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Pretty Boy Lee wrote:I'm gonna play devils advocate and ask if we'd sent otter out and kept mangala would this thread be reversed by now?

Wonderwall wrote:When Vinnie was out st the back end of pellegrinis 2nd season., the otter and mandala pairing was excellent. We need to stop changing it every game.

nottsblue wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

PeterParker wrote:I was always on the boat that he is a good defender. A bit distracted at times, but good defender. Some of the critics around him were harsh. I remember his debut with Chelsea. If was one of the best starts for a defender in the last years. We saw a lot of classs after Zaba was sent off.

I would recall him in a heart beat rather than going after that prick Laporte again.

I'm with you on this PP.

Moreover, I also think it's about player combinations.

Get the right centre-back partner for him and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts, added to which he's already ours so bringing him back wouldn't impact on any transfer budget limitations we might have imposed upon us.

Would a Stones-Mangala partnership work ????

I don't think a Stones/Mangala partnership would work, or at the very least it would need two different full backs to what we have. That said, until it's been tried and either proved or failed we won't know.

I can see Mangala/Stones/(?) as a back three tough. One tough guy, one ball player and one overall leader (Kompany if fit), Bonucci maybe if not, Godin from Atletico perhaps.

One thing is for sure though and that is we are going to see a different defence in terms of personnel than this year and time will tell whether the results will be different

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:

PeterParker wrote:I was always on the boat that he is a good defender. A bit distracted at times, but good defender. Some of the critics around him were harsh. I remember his debut with Chelsea. If was one of the best starts for a defender in the last years. We saw a lot of classs after Zaba was sent off.

I would recall him in a heart beat rather than going after that prick Laporte again.

I'm with you on this PP.

Moreover, I also think it's about player combinations.

Get the right centre-back partner for him and the whole becomes greater than the sum of its parts, added to which he's already ours so bringing him back wouldn't impact on any transfer budget limitations we might have imposed upon us.

Would a Stones-Mangala partnership work ????

I don't think a Stones/Mangala partnership would work, or at the very least it would need two different full backs to what we have. That said, until it's been tried and either proved or failed we won't know.

I can see Mangala/Stones/(?) as a back three tough. One tough guy, one ball player and one overall leader (Kompany if fit), Bonucci maybe if not, Godin from Atletico perhaps.

One thing is for sure though and that is we are going to see a different defence in terms of personnel than this year and time will tell whether the results will be different

Interesting thought NB.

Trouble is, Godin is 30 now (31 in February) and that is the same problem as with, say, Ezequiel Garay, when we're looking to the future.

However, both yourself and Peter Parker have suggested Bonucci (29 now and will be 30 in May) so the age criterion applies also to him and yet, completely illogically, I'd take Bonucci in a heartbeat, because of how he plays and what he does and the attributes he brings to a side.

PP's comments about us having a dirty thug who could dish it out really strikes a chord with myself.

I'd love to have defenders who aren't too polite and who would defend as though their lives depended on it and who would put the shivers up any forward who came their way. It would be a nice contrast with what we've become a little accustomed to seeing of late........and if they could play a bit, that would be icing on top of the cake.

A young Giorgio Chiellini type player would do quite nicely, thank you very much.

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Probably were and most likely when he was involved in contract negotiations. Agents love to drop City's name to journos in order to strengthen their hand when negotiating terms with their client's club.

nottsblue wrote:I like him. He has everything in his locker that a centre half should have for my money. Fast, strong, good in the air and doesn't get bullied.Details like accuracy of passing can be worked on as he is stil young and positional awareness come with experience.

Really hope he gets another chance

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Probably were and most likely when he was involved in contract negotiations. Agents love to drop City's name to journos in order to strengthen their hand when negotiating terms with their client's club.

nottsblue wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Probably were and most likely when he was involved in contract negotiations. Agents love to drop City's name to journos in order to strengthen their hand when negotiating terms with their client's club.

Vaguely seem to remember that as well. Probably at the time we got Lescott!

nottsblue wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Probably were and most likely when he was involved in contract negotiations. Agents love to drop City's name to journos in order to strengthen their hand when negotiating terms with their client's club.

Vaguely seem to remember that as well. Probably at the time we got Lescott!

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

nottsblue wrote:

Foreverinbluedreams wrote:

Mikhail Chigorin wrote:A few years ago now, weren't we at one point linked with Chiellini NB, but nothing came of it ??

Or was it just paper talk as usual ??

Probably were and most likely when he was involved in contract negotiations. Agents love to drop City's name to journos in order to strengthen their hand when negotiating terms with their client's club.

Vaguely seem to remember that as well. Probably at the time we got Lescott!

Speaking of Lescott, I've just been reading that he's been training at City, apparently City officials made Moyes aware of his availability and he's now joined them.

Once a Blue