kompany - trading on past glory?

[Im_Spartacus]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

Very valid questions, I agree with every word.

I believe that the heroic last ditch tackle he specialises in, and is feted for, is in fact a symptom of being out of position in the first place, much the way John Terry is idolised by Chlrsea fans for being committed by throwing his body on the line, it's not commitment, it's the result of an earlier mistake.

I personally think Kompany's demise goes back even further, to the end of the 2010/11 season, as Leacott was the best defender in our title winning season.

I think we are getting to a point where the 'sacred cows' in the squad need to be objectively assessed by Pellegrini in terms of how they fit in with our style of play moving forwards, and in that I include Hart, Kompany, Silva and Toure. Some big decisions ahead!

[Ted Hughes]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

I personally think Kompany's demise goes back even further, to the end of the 2010/11 season, as Lescott was the best defender in our title winning season

Fuckin hell, talk about shaking Carl's hand whilst pissing down his leg.

[Im_Spartacus]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

I personally think Kompany's demise goes back even further, to the end of the 2010/11 season, as Lescott was the best defender in our title winning season

Fuckin hell, talk about shaking Carl's hand whilst pissing down his leg.

Haha, it would be a missed opportunity not to throw Lescott in there

[Beefymcfc]

So, after an injury he's now gone from being the best defender in the world to an over-rated has-been.

My fucking Lord!

[Blue Since 76]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

I think we are getting to a point where the 'sacred cows' in the squad need to be objectively assessed by Pellegrini in terms of how they fit in with our style of play moving forwards, and in that I include Hart, Kompany, Silva and Toure. Some big decisions ahead!

Certainly on Kompany, if Barca had offered £60m two years ago, I'd have said get lost, now I'd have serious thoughts at half that. The only thing that would put me off is what £30m seems to buy us.

Toure I'd have sold to PSG before Mourinho ripped them off for Luiz, but that was based on his various cake related outbursts, rather than poor form so far this season.

Silva has been below his best, however, I'm not sure the problem is so much him as that teams know if they mark him out of the game, we've got no one else. Once others step up, I'm sure he'll be back to his best.

[Beefymcfc]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

I think we are getting to a point where the 'sacred cows' in the squad need to be objectively assessed by Pellegrini in terms of how they fit in with our style of play moving forwards, and in that I include Hart, Kompany, Silva and Toure. Some big decisions ahead!

Certainly on Kompany, if Barca had offered £60m two years ago, I'd have said get lost, now I'd have serious thoughts at half that. The only thing that would put me off is what £30m seems to buy us.

Toure I'd have sold to PSG before Mourinho ripped them off for Luiz, but that was based on his various cake related outbursts, rather than poor form so far this season.

Silva has been below his best, however, I'm not sure the problem is so much him as that teams know if they mark him out of the game, we've got no one else. Once others step up, I'm sure he'll be back to his best.

Silva can't do it all on his own, this isn't Under 7s. Losing Yaya and Nasri really hurts us and this season has seen us have more injuries than any other, especially in key positions.

The reality is that even though we have very good 2nd players, it doesn't work when you try to put too many of them in the team at once.

Here's a question though - We were doing very well without a recognised striker but since the thought of their return we've gone backwards. Was it worth bringing them back early and upsetting what was a winning team?

[iwasthere2012]

http://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/why-hes-criminally-overrated-at-manchester-city

I think we are getting to a point where the 'sacred cows' in the squad need to be objectively assessed by Pellegrini in terms of how they fit in with our style of play moving forwards, and in that I include Hart, Kompany, Silva and Toure. Some big decisions ahead!

Certainly on Kompany, if Barca had offered £60m two years ago, I'd have said get lost, now I'd have serious thoughts at half that. The only thing that would put me off is what £30m seems to buy us.

Toure I'd have sold to PSG before Mourinho ripped them off for Luiz, but that was based on his various cake related outbursts, rather than poor form so far this season.

Silva has been below his best, however, I'm not sure the problem is so much him as that teams know if they mark him out of the game, we've got no one else. Once others step up, I'm sure he'll be back to his best.

Silva can't do it all on his own, this isn't Under 7s. Losing Yaya and Nasri really hurts us and this season has seen us have more injuries than any other, especially in key positions.

The reality is that even though we have very good 2nd players, it doesn't work when you try to put too many of them in the team at once.

Here's a question though - We were doing very well without a recognised striker but since the thought of their return we've gone backwards. Was it worth bringing them back early and upsetting what was a winning team?

