Player Topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2015/16)

[George Hannah]

Interesting post, a lot of which is true.

I think it's all true and I'm interested in the bits you think that aren't.

 

[RichardDunneOwnGoal]

Wouldn't write him off yet, still has most of the raw materials.

I know patience is running thin, but he seems the kind of player who'd be badly effected by our lack of organisation and structure all over the pitch at present.

If he can't do it under Pep then there's no hope for him. In the meantime, get behind him and try and be patient. All we can do.

 

[Dax777]

You're preaching to the choir mate in regards to our defenders being uncomfortable on the ball. I've read your entire post and agree with it completely. We struggle to put pressure on the opponents once we lose the ball because we are too far apart in possession, assumingly because we try to make the pitch bigger. Incidentally this clearly makes us slower in possession. I was reading somewhere earlier that we move the ball the slowest in the league and that doesn't surprise me. Being more compact would help us offensively and defensively. It would certainly allow us to use Toure without him being such a liability.

The only thing I do disagree with is Kompany not making much difference. By default, teams adopt a different style when he plays, but he also organises very well. The stats speak for themselves. Without checking, I don't think it's coincidence that we concede 1 in 8 with him in and 16 in 8 without him. It's a huge swing.

I totally agree what you say about KDB and Sterling. We miss Nasri, or the Nasri of a couple of years ago.

I guess I should rephrase that, Kompany will not make a difference defending wise. He will make a difference by helping us increase possession and thus have to defend less.

I know folks often allude to his organization skills. But to be honest, its mostly a figment of 'Kompany love lenses'. I have watched a bunch of the early games a few times, and we are no better organized defensively.

What we really were compared to now, is more attacking. We possessed the ball better and attacked more. And once we were in that mode the teams we played were mostly reeling and trying their best to keep us out of their nets.

It's a mentality thing. Most of our first 5 games played out like the last 15 minutes against Arsenal. With us pressing, looking for a goal and they seating on their heels trying to keep us out.

Notice how our defence looked great the last 15 minutes. They looked great coz they weren't really doing anything but supporting a team on the front foot. This is how we looked for the majority of our 1st five to six games.

Every now and then a single striker will breakout with the ball into our half and Mangala or Kompany will squash him. Teams simply didn't build up and attack us Now they do.

Thus, unless Kompany's introduction increases out possession enough to put us in that offensive mode, that forces the opponents to just defend for their lives and thus not be able to mount a consistent attack of their own. I really don't see how Komps helps much more.

I for one am banking on his possession skills more so than his defending or organizing. I think both gave been grossly overrated based on our record during the times he was playing.

Ignored in that analysis, is the cohesion we played with offensively that actually played a larger role in that stingy defensive record.

 

[mcfc482]

Need the team on the whole to defend better. Leaving any CB so exposed they are all going to look shit.

 

[ped]

Wouldn't write him off yet, still has most of the raw materials.

I know patience is running thin, but he seems the kind of player who'd be badly effected by our lack of organisation and structure all over the pitch at present.

If he can't do it under Pep then there's no hope for him. In the meantime, get behind him and try and be patient. All we can do.

their will be no pep mate,unless we can muster a couple of hundred belgiums to help pay for him

 

[ballinio]

I think it's all true and I'm interested in the bits you think that aren't.

Just read it again & you're right it's all true.

 

[Bluewonder]

Otamendi looks like a good player playing in a horrible system. Mangala just looks crap.

 

[ono]

I guess I should rephrase that, Kompany will not make a difference defending wise. He will make a difference by helping us increase possession and thus have to defend less.

I know folks often allude to his organization skills. But to be honest, its mostly a figment of 'Kompany love lenses'. I have watched a bunch of the early games a few times, and we are no better organized defensively.

What we really were compared to now, is more attacking. We possessed the ball better and attacked more. And once we were in that mode the teams we played were mostly reeling and trying their best to keep us out of their nets.

It's a mentality thing. Most of our first 5 games played out like the last 15 minutes against Arsenal. With us pressing, looking for a goal and they seating on their heels trying to keep us out.

Notice how our defence looked great the last 15 minutes. They looked great coz they weren't really doing anything but supporting a team on the front foot. This is how we looked for the majority of our 1st five to six games.

Every now and then a single striker will breakout with the ball into our half and Mangala or Kompany will squash him. Teams simply didn't build up and attack us Now they do.

Thus, unless Kompany's introduction increases out possession enough to put us in that offensive mode, that forces the opponents to just defend for their lives and thus not be able to mount a consistent attack of their own. I really don't see how Komps helps much more.

I for one am banking on his possession skills more so than his defending or organizing. I think both gave been grossly overrated based on our record during the times he was playing.

Ignored in that analysis, is the cohesion we played with offensively that actually played a larger role in that stingy defensive record.

Again agreed, but I do actually think his organisation skills are the difference and there's two reasons for that.

1: As I said earlier, conceding in 1 goal in 8 with him and 16 in 8 without him cannot simply be put down to his possession skills (and how the opponent reacts to them). They make a difference, but that's a massive swing that must be contributed to by more than one factor.

2: During the first 5 or so games, the opponent had the ball in the net on 3 seperate ocassions spread out over 3 games (iirc) but all 3 were disallowed because of a very slight offside. Very fine margins that surely can only be attributed to his organisations skills. Without him, our offside trap is fairly poor and dangerous.

 

[Dax777]

Again agreed, but I do actually think his organisation skills are the difference and there's two reasons for that.

1: As I said earlier, conceding in 1 goal in 8 with him and 16 in 8 without him cannot simply be put down to his possession skills (and how the opponent reacts to them). They make a difference, but that's a massive swing that must be contributed to by more than one factor.

2: During the first 5 or so games, the opponent had the ball in the net on 3 seperate ocassions spread out over 3 games (iirc) but all 3 were disallowed because of a very slight offside. Very fine margins that surely can only be attributed to his organisations skills. Without him, our offside trap is fairly poor and dangerous.

Well, I think am going to have to concede that to you. You make a good point..

 

[uwe rosler 28]

A lot better yesterday and seemed to relish the physical side of the game! Still looks a tad nervous but understandable considering every little mistake he makes leads to a goal.