Pablo Zabaleta - 2016/17 performances

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Millwallawayveteran1988 said:
Surely the full back positions will be the next on the pep "to do" list.

Our defence is too old. Too many players over 30 who have no pace.

We are getting away with it mainly due to the possession we are having but it needs sorting.

Stones should be playing every game for me.
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100% correct.
 
Starting Zabaleta ahead of Maffeo this season is like Starting Bony ahead of Kelechi last season.
 
Love Zabba to bits and don't care if he has lost his pace - but the one thing that is not so good is constantly giving the ball away, and three of our four defenders last night did that with alarming regularity. Not sure he can be a bit part player as he looked a little lost but for all the things he has done since his £6m move he deserves a decent send off when he leaves, possibly in Jan or the summer.
 
No room for sentimentality in football, have the highest regard for him and his massive contribution to the club but he's past it.
 
I think the system has to take some responsibility too. We won the league under mancinis defensive system with lescott and nastasic featuring. Pelegrini and peps focus on attack certainly make those defensive players more vulnerable and prone to mistakes. I guess it doesn't show it as much when you have Daniel Alves or Philip Lahm but we all knew in the summer we needed new full backs (and a second striker!).
 
Need new RB next summer it has to be a priority. Its like the club doesn't want to sign any fullbacks for some reason. Roma offered us £2.5m apparently, should have taken it and his wages off the books and brought in new RB. Not up to the job anymore.
 
Love this guy, strangely looked fitter & faster in the second half.
But it's time for him to take a well paid retirement in America.

That line up and team selection stunk of Pellegrini.
Not selecting Sagna & Clichy to combat their pace was suicidal.
 
Painful to see it as he's my favourite player out of our current squad, but his legs have gone. To be honest, it was pretty evident last season as well. Maybe we let sentiment cloud our judgement when we decided to keep him on for another season. I'd love to see him stay on at the club in some capacity (maybe involved in the academy?), but he doesn't justify a starting place in our PL/CL side.
 
It's sad to see how far he has declined. He's a club legend but he can no longer handle the pace of the premier league.
 
Was very poor first half but quite good second half. I still love him even though his legs have gone.
 
More than any other of the fullbacs, was surprised he stayed. Love him but I think he's obviously finished at the highest level and keeping him there won't do him any favours. Fine with the club sortin him out and letting him finish his contract and get his bonus, but we need a RB in January IMO
 
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