Player thread: Matija Nastasic (2014/15)

[NQCitizen]

Good luck to Nasty. I think he's gone to the right league and also looks like the right club. I didn't realise that Lombardo was there - makes sense now why he plumped for Schalke.

Difficult to know what to make of him as a player. At one point I thought he was the real deal. Latterly though, especially the few odd chances he got under Pellegrini, he looked not cut out for the way we wanted to play. Still think he can go on and have a fantastic career and it's a shame it didn't work out for him at City.

Think Damo saying he was wank is way harsh. Even if he isn't the second coming of Maldini that some think he is/could be, he isn't wank.

Is there a centre back on earth that actually looks good the way Pellegrini wants to play?

It's fair to say all of Kompany, Mangala, Demichelis, Lescott and Nastasic have suffered under this tactic - with Martin the only one who's ever really looked close to comfortable.

You don't become PL champions with the 2nd best defensive record in the league without having defenders who can defend and a system which is as efficient defensively as it is offensively.

There's obviously some truth in that, but it includes some superhuman performances from Hart and especially Fernandinho and I think Garcia contributed a lot too. Plus the shape of games; we were so attacking and dominant. I do think it's fair to argue Pellegrini is not playing to the strengths of any of our defenders. It's hard to imagine which defender could slot in and shine.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I think it's a good move for all concerned, but to describe him in the way you did is just unbelievable

Natasic was an excellent player for us prior nto his injury, why anyone would wish to describe this talented young player as a pile of wank is beyond me.
some folk have very poor/selective memories.
He was easily one of the best young defenders in the prem under mancini, at a time when we could defend, and the lad was quietly, but effectively going about his game with the composure and timing of a seasoned professional.

Agreed.

He was fucking shite.

The only difference was a bunch of people overrating him 'because he's young' . Lots of players are young. Some are young and clearly out of their depth. He was one of them.

 

[Marvin]

Re: Nastasic - just what is the problem?

A lack of bollocks and no character imo.

He was told he was surplus at the start of the season and he chose to sit on his fantastic contract instead of seeking football elsewhere,no sympathy for him here.

He just played in the Bernabeu and plays every week in front on 60,000 and you're talking about sympathy?

Whether he'll ever make the grade as a top class defender I am not certain. There were concerns about his physicality. But to call him a pile of wank at his age is just an awful thing to say. how many players at his age are the finished article.

 

[LoveCity]

I don't care how good or bad people think he is, £6.7m is derisory for a 21-year-old defender who has played for a high-level Premier League club and is moving to a top 4 German club. If we wanted to sign an English prospect from League One or the Championship, we'd probably have to pay more than that.

 

[BillyShears]

There's obviously some truth in that, but it includes some superhuman performances from Hart and especially Fernandinho and I think Garcia contributed a lot too. Plus the shape of games; we were so attacking and dominant. I do think it's fair to argue Pellegrini is not playing to the strengths of any of our defenders. It's hard to imagine which defender could slot in and shine.

Both defending and attacking are team responsibilities. I also think that the characterisations that our defenders all look shit are completely wrong and totally out of whack with what the truth is.

This season our biggest problem has been the frankly awful form of Vinny and Zaba. Nothing to do with systems and everything to do with two players simply going through a severe dip in form. Happens to even the very very best.

Going back to Nastasic, I have heard although this should be taken with a pinch of salt as it's rumour, that he had the wrong attitude in training (a trait apparently all the Balkans share).

 

[BigOscar]

I don't care how good or bad people think he is, £6.7m is derisory for a 21-year-old defender who has played for a high-level Premier League club and is moving to a top 4 German club. If we wanted to sign an English prospect from League One or the Championship, we'd probably have to pay more than that.

If we wanted to buy someone, we'd be buying off someone who didn't want to sell him, not someone who they're trying to get rid of, so obviously that hugely affects the price. Clearly the price is right, otherwise other teams would be after him. As it stood, no one was even willing to buy him for £9m, so we had to loan him with the option to buy him instead.

