Elaquim Mangala

[littlebig]

Get him in. A player that will (arguably) improve our 1st team. Strengthens defense. Let MP have the luxury of the selection headache.

[gaudy]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

[john@staustell]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

[lets all have a disco]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

I agree

Last season our defence was a shambles so surely the best time to strengthen it is when it's doing well? You can bed new players in and have a luxury if any injuries or loss of form crop up.

[gaudy]

I see your point of view re: injuries and the like but out of them 3 players which one of them will be happy to sit on the bench/be substituted if they're all on form?
They are too big of players to tolerate that.

[gaudy]

We're talking about rotating 2 40million+ players and our club captain FFS!!!


How far have we come!!!!!!

[Im_Spartacus]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

The problem last year was that Kompany wouldn't fucking stay injured, and that pellegrini picked him again and again despite Mangala and Demichelis doing great. This year we have Denayer who appears to be an upgrade on boyata, so we don't need another top CB. We have to loan one out or even move Martin on, 5 top centre halves is ridiculous.

The big question for me this season of we do keep all 5 on, is whether pellers has the stones to drop Kompany for an extended period if it happens again. If he doesn't, the 5th choice might as well not be there.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

Those same pundits said we won't win the league and will struggle to make the CL.

Our defence was pretty well the same as the year before. Hart got the golden glove, the problem was how few we scored, which is why I'm not fussed on buying another cb and can feel for deneyer.

[Slim]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

Those same pundits said we won't win the league and will struggle to make the CL.

Our defence was pretty well the same as the year before. Hart got the golden glove, the problem was how few we scored, which is why I'm not fussed on buying another cb and can feel for deneyer.

I'm unsure as to which year you are referring, but in the last two seasons we've been the top scorers both times. So the problem certainly hasn't been how many we've been scoring. Last season we conceded more than any other top 4 side and was quite clearly our weakness. Dropping points to QPR, Burnley and Hull were down to terrible defending, those three matches alone would have put us to within 1 win of Chelsea. I'm sure there are others but those three are seared into my brain.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

Those same pundits said we won't win the league and will struggle to make the CL.

Our defence was pretty well the same as the year before. Hart got the golden glove, the problem was how few we scored, which is why I'm not fussed on buying another cb and can feel for deneyer.

I'm unsure as to which year you are referring, but in the last two seasons we've been the top scorers both times. So the problem certainly hasn't been how many we've been scoring. Last season we conceded more than any other top 4 side and was quite clearly our weakness. Dropping points to QPR, Burnley and Hull were down to terrible defending, those three matches alone would have put us to within 1 win of Chelsea. I'm sure there are others but those three are seared into my brain.

Numbers don't lie. We conceded 1 goal more than the season prior yet scored 20 less.

[Slim]

I think there is other areas that we need strengthening more so then our cb and certainly not for 45million.
Not sure who said mangala will just drop to the bench- he cost as much and don't think any 40million plus player would want to and I can't see vinny happily taking a seat on the bench.
I can't see how we are to keep the 3 happy, this bullshit talk of rest time,rotation etc is just that-bullshit.
It's the one area on the field you don't swap and change.
I just think if we needed cover we needed to buy someone that knows he's just that and maybe push for a place, a 45million player isn't going to settle for that scenario

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.

Those same pundits said we won't win the league and will struggle to make the CL.

Our defence was pretty well the same as the year before. Hart got the golden glove, the problem was how few we scored, which is why I'm not fussed on buying another cb and can feel for deneyer.

I'm unsure as to which year you are referring, but in the last two seasons we've been the top scorers both times. So the problem certainly hasn't been how many we've been scoring. Last season we conceded more than any other top 4 side and was quite clearly our weakness. Dropping points to QPR, Burnley and Hull were down to terrible defending, those three matches alone would have put us to within 1 win of Chelsea. I'm sure there are others but those three are seared into my brain.

