This will be one of the debating points for years to come. At his best he was brilliant, at his worst a bit of a horror show. But we forget the majority of his games were decent, not significantly better or worse than the rest of the team. Without injhuries we just dont know what kind of form level he would have got to. His 2nd half performance against the rags when Vinnie had to go off a classic example where he was just solid, no mistakes. We had a single goal lead and it could have got hairy but our defense was easily on top of the rags with Mangala and Otamendi as the back 2. Defo not our worst signing ever for me.
Yep. I’m baffled, too. He did have his faults - well documented - but in certain games against a certain type of opponent, I’d have thought he could have done a good job for us.I just can't understand where it all went wrong after showing the world a masterclass on how to deal with a CF like Diego!
Do you think Valencia are at that level ? He'll be playing in the CL (assuming he gets in the team), could even be our opponent in a few weeks.It is not his fault that his standard is somewhere around lower half of Championship or League 1.
I think Dunne would have been a great starting option for a top 6-8 club back then, absolutely, and probably a good squad option for a top 4 side. I don't think I could say the same about Mangala. I think he was a decent back-up option for us during that period of relative obscurity between Pellegrini and Pep's title wins, but I wouldn't start him if I was the manager of a top six side.Would Dunne have flourished in a top 4 club back then? Dunne was about the best we could hope for in the 2000s. No one asked him to play out from the back, be able to have a passing accuracy approaching 90%, or to be able to do anything more than splatter an opposing attacker, & then hoof the ball up to Bernardo Corradi & Darius Vassel.
Are you saying Dunne would survive one match under Pep, or that Mangler would still have not been up to standard if managed by Stuart "Beeny the Horse" Pearce?
The defence was a bit of a mess when he joined, we had our longstanding left back issue which didnt help the lad being the left CB and there just seemed to be too many forwards who Mangala just couldn't get a grip of. He was fine with a defender back up against him e.g. Costa but anyone looking to run it down the channel or turn him and he was caught on his feet. He showed some great examples of recovery pace a few times but can't keep relying on that.Yep. I’m baffled, too. He did have his faults - well documented - but in certain games against a certain type of opponent, I’d have thought he could have done a good job for us.
Hull away in September (gave away a penalty, then scored an own goal) followed by Southampton away in November (got sent off). Was never the same after that.I just can't understand where it all went wrong after showing the world a masterclass on how to deal with a CF like Diego!
So why did a top 6 Everton sell Dunne to a top 4 Championship side? Also why didn't any top 6 PL teams ever come in for him?I think Dunne would have been a great starting option for a top 6-8 club back then, absolutely, and probably a good squad option for a top 4 side. I don't think I could say the same about Mangala. I think he was a decent back-up option for us during that period of relative obscurity between Pellegrini and Pep's title wins, but I wouldn't start him if I was the manager of a top six side.
Is it fact that no top six club came in for Dunne while he was at City? Aston Villa finished 6th the year they signed him from us. And to be fair, Everton finished 16th the year they sold Richard Dunne to us. Dunne was also 21 at the time, behind Weir & Unsworth in the pecking order, and being forced to fill in at right-back.So why did a top 6 Everton sell Dunne to a top 4 Championship side? Also why didn't any top 6 PL teams ever come in for him?
As for Mangler, as I said earlier it was just the wrong move for him & it just didn't happen for him....
Hull away in September (gave away a penalty, then scored an own goal) followed by Southampton away in November (got sent off). Was never the same after that.