Player topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2014/15)

[I'm With Stupid]

yes opinions

So with that in mind, do you rate him? Obviously I want the guy to do well it's a huge amount of money to spend on a CB considering FFP, but I just can't see it.

Zouma has looked far superior so far (granted he has played in a much more settled defensive unit).

Zouma, like chav Terry, plays with two defensive midfielders sat in front of him. That would make any centre-back look good, even Alan Kernaghan!

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time. We already got rid of Nastasic because he couldn't cope playing in our horribly exposed defence. At some point you've gotta think that it's not the personnel that's the problem, especially when Kompany's also struggling regularly.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

 

[Damocles]

So with that in mind, do you rate him? Obviously I want the guy to do well it's a huge amount of money to spend on a CB considering FFP, but I just can't see it.

Zouma has looked far superior so far (granted he has played in a much more settled defensive unit).

Zouma, like chav Terry, plays with two defensive midfielders sat in front of him. That would make any centre-back look good, even Alan Kernaghan!

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

 

[meeesh]

Zouma, like chav Terry, plays with two defensive midfielders sat in front of him. That would make any centre-back look good, even Alan Kernaghan!

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

So considering your last paragraph,are you suggesting we should not have a manager at all then ? Or is it your assumption that you think that is what the owners want ?

 

[Damocles]

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

So considering your last paragraph,are you suggesting we should not have a manager at all then ? Or is it your assumption that you think that is what the owners want ?

Yes, that is absolutely what I was suggesting.

 

[meeesh]

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

So considering your last paragraph,are you suggesting we should not have a manager at all then ? Or is it your assumption that you think that is what the owners want ?

Yes, that is absolutely what I was suggesting.

Thought as much

 

[J_Bow]

Did okay, proper hoof ball merchant though but i'm sure he'll panic less the more he trusts his teammates.

He was a 'hoof ball merchant' because he was being pressured well and had no outlet from the midfield or his 5"7 lone striker.

He needs regular starts in an unchanged back four, something we never do.

 

[flb]

Zouma, like chav Terry, plays with two defensive midfielders sat in front of him. That would make any centre-back look good, even Alan Kernaghan!

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

When this season have we counter attacked with any speed and scored a goal? Our counter attacking of late is hoofing it up to Sergio near the penalty box for him to take on 3 defenders on his own, nearly paid off yesterday when we hit the post.

We played attacking football under Mancini but could defend, now we cant defend and don't counter attack, its the same style of football we play now that we played 3 seasons ago- i just dont see this great difference in style under this manager that some people harp on about.

 

[GStar]

I think he's starting to settle, we look far more stable when we have Yaya & Fernandinho sat in-front of our back four.

Kompany on his form this season, can't be easy to play alongside, rash and spontaneous are not traits we're use to seeing in him.

 

[chris85mcfc]

Zouma, like chav Terry, plays with two defensive midfielders sat in front of him. That would make any centre-back look good, even Alan Kernaghan!

Well that's what we should be doing then. Not just for his benefit, the whole defence has been a shambles for a long time.

I can see exactly why he was hoofing it up yesterday. Liverpool were pressing high up the pitch to force a mistake, and our passing game was nowhere near what it should've been. I'd have been worried about trying to play it out from the back in that situation too.

Football is about balance. To increase the defensive strength you have to take away from the attacking creativity.

Mancini put 2 defensive midfielders in front of a back four which made us defensively strong but we also struggled to create chances and passed around the edge of the box for great swathes of the game. We also couldn't counter with any particular speed when we won the ball back outside of hoofing it to an attacking player because there was nobody to "link" the defensive midfielders who were sat deep and the attackers up front. As Dzeko isn't great at holding up the ball and Aguero is two foot tall, I'm not sure this is really something that would challenge most professional managers.

We play attacking football. This means that we're going to be weaker defensively than some may like. This isn't a Pellegrini thing, it's how the owner wants all of his clubs in the City Football Group to play. Once people come to terms with this it will be far easier for all concerned.

Do you honestly think we play attacking football?

I don't think I've ever seen a team playing attacking football with a complete lack of pace and width

 

[Damocles]

Do you honestly think we play attacking football?

I don't think I've ever seen a team playing attacking football with a complete lack of pace and width

I suppose it's lucky that we don't have a complete lack of pace and width then.

Probably just as lucky that attacking football isn't judged on how fast you move the ball nor how how wide you play. Otherwise counter-attacking football would be very confusing.