Player topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2014/15)

[Thaksinssoldier]

Why should he be given a run of games when he looks likely to give goals away when he is on the pitch? Scott Sinclair looked equally inept on the few occasions he played for us, so why weren't the same people imploring the management to let him play himself into form?

Top class central defenders either have it or they don't; John Stones has been the best defender on the pitch in games against us and Chelsea this season, at the age of 20, in only his second season as a central defender. Jason Denayer also has that something special about him; having both of them as our centre back pairing within a few years would be an ideal scenario.

Gary Neville's analysis of him was spot on: 'Mangala doesn't know the game, he doesn't know how to play the centre-back position. Rather than being patient and holding his own, he will go and chase people into places that he shouldn't be'

Stones will soon be playing for one of Europe's, let alone England's, elite clubs and a priority this summer should be ensuring that it's us. We could have got him for half of the price we paid for Mongala last summer; hopefully with the HG quota needing to be addressed we will cut our losses on this dud and bring the Everton kid in.

You sir are a wum of the highest order

I gave up reading his nonsense at John Stones.

 

[Thenumber1blue]

Why should he be given a run of games when he looks likely to give goals away when he is on the pitch? Scott Sinclair looked equally inept on the few occasions he played for us, so why weren't the same people imploring the management to let him play himself into form?

Top class central defenders either have it or they don't; John Stones has been the best defender on the pitch in games against us and Chelsea this season, at the age of 20, in only his second season as a central defender. Jason Denayer also has that something special about him; having both of them as our centre back pairing within a few years would be an ideal scenario.

Gary Neville's analysis of him was spot on: 'Mangala doesn't know the game, he doesn't know how to play the centre-back position. Rather than being patient and holding his own, he will go and chase people into places that he shouldn't be'

Stones will soon be playing for one of Europe's, let alone England's, elite clubs and a priority this summer should be ensuring that it's us. We could have got him for half of the price we paid for Mongala last summer; hopefully with the HG quota needing to be addressed we will cut our losses on this dud and bring the Everton kid in.

You sir are a wum of the highest order

I gave up reading his nonsense at John Stones.

Especially with the state of Everton's defence this season !

 

[Thaksinssoldier]

Look, I've defended Mangala on this thread several times, and its not because I believe he's been great, okay or even could be good.

Two simple facts

1. He hasn't been given a sufficient run to form an educated opinion. He's either played with a different CB partner or a different left back in every game he's played. Sometimes he's played with Fernando in front of him, sometimes not. He simply hasn't been given a platform to bed in.

2. If we looked world class in every other department, but he looked the weak link, I'd accept that. Let's be damned honest. Our entire back line and defensive midfield structure looks awful whether he's been in there or not.

Let's hope MP is moved on and we can judge him under a second manager. If he thrives, MP is partially to blame for this year. If he doesn't, then it's 100% on the lad.
Deal?

 

[bluechampion7891]

Why should he be given a run of games when he looks likely to give goals away when he is on the pitch? Scott Sinclair looked equally inept on the few occasions he played for us, so why weren't the same people imploring the management to let him play himself into form?

Top class central defenders either have it or they don't; John Stones has been the best defender on the pitch in games against us and Chelsea this season, at the age of 20, in only his second season as a central defender. Jason Denayer also has that something special about him; having both of them as our centre back pairing within a few years would be an ideal scenario.

Gary Neville's analysis of him was spot on: 'Mangala doesn't know the game, he doesn't know how to play the centre-back position. Rather than being patient and holding his own, he will go and chase people into places that he shouldn't be'

Stones will soon be playing for one of Europe's, let alone England's, elite clubs and a priority this summer should be ensuring that it's us. We could have got him for half of the price we paid for Mongala last summer; hopefully with the HG quota needing to be addressed we will cut our losses on this dud and bring the Everton kid in.

