Player Topic: Eliaquim Mangala (2015/16)

[jimmygrimblesboots]

I find it very sad when our fans use the price tag to beat our own players with,leave that to the media

i remember when we paid Wolves £1.4m for Steve Daley , a British transfer record at the time , and there was quite a few "sad" supporters questioning the senility of Peter Swales , we go overboard when we sign a Vinny Kompany for £4m ,as bargain of the century , or Zabman for £5m , so an expensive mistake like Daley or any other player , will always be up for debate , what is the point of burying our heads in the sand and not forming an opinion , regarding player recruitment and value for money . Regards the media ,as city supporters we all know their agenda , and i am past caring what they think about our football club , if we got Messi for a tenner , the media would still give us shit over the money. But if Mangala gets man of the match against Juventus , please fell free to reply to this post , and give me a good kicking :)

 

[BigOscar]

The chance that Benteke had that Hart saved in the second half was an example of bad positioning and then he allowed Benteke to run 25 yards and get a free shot away. He was too slow to get back and didn't even try and foul him to stop the play. His play on Saturday was undefendable. He was total and utter crap. How he stayed on is a mystery.

That wasn't poor positioning it was a counter attack from a corner wasn't it? He did brilliantly to sprint back 80 yards and actually put off Benteke and force him wide, as no one else was even trying at that point. He ran past half our team to get there. I'm not having him criticised for that, as it was one of the few times in the entire game any of our defenders looked remotely arsed!

As for him charging into midfield, all our defenders do that and I can't help but feel it's a shit tactical ploy by Pellegrini to try and make up for the fact that he never puts enough midfielders in there, so asks whichever CB is free to make up the numbers. Every other manager in world football would instead just play a proper midfield, but we instead play a one man midfield of Fern(ando/inho) with Yaya milling around doing fuck all, then ask the CB's to break the line and put pressure on people in the hole to stop them turning. It's a shit tactic, but it does appear to be our tactic. When you combine that with our baffling offside trap with no pressure on the ball, I'm amazed we ever keep clean sheets tbh, it's a fucking mess of a system.

 

[dasblues]

It's not one game though is it?

Excluding all of last season and his hilarious showing against Stuttgart in preseason, Moses and Murray both scored because they were given free shots from 20 yards on their stronger foot by Mangala. Mandzukic was left unmarked in the box by Mangala when he scored against us while his positioning for the Morata goal in the same game is what led to Otamendi being pulled across.

I've never liked him because he's simply not good enough; nowhere near good enough to play for a top team and nowhere near good enough to ever justify the £42m we spent on him.

Remember Richard Edghill being lynched years ago after a couple of bad performances? Yet this donkey is blindly defended by some on here. It's weird. Neither Savic or Nastasic cost us anywhere near as much money or as many goals as Mangala, yet are widely regarded as flops. Both were much younger than him as well.

The reality is he's still here because he refused to move; the coaching staff wanted him out. His presence destabilises the entire defensive unit; look at the difference in Otamendi with/without Mangala next to him, and as a consequence Kolarov, who requires a steady player in behind him to neutralise his own dubious positional sense.

Kompany will probably only play 25-30 games per season moving forward, so we need to invest in another top class centrehalf plus a competent ageing one to fill gaps when required.

Spot on this

It's a painfully reality but we must wake up to the fact that he is a very limited player both on the ball and positionally.

He is now third our third choice centre half , he will be gone in the summer for less than half what we paid for him. shocking piece of business by the player recruitment team respnsible. apparently his scouting reports highlighted his deficiencies according to rat boys gimp brother.

We will also need a long term replacement for Vinny in the next couple of years , we will have to get the next one right, someone proven at the highest level , not some unpolished diamond that turns out to be a turd

 

[sir baconface]

Is it true that Pellegrini personally coaches the defence!

You heard it wrong mate. It's "the fence".

Seriously though, I recall some rag representative saying they'd had Mangala watched for some time at Porto but considered him too erratic. At the time I discounted it as sour grapes because we signed him.

