Player Topic: Wilfried Bony (2014/15)

[Marvin]

I think like a lot of our signings he is not really the player we need. At the end of the summer when we have missed out on a target due to cost we will look back on the signing of Bony and think that 28 million could have been better utilised elsewhere. If we are moving to one up top or we get a new manager who favours this formation you wonder where he will fit in the team or what he will offer us next season.

Arsenal play one up top and therefore sensibly have bought players, as a replacement to Giroud, who have the flexibility to play a number of positions and therefore when Giroud is fit can provide cover or variability in other positions. Chelsea play one up top and have therefore dragged in a free transfer and a 12 million pound purchase who at a push could play left/right in a three.

We have bought Bony who I do not see able to play in any other position. Furthermore I do not think he offers the skillset we lack within the team, most notably pace but also I do not think he works hard enough and having watched him a bit he reminds me a bit of James Milner in the sense that on some occasions his first touch, control, passing or so bad there is not any consistency of performance. I am not sure he is the player to take us to the next level and so to me is another expensive squad filler rather than improving the first eleven or providing serious competition.

Hopefully I am wrong but I would have preferred the money to be spent on players who have the potential or able to improve the first team

If we play one up front next season he will be awesome if Kun needs resting or injured (as per :-) ) or with two up front a great foil for Kun

I think as a replacement for Kun is his most likely position also I have never seen him play in a two so I have no idea how effective he will be playing in that position.

I do not think he will be a disastrous signing like Fernando as an example but again we have bought him and the manager has showed little confidence in starting him and we have since moved to playing one upfront. Sadly he looks like another signing without any foresight and like I said I would much rather buy a player using the Bony money and the summer kitty to buy a stellar player who can improve the first team.

Bony could be a stellar signing. The problem we have is that the manager doesn't want to play 2 up front because our midfield with Yaya Toure can't take it

He plays down the middle as a central striker whereas Aguero runs the channels and goes deep so they should be able to play together.

 

[franksinatra]

If we play one up front next season he will be awesome if Kun needs resting or injured (as per :-) ) or with two up front a great foil for Kun

I think as a replacement for Kun is his most likely position also I have never seen him play in a two so I have no idea how effective he will be playing in that position.

I do not think he will be a disastrous signing like Fernando as an example but again we have bought him and the manager has showed little confidence in starting him and we have since moved to playing one upfront. Sadly he looks like another signing without any foresight and like I said I would much rather buy a player using the Bony money and the summer kitty to buy a stellar player who can improve the first team.

Bony could be a stellar signing. The problem we have is that the manager doesn't want to play 2 up front because our midfield with Yaya Toure can't take it

He plays down the middle as a central striker whereas Aguero runs the channels and goes deep so they should be able to play together.

Sadly I am not sure he has the application or work rate to enable him to play in a two upfront. Maybe coming to City he will change but sadly, at the top level, against the top sides, we cannot afford passengers and we will still need to match them up in midfield. Yes Stoke, West Brom at home he could get the goals but personally I would rather us set up and buy a player capable of performing against the top sides not a player who will score against the sides we should beat anyway

 

[Eds]

Anyone who saw him control a 60 yard punt from Joe should be able to see that this guy has it. On more than one occasion on Sunday the ball was played up to him and not only did he hold defenders off he had the ball under control and gave other players a vital few seconds rest. Unfortunately had Edin come on the ball would have come straight back at us. Those who are spouting shit obviously haven't realised that this guy is the real deal

 

[mosssideblue]

Anyone who saw him control a 60 yard punt from Joe should be able to see that this guy has it. On more than one occasion on Sunday the ball was played up to him and not only did he hold defenders off he had the ball under control and gave other players a vital few seconds rest. Unfortunately had Edin come on the ball would have come straight back at us. Those who are spouting shit obviously haven't realised that this guy is the real deal

I saw that instant control and agree he has it in spades

 

[franksinatra]

Anyone who saw him control a 60 yard punt from Joe should be able to see that this guy has it. On more than one occasion on Sunday the ball was played up to him and not only did he hold defenders off he had the ball under control and gave other players a vital few seconds rest. Unfortunately had Edin come on the ball would have come straight back at us. Those who are spouting shit obviously haven't realised that this guy is the real deal

Not sure who you are referring to with regards spouting shit but as yet we have another player who has failed to make any sort of impact this season and incredibly we have recently adopted one forward leaving us with three players costing over 20 million all not playing. Hence my point with regards buying players with more flexibility and a potential lack of foresight in our transfer dealings.