You sir are a wum of the highest order

I gave up reading his nonsense at John Stones.

from the starting XI thread:

Manager: Brendan Rodgers

Hart
Zabaleta-Stones-Kompany-Clichy
Fernandinho-De Jong
Pedro-Silva-Sterling
Aguero

Green
Maffeo
Angelino
Demichelis
Bryan
Will Hughes
Alex Pritchard
Bony

Barker loaned out for 3 months to somewhere like Derby with a view to coming into the squad in January.

have to agree with mosssideblue

 

[SilverFox2]

Look, I've defended Mangala on this thread several times, and its not because I believe he's been great, okay or even could be good.

Two simple facts

1. He hasn't been given a sufficient run to form an educated opinion. He's either played with a different CB partner or a different left back in every game he's played. Sometimes he's played with Fernando in front of him, sometimes not. He simply hasn't been given a platform to bed in.

2. If we looked world class in every other department, but he looked the weak link, I'd accept that. Let's be damned honest. Our entire back line and defensive midfield structure looks awful whether he's been in there or not.

Let's hope MP is moved on and we can judge him under a second manager. If he thrives, MP is partially to blame for this year. If he doesn't, then it's 100% on the lad.
Deal?

I sincerely hope you are right but:

The collective loss of form by our entire back line should surely give him opportunity to shine and not be a reason for him to not display his capability? In other words is this his level or does he need others playing well for him to show form ?

 

[mosssideblue]

Look, I've defended Mangala on this thread several times, and its not because I believe he's been great, okay or even could be good.

Two simple facts

1. He hasn't been given a sufficient run to form an educated opinion. He's either played with a different CB partner or a different left back in every game he's played. Sometimes he's played with Fernando in front of him, sometimes not. He simply hasn't been given a platform to bed in.

2. If we looked world class in every other department, but he looked the weak link, I'd accept that. Let's be damned honest. Our entire back line and defensive midfield structure looks awful whether he's been in there or not.

Let's hope MP is moved on and we can judge him under a second manager. If he thrives, MP is partially to blame for this year. If he doesn't, then it's 100% on the lad.
Deal?

I sincerely hope you are right but:

The collective loss of form by our entire back line should surely give him opportunity to shine and not be a reason for him to not display his capability? In other words is this his level or does he need others playing well for him to show form ?

Not sure #2 is that straight forward and is the same argument that was placed against Barkley at Everton. Sometimes even the best cannot show what they have if all around them are playing poor.

Once the defence has got its mojo back can we look at Eli objectively. Any other assessment now is surely skewed.

IMO he will be the real deal.

 

[SilverFox2]

Look, I've defended Mangala on this thread several times, and its not because I believe he's been great, okay or even could be good.

Two simple facts

1. He hasn't been given a sufficient run to form an educated opinion. He's either played with a different CB partner or a different left back in every game he's played. Sometimes he's played with Fernando in front of him, sometimes not. He simply hasn't been given a platform to bed in.

2. If we looked world class in every other department, but he looked the weak link, I'd accept that. Let's be damned honest. Our entire back line and defensive midfield structure looks awful whether he's been in there or not.

Let's hope MP is moved on and we can judge him under a second manager. If he thrives, MP is partially to blame for this year. If he doesn't, then it's 100% on the lad.
Deal?

I sincerely hope you are right but:

The collective loss of form by our entire back line should surely give him opportunity to shine and not be a reason for him to not display his capability? In other words is this his level or does he need others playing well for him to show form ?

Not sure #2 is that straight forward and is the same argument that was placed against Barkley at Everton. Sometimes even the best cannot show what they have if all around them are playing poor.

Once the defence has got its mojo back can we look at Eli objectively. Any other assessment now is surely skewed.

IMO he will be the real deal.

For everyones sake I hope you are right but until then we have a team that either by design or coincidence is not at its best collectively.
What do we do, do we continue playing all the defensive culprits with him involved or do we save him for next season ?

Incidentally, if things do not improve and we run out of games to improve would any academy player be any worse than those who continue to be out of form ? After all Berkeley seemed to develop from academy roots.

 

[Mancini Manus Domini]

Take a bow son.

 

[kaz7]

Great performance today,with this run of games we will see what he is about

 

[bigkatnyc]

Take a bow son.

MOTM for me. Physical all day but not overly so. Showed excellent pace. And provided defensive cover all over the pitch today.