Players who might improve us

[Neville Kneville]

Puyol and Cannavaro were great in the air despite their lack of height. Otamendi didn't do too badly in his prime either.

Those players are fine until they come up against big strong players or a rare player who is actually brilliant in the air.

Then you need Vinny.

 

[RayCTID]

Those players are fine until they come up against big strong players or a rare player who is actually brilliant in the air.

Then you need Vinny.

True having taller defenders does help but there are otherways of defending against taller players

 

[Neville Kneville]

True a taller defenders helps but there are otherways of defending against taller players

Lots, Fernandinho is great at it, & that's why they don't score from every cross but still I'd back VanDijk to destroy Fern or even Otamendi, more than half the time if they challenge for a 50/50 header in front of goal.

Also the amount of trouble he causes leads to others scoring goals.

Even VanDijk isn't a 'skilled' header though, he's just huge so gets easier headers.

 

[Dax777]

Puyol and Cannavaro were great in the air despite their lack of height. Otamendi didn't do too badly in his prime either.

Again you keep purposely missing the point. No one is arguing there has never been a short player who was a good header, what is being argued is that taller players generally have an advantage, and would be crossers consider this. This is a common sense claim. That you are arguing against it as if it was some controversial position is strange.

By the way, you have now named 4 players. None of them short. Canavaro, Puyol, Cahill and Otamendi. They were all average height guys who were still good at heading. Which agaon supports the notion of how hard it is to be short and good in the air. Even your examples is proof that it's hard. As you are struggling to find short guys who were great at it. There are some by the way. They are just the exception though. And ta

 

[RayCTID]

Again you keep purposely missing the point. No one is arguing there has never been a short player who was a good header, what is being argued is that taller players generally have an advantage, and would be crossers consider this. This is a common sense claim. That you are arguing against it as if it was some controversial position is strange.

By the way, you have now named 4 players. None of them short. Canavaro, Puyol, Cahill and Otamendi. They were all average height guys who were still good at heading. Which agaon supports the notion of how hard it is to be short and good in the air. Even your examples is proof that it's hard. As you are struggling to find short guys who were great at it. There are some by the way. They are just the exception though. And ta

A lot of tall players don't use their height and are poor in the air and can't jump and aren't that agressive is the point I'm making. Garcia is 6'0" but doesn't have a great leap and would struggle to play at the top.

 

[salfordbluetrue]

City went for the Busquets type of DM in Rodri and not the Matuidi/Makelele type. I don’t think the club would bring in another DM. Not sure what his passing stats are but I can’t see them bringing in Zakaria or someone like Thomas Partey.

There is not a problem with going for a Busquets type player Rodri is an excellent footballer, but with no pace he can not do the covering needed for a slow defense, this was shown all season with City having to wait 30 minutes for the game to slow down so they could show their quality, quite a few games ie utd it was too late. But Zakaria is not just good enough to cover Rodri for the faster games he is good enough to replace Stones which would give the Defense pace enough for Rodri to play the faster games.

 

[Josh_D]

There is not a problem with going for a Busquets type player Rodri is an excellent footballer, but with no pace he can not do the covering needed for a slow defense, this was shown all season with City having to wait 30 minutes for the game to slow down so they could show their quality, quite a few games ie utd it was too late. But Zakaria is not just good enough to cover Rodri for the faster games he is good enough to replace Stones which would give the Defense pace enough for Rodri to play the faster games.

Rodri is a good player. Like you said, lacks pace but such is life. I just threw Zakaria in as a player of the ‘athletic/pace’ ilk. I believe he played CB for a lot of last season. My ideal DM was Partey when City were rumoured to be after an A.Madrid player.

A midfield with more pace/energy will help to mitigate the troubles of the CB’s. Also, a fast CB will also allow the DM to do his things as well. The situation is as it is for the club. Only thing to be done is ensuring the right personal play in certain games.

 

[Neville Kneville]

There is not a problem with going for a Busquets type player Rodri is an excellent footballer, but with no pace he can not do the covering needed for a slow defense, this was shown all season with City having to wait 30 minutes for the game to slow down so they could show their quality, quite a few games ie utd it was too late. But Zakaria is not just good enough to cover Rodri for the faster games he is good enough to replace Stones which would give the Defense pace enough for Rodri to play the faster games.

We should have a player of that type in the squad, irrespective of the details.

We don't have the option, just variations of players who do what they do, with the same basic weakness, which is ridiculous imo.

 

[mexico1970]

Ramos for a couple of seasons while we sort the CB position out. It'd trigger the scousers into a frenzy too which would be a bonus.

 

[salfordbluetrue]

Rudiger, on the bench for Chelsea`s opener, he is being blamed for a lot of mistakes by the fans, and it looks like Chelsea want rid, earlier in the year Chelsea were sniffing round Stones, straight swap? now i do not think he is any better than Stones but he is better in the air and faster, so can play the high back line that Stones blames for his injuries