I think the summer will reveal more about the wisdom of this transfer. If we intend to play two upfront I think it is widely accepted we will have to resolve the issue of the two man midfield which in my opinion is more complex than just replacing Yaya as neither Fernando gives us the defensive solidity of a Gareth Barry in his pomp nor will Fernandinho link the play between the defence and attack Yaya frequently does, nor chip in with the twenty goals Yaya has done in our successful season.

If that cannot be resolved we will naturally have to play a three in midfield for the larger games consigning Bony to the bench and as Agueros understudy, as he has little flexibility to his game. In the games where Aguero is injured it will be even more difficult to break teams down as we will not have the benefit of Agueros darting runs which stretch the opposition or his pace on the counter attack. It is only an opinion but for me the money would have been better spent on a forward who is able to play across the front three, rather than overspending on an understudy, or buying a winger/creative player to enable the team to evolve into a 4-2-3-1 formation.

 

[BLUE THUNDER]

How people can rubbish the guy when he has only had a few cameo roles as a sub defies belief. He deserves a chance, and from what I've seen (especially against Spurs) he has the touch (better than Dzeko) to play at the level we require. He will prove to be a very good signing for us once he gets a consistent run.

 

[Centurions]

If we play one up front next season he will be awesome if Kun needs resting or injured (as per :-) ) or with two up front a great foil for Kun

I think as a replacement for Kun is his most likely position also I have never seen him play in a two so I have no idea how effective he will be playing in that position.

I do not think he will be a disastrous signing like Fernando as an example but again we have bought him and the manager has showed little confidence in starting him and we have since moved to playing one upfront. Sadly he looks like another signing without any foresight and like I said I would much rather buy a player using the Bony money and the summer kitty to buy a stellar player who can improve the first team.

Bony could be a stellar signing. The problem we have is that the manager doesn't want to play 2 up front because our midfield with Yaya Toure can't take it

He plays down the middle as a central striker whereas Aguero runs the channels and goes deep so they should be able to play together.

Is this the same manager that people have been slaughtering all season for playing 4-4-2? Only on BlueMoon...

 

[franksinatra]

How people can rubbish the guy when he has only had a few cameo roles as a sub defies belief. He deserves a chance, and from what I've seen (especially against Spurs) he has the touch (better than Dzeko) to play at the level we require. He will prove to be a very good signing for us once he gets a consistent run.

Well I am not rubbishing the guy completely. His goalscoring record, strength prove he has qualities in certain areas. But I just do not necessarily think the money spent or his skillset is what we required at this moment in time. For me the foresight of the transfer is the issue.

 

[franksinatra]

I think as a replacement for Kun is his most likely position also I have never seen him play in a two so I have no idea how effective he will be playing in that position.

I do not think he will be a disastrous signing like Fernando as an example but again we have bought him and the manager has showed little confidence in starting him and we have since moved to playing one upfront. Sadly he looks like another signing without any foresight and like I said I would much rather buy a player using the Bony money and the summer kitty to buy a stellar player who can improve the first team.

Bony could be a stellar signing. The problem we have is that the manager doesn't want to play 2 up front because our midfield with Yaya Toure can't take it

He plays down the middle as a central striker whereas Aguero runs the channels and goes deep so they should be able to play together.

Is this the same manager that people have been slaughtering all season for playing 4-4-2? Only on BlueMoon...

I agree with your point Colin. We have been playing 4-4-2 and that does seem to be Pellers preferred default position. However of late we have reverted back to a 4-2-3-1 placing a question mark on how Bony will fit into the team.

Of more interest to myself is if we do decide not to continue with Pellers there is a good chance the next manager may favour a 4-2-3-1 formation. Leaving us with Dzeko, Jovetic, Bony all as back up to Aguero. You can sense the last minute fire sale in August leaving us with transfer fees for players at a fraction of their value.

 

[mosssideblue]

Bony could be a stellar signing. The problem we have is that the manager doesn't want to play 2 up front because our midfield with Yaya Toure can't take it

He plays down the middle as a central striker whereas Aguero runs the channels and goes deep so they should be able to play together.

Is this the same manager that people have been slaughtering all season for playing 4-4-2? Only on BlueMoon...

I agree with your point Colin. We have been playing 4-4-2 and that does seem to be Pellers preferred default position. However of late we have reverted back to a 4-2-3-1 placing a question mark on how Bony will fit into the team.

Of more interest to myself is if we do decide not to continue with Pellers there is a good chance the next manager may favour a 4-2-3-1 formation. Leaving us with Dzeko, Jovetic, Bony all as back up to Aguero. You can sense the last minute fire sale in August leaving us with transfer fees for players at a fraction of their value.

General consensus on here Frank appears to suggest Dzeko & Jojo are already in the shop window, although I would want us to keep Jojo.