The Dzeko/Tevez Conundrum...

[Ntini77]

Bale has blistering pace, Kolarov doesn't.

kolarov has thunder bolt shot bale doesn't

Bale has a great left foot!

 

[Soulboy]

I agree with what you're saying... in principle!

But Boateng was always a central defender who covered in at full back. It must have been apparent to our scouting staff that Boateng does not fly down the wing and play like another winger. The fact that he's probably behind both Richards and Zabaleta for that right back position must be worrying.

And Kolarov on the other side... we had Bridge there, we're desparate for some pace, as all good full backs need these days... and we buy someone actually slower than Bridge!

I think Kolarov's future at City is left midfield, as I doubt anyone will trust him as a defender... ala' Bale.

That's £30m on two full backs who, so far, have not improved us one iota.

I'm not sure who we should have bought, but seeing as we have a huge and expensive scouting network I genuinely expected better.

Surely someone sits down and thinks through what specific qualities we need in any replacement player? Just a thought.

I see totally what you're saying - but truth be told there's little point in crying over spilled transfer funds until the summer - for the moment we need to figure out how we incorporate Dzeko and Tevez, because it is unfathomable that the two of them can't play together. That's the manager's job and he, I'm sure, will already be thinking about it.

If the idea is that we bought Dzeko to then sell Tevez in the summer - well, that's just a delusional transfer policy and I can't believe for one moment that it would be sanctioned by Khaldoon and Sheikh Mansour...

If I'm totally honest, I just cannot see a partnership with Dzeko and Tevez.

Tevez is a one-off. He plays for himself. He is totally single-minded and does what he thinks is best rather than what is best for the team.

I said on this site at least two months ago that my view was that Tevez would be off in the summer (and that was BEFORE the transfer request!) as I believed he could never be accomodated in a Mancini style team.

I still believe that. I expect to see Dzeko and Balotelli as our front two next season.

But just like my view that Mourinho would never come to City... the truth will out only come the end of the season...

 

[cityboy1]

kolarov has thunder bolt shot bale doesn't

Bale has a great left foot!

so does kola and he has one hell of a freekick

 

[Nelly's Left Foot]

I don't think Kolarov will ever be anything but a stand in midfield player. He doesnt have pace,touch or enough awareness for the role. Full back is his home and I expect we will see him there for a long time even though he isn't a great defender.

The difference between today and the Arse game was Silva.With him in the side Mancini had enough confidence to play a little more attacking.But with Carlos having an off day we still lacked a real force down the middle as a strike threat.

I agree that it seems confusing to get Dzeko without an apparent plan as to how we would use him with Tevez and I am even more intrigued as to how Balotelli fits in with the other 2.Is it just a case of playing just 2 of them at a time with the other coming on as sub?

 

[Anonymous]

I see totally what you're saying - but truth be told there's little point in crying over spilled transfer funds until the summer - for the moment we need to figure out how we incorporate Dzeko and Tevez, because it is unfathomable that the two of them can't play together. That's the manager's job and he, I'm sure, will already be thinking about it.

If the idea is that we bought Dzeko to then sell Tevez in the summer - well, that's just a delusional transfer policy and I can't believe for one moment that it would be sanctioned by Khaldoon and Sheikh Mansour...

If I'm totally honest, I just cannot see a partnership with Dzeko and Tevez.

Tevez is a one-off. He plays for himself. He is totally single-minded and does what he thinks is best rather than what is best for the team.

I said on this site at least two months ago that my view was that Tevez would be off in the summer (and that was BEFORE the transfer request!) as I believed he could never be accomodated in a Mancini style team.

I still believe that. I expect to see Dzeko and Balotelli as our front two next season.

But just like my view that Mourinho would never come to City... the truth will out only come the end of the season...

That's a pretty harsh assessment of Carlos' abilities. I've been thinking recently about making some small youtube videos of his passing, movement, playing other players in etc. because I read a lot about how he's really greedy, and to be honest, I don't see it. Certainly not to the extent that it's a big detriment to the team...

Having said all that, if we do sell him, it will be footballing suicide and will set us back years and year both on the pitch and off. We are nowhere near at the level of the rags or Arsenal where we can sell off such an integral part of our team and have it not have a detrimental effect...

 

[inbetween]

Dzeko needs to be the middle man, he's wasted being forced to move out wide which happens because our midfield is just awfully slow, unfortunately Barry is our weak link, he can string passes together but have you ever seen him as part of a counter attack, he's good but he just isn't of the level we need, he just isn't quick enough and in midfield that's a problem. Tevez ironically too is the problem for Dzeko scoring.

Countless times i've seen Carlos get the ball when deep and sometimes he needs to look for the pass to him but he chooses to use Silva as the safe bet and moves forward. Dzeko and Carlos still imo need a lot more time to strike a partnership, this isn't about putting someone on and them scoring 6 it's about Dzeko merging into the team at the moment he's struggling, players need to start bringing him into play.

