Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
Agreed.
Nathan Ake
- Thread starter jaiguruKun
- Start date
Agreed.
Don’t know who would replace John or Aymeric. Maybe Matthijs De Ligt but he is expensive. Stones had a fantastic partnership with Dias 1-2 years ago and I’d be happy to see that again. Laporte, while not as rocksolid as when he joined, still is a great defender with Dias.
We start to see issues in the backline as soon as Dias is not playing, so maybe we’re looking for a another centreback leader?
Aké is too good to sit on the bench. I understand he wants to leave.
Going to get some hounding for this. But honestly, on last season's performances, if both were fit and available I'd start Ake ahead of Laporte.
BlueRockape
Well-Known Member
IMHO I still think Ake has a lot more to offer given time
Blue Maverick
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He’s a great defender but unfortunately in our team you need to be a ball player as well, I didn’t know much about him when we got him but surely Pep must have known he was only ever going to be back up or cup player. That’s why he goes fir every trophy it gives vital game time to squad players and makes his management of them easier.
Can I be first in the que for the hounding.
Ake is nowhere near the level of Dias, Laporte or Stones.
I'm not saying he is.
I'm saying he was better than Laporte last season, in the games they both played. Imo
Brewster's millions
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Exactly.
The team is going to progress more by buying the very best players and spurring competition for the starting XI, rather than purchasing players who are always going to be on the periphery.
I would rather have a squad made up of 14/15 top class players who can all start regularly (plus good youth players) rather than one of 10/11 top class players and another 7/8 senior players who aren’t quite at the required level.
LOL that's even worse, Laporte had a difficult period after his knee injury, last season he came back to his best, he was outstanding, Ake for me is a decent back up, nothing more, a 50m and I would rip Chelsea's hand off.
I really want us to keep hold of Ake as I think there's plenty of game time to be had between the four of them, but weirdly I think Laporte was our best defender last season.