Player topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2014/15)

[Bottomless_Sailor]

Think he's acquitting himself to the PL very well on the whole, one or two mistakes are to be expected from a defender so young. As his maturity and experience naturally improves we'll be looking more and more at a near-invulnerable defender.

 

[Bill]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

 

[cibaman]

Think he's acquitting himself to the PL very well on the whole, one or two mistakes are to be expected from a defender so young. As his maturity and experience naturally improves we'll be looking more and more at a near-invulnerable defender.

He's 24 next month which I think puts him in the "Not at his peak" category rather than "so young". A few years older than Savic and Nastasic when they first played for City, Older than Kompany, albeit he started in midfield.

I think lack of PL experience is a bigger factor than age. Perhaps we shouldn't expect too much from him this season but next season he would need to be performing consistently.

 

[callumcity]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

Yeah me too. I think he'll come good in the end and be a top class defender for us as he has all the attributes. Demi had a rough first half of the season when he joined but he's a rock now. He just needs to get used to the premier league and its high intensity plus iron out a few concentration issues and lapses of judgement. This comes with age and experience.

However I do believe we overpaid for him and that in times of FFP we could have spent £30m + more wisely. Whats alarming is that we could have had Sanchez or Costa for similar amounts.

 

[Neville Kneville]

He's bit scared of when to go in for challenges I think, probably due to mistakes early in his City career. Against Lukaku, rather than go for him & block, he was trying to run at the side of him & stop the shot, but he was too quick & got the shot away easily.

Ironically, when he did go across him with more force, Lukaku was given a free kick for absolutely fuck all, which will have put even more doubt in the mind of Mangala.

He will have to sort it if he wants to be first choice for City in the future though, or he will end up as backup for someone else.

He has all the skills required, but will have to put it all into practice.

 

[TFC]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

Unfortunately some never will. They will just disappear when he has good performances and be back with a vengeance at any slip the lad has. Sad really, but such is Bluemoon.

 

[Academica]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

Yeah me too. I think he'll come good in the end and be a top class defender for us as he has all the attributes. Demi had a rough first half of the season when he joined but he's a rock now. He just needs to get used to the premier league and its high intensity plus iron out a few concentration issues and lapses of judgement. This comes with age and experience.

However I do believe we overpaid for him and that in times of FFP we could have spent £30m + more wisely. Whats alarming is that we could have had Sanchez or Costa for similar amounts.

Still prefer Mangala in defence over Sanchez or Costa.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

Re: Mangala

I didn't think he was that bad today. As mentioned elsewhere, an in form Lukaku is a handful for any defender. I still think Mangala has all the attributes to be a great centre half, and will become one at City. I don't really care about the transfer fee. Could well be looked back on as good business further down the line.

I don't think he has "all the attributes" (keep seeing that posted). Indeed he has many.

But, where it's benefiial to be able to take a number of steps in a short space of time so that you can turn in a number of directions in a short space of time, he takes large/heavy strides and it's to his detriment. You can cut inside him or drop your shoulder on him and invite him to lunge in and either be turned easily or he'll commit a foul. Every poor game he's had the striker he's been marking has sussed that out about him early doors and has exploited it.

At first I thought it was a lack of composure (I suppose a fair bit of it still is) but the more I see him the more I think it's these over-long, heavy strides he keeps taking. It's clumsy and leads to poor balance.

That being said I'm sure he will improve and hopefully he will be of the required standard. His pace/strength/arial ability will bring a lot to the team. We might look back in eight years time and look at £4m a season on him was good business.

However, now Kompany is back for, Mangala's performances mean he doesn't deserve his place in the side on his current (not how good he'll be in three years time) form.

 

[lasereyes]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

Yeah me too. I think he'll come good in the end and be a top class defender for us as he has all the attributes. Demi had a rough first half of the season when he joined but he's a rock now. He just needs to get used to the premier league and its high intensity plus iron out a few concentration issues and lapses of judgement. This comes with age and experience.

However I do believe we overpaid for him and that in times of FFP we could have spent £30m + more wisely. Whats alarming is that we could have had Sanchez or Costa for similar amounts.

Sanchez maybe. Costa no way. I don't see how he is any better than Negredo. Slowly, good teams are figuring out how to shut him down and particularly away from home he is starting to struggle. The honeymoon is over.

 

[Vienna_70]

can't wait for this lad to make many on here eat their words.

Yeah me too. I think he'll come good in the end and be a top class defender for us as he has all the attributes. Demi had a rough first half of the season when he joined but he's a rock now. He just needs to get used to the premier league and its high intensity plus iron out a few concentration issues and lapses of judgement. This comes with age and experience.

However I do believe we overpaid for him and that in times of FFP we could have spent £30m + more wisely. Whats alarming is that we could have had Sanchez or Costa for similar amounts.

Still prefer Mangala in defence over Sanchez or Costa.

I was about to post something similar.

Watching the game yesterday, after one Everton chance, the co-commentator couldn't wait to have a go at Mangala, such was his desperation for him to be responsible for a Toffees' goal. At least that's how it seemed to me.

FWIW, I thought he had a decent game yesterday. Yes, he made mistakes, but didn't all of our players? Well, OK, maybe not Merlin, but my point is, no player is perfect and the lad is still getting used to a new style of football, as well as everything else that goes with moving to a different country.

Give the kid a break.