Bingo.
Spot on Beefy.
Regarding the strikers coming back. I think it has more got to do with having them ready for Chelsea and Barca. They are not sharp. It's probably why they've been played with squad players as well rather than kids.
Whatever way you look at it, it hasn't worked.
If it all comes together next week and on into Feb. people will forget quickly.
They really need a pick me up though, soon. Not sure we can wait for Bony.

[Hutch's Shoulder]

When Silva, Nasri and Toure were together just before Christmas, they were starting to dominate midfleld and teams couldn't get the ball off them. That's why we managed without strikers. No we gave the strikers back but only Silva to feed them, and it is easier to mark him out of the game, he can't put in a MOTM performance on his own every week.

[Goaters 103]

An inconvenient truth but Kompany looks a shadow of the player he was a couple of seasons ago. He's been subpar this year and in the last 2 games downright fookin awful. He doesn't look near fit and is miles off the pace, trying to nick balls he shouldn't, commiting needless fouls and being caught out of position too often for a man Who anchors the back 4. Mind you I think Zabbas been downright crap too for large parts and looks absolutely knackered.

[freshie]

Whoever is slagging off silva - ffs! He is by far the best player we have ever seen in a city shirt! Give your heads a wobble! We are incredibly lucky to have a player that most of the top sides in the world would give their bollocks to have. I agree we are shit at the moment but I will not let you include Silva amongst that group

[iwasthere2012]

Whoever is slagging off silva - ffs! He is by far the best player we have ever seen in a city shirt! Give your heads a wobble! We are incredibly lucky to have a player that most of the top sides in the world would give their bollocks to have. I agree we are shit at the moment but I will not let you include Silva amongst that group

I don't think anyone is. At least that's not what I'm getting out of it. I think the point had been made by quite a few people though that our whole game, both attack and defense, pivots on the triumvirate, of Yaya Nasri and Silva. Their neat keep ball takes the pressure off and wears down oppositions. Take one out and we can get by. Take two out and we're fucked. Attack and defense suffers. Silva, with nobody else working on his wavelength, suffers. He can be taken out of the game by the opposition and we haven't got anyone else to step up to the plate.

[Original Dub]

It's pretty simple.
When yaya plays, even if he's not on form, he occupies space and draws the opposition towards him for silva to exploit.

Almost vice versa.

Almost

[Ted Hughes]

There is even more simplicity; a lot of our best players won a title, then went & played a World Cup, had little pre season, & have been in & out with injuries since, whilst others are relatively new to the club & yet to establish themselves.

But that doesn't mean that when those players are a waste of fucking time, people shouldn't say so.

Today, our best players, were a waste of fucking time. All of them.

A fair few people are choosing to pick on others instead, which is favouritism. The lesser players & the scapegoats, were better than the heroes.

People can hide their heads in the sand as much as they want, but it's true. And Vinny was dogshit.

But Vinny will come back & be brilliant again; Dedryk, although making fewer fuckups, unfortunately showed Nastasic tendancies, rather than getting stuck in & sorting things out & rescuing the situation, let it slide past him.

He's got al the attributes but he's another passive defender who won't make it at City. He had his second chance, & he just hasn't got it.

[Im_Spartacus]

Whoever is slagging off silva - ffs! He is by far the best player we have ever seen in a city shirt! Give your heads a wobble! We are incredibly lucky to have a player that most of the top sides in the world would give their bollocks to have. I agree we are shit at the moment but I will not let you include Silva amongst that group

I don't think anyone is. At least that's not what I'm getting out of it. I think the point had been made by quite a few people though that our whole game, both attack and defense, pivots on the triumvirate, of Yaya Nasri and Silva. Their neat keep ball takes the pressure off and wears down oppositions. Take one out and we can get by. Take two out and we're fucked. Attack and defense suffers. Silva, with nobody else working on his wavelength, suffers. He can be taken out of the game by the opposition and we haven't got anyone else to step up to the plate.

Yes, you're correct, I don't think anyone in their right mind would 'slag' silva off, but my post about 'sacred cows' above mentions silva specifically because after 4 or 5 years, we still have the problem of not quite knowing where to play him, and having to kind of shoehorn him into the team. If we do that in a 4, we lose physical presence in midfield, if we do it in a 5, what we gain from defensive stability we lose in options going forwards, and therefore I'm not sure we are markedly much better off with him in the side than we would be with a top quality general midfielder and two forwards.

Personally I would play him up front/in a free role with aguero so he doesn't unbalance the midfield, but it seems that's the least favoured option of both Mancini and pellegrini

[Two's Kompany]

It's pretty simple.
When yaya plays, even if he's not on form, he occupies space and draws the opposition towards him for silva to exploit.

Almost vice versa.

