complain about spending time on the bench, and would lose some respect for him.
Also, what message would it give to the other players if Mancini just dropped Lescott, who has done brilliantly and done nothing wrong for someone who has been banned and therefore hasn't contributed for a while. Could be quite demotivating.

But yes, with his Arsenal experience, Kolo could be vital in the European games, and should maybe play in cup competitions and regain form and fitness before playing in league games.

I don't see why Kompany is left out of these discussions,

For a start, he was our Player Of The Year last season, and, secondly, Kolo and Lescott are not a good partnership, that was shown while Hughes was in charge, conceded far too many goals and didn't have the presence or organisation that Dunne used to give us. For a number of reasons, Kompany simply has to be in there.

If we do well in all competitions, then Kolo should get a chance at some point and there should be no problems about him being unhappy.

 

[zeven]

Kolo is far superiour to Lescott ad should without question take the place next to Kompany.

Lescott are pathetic with the ball :(

 

[Dhenry]

I think the OP has hit the nail on the head with Lescott - he was at fault for both Bolton goals last week. Someone is always at fault so I don't hold any grudges, besides he is a very useful defender for us and I'd rather have in the squad than not, but,..

marking situations against counter attacking football is not his strong point. The way we play is quite similar to Barcelona in the focus on keep ball and short passing when possible.. so I think in the long term Kolo fits in better than Long Ball Lescott (he has more of the sweeper qualities that Mascherano brings to Barca - and yes I do think having him there helps Barcelona loads)...

It will just depend on the game in the end, the same way Barca would regret playing Mascherano centre back if they were to face Stoke. Lescott will still have a big part to play.

 

[VinceYoungisaBLUE]

Toure at his best is better than Lescott at his best but Lescott is a lot more reliable in my opinion. Toure can be world class against footballing teams like Arsenal and Chelsea but then look a nervous wreck against dirty hoofball teams like Everton and Stoke. Mancini didn't seem keen on Lescott when he arrived but I think Lescott has won him over somewhat with his solid form from the second half of last season. Also like has already been said I don't see why Kompany is left out of these discussions, I don't think he was that great towards the end of last season and he's looked shaky so far this season. But we'll get it sorted out again soon and be very difficult to score against this season I'm sure.

What game was it where we were going into the last minutes, lots of pressure from hoof ball, Kolo looks absolutely fuddled and made a horrible mistake and they scored an equalizer I think... what game was that? This is going to bug me...

 

[Love_Each_Day]

I shouldn't have mentioned that about Kompany in this thread, made it look like I would want Toure in the team ahead of him which I don't. Just think we should keep in mind that Kompany is human too. Hopefully we can find a good centre back partnership that doesn't involve him in case something happens him or to give him a rest, he looked jaded to me in a few games at the back end of last season due to us playing him in pretty much every game<br /><br />-- Sun Aug 28, 2011 5:38 am --<br /><br />

Toure at his best is better than Lescott at his best but Lescott is a lot more reliable in my opinion. Toure can be world class against footballing teams like Arsenal and Chelsea but then look a nervous wreck against dirty hoofball teams like Everton and Stoke. Mancini didn't seem keen on Lescott when he arrived but I think Lescott has won him over somewhat with his solid form from the second half of last season. Also like has already been said I don't see why Kompany is left out of these discussions, I don't think he was that great towards the end of last season and he's looked shaky so far this season. But we'll get it sorted out again soon and be very difficult to score against this season I'm sure.

What game was it where we were going into the last minutes, lots of pressure from hoof ball, Kolo looks absolutely fuddled and made a horrible mistake and they scored an equalizer I think... what game was that? This is going to bug me...

I think that was Stoke away when we were trying to keep possession to run down the clock and Toure lost his cool and gifted it back to Stoke's keeper rather than look for a pass. I wouldn't put all the blame on Kolo as we still had the chance to defend the long ball that came from that but he was the main culprit.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Would you rather have a ball playing CB like Kolo or one that purely relies on strength (Lescott) for European games?

Kolo isn't close to a ball playing centre half,he positions himself badly,panics in possession and his passing is atrocious,add those issues to his lack of size and physicality and it doesn't make for a good player.
Of further significance is the obvious lack of pitch chemistry he has with Vinny,they never looked comfortable together,especially in comparison to his partnership with Lescott.
Kolo simply doesn't instill confidence as i'm always waiting for his next mistake.
A nice bloke apparently but unfortunately a fourth or even fifth choice centre half at best.

 

[Cruiser Blue]

I wouldn't pick him unless there are injuries. For all Lescott's ball playing deficiencies, he is stronger in the air. Why change a defence that did so well last season?

We have conceded 5 goals in the last 3 games including the Charity Shield.
Did not think our defence was capable of throwing away a 2-0 lead especially against the rags but we did.
Allowed Bolton to plunder 2 goals as well.

Our defence was outstanding last season but its not last season and so far its shabby and needs shaking up.

Yes but what your not thinking about is we are attacking more last season most of our players accept on the counter stayed in our own half defending this season so far we have attacked much more you cant have everything