Player topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2014/15)

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Once upon a time in Manchester, the United left back Patrice Evra made his debut in a derby game across town at City. Hauled off at half-time, the combative little Frenchman reflected colourfully that his first taste of English football had been akin to spending the afternoon ‘in a washing machine’.

Years later and not much has changed and another Frenchman has arrived in town to bear witness to the rough and tumble.

Eliaquim Mangala is 6ft 2in and looks like he could carry a washing machine on his back. Nevertheless the Manchester City central defender admitted this week that he is only just finding his feet in the Barclays Premier League following an introduction to life in England that has led to some pretty miserable days.

‘I have spent a lot of time at home watching and studying games I have played in,’ Mangala told Sportsmail. ‘I do that at home on my own. I try to use that information for the next game.

‘It’s all about improving your game. That is what important.

‘Watching 90 minutes is too much so, if we play on Saturday, I will probably watch the first 45 minutes on Sunday then go and do something else. Life has to go on. Then I may sit down for the second half on a Monday. It’s all about attention to detail and doing everything you can to improve. If you want to improve then you have to work hard, there is no substitute for it. It has helped.’

Mangala arrived in England at the end of the transfer window for £32million, the final piece in the City jigsaw. A September debut at home in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea passed without much trouble.

A new star had seemingly arrived at the Etihad.

Next up, though, was a trip to Hull City and suddenly somebody turned on the spin cycle. An own goal, a penalty conceded and a yellow card in one afternoon. The apprenticeship had begun.

‘I spoke with Martin (Demichelis) and Vinny (Kompany),’ he said. ‘They warned me about how it’s different but they can tell you, “Oh yeah, you get pressed all the time, it’s going to be physical, it’s going to be hard, they’re going to play the ball behind you, you’re going to have to turn, you’re going to get players who are good with it into feet and who turn and run”.

‘They can go through every situation, but until you have actually experienced it, until you’ve lived all that, you can’t appreciate it. And you can’t react and improve until you have experienced it.

‘You appreciate people giving you advice and trying to help, but a lot of it is seeing it for yourself and dealing with it and improving at it over time through hard work. There is no substitute.’

Since that day on Humberside, Mangala’s learning curve has been steep. It is just one of the reasons he took the unusual step of requesting this interview himself.

It was time, he felt, to introduce himself to English football followers and assure those of a sky blue persuasion that he is working hard to adapt. ‘I wanted to speak because I haven’t spoken to the public at all,’ he said. ‘I would like the fans to know a bit more about me as a person. They see me on the field but they don’t know me.

‘I have tried to make the adaptation quick but you have to be patient and hope that other people will be patient with you. There has been (media) criticism but I’m cool with that. If you can’t take that you shouldn’t be a footballer.

‘All over Europe you have ex-players on TV who criticise you. It doesn’t worry me. I am my biggest critic. I know I am moving forwards and adapting.’


As it happens, the day his invitation to meet and talk is passed on he goes on to contribute his finest performance in a City shirt as he and Demichelis guide Manuel Pellegrini’s team to a clean sheet at Roma in the Champions League. There was no Kompany that day and there will be no Kompany at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday lunchtime in the League. The City captain’s hamstring troubles have struck again and Mangala and Demichelis will be centre halves for the foreseeable future.

It seems as though better form has arrived just at the right time. Rome may yet transpire to be a pivotal night.

‘I would say that playing against Chelsea back at the start wasn’t particularly a typical English game, it’s the sort of football I’m more used to,’ he reflected.

‘Roma, too, in the Champions League was a different style of football to the Premier League, so that was OK. But I must emphasise I’m still going through a settling-in period so coming up against teams like Hull and Palace this weekend and facing that typical English style, where it’s a long ball, high balls, balls in the air, big physical battles, fighting for every ball, that is the stuff I’m going to take longer to get used to.

‘Maybe that’s harder for me than games against the big teams at the moment. I will improve and I will cope with that, but it’s all about taking it stage by stage.

‘It’s all right having one good game there and then not so good there. What I have got to aim at is consistency and having a good game every game rather than in-and-out performances. I am confident that will happen.’

The day we meet, Mangala is also talking to students from east Manchester’s Connell College. The college lies on 5.5 acres of land donated by City for community use near the new training ground.

Mangala answered questions from the students in City’s new media conference room and shortly afterwards the 23-year-old tackled the more thorny issue of interest last summer from arch-rivals United.

There were suggestions from Old Trafford that Mangala would rather have joined United, but the former Porto player said: ‘I was aware there had been some contact from United, but the major conversations that had gone on with my agent were with City and it was City that I was attracted to all the way through. I was aware of what a great project and plans the club had.

‘They want to make history and I want to be part of that and did back in the summer. I’m pleased I made the right choice.’

Born in France, Mangala moved to Belgium at the age of five as his mother sought a better life for his disabled brother. His first club was Standard Liege and Mangala was a centre forward until he was 16.

Back then his hero was Thierry Henry and, by coincidence, Henry announced his retirement just moments before we met this week.

With Pellegrini and City suffering an injury crisis among their forwards, Mangala joked that he was ready to come to the rescue over an intense Christmas period he claimed to be relishing.

‘Yeah absolutely,’ he laughed. 'I’m going to play No 9.

‘We are about to hit the Boxing Day period and I am fascinated by it. In France and other countries we don’t play over this period so I am really looking forward to seeing what it is like. I am excited about it. I want to experience it.’

It is impossible not to admire Mangala’s enthusiasm. It is indicative of a refreshing attitude. City are about to play five games in 15 days, though. Time to open the door to the washing machine.
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Wonderful attitude from the lad, both in that he refused to hide and requested the interview himself and that he is working on his mistakes even when sat at home.

This attitude will make him one of the best in the world in a few years, we've got a cracker of a player here.
 
Re: Mangala

I remember Evras debut lol Albert gave him an absolute nightmare day and they ends up subbing him
 
Re: Mangala

Thats a top attitude from the young lad. He has the attributes to be a great payer, if he shows a perseverance and willingness to work off the field as well as on the training pitch. There is no doubt he will develop into an excellent CB and stalwart for City.

Well done lad, keep it up.
 
Re: Mangala

icemanbops said:
Thats a top attitude from the young lad. He has the attributes to be a great payer, if he shows a perseverance and willingness to work off the field as well as on the training pitch. There is no doubt he will develop into an excellent CB and stalwart for City.

Well done lad, keep it up.
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Spot on Blue. the Daily Mail and Sky bastards won't give him the time they have afforded Vidic, Duncan Edwards Jones and fukkin Evans. A hard league to play in at his age, cold.
 
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