Richards this season

[Ray78]

Problem Mancini has with Richards is his technical ability, i.e. his ability to receive, control and distribute the ball in a fluid team making numerous runs in front of him!

For corners, free kicks, and surging runs, he is great, even if his final ball sometimes leaves something to be desired, but to play for Man City now, you have to have technical expertise. I believe this is the same reason Milner and AJ struggle to make the team....Mancini sees them as TECHNICALLY inferior to the other choices available. I also believe that is why he constantly seems to be on the lookout for a Lescott replacement....technically sufficient for England, but not up to Mancini's standards for a potential Champions League winning team. I believe that is why Kolo got a look in last year and why a very young and inexperienced Savic was bought and bloodied....Mancini believes that Savic actually has that technical ability and that once he acclimates to the premier League and bulks up a little, he CAN be Kompany's long term partner.

I know, you think I'm crazy, but why on earth would he buy him, and play him ahead of Kolo, if this was not spot on?! Oh, and to bring it full circle, Richards' lack of technical ability is also the reason why he was not the first choice to slide in to the middle when we needed cover at CB!

Nail on Head.

 

[Vienna_70]

I Prefer Richards, he's like a tank on that right side. Going forward and defending.

Me to but the last 5 games you couldn't take pablo out the team he was awesome

Agreed. I don't think he played Zaba over Richards because he's the definitve first choice RB.

Zabba was just too good to drop.

This.

But it wasn't just Zaba; the starting XI was unchanged for the last five or six games. That's why Zaba stayed in the team, IMHO.

 

[Vienna_70]

Problem Mancini has with Richards is his technical ability, i.e. his ability to receive, control and distribute the ball in a fluid team making numerous runs in front of him!

For corners, free kicks, and surging runs, he is great, even if his final ball sometimes leaves something to be desired, but to play for Man City now, you have to have technical expertise. I believe this is the same reason Milner and AJ struggle to make the team....Mancini sees them as TECHNICALLY inferior to the other choices available. I also believe that is why he constantly seems to be on the lookout for a Lescott replacement....technically sufficient for England, but not up to Mancini's standards for a potential Champions League winning team. I believe that is why Kolo got a look in last year and why a very young and inexperienced Savic was bought and bloodied....Mancini believes that Savic actually has that technical ability and that once he acclimates to the premier League and bulks up a little, he CAN be Kompany's long term partner.

I know, you think I'm crazy, but why on earth would he buy him, and play him ahead of Kolo, if this was not spot on?! Oh, and to bring it full circle, Richards' lack of technical ability is also the reason why he was not the first choice to slide in to the middle when we needed cover at CB!

RM doesn't seem to be constantly on the lookout for a replacement for Lescott to me. JL was absolutely outstanding all season, in many games he was better than Vinnie. And I still cannot understand why Joleon did not make the final six for Player of the Season, though I do concede that the competition was fierce.

Mancini played Savic ahead of Kolo because Kolo was away on ACoN duties, which coincided with Vinnie's suspension and then JL's injury. I also recall RM playing Micah at centre-back later in the season, ahead of Savic and me and many of my friends were asking why he hadn't done this earlier.

 

[twosips]

Problem Mancini has with Richards is his technical ability, i.e. his ability to receive, control and distribute the ball in a fluid team making numerous runs in front of him!

For corners, free kicks, and surging runs, he is great, even if his final ball sometimes leaves something to be desired, but to play for Man City now, you have to have technical expertise. I believe this is the same reason Milner and AJ struggle to make the team....Mancini sees them as TECHNICALLY inferior to the other choices available. I also believe that is why he constantly seems to be on the lookout for a Lescott replacement....technically sufficient for England, but not up to Mancini's standards for a potential Champions League winning team. I believe that is why Kolo got a look in last year and why a very young and inexperienced Savic was bought and bloodied....Mancini believes that Savic actually has that technical ability and that once he acclimates to the premier League and bulks up a little, he CAN be Kompany's long term partner.

I know, you think I'm crazy, but why on earth would he buy him, and play him ahead of Kolo, if this was not spot on?! Oh, and to bring it full circle, Richards' lack of technical ability is also the reason why he was not the first choice to slide in to the middle when we needed cover at CB!

Technique certainly isn't AJs problem so thats a bad example...Aj has loads of technical ability. There's just 'something' missing with him though frustratingly.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

RM doesn't seem to be constantly on the lookout for a replacement for Lescott to me. JL was absolutely outstanding all season, in many games he was better than Vinnie. And I still cannot understand why Joleon did not make the final six for Player of the Season, though I do concede that the competition was fierce.

The thing that Lescott has going for him is he's left footed and Kompany likes to play on the right. Only on the rarest of occasions did Lescott outshine Kompany. His speed, mobility and touch are at minimum acceptable levels for the level at which Mancini and Mansour want City to perform. I like him, but cannot simply ignore what I see with my own eyes. Heck, watch him warm up before games...he has his own speed and agility drills!!

Mancini played Savic ahead of Kolo because Kolo was away on ACoN duties, which coincided with Vinnie's suspension and then JL's injury. I also recall RM playing Micah at centre-back later in the season, ahead of Savic and me and many of my friends were asking why he hadn't done this earlier.

