Nathan Ake

DMA's said:
It’s amazing how many posters suddenly turn on seemingly departing players. Like spoilt children it’s pathetic. Anyone can see Ake has improved immensely and will be missed should he go. To say we don’t even need to replace him is complete madness.
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I don't think anyone is turning on him. More just seeing that being offered £50m for our 4th choice CB, who has started just 1/4 of our league games since signing is good business. Added to that, Chelsea want him and can probably offer more regular game-time so its highly likely that Ake wants to go. Its a good deal all-round.

Our 4th choice CB should be a youngster who can push for becoming a regular in years to come. If the likes of Mbete aren't able to fill in as 4th choice, then buy a youngster who can. Our 4th choice CB should not be a 27 year old International, who in 2 years hasn't shown anything to suggest he can become anything more than 4th choice, and who only plays when someone gets injured or needs a rest.
 
Big Jonjo said:
Tbh, apart from Laportes passing range, I feel he is the weak link out of our cb's. He is prone to defensive errors and poor positioning, albeit he finished the season off very well when we needed him most. I don't think we have a major defensive issue as once again we had the best defensive record in the league. I'm sure whatever happens, Pep will be on top of it!
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Laporte had his best season for us so far. If there were bids on the table for Ake and Laporte and both players wanted to go I know exactly which player the club would fight to keep.
There was a bit of this Laporte bashing creeping in on this forum last season. He's a top centre half at the peak of his career.
 
DMA's said:
It’s amazing how many posters suddenly turn on seemingly departing players. Like spoilt children it’s pathetic. Anyone can see Ake has improved immensely and will be missed should he go.

To say we don’t even need to replace him is complete madness. Question this and the default answer seems to be.... “doesn’t matter we have haaland now”. let’s make our already stretched squad smaller than last season with the most condensed scheduled season about to commence. History has shown we need 4 capable Cbs to compete in the league. Liverpool’s fourth choice Gomez has just signed a new deal we need a player of that standard at least.

No doubt will be the same posters moaning when pep has to practically throw away the fa cup in April due to lack of squad depth.
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Completely agree. We needed all four centre backs last season, and even then there were a couple of games Fern ended up there and we looked shaky defensively in those because of that.

Winning the league is such fine margins these days in an era of 90+ points and scouse twats never getting injuries because of their performance enhancing inhalers.

We simply can’t afford to risk such a drop in quality when two of our first team centre backs are unavailable, which at some point over 60 games they will be.
 
Churchlawtonblue said:
I just don't agree with this at all. Is this not just another case of rubbishing a player just because it looks as if he is leaving City?

I just don't recall any games where he has played as badly as you are inferring.
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I'm not Ake's biggest critic nor fan, I think he's done a decent job for us as fourth choice centre half but surely you remember how horrific he was at Newcastle when Carson made his debut. He's obviously improved in our system since, as you would expect training under Pep, but if someone were to offer £50m + for him then its an absolute no brainer to sell and either replace or utilise the squad and youth.
 
domalino said:
I don’t have one - that’s above my pay grade!

I’m sure the club has tabs on every 18-21 year old prospect at the position though, that’s half the point of building the worldwide CFG empire.
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Ok.


I wasn't being facetious btw.

Every time someone semi-serious suggests that a proven senior PL player and starter for a top European national team should be replaced with a kid, I always assume they have a kid in mind that they think can perform to that level, and I ask out of interest, as I don't know enough to think of one myself.
 
gazinho said:
I'm not Ake's biggest critic nor fan, I think he's done a decent job for us as fourth choice centre half but surely you remember how horrific he was at Newcastle when Carson made his debut. He's obviously improved in our system since, as you would expect training under Pep, but if someone were to offer £50m + for him then its an absolute no brainer to sell and either replace or utilise the squad and youth.
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Every defender has bad games , even Dias has had his horror moments, but you don't judge a defender on one or two games. Also remember when Ake plays he never plays in a settled back 4. It's always a mix of 'unfamiliar' players by the nature of him being 4th choice.
 
Coatigan said:
Ok.


I wasn't being facetious btw.

Every time someone semi-serious suggests that a proven senior PL player and starter for a top European national team should be replaced with a kid, I always assume they have a kid in mind that they think can perform to that level, and I ask out of interest, as I don't know enough to think of one myself.
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I know Gvardiol at RB Leipzig is supposed to be a super talent and he's only 19 and Timber at Ajax is thier next big thing. They might be too good though, and both cost too much and not consider a club where they'd be 4th choice.

Othewise I'm not that clued up on young CBs. Kounde might be an option, he's only 23.
 
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