 

[LoveCity]

I don't care how good or bad people think he is, £6.7m is derisory for a 21-year-old defender who has played for a high-level Premier League club and is moving to a top 4 German club. If we wanted to sign an English prospect from League One or the Championship, we'd probably have to pay more than that.

If we wanted to buy someone, we'd be buying off someone who didn't want to sell him, not someone who they're trying to get rid of, so obviously that hugely affects the price. Clearly the price is right, otherwise other teams would be after him. As it stood, no one was even willing to buy him for £9m, so we had to loan him with the option to buy him instead.

Or we could have loaned him with no fixed clause to buy then sold him for a better figure when he'd been returned to the spotlight for a half season. We're pushovers in the transfer market.

 

[BigOscar]

I don't care how good or bad people think he is, £6.7m is derisory for a 21-year-old defender who has played for a high-level Premier League club and is moving to a top 4 German club. If we wanted to sign an English prospect from League One or the Championship, we'd probably have to pay more than that.

If we wanted to buy someone, we'd be buying off someone who didn't want to sell him, not someone who they're trying to get rid of, so obviously that hugely affects the price. Clearly the price is right, otherwise other teams would be after him. As it stood, no one was even willing to buy him for £9m, so we had to loan him with the option to buy him instead.

Or we could have loaned him with no fixed clause to buy then sold him for a better figure when he'd been returned to the spotlight for a half season. We're pushovers in the transfer market.

Or his value could have dropped while at Schalke and we'd be stuck with a player who we couldn't sell, like we've had with so many others. No one in world football thought he was worth spending £9m on in January, so to get that for him is no disaster in my book. At least it's settled now, instead of hanging around like a bad smell like most of the players we try and get rid of.

 

[LoveCity]

If we wanted to buy someone, we'd be buying off someone who didn't want to sell him, not someone who they're trying to get rid of, so obviously that hugely affects the price. Clearly the price is right, otherwise other teams would be after him. As it stood, no one was even willing to buy him for £9m, so we had to loan him with the option to buy him instead.

Or we could have loaned him with no fixed clause to buy then sold him for a better figure when he'd been returned to the spotlight for a half season. We're pushovers in the transfer market.

Or his value could have dropped while at Schalke and we'd be stuck with a player who we couldn't sell, like we've had with so many others. No one in world football thought he was worth spending £9m on in January, so to get that for him is no disaster in my book. At least it's settled now, instead of hanging around like a bad smell like most of the players we try and get rid of.

You really think his value would drop below £6.7m at Schalke? This is close to nothing in the modern market. Absolute peanuts! Nastasic has his criticism on here but he is not a poor defender at all, or else he'd be playing in the Dutch league or Serbian league. Let's be sensible here: the chances of his value dropping below £6.7m in a loan spell are far less than his value remaining static and more likely going up. Especially as he's been very solid since he joined them. Just look around at response to this deal, people are shocked at how cheap he is and consider it a massive bargain. I am 100% sure Chelsea would have found a way to at least get 8 figures for him.

 

[fredmont]

Giving players away is a definite theme, up there with not shooting, not crossing and crap corners.

 

[Stephenhakin]

Hope so. Lucky to have gotten that for him. He's a pile of wank who City fans have massively overrated based on about four games. Possibly the biggest example of selective memory and the influence of Football Manager/FIFA games that we currently have at the club, and he's done well even to get into a club like Schalke.

There's a reason he has gone to Schalke and not to Bayern Munich or Barcelona, and why Schalke have only ever won one game in which he's played.

If this is true then City inserted a clause stating that Schalke were forced to buy him if he started 5 league games for them. That should tell you everything you need to know about Nastasic.

Unbelievable quote - it's less than two full seasons ago that this kid made his debut in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and played all season as Kompany's partner in a defence which only conceded 34 league goals all season - comfortably the best in the league.
If you genuinely think that letting a 21 year old with a proven season behind him go for around 10 million euros, then spending four times as much on a player four years older (and who's looked anything but convincing yet) is good business in a season when we've been hamstrung by FFP, then you truly are delusional - short memories indeed !

To put it into context, Mangala's fee would've bought Alexis Sanchez !! Anybody on this forum not think we lack width ???

