eversince 76 said:
Everyone who is claiming he won't get back to his best next season must realise that that is wishful thinking as well. It's always about hindsight. Fact is Kompany has been great for us except for this season.
Actually Kompany hasn't been great for us since 11/12. He has been good for us in the seasons in between and average in the last two. Demichelis was great for us last season.
Didsbury Dave said:
Vinny will be fine next season. He's too good not to be. World class players, and he is that, only become ordinary players if they lose their attributes through injury or age. He plays the game 'on the edge', rushing forward for 50-50s, turning players when on the ball and playing clever passes. When something's not right, like his confidence or fitness, it's magnified because he tries not to change his game but the gambles suddenly don't always come off, and this costs us dearly because he's so important to our bold, attacking- and open- style.
He will be the best centre half in the premier league again last season, and Mangela will be the perfect partner.
Great player, can't get over his mentality as a captain though.
Last year I mentioned a trend that City only ever seem to play well to put together a run of form when the pressure is off in the title race. Our best run of form this season came from when the title was gone with Chelsea, we went 15 games unbeaten last year when it looked like the title had gone and we sat 3rd/4th, our best run of form the season before was after United had won the title and the season before after United looked to have won the title.
It's a pattern that we shouldn't ignore. I don't see Kompany as the right leader for City because I think he gets too gee'ed up which causes him and others around him to make mistakes. My preference is towards cool heads under pressure rather than Ramboing types; I get the feeling that you prefer a bit of energy and aggression when behind so imagine your view on him is different.
Looking at the pattern and seeing the type of leader that Kompany is then I wonder if some of our players are getting too nervous and "trying too hard" to make things happen rather than just playing the game and letting things happen naturally. If I had to sum up the mental state of our team across those seasons then "frustration" would be a word high on the list.
He's a good representative for the club in general but have said a few times whilst you've been away that a Xavi type who just knows to keep passing and keep on moving is a better fit for this squad than a Keane type who leads by example. The system works and the players are excellent players, when we go a goal down the nervousness and frustration spreads from the crowd into the players - I'd rather we had a reliable and calm general in that situation who has belief in the football that they are playing rather than a man with urgency who wants to make change happen now, now, now.