He has sat at home for a majority of his five years with us, a nightmare of a signing but sh1t happens.
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Nathan Ake
- Thread starter jaiguruKun
- Start date
Wouldn't surprise me if Ake leaves for Chelsea if they promise him more game time. He's at a crucial stage in his career plus there is plenty of competition for playing time in the Dutch national team in the back 4. Obviously I'd prefer to keep Nathan. He generally plays well and seems a good presence in the locker room.
bluemoon32
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- City
Hopefully he stays, with Stones made of glass he'll get games
decmancity
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Doubt the lad himself wants to rely on that.Hopefully he stays, with Stones made of glass he'll get games
What is great about this thread is that it clearly shows the dilemma we have. Personally, I am in favour of the introduction of academy players and many, many threads call Pep out for his failure to introduce them. However, here we have a thread devoted to the potential sale of our fourth choice centre back, and yet a number of posters are loath for that position to be occupied by THB, Callum Doyle or Luke Mbete. Now, these are some of, if the not THE, most highly rated defenders in the youth game. If we cannot trust one of them to pick up the mantle of the fourth choice CB in our team, we have absolute clarity on the issues we face. Personally, I would absolutely give one of them the nod if Nathan decided he didn't wish to stay. I would like it to be Luke, personally, but they are each very good prospects.
Of course you can. Happens all the time.You can’t pay a player off if found not guilty, especially as others won’t touch him with a barge pole… he’d have a claim for restriction to practise, should we force the issue!
Was in the papers yesterday that juventus are paying Aaron Ramsey off.
I just think if you can get £50m+ for your 4th choice CB you should recycle some funds back in. Dias, Laporte & Stones are 3 top class CB’s and aslong as we get a proper LB (which Ake did have to cover a few times) then why would we want somebody so valuable sat on our bench when we could better reinvest those funds?
Because the club want to win trophies. Not online business accolades.
I’d hate to lose him but if they offer 50-55m City just take it and run. Plenty of good 4th choice CBs out there.
When was the last time City 'took the money and ran' for a player midway through his contract?
It also makes no sense keeping a £40m defender on the bench just in case you need him for 5 - 10 games max per season.
Our other three centre backs are all world class
if we don’t trust the kids then bring in a veteran for a couple of seasons until they are ready , someone like Thiago Silva at Chelsea
He played in half our games last season.
And even if it was 5-10 games, it isn't just about being a body or a number there, a player has to actually perform there.
Ake can, and does. A kid can't, otherwise he'd be in the first team.
That's the difference between winning trophies and not. That was the difference last year, without Ake and some of his big performances in some pretty big games, we would have won fuck all. That is why the club bought a 40m international to be one of 4 defenders for 2 spots.
That is why this 'cash in on 4th choice and give his minutes to a kid' claim that a few seem to be making just plain wrong.
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The things is that we have no idea if we would have won nothing. I am a fan of Ake, and do not wish to cash in, but if he wishes to go, I would have no issues replacing him with an academy player. Given the scenario you highlight, I cannot see how an academy player would ever get into the team. For clarity, what I am suggesting is that throughout the season, the fourth choice defender gets playing time, especially in cup competitions, and playing time of an increasing number of minutes, so that in the event of an injury to one of the main three, they can step in without fear.He played in half our games last season.
And even if it was 5-10 games, it isn't just about being a body or a number there, a player has to actually perform there.
Ake can, and does. A kid can't, otherwise he'd be in the first team.
That's the difference between winning trophies and not. That was the difference last year, without Ake and some of his big performances in some pretty big games, we would have won fuck all. That is why the club bought a 40m international to be one of 4 defenders for 2 spots.
That is why this 'cash in on 4th choice and give his minutes to a kid' claim that a few seem to be making just plain wrong.
The things is that we have no idea if we would have won nothing. I am a fan of Ake, and do not wish to cash in, but if he wishes to go, I would have no issues replacing him with an academy player. Given the scenario you highlight, I cannot see how an academy player would ever get into the team. For clarity, what I am suggesting is that throughout the season, the fourth choice defender gets playing time, especially in cup competitions, and playing time of an increasing number of minutes, so that in the event of an injury to one of the main three, they can step in without fear.
Which academy player?
People just look at a list and pick names and pretend they know the players can cut it.
No, I DO know we would have won nothing without Ake. Because I watched last season, and not just wrote out a list or formation mockup on bluemoon, stared at it for 2 minutes, and then went on to argue some made up case.