I am in agreement with you on Nasty but he played nowhere near the full season. Think he played about 15 games last season but a few more the season before ( when we didnt win the title ) Like I say I am with you on him. Could and still could be anything.

 

[Manchester33]

I feel as though this is another nail in Txiki's coffin.

to only get £7m for him is disgraceful, the lad had 2 premiership winners medal to his name at the age of 21. Would anyone on here genuinely say they think Mangala is worth £25m more than him? He could have spent another 10 years at the club IMO, although I do agree he had some learning left to do.

My only hope now is that Denayer or Boyata get a more prominent role as the 4th CB next season - I want to see more young players involved, especially from our academy.

 

[BigOscar]

Or we could have loaned him with no fixed clause to buy then sold him for a better figure when he'd been returned to the spotlight for a half season. We're pushovers in the transfer market.

Or his value could have dropped while at Schalke and we'd be stuck with a player who we couldn't sell, like we've had with so many others. No one in world football thought he was worth spending £9m on in January, so to get that for him is no disaster in my book. At least it's settled now, instead of hanging around like a bad smell like most of the players we try and get rid of.

You really think his value would drop below £6.7m at Schalke? This is close to nothing in the modern market. Absolute peanuts! Nastasic has his criticism on here but he is not a poor defender at all, or else he'd be playing in the Dutch league or Serbian league. Let's be sensible here: the chances of his value dropping below £6.7m in a loan spell are far less than his value remaining static and more likely going up. Especially as he's been very solid since he joined them. Just look around at response to this deal, people are shocked at how cheap he is and consider it a massive bargain. I am 100% sure Chelsea would have found a way to at least get 8 figures for him.

Yet no single club in world football seemed to think this. No one thought that it was a "bargain" worth taking. It's all very well claiming someone is worth more, or claiming other clubs would have got more for him, but the reality is that no one wanted to buy him at the not very high price we set. Even Schalke only agreed to £9m if it was split into a loan fee with the obligation to buy if things worked out. You can only sell a player for what other teams are willing to pay

 

[Stephenhakin]

I feel as though this is another nail in Txiki's coffin.

to only get £7m for him is disgraceful, the lad had 2 premiership winners medal to his name at the age of 21. Would anyone on here genuinely say they think Mangala is worth £25m more than him? He could have spent another 10 years at the club IMO, although I do agree he had some learning left to do.

My only hope now is that Denayer or Boyata get a more prominent role as the 4th CB next season - I want to see more young players involved, especially from our academy.

Agreed again except he only won one title. Wasnt here in 11/12

 

[donkinho]

Hope so. Lucky to have gotten that for him. He's a pile of wank who City fans have massively overrated based on about four games. Possibly the biggest example of selective memory and the influence of Football Manager/FIFA games that we currently have at the club, and he's done well even to get into a club like Schalke.

There's a reason he has gone to Schalke and not to Bayern Munich or Barcelona, and why Schalke have only ever won one game in which he's played.

If this is true then City inserted a clause stating that Schalke were forced to buy him if he started 5 league games for them. That should tell you everything you need to know about Nastasic.

Unbelievable quote - it's less than two full seasons ago that this kid made his debut in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and played all season as Kompany's partner in a defence which only conceded 34 league goals all season - comfortably the best in the league.
If you genuinely think that letting a 21 year old with a proven season behind him go for around 10 million euros, then spending four times as much on a player four years older (and who's looked anything but convincing yet) is good business in a season when we've been hamstrung by FFP, then you truly are delusional - short memories indeed !

To put it into context, Mangala's fee would've bought Alexis Sanchez !! Anybody on this forum not think we lack width ???

I am in agreement with you on Nasty but he played nowhere near the full season. Think he played about 15 games last season but a few more the season before ( when we didnt win the title ) Like I say I am with you on him. Could and still could be anything.

