As long as Gundogan's starting games as a 8 any team can go straight through that midfield.
Nathan Ake (Close to signing for Man City, £40m fee)
- Thread starter Kush
- Start date
Sorry, forgot a defence and the CBs aren't there to help keep clean sheets. My bad
I don’t think Sane ever wore dreadlocks? Nice bucketing all the black lads together though.
I don't feel it's an unfair comparison at all.
But yeah, back on topic, you probably did over pay, but if he improves you defence which I'm sure he will then it'll be worth it and £40m won't be an overpayment.
When Grealish is rated at £45m, Ake should have been sold for £15m. Another case of an overrated Dutch player.
Now they'll sign Koulibally and Ake will be sidelined as 3rd choice. The fee literally has no significance to City, it's a drop in the ocean for the Sheikh and it's not going to show up on their books anyway..Guaranteed Koulibally will be announced for something fishy like 50m when every other club gets quoted 80-90m
What are the other cases? I've never noticed that as a thing.
Got a feeling he'll be left back, he'll suit that position for City as Guardiola likes his fullbacks to drift into midfield (he can play CM aswell), it's why Delph worked so well there.
I only meant it in a jokey way.
Sorry, forgot a defence and the CBs aren't there to help keep clean sheets. My bad
That's a ridiculous comment that has nothing to do with what I said. Of course defences are there to keep goals out, but there is always a trade-off for the team as a whole. The safer you play (i.e., focus on keeping goals out), the more difficult it will be to be strong in attack, as your team is focused backwards. And vice-versa. So a team that's set up more offensively is likely to run more risk on the counter, and hence likely to get more goals against them. Consequently, there is no point looking at the defence completely in isolation.
Extreme example: if a team would only have 15 goals against them all season, you might say they're great in defence. But if they scored 0 (zero) goals themselves, then I hope you'd agree that they have not gotten the trade-off right. (They will also most likely have relegated.) They would have probably played 10 defenders at all times, and I don't suppose you'd think they must all be great.
You've just exposed your own prejudice because black people aren't the only ones who can have dreadlocks.
And yes, he has had dreadlocks actually.
Wondering if they pay any under table payments to clubs/players as city always quickly complete their deals and once they are in most of them stay.
There are pictures with him wearing them for Germany, City and Schalke, so less of the snark, which, like Jericho has said has exposed your own prejudice.
So apparently Garcia will be moving on from City, he's refused to sign a new contract. Probably homesick for Barcelona.
This leaves them with the following CBs:
Laporte
Ake
Stones
Otamendi
Fernandinho (as Swiss Knife option)
In that case, can easily see Otamendi moving on, and City looking to bring in Kalidou or another CB. Or moving to 3 at the back but that's another question entirely
This leaves them with the following CBs:
Laporte
Ake
Stones
Otamendi
Fernandinho (as Swiss Knife option)
In that case, can easily see Otamendi moving on, and City looking to bring in Kalidou or another CB. Or moving to 3 at the back but that's another question entirely
So much for all the posters saying Ole tapped him up . People need to get their ears checked
They were probably braids
Agreed, he is not a high quality player in that midfield for them.
Eh...
He's better as a 6. When not paired with slow paced players in the midfield unit. And he has saved his best performances for Europe.
He's a good player. Which is what you expect of a squad player (which he is).
Just had a WhatsApp from a mate titled ‘Money spent on Defence’ Bosnia £165m, Cuba £379m, Namibia £383m, Pep Guardiola at City £405m and counting. Says it all. Agree if they do sign Koulibally, Ake will be a bit part player and disappear into a John Stones outer dimension along with all the others like the lad Roberts they bought from Fulham. Perhaps he bought Ake to stop Ole getting him.
For us, Mengi looks a big lad and should be perhaps loaned out for some experience. Smalling will feature in a few games I fear having ‘done well’ in Rome. Hope he learned how to head corners out.
For us, Mengi looks a big lad and should be perhaps loaned out for some experience. Smalling will feature in a few games I fear having ‘done well’ in Rome. Hope he learned how to head corners out.
Ornstein and Hirst said we targeted Ake
A cursory Google search tells me you chaps are correct. I genuinely didn’t realise he had ever worn dreadlocks – which obviously is key context in this case – so apologies for my ill judged remark.
Big clubs spend tons of money on players... more at the 11 pm news. Back to you in the studio John.
In fairness, this is what I thought.
They do but the anomaly here is City aren't a big club.
So I'm right in what I said, great! That's a good start.
That's a ridiculous comment that has nothing to do with what I said. Of course defences are there to keep goals out, but there is always a trade-off for the team as a whole. The safer you play (i.e., focus on keeping goals out), the more difficult it will be to be strong in attack, as your team is focused backwards. And vice-versa. So a team that's set up more offensively is likely to run more risk on the counter, and hence likely to get