Numbers don't lie. We conceded 1 goal more than the season prior yet scored 20 less.

Yes, but even 20 less was more than the team that won the league.

If we score 150 league goals this season and 130 the following season are you going to be on here preaching how we didn't score enough?

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Almost every pundit (I know I know) identified our defence as a weakness. And despite our goals against not actually being too bad, it's when those goals are scored that mattered.

Another injury or loss of form to Kompany and we are well and truly fucked.[/quote]

Those same pundits said we won't win the league and will struggle to make the CL.

Our defence was pretty well the same as the year before. Hart got the golden glove, the problem was how few we scored, which is why I'm not fussed on buying another cb and can feel for deneyer.[/quoteless.[/quote]

Yes, but even 20 less was more than the team that won the league.

If we score 150 league goals this season and 130 the following season are you going to be on here preaching how we didn't score enough?[/quote][/quote]

Not the point, it wasn't enough to win the league.

Let's face it we will always concede the way we play, the facts state we scored enough to counter that one year and not enough the next. We had the smallest possible change to or goals against over the course of the season in 1. We had a significant change in our goals for and failed to retain the title. Had we scored an extra 20 goals we would have won again in all likelihood.

Now you can argue that conceding 5-10 less could have done the same and I'm not going to argue that point, but with our manager which seems the bigger priority? He even came out this week and said he won't sxore 1 and shut up shop before playing the reigning champions. It seems pretty clear to me that under his philosophy we are better off strengthening up front than adding a 5th cb. Just my opinion, but the numbers certainly back up the fact that our attack worsened while our defence stayed largely the same.

[john@staustell]

At this level we should have at least 22 players 'willing to tolerate' sitting on the bench. Or quite frankly they can fuck off.

On a slightly related note I see Mr. Milner was stuck out on the right wing on Monday. You couldn't make it up.

[nottsblue]

At this level we should have at least 22 players 'willing to tolerate' sitting on the bench. Or quite frankly they can fuck off.

On a slightly related note I see Mr. Milner was stuck out on the right wing on Monday. You couldn't make it up.

He's never going to play ahead of Coutinho, Firminho and Henderson in central midfield. He is a squad player who now won't pick up any medals or challenge for the league. Plus he works and has to travel to dipperland every day

[gaudy]

At this level we should have at least 22 players 'willing to tolerate' sitting on the bench. Or quite frankly they can fuck off.

On a slightly related note I see Mr. Milner was stuck out on the right wing on Monday. You couldn't make it up.

You will always have your young players,free loaders(nasri) and just not good enough players happy to sit on the bench and take their large pay packets every week.
If you think that a 40million+ player, who got that price tag (all be it inflated because it's us) by being one of the top players in his position and at the top of his game should be happy to now sit on a bench is completely naive.

If we go with your theory of "they can fuck off" then we will never have a squad because no matter how much bigger we get we will never have 22 players that are going to be happy to sit on the bench

[phips]

On a slightly related note I see Mr. Milner was stuck out on the right wing on Monday. You couldn't make it up.

He's never going to play ahead of Coutinho, Firminho and Henderson in central midfield. He is a squad player who now won't pick up any medals or challenge for the league. Plus he works and has to travel to dipperland every day

didn't watch the match but online it looked like he was in one of our Fern/Yaya roles with Coutinho in the hole and Lallana & Ibe out wide. i thought that was what he wanted.

[Saul Goodman]

Fifa probing his transfer due to 3rd party worries.
Prob no big deal as City claim to have purchased 100% of his rights

[Spurge]

Fifa probing his transfer due to 3rd party worries.
Prob no big deal as City claim to have purchased 100% of his rights

It sounds like it's Porto who are under the spotlight and not City

[Hutch's Shoulder]

I'm surprised that FIFA have any investigators with time on their hands at the moment.

[phips]

had a very good last 4 matches. impressive.

yes he still does make some stupid, unnecessary challenges in areas where he should but so do Otamendi and Kompany.