Player topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2014/15)

[HelloCity]

The teams record is actually a lot better with him in the side.

 

[Hes the left back remember]

He did ok last night but watch Stokes goal.
He is ball watching and Djiuof goes in behind him leaving Kompany with both Crouch and Djiouf. Kompany take a step across meaning he is out of position when the cross comes in .

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

Many will argue that Mangala should be lining up alongside Demi based on form and while there is an argument for that I feel that from now on we just have to say that our centre backs are Kompany and Mangala. It may seem extremely harsh on Demi but put simply he is not the future. If, as seems increasingly likely we are unable to overhaul Chelsea and retain the title then I at least want to us to be in a position at the start of next season where we know who our CB pairing is!

MDM was bought cheap to buy time to acquire and bed in a new long term CB. He has done that well and he should be making way now for the VK - EM partnership to bed in. I would play those two every game now until May unless injury / fatigue are an issue. I’d keep MDM next year as third choice then maybe a coaching role if he wants that.

EM might still have some iffy games but we need to have faith now and allow him to settle in. We have made error’s in the past, buying decent young players and not giving them the chance to step up over a long run in the team.

 

[Sergio<3]

I thought he played quite well last night

 

[mosssideblue]

Many will argue that Mangala should be lining up alongside Demi based on form and while there is an argument for that I feel that from now on we just have to say that our centre backs are Kompany and Mangala. It may seem extremely harsh on Demi but put simply he is not the future. If, as seems increasingly likely we are unable to overhaul Chelsea and retain the title then I at least want to us to be in a position at the start of next season where we know who our CB pairing is!

MDM was bought cheap to buy time to acquire and bed in a new long term CB. He has done that well and he should be making way now for the VK - EM partnership to bed in. I would play those two every game now until May unless injury / fatigue are an issue. I’d keep MDM next year as third choice then maybe a coaching role if he wants that.

EM might still have some iffy games but we need to have faith now and allow him to settle in. We have made error’s in the past, buying decent young players and not giving them the chance to step up over a long run in the team.

Spot on. We have to look to the future.

 

[BigOscar]

He did ok last night but watch Stokes goal.
He is ball watching and Djiuof goes in behind him leaving Kompany with both Crouch and Djiouf. Kompany take a step across meaning he is out of position when the cross comes in .

Just no. The goal had absolutely nothing to do with him. Kompany and Zaba just both fail to pick up Crouch, they aren't drawn to Diouf at all. Diouf was standing two yards offside anyway.

 

[sh249]

He did ok last night but watch Stokes goal.
He is ball watching and Djiuof goes in behind him leaving Kompany with both Crouch and Djiouf. Kompany take a step across meaning he is out of position when the cross comes in .

Just no. The goal had absolutely nothing to do with him. Kompany and Zaba just both fail to pick up Crouch, they aren't drawn to Diouf at all. Diouf was standing two yards offside anyway.

This. Although I've got some sympathy for Kompany as well, in that he was caught out by a brilliant, flat, early cross. Sometimes you just have to take your hat off to the opposition.
Reading the BBC live update page summed up the major problem for Mangala at the moment, namely the media obsession with making out that he's playing badly (much as they did with Demichelis last season). The incident in the second half where Diouf went down in the box was reported as evidence that Mangala is still a 'liability' - this in reference to a situation where an aimless long ball was thumped forward, Vinny misjudged it badly, and Mangala was in a good enough position to get around on the cover and use his body strength to ease Diouf off the ball. It would be funny, if it weren't for the fact that so many are so keen to buy into the bollocks.

 

[eversince 76]

Many will argue that Mangala should be lining up alongside Demi based on form and while there is an argument for that I feel that from now on we just have to say that our centre backs are Kompany and Mangala. It may seem extremely harsh on Demi but put simply he is not the future. If, as seems increasingly likely we are unable to overhaul Chelsea and retain the title then I at least want to us to be in a position at the start of next season where we know who our CB pairing is!

MDM was bought cheap to buy time to acquire and bed in a new long term CB. He has done that well and he should be making way now for the VK - EM partnership to bed in. I would play those two every game now until May unless injury / fatigue are an issue. I’d keep MDM next year as third choice then maybe a coaching role if he wants that.

EM might still have some iffy games but we need to have faith now and allow him to settle in. We have made error’s in the past, buying decent young players and not giving them the chance to step up over a long run in the team.

Spot on. We have to look to the future.

plus 1

 

[ninjamonkey]

He did ok last night but watch Stokes goal.
He is ball watching and Djiuof goes in behind him leaving Kompany with both Crouch and Djiouf. Kompany take a step across meaning he is out of position when the cross comes in .

Just no. The goal had absolutely nothing to do with him. Kompany and Zaba just both fail to pick up Crouch, they aren't drawn to Diouf at all. Diouf was standing two yards offside anyway.

Glad somebody pointed this out. Nothing to do with Mangala. The cross was a world class delivery and you probably have to hold your hands up and say fair play, but if you are to lay blame with anybody then Kompany could of been better positioned to at least make the header more difficult for crouch and Joe Hart could definitely have been better positioned, He almost came out for the cross as it was put in before realising where it was heading and deciding against it. I think he probably saves it if he didn't begin to come out and had instead stepped back onto his line.

 

[Rorz88]

He did ok last night but watch Stokes goal.
He is ball watching and Djiuof goes in behind him leaving Kompany with both Crouch and Djiouf. Kompany take a step across meaning he is out of position when the cross comes in .

Just no. The goal had absolutely nothing to do with him. Kompany and Zaba just both fail to pick up Crouch, they aren't drawn to Diouf at all. Diouf was standing two yards offside anyway.

Glad somebody pointed this out. Nothing to do with Mangala. The cross was a world class delivery and you probably have to hold your hands up and say fair play, but if you are to lay blame with anybody then Kompany could of been better positioned to at least make the header more difficult for crouch and Joe Hart could definitely have been better positioned, He almost came out for the cross as it was put in before realising where it was heading and deciding against it. I think he probably saves it if he didn't begin to come out and had instead stepped back onto his line.

It ok, on another thread someone has tried convincing me that the goal was Fernando's fault. Blame, if any, must lay with either Komps or Zaba for poor positioning.