Player Topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2015/16)

[RandomJ]

Joe should have done better, so don't put it all on Mangala.

I'm not. Hart could have done better but to be fair to him it was a rocket shot. I just think if Mangala had simply ran in a straight line he'd have been shoulder to shoulder with Gomis and could have got a foot on the shot.

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

I also seem to see it the complete opposite to how @Damocles did. Mangala judges the ball so badly gets sucked in and allows Gomis to turn and run straight in on goal

Mangala didn't do something world class which was identified a danger from a pass 40 yards away from him and get onto the opposite side of the attacker then take the ball off of him before he had his first touch.

Do you think that is the only way Mangala could have defended the Gomis goal?

 

[bornblueegg]

Oh and just to put to bed the "a defender with a brain would have reacted" shite.

Completely agree

I fuckin hate dickheads who have not experienced this type of defending in real life to react in seconds to half mistakes by others and get the blame.

and yes before you ask I have, at a very reasonable level

 

[come-on-barney]

I don't think any of our defenders can really be judged at the moment. It's clear that either centre back needs Kompany alongside them. I have always supported Mangala and I think the time to judge him will be next season. Whilst Mangala has made some errors, so as Otamendi but with some seems to get an easier ride. Next season will be the time to judge Mangala once we play a more realistic formation. If he doesn't perform next season then I would agree it's time to make a decision.

 

[Damocles]

Watch the clip again. As the pass is made Mangala runs diagonally to the ball thinking he can get there, then realises that he has no fucking chance and tries to fix his error by trying to catch up with Gomis who by then has a free shot on goal and yes it was a hell of a finish. If Mangala had simply run in a straight line he'd have easily blocked the shot. I don't disagree with parts of your post. Yes our midfield is far to easy to slice open and yes Hart will think he could have done better at his near post but Mangala fucked up thinking he could cut the pass out instead of just going with the runner.

True, but let's be fair here. We know where that ball is going because we've seen the replay. Mangala has to make a choice between running directly to his goalmouth, running straight towards the gap that's left, or following the player. He chose running towards the gap which he does every single bloody time no matter what.

Let's also be fair and say that 99 times out of 100 he made the right decision to pressure the defender with the ball an create an acute angle for the shot. Gomis' finish was ridiculous, that's an important thing to remember too.

But again, people are slagging him off for not successfully covering other people's mistakes. Those three players who I highlighted in the image have more more culpability for that goal than Mangala yet none of them are getting criticised as making the mistake because they aren't as visible. The left back facing the crowd for example rather than the pitch is infuriating; if he was alert he could have covered the side where the ball was an Mangala could have done exactly what he did and the danger would have been gone.

 

[hgblue]

I like him. A much better player than he gets credit for, and bags of potential.

 

[Damocles]

I also seem to see it the complete opposite to how @Damocles did. Mangala judges the ball so badly gets sucked in and allows Gomis to turn and run straight in on goal



Do you think that is the only way Mangala could have defended the Gomis goal?

Defending is a collective trait and not an individual one. Mangala correctly expects other people to do their job correctly and tries to rescue the situation when they don't.

 

[bornblueegg]

Defending is a collective trait and not an individual one. Mangala correctly expects other people to do their job correctly and tries to rescue the situation when they don't.

tru dat

 

[Saddleworth2]

Defending is a collective trait and not an individual one. Mangala correctly expects other people to do their job correctly and tries to rescue the situation when they don't.

Damo, you are probably correct in this instance. Look at his defending on the disallowed goal if you want to see evidence of his frail judgement. He wrestles with Gomes as I would expect then just lets him go and faces off to the midfield player that simply scoops the ball over his head. Defend him on the tackle that led to his booking if you can. He is playing in a disfunctional defensive set up front to back but he is not demonstrating the defensive judgement that I would expect from a competent international level centre back. Not saying he doesn't have potential but our coaches don't seem to be tapping into that.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Defending is a collective trait and not an individual one. Mangala correctly expects other people to do their job correctly and tries to rescue the situation when they don't.

Yep,hes a very unselfish player who wont go missing and occasionally ends up with egg on his face as a result