The performances Ake put in, and games we won, and drew, because of him, there aren't many PL proven first choice defenders at other teams that could have put those in, let alone kids with no experience.
Debate his value and whether you'd take it or not all you like, but no rewriting the season, that happened, we saw it, we celebrated it.
Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
People just pigeonholed him as “Oh, fourth-choice centre back, came from Bournemouth”, unstated but understood — must be a bit shit. These are human beings: they evolve as athletes. They have ups and downs. They play themselves into teams, into systems. Or not, as the case may be (cf. Lukaku). A good argument could be made that he wasn't at all far off at least two of the other central defenders last season (I don't include Diaz who, at the top of his game, is the best centre-half in the country with Van Dijk). It would be a mistake to sell him. He's not the greatest thing since sliced bread. He's proven that he's worth more minutes.
feedmpenzaandhewillscore
Well-Known Member
People just pigeonholed him as “Oh, fourth-choice centre back, came from Bournemouth”, unstated but understood — must be a bit shit. These are human beings: they evolve as athletes. They have ups and downs. They play themselves into teams, into systems. Or not, as the case may be (cf. Lukaku). A good argument could be made that he wasn't at all far off at least two of the other central defenders last season (I don't include Diaz who, at the top of his game, is the best centre-half in the country with Van Dijk). It would be a mistake to sell him. He's not the greatest thing since sliced bread. He's proven that he's worth more minutes.
Second half of the season he was very good, Stones can’t be trusted to stay fit. Diaz has had problems towards the back end of last season as well, not to mention we could encounter an incident in how Laporte did his cruciate 3 season ago. We need 4 centre backs, they all got game time season just gone.
We do need 4 CB's, but at the same time Ake probably knows he's 4th choice and at his age and with the WC coming up, wants to be assured more game time. Totally understandable if he fancies a move away.Second half of the season he was very good, Stones can’t be trusted to stay fit. Diaz has had problems towards the back end of last season as well, not to mention we could encounter an incident in how Laporte did his cruciate 3 season ago. We need 4 centre backs, they all got game time season just gone.
feedmpenzaandhewillscore
Well-Known Member
We do need 4 CB's, but at the same time Ake probably knows he's 4th choice and at his age and with the WC coming up, wants to be assured more game time. Totally understandable if he fancies a move away.
If we are asking about Reece James another option is we could potentially shuffle Walker over to centre back as a very last resort.
I think he has great value but I am talking about him not wanting to stay, if that is the case. My choice as fourth centre-back, in such a situation, would be Mbete. He is strong, powerful, pacy and excellent one on one. He can also pass well. What I am suggesting is that Luke picks up minutes while the others are fit: playing cup games and the last third of matches, so that he is ready if he needs to step up to full matches.Which academy player?
People just look at a list and pick names and pretend they know the players can cut it.
No, I DO know we would have won nothing without Ake. Because I watched last season, and not just wrote out a list or formation mockup on bluemoon, stared at it for 2 minutes, and then went on to argue some made up case.
The performances Ake put in, and games we won, and drew, because of him, there aren't many PL proven first choice defenders at other teams that could have put those in, let alone kids with no experience.
Debate his value and whether you'd take it or not all you like, but no rewriting the season, that happened, we saw it, we celebrated it.
My ideal would be that Ake would stay AND we would blood Mbete.
Zin 'messiah' Zimmer
Well-Known Member
Aaron Ramsey hasn’t been accused of a deplorable crime, that type of decision is as wide apart as can possibly be!Of course you can. Happens all the time.
Was in the papers yesterday that juventus are paying Aaron Ramsey off.
Yeah defo an option, but i can't see us getting RJ under any circumstances if im honest and like you said above, we suffered quite badly with injuries last season all across the back 4 and it very nearly cost us the title. Losing Ake would be a blow, but id understand his motives. Either way, we need to strengthen as we are and if we lose Zin and Ake, we would be paper thin.If we are asking about Reece James another option is we could potentially shuffle Walker over to centre back as a very last resort.
stablemcfc
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Doesn’t seem much sense in this one.
Has plenty of time in his contract, a good player who’s done well for us last season in a position we seem to get frequent injuries.
Only see this happening if a crazy bid comes in for him.
Has plenty of time in his contract, a good player who’s done well for us last season in a position we seem to get frequent injuries.
Only see this happening if a crazy bid comes in for him.