Interesting how opinion is split between him being crap and having good potential.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

That wasn't poor positioning it was a counter attack from a corner wasn't it? He did brilliantly to sprint back 80 yards and actually put off Benteke and force him wide, as no one else was even trying at that point. He ran past half our team to get there. I'm not having him criticised for that, as it was one of the few times in the entire game any of our defenders looked remotely arsed!

As for him charging into midfield, all our defenders do that and I can't help but feel it's a shit tactical ploy by Pellegrini to try and make up for the fact that he never puts enough midfielders in there, so asks whichever CB is free to make up the numbers. Every other manager in world football would instead just play a proper midfield, but we instead play a one man midfield of Fern(ando/inho) with Yaya milling around doing fuck all, then ask the CB's to break the line and put pressure on people in the hole to stop them turning. It's a shit tactic, but it does appear to be our tactic. When you combine that with our baffling offside trap with no pressure on the ball, I'm amazed we ever keep clean sheets tbh, it's a fucking mess of a system.

I've just watched it again and you are right and I am wrong. He would have been sent off had he fouled. Not sure why Benteke had so much space in the first place as it doesn't show the bit before but Mangala was blameless in that bit.

 

[mosssideblue]

Spot on this

It's a painfully reality but we must wake up to the fact that he is a very limited player both on the ball and positionally.

He is now third our third choice centre half , he will be gone in the summer for less than half what we paid for him. shocking piece of business by the player recruitment team respnsible. apparently his scouting reports highlighted his deficiencies according to rat boys gimp brother.

We will also need a long term replacement for Vinny in the next couple of years , we will have to get the next one right, someone proven at the highest level , not some unpolished diamond that turns out to be a turd

Thank you for such an insight into one of our players. I must be a dying breed who supports our players and understands that they cannot play well every game, despite us wanting them to. Each to their own though.

 

[BigOscar]

I've just watched it again and you are right and I am wrong. He would have been sent off had he fouled. Not sure why Benteke had so much space in the first place as it doesn't show the bit before but Mangala was blameless in that bit.

I think we just overcommited for the corner because we were chasing the game and didn't leave 2 men back(De Bruyne looks to sort of be back, but not really). Kolarov didn't exactly cover himself in glory by neither cutting down the passing lane or marking Benteke, or doing much of anything, then following it up with his usual amble back when the ball was played in behind him, but it's tough as the last man in a two on one(he couldn't have made it much easier for them though).

 

[kaz7]

i remember when we paid Wolves £1.4m for Steve Daley , a British transfer record at the time , and there was quite a few "sad" supporters questioning the senility of Peter Swales , we go overboard when we sign a Vinny Kompany for £4m ,as bargain of the century , or Zabman for £5m , so an expensive mistake like Daley or any other player , will always be up for debate , what is the point of burying our heads in the sand and not forming an opinion , regarding player recruitment and value for money . Regards the media ,as city supporters we all know their agenda , and i am past caring what they think about our football club , if we got Messi for a tenner , the media would still give us shit over the money. But if Mangala gets man of the match against Juventus , please fell free to reply to this post , and give me a good kicking :)

If he gets man of the match i will be too busy fainting lol

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I think we just overcommited for the corner because we were chasing the game and didn't leave 2 men back(De Bruyne looks to sort of be back, but not really). Kolarov didn't exactly cover himself in glory by neither cutting down the passing lane or marking Benteke, or doing much of anything, then following it up with his usual amble back when the ball was played in behind him, but it's tough as the last man in a two on one(he couldn't have made it much easier for them though).

I was going to mention Kolorov but I've given him enough stick this week.

The first two goals were a shambles looking back at them. The third was full of errors too but the back heel to create the chance was great.

 

[Brookers]

You heard it wrong mate. It's "the fence".

Seriously though, I recall some rag representative saying they'd had Mangala watched for some time at Porto but considered him too erratic. At the time I discounted it as sour grapes because we signed him.

Interesting how opinion is split between him being crap and having good potential.

Apparently they nicknamed him 'Bombscare' due to his reaction every time he got the ball (true story from some well informed reports)
I think we can see why!