Blue Smarties
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- 10 Aug 2008
- Messages
- 27,293
You're all taking the title wrong, it appears to be a condition for Manuel as he keeps playing Kolarov.
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The Kolarov/Sterling conundrum
- Thread starter Blue Smarties
- Start date
To be honest, I didn't even notice there was a specific tactical issue here. Not saying you guys are wrong.
I always seem to favour whichever of our LBs are in a run of good games. They offer different skill sets but are close in overall ability, I think, so it's difficult to say who is clearly better.
I always seem to favour whichever of our LBs are in a run of good games. They offer different skill sets but are close in overall ability, I think, so it's difficult to say who is clearly better.
To be honest, I didn't even notice there was a specific tactical issue here. Not saying you guys are wrong.
I always seem to favour whichever of our LBs are in a run of good games. They offer different skill sets but are close in overall ability, I think, so it's difficult to say who is clearly better.
They have a cycle.
1)Clichy is first choice, plays Ok then he gets injured.
2)Kolarov, excited to be back in the first team, plays brilliantly and scores a couple, gets a few assists. Everyone thinks "wow! I forgot how good he can be in form, he's so much better in attack than Clichy!"
3)Then, his performances steadily decline, his tracking back gets slower and slower, more and more of his crosses hit the first defender and his shots from 30 yards go further and further over the bar.
4)Clichy returns to fitness and replaces Kolarov. Everyone rejoices because he'd been so shit for the previous month.
Rinse and repeat for the last 5 years.
They have a cycle.
1)Clichy is first choice, plays Ok then he gets injured.
2)Kolarov, excited to be back in the first team, plays brilliantly and scores a couple, gets a few assists. Everyone thinks "wow! I forgot how good he can be in form, he's so much better in attack than Clichy!"
3)Then, his performances steadily decline, his tracking back gets slower and slower, more and more of his crosses hit the first defender and his shots from 30 yards go further and further over the bar.
4)Clichy returns to fitness and replaces Kolarov. Everyone rejoices because he'd been so shit for the previous month.
Rinse and repeat for the last 5 years.
Love this. Spot on !!!
Neville Kneville
Well-Known Member
Love this. Spot on !!!
It is remarkable how long this has been going on.
People talking about how Pep often moves his fullbacks into midfield, & lets the wide players attack but that's another thing I can't imagine Kolarov doing due to his one foot. But then how many of the current first team fullbacks are technically good enough to do that in a Guardiola team ?
We have kids who can do that & Vieira did it a fair bit. The question would then be about their defending. But the other use of fullbacks by Pep is flying back & forward up & down the wings whilst the wide players drop inside. Hoofing the ball as hard as you can into the oppo's shins then dawdling back, is not usually part of that plan.
Amazing we are still talking about stuff like this after all these years. We were discussing this stuff re Micah & Wayne Bridge etc under Hughes. Problem of balance between attack & defence in the fullback spot, is still there.
It is remarkable how long this has been going on.
People talking about how Pep often moves his fullbacks into midfield, & lets the wide players attack but that's another thing I can't imagine Kolarov doing due to his one foot. But then how many of the current first team fullbacks are technically good enough to do that in a Guardiola team ?
We have kids who can do that & Vieira did it a fair bit. The question would then be about their defending. But the other use of fullbacks by Pep is flying back & forward up & down the wings whilst the wide players drop inside. Hoofing the ball as hard as you can into the oppo's shins then dawdling back, is not usually part of that plan.
Amazing we are still talking about stuff like this after all these years. We were discussing this stuff re Micah & Wayne Bridge etc under Hughes. Problem of balance between attack & defence in the fullback spot, is still there.
I think FB will be his first priority. Imagine he's looking behind the scenes re what Angelino and Maffeo capable of but sorting this position, plus a ball playing CM, surely must be his first recruitment job.
Citizen in Pakistan
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- 11 Aug 2012
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- 3,955
With kolorov imposinf0g personality it does feel sterling is under pressure to pass him every time he ask and considering clichy improving attacking play i would be inclined to give kolorov a rest for a while
Colin Bell's Boots
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- 31 May 2015
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- 1,199
With kolorov imposinf0g personality it does feel sterling is under pressure to pass him every time he ask and considering clichy improving attacking play i would be inclined to give kolorov a rest for a while
I would give him a rest forever !
They have a cycle.
1)Clichy is first choice, plays Ok then he gets injured.
2)Kolarov, excited to be back in the first team, plays brilliantly and scores a couple, gets a few assists. Everyone thinks "wow! I forgot how good he can be in form, he's so much better in attack than Clichy!"
3)Then, his performances steadily decline, his tracking back gets slower and slower, more and more of his crosses hit the first defender and his shots from 30 yards go further and further over the bar.
4)Clichy returns to fitness and replaces Kolarov. Everyone rejoices because he'd been so shit for the previous month.
Rinse and repeat for the last 5 years.
Ha! This is a scarily accurate summary of how my mind has been working this last few years.
George Hannah
Well-Known Member
It's on a par with Fermat's Last Theorem.