People on here need to stop looking for a quick fix for this, it takes a year at least of playing the same system, this isn't Chumps Manager, you don't just change to 4-3-3 and it clicks. Tevez needs to learn where Dzeko will be and vice versa it's not something that can happen over night. Giggs has been playing that same direct balls into the box approach for a decade and our way of playing will take time to stamp down. Just be thankful at the moment we aren't playing brilliantly and have actually put in a title challenge.

Think of 5 aside with the lads, you go out and you know where your playing but it's not a case of just whipping the ball in at random and you 'know' someone is there because you don't. It's the same here, if we go back to the drawing board looking for the whole wingers thing it'll just be square one and we'll have to strike a balance yet again in terms of buying players and who says that approach will work for us at the highest level in Europe, the last few teams to win the Champions League didn't even have wingers so chill it works.

I believe strongly in Mancini, this is his first real season in charge and what did people expect? A lot of money was spent yes but 3 seasons ago we had players like Richard Dunne not an ounce of world class. Now we have players like Tevez, Silva, Dzeko... It takes time and when it does eventually click they'll be scoring for fun but it unfortunately will take time.

 

[Newman Noggs]

I don't think Mancini has any intention of playing Dzeko and Tevez in the same side. I think that Tevez will be leaving in the summer and someone else, possibly Ballotelli if he's ever fit, will be up there with him. Not a popular viewpoint but I think that will be better for the team. I reckon the only reason we bought Dzeko in this window was to avoid the risk that someone else would poach him in the Summer.

 

[Soulboy]

If I'm totally honest, I just cannot see a partnership with Dzeko and Tevez.

Tevez is a one-off. He plays for himself. He is totally single-minded and does what he thinks is best rather than what is best for the team.

I said on this site at least two months ago that my view was that Tevez would be off in the summer (and that was BEFORE the transfer request!) as I believed he could never be accomodated in a Mancini style team.

I still believe that. I expect to see Dzeko and Balotelli as our front two next season.

But just like my view that Mourinho would never come to City... the truth will out only come the end of the season...

That's a pretty harsh assessment of Carlos' abilities. I've been thinking recently about making some small youtube videos of his passing, movement, playing other players in etc. because I read a lot about how he's really greedy, and to be honest, I don't see it. Certainly not to the extent that it's a big detriment to the team...

Having said all that, if we do sell him, it will be footballing suicide and will set us back years and year both on the pitch and off. We are nowhere near at the level of the rags or Arsenal where we can sell off such an integral part of our team and have it not have a detrimental effect...

I think you're misreading what I'm saying. I'm a fan of Tevez. I believe we could build a team around him. But i don't think Mancini believes that.

Why buy Dzeko when it's clear, at the momemt, they just don't look suited.

The manager has to make a decsion... build a team around Tevez... or build a team in his image as he did at Inter?

I think Mancini's single minded enough to think that he can build a better "team" without Tevez... and this season has shown that for all Tevez's goals, we are NOT a team.

I hope I'm proved wrong and that Mancini can work out the conundrum... but all I'm doing is stating what I think will happen.

You may have a different view. We will both only find out come the end of the season... if Mancini is still in charge then!

;0))

 

[3d1n Dz3k0]

We've offloaded Robinho, Bellamy, Caceido, RSC annd Adebayor as none of them could make a partnertship with Tevez work... yet we go out and spend £27m on a player that looks totally unsuited as a partner to Tevez.

Exactly what I think. It's not Dzeko/Tevez partnership that doesn't work. It's AnyStrikerInTheWorld/Tevez partnership that doesn't work! Look how many VERY GOOD players City wasted because of Tevez, because Carlos makes ZERO effort to make it work with these guys. Honestly, I even think that he's doing it on purpose and making it harder for these guys to fit in. One good example is 71st minute of today's game (watch the game again if you can), and this is something that happens all the time.

The only way I can understand spending all this money on Dzeko (who I obviously think is World Class) is that Mancini knows that Carlos is leaving soon. Otherwise, Dzeko is waste of money (and so is every other striker that might replace him).

p.s. Also look at Messi's scoring record when partnered with Carlos.

 

[Anonymous]

I hope I'm proved wrong and that Mancini can work out the conundrum... but all I'm doing is stating what I think will happen.

You may have a different view. We will both only find out come the end of the season... if Mancini is still in charge then!

;0))

I think Mancini will need to resolve the conundrum because I think deep down inside even he knows that Carlos is irreplaceable for us. If he'd really wanted rid of him, and he he'd have gotten rid of him last summer and signed Dzeko then...

I'm sick of the end of season uncertainty to be honest. We need a settled squad, and a settle situation at the coaching/management level...