Almost

Totally agree and said as much on another thread last week.
Fernando and 'Dinho/Milner don't have Yaya's passing range or his ability to break the midfield line with pace and power.
This means opponents can sit deeper and reduce the space for Silva and Aguero to exploit.
A fully fit Vincent Kompany can do this to a lesser extent when bringing the ball out of defence (like the 4th goal against the scum last season).

[Ted Hughes]

Imo there's a decent chance we would have been shit in both games if Yaya had played.

We have brought in two players who, for whatever reason, are not upto scratch. Kompany is running around like a mental case, making one bad decision after another & giving the team the willies, & Aguero is taking on 6 players at a time, not finishing properly, & not returning passes.

If they both benefit from it & do the business at Chelsea, then it will have been worth it, to get them upto speed. If not, it has been the wrong choice.

The biggest difference imo, would have been Bony. Possibly Ed to had he been fit. Would have enabled us to mix up our attacks more.

The option of only hitting low crosses into the box due to having no centre forward, allied to nobody going near post, EVER, & sometimes NOBODY in the penalty area, has made it easier to stop us from scoring. When we had no strikers at all, we had more people getting into scoring positions. Seems now half fit Aguero has come back, everone has decided to let him do it, again.

Forgot to mention; Nasri bigger miss than Yaya imo. Silva is just farting about at the moment.

[Blue Since 76]

The option of only hitting low crosses into the box due to having no centre forward, allied to nobody going near post, EVER, & sometimes NOBODY in the penalty area, has made it easier to stop us from scoring. When we had no strikers at all, we had more people getting into scoring positions. Seems now half fit Aguero has come back, everone has decided to let him do it, again.

Forgot to mention; Nasri bigger miss than Yaya imo. Silva is just farting about at the moment.

Navas took a lot of stick after the arsenal game for always hitting the first man. Most of the time, that man was at the near post where a forward should have been. That also resulted in lots of corners, which, if we actually looked like we practiced them might have resulted in a goal. Or at least a shot on target. Peter Barnes was on the radio suggesting Navas wasn't up to it and needed to chip some crosses to the back post - who the fuck to with the diddy men up front against Mertersaker (or however you fucking spell it).

The Aguero point I've just made elsewhere - we look like we've stopped trying because he's back.

And I think that's harsh on Silva, Ted. Teams know to stop the ball getting to him or stop him doing anything with it and they stop us. Put Nasri and Yaya in there and that's not easy, but when he's on his own any organised side can do it

[bayblue]

The option of only hitting low crosses into the box due to having no centre forward, allied to nobody going near post, EVER, & sometimes NOBODY in the penalty area, has made it easier to stop us from scoring. When we had no strikers at all, we had more people getting into scoring positions. Seems now half fit Aguero has come back, everone has decided to let him do it, again.

Forgot to mention; Nasri bigger miss than Yaya imo. Silva is just farting about at the moment.

Navas took a lot of stick after the arsenal game for always hitting the first man. Most of the time, that man was at the near post where a forward should have been. That also resulted in lots of corners, which, if we actually looked like we practiced them might have resulted in a goal. Or at least a shot on target. Peter Barnes was on the radio suggesting Navas wasn't up to it and needed to chip some crosses to the back post - who the fuck to with the diddy men up front against Mertersaker (or however you fucking spell it).

The Aguero point I've just made elsewhere - we look like we've stopped trying because he's back.

And I think that's harsh on Silva, Ted. Teams know to stop the ball getting to him or stop him doing anything with it and they stop us. Put Nasri and Yaya in there and that's not easy, but when he's on his own any organised side can do it

Well said. Our success has been from creating a team that blends together. Silva, Yaya and Nasri pull the strings, a few willing runners make the spaces (Zab, Milner, Navas, pick whoever) and Serge or Ed finish off. If we can get Yaya and Nasri back before we fall too far behind Chelsea and keep Silva and Aguero fit we can win something this season.

[Cocacolajojo1]

Silva is just farting about at the moment.

I don't agree that he's not farting about but he's a bit from the level he usually produces, I agree with that. It's bleeding obvious that he's not fit enough to play the full 90 minutes and why he's not subbed I don't know. Pellegrini clearly needs a rethink right now, although he should've had one last season after the same period when he ran our players into the ground. Rotation. God. Just do it already.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Whoever is slagging off silva - ffs! He is by far the best player we have ever seen in a city shirt! Give your heads a wobble! We are incredibly lucky to have a player that most of the top sides in the world would give their bollocks to have. I agree we are shit at the moment but I will not let you include Silva amongst that group

Quite a claim.
Tevez, Aguero and Toure or even Kompany in his pomp may all have something to say about that.
He's definitely in that group but he certainly isn't 'by far' the best player by any means.