It's the season when we didn't win the league that I'm referring to ( 2012/13) - if you check back, he played nearly all season that year and we conceded only 34 league goals all season ( we've conceded 32 already this season ) - last season he was allegedly injured most of the year, although it now seems clear that Pellegrini just didn't rate him
I sincerely hope that Mangala does come good, but my point stands - ie. we've weakened the defence while neglecting the obvious area of the team that did need improvement - a pacy left winger

 

[Stephenhakin]

Unbelievable quote - it's less than two full seasons ago that this kid made his debut in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and played all season as Kompany's partner in a defence which only conceded 34 league goals all season - comfortably the best in the league.
If you genuinely think that letting a 21 year old with a proven season behind him go for around 10 million euros, then spending four times as much on a player four years older (and who's looked anything but convincing yet) is good business in a season when we've been hamstrung by FFP, then you truly are delusional - short memories indeed !

To put it into context, Mangala's fee would've bought Alexis Sanchez !! Anybody on this forum not think we lack width ???

I am in agreement with you on Nasty but he played nowhere near the full season. Think he played about 15 games last season but a few more the season before ( when we didnt win the title ) Like I say I am with you on him. Could and still could be anything.

It's the season when we didn't win the league that I'm referring to ( 2012/13) - if you check back, he played nearly all season that year and we conceded only 34 league goals all season ( we've conceded 32 already this season ) - last season he was allegedly injured most of the year, although it now seems clear that Pellegrini just didn't rate him
I sincerely hope that Mangala does come good, but my point stands - ie. we've weakened the defence while neglecting the obvious area of the team that did need improvement - a pacy left winger

Sorry misunderstood. Yeah I agree. Complete mess it is. And be careful speaking out against Mangala on here a lot will defend anything regardless the fact that his first 8 months here have been truly awful. ( A lot worse than Savic's or Nastys over the same period )

 

[TFC]

*shakes fist at the sky*

"But he's young I tells ya.....YOUNG!!!"



Onwards.

 

[rapidCT]

Yet another example that the board is not doing the job! Letting Boateng, Tevez, de Jong, Javi Garcia and now Nastasic leave, is beyond my understanding. I remember when Bale was offered to us for about 4 mil pounds and we said no. In the last years we added little to nothing to the squad improvement.

 

[stony]

Yet another example that the board is not doing the job! Letting Boateng, Tevez, de Jong, Javi Garcia and now Nastasic leave, is beyond my understanding. I remember when Bale was offered to us for about 4 mil pounds and we said no. In the last years we added little to nothing to the squad improvement.

You're making it sound like we turned down the Bale who tearing past defenders and banging them in from every angle from 30 yards.
Bale was offered to everyone for the same money and no one wanted him. At the time, he had never played in a winning Spurs side and was considered something of a Jonah.
Lets not the let the facts get in the way of a good rant though eh?

 

[BigOscar]

Unbelievable quote - it's less than two full seasons ago that this kid made his debut in the Bernabeu against Real Madrid and played all season as Kompany's partner in a defence which only conceded 34 league goals all season - comfortably the best in the league.
If you genuinely think that letting a 21 year old with a proven season behind him go for around 10 million euros, then spending four times as much on a player four years older (and who's looked anything but convincing yet) is good business in a season when we've been hamstrung by FFP, then you truly are delusional - short memories indeed !

To put it into context, Mangala's fee would've bought Alexis Sanchez !! Anybody on this forum not think we lack width ???

I am in agreement with you on Nasty but he played nowhere near the full season. Think he played about 15 games last season but a few more the season before ( when we didnt win the title ) Like I say I am with you on him. Could and still could be anything.

It's the season when we didn't win the league that I'm referring to ( 2012/13) - if you check back, he played nearly all season that year and we conceded only 34 league goals all season ( we've conceded 32 already this season ) - last season he was allegedly injured most of the year, although it now seems clear that Pellegrini just didn't rate him
I sincerely hope that Mangala does come good, but my point stands - ie. we've weakened the defence while neglecting the obvious area of the team that did need improvement - a pacy left winger

a) No we haven't let in 32 already, we've let in 27
b) Why do people keep using the phrase "only 34 goals conceeded" as some kind of astonishing achievement of defending? We only let in three more than that last year, despite playing infinitely more attacking football(scoring 36 more goals for those 3 extra we let in), and we are on target to only let in 37 again this year as well, despite apparently being awful at the back. It's hardly a stat to brag about for a team that set up negatively.