Asked and answered! You just agreed with me while disagreeing! Note, when we got late into games and were only 1 up, he often put Micah on into the right CB position in a back 5, which essentially made him a second RB, allowing PZ to play his usual RB role without leaving us open at the back. And, he ONLY played ahead of Savic after Savic was made the scapegoat for a few mistakes. Almost every player we have has made similar mistakes, but they were magnified because of where we were and what we were competing for. In years past, it would have fallen under the "Typical City" column, but those days are over and it is onwards and upwards or OUT!

I wonder why Mancini, Capello and now Hodgson do not think what some on here think about Micah? Could it be that they know something about players, coaching and ability?

 

[Vienna_70]

RM doesn't seem to be constantly on the lookout for a replacement for Lescott to me. JL was absolutely outstanding all season, in many games he was better than Vinnie. And I still cannot understand why Joleon did not make the final six for Player of the Season, though I do concede that the competition was fierce.

The thing that Lescott has going for him is he's left footed and Kompany likes to play on the right. Only on the rarest of occasions did Lescott outshine Kompany. His speed, mobility and touch are at minimum acceptable levels for the level at which Mancini and Mansour want City to perform. I like him, but cannot simply ignore what I see with my own eyes. Heck, watch him warm up before games...he has his own speed and agility drills!!

I watch the players warm up before most home games and I have never noticed Joleon using his own speed and agility drills.

Again, I think you're watching a different team to me (and others on here) if you think that JL only outshone VK on the rarest of occasions.

Also, as I have stated on BM several times, centre-back partnerships are not made overnight, but develop as the two players involved gradually get to know each other's game over the course of two-three seasons (Doyle / Watson and Dunne / Distin are prime examples of this).

If Mancini (an Italian, and therefore very defensively aware) is so intent on replacing Lescott, why didn't he buy an established, top-quality centre-back either last summer or in January? This was / is a centre-back pairing that helped Joe Hart win the Golden Glove for the second season running and is going to improve even further with more playing time together.

I do not dispute that this (centre-back) is one of the the areas of the squad that most urgently needs improving, but any new CB is not going to automatically walk into the starting XI at the expense of either Vinnie or Joeon.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Again, I think you're watching a different team to me (and others on here) if you think that JL only outshone VK on the rarest of occasions.

Nope. I will agree that he had an excellent season for us, of that there is not doubt, and I like him as a player. However, I am merely pointing out the weaknesses and why he is not listed in the "best defenders in the League" category on a regular basis.

And, he does the speed and agility drills on the sideline in front of the East Stand about 20 years from the corner flag.....right in front of my season ticket seat in 202! It is a stutter step drill to improve foot speed, agility and mobility, because that is where he looks weakest....ball at/under his feet.

Also, as I have stated on BM several times, centre-back partnerships are not made overnight, but develop as the two players involved gradually get to know each other's game over the course of two-three seasons (Doyle / Watson and Dunne / Distin are prime examples of this).

Wholeheartedly agree, and believe the partnership blossomed last year. Again, I'm not saying I don't like him, but making an observation of how I believe others with the power to affect his career see him. I think the evidence is there for all to see, but that does not negate the fact that I think he is a good defender and played well for us last year.

If Mancini (an Italian, and therefore very defensively aware) is so intent on replacing Lescott, why didn't he buy an established, top-quality centre-back either last summer or in January?

Because to buy someone better would be very, very expensive for a team seen to have money falling out of their pockets, Lescott was not cheap and would entail a significant loss if sold, and you don't buy just to buy. Either you buy an excellent prospect before they are seen as top class and cultivate them (Savic, an international who played well against England!) or you buy established top 10 in the world defender....neither available nor cost effective given what we have. This may change if Savic goes on loan to Besiktas and Kolo buggers off to France or elsewhere.

This was / is a centre-back pairing that helped Joe Hart win the Golden Glove for the second season running and is going to improve even further with more playing time together.

I do not dispute that this (centre-back) is one of the the areas of the squad that most urgently needs improving, but any new CB is not going to automatically walk into the starting XI at the expense of either Vinnie or Joeon.

I agree, because we are not going to plunk down ANOTHER £25M for a partner for Kompany!

 

[FeedTheGoat10]

Richards in most matches as it's like having a winger, as well as having someone who can get on the end of set pieces. But in a Champions League final I'd probably go for Zab because he's the better defensively and technically of the two. Love them both though

 

[The Fat el Hombre]

Love em both. Rotate and don't mind who gets preference really but Micah probably edges it cos he's better powering forward. I thought zab was a tidy right back from the first moment I saw him but its been great to see how the timing of his tackles has improved over time. What was once a liability is sometimes one of his greatest strengths. That 10 to 15 minute period or so in the fa semi after we scored against the rags when we had to fight like fuck as they tried to wrestle control was mostly won by about 4 or 5 expertly timed booming tackles from the zab man. It resulted in the ginger pig spitting his dummy out, getting sent off and a pivotal moment in our history. When shit hits fan and you're up against it he's one of the one of the first guys you'd want on your team

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Richards is a miles better player than zabaleta. 90% of games next year we will be trying to unlock packed defences. In that scenario zabaleta is not the right option. Look at the qpr game for a typical example of what I'm talking about. Zabaleta had tons of the ball wide right, arguably more than any other player. He just kept poking it or lobbing it into the box: meat and drink for Nedum et al. Richards can get to the line in a way zab can't. He's a threat in the air and recovers much quicker because he has pace.

Zab can be our utility man, but there's no way he should be a first choice right back. If he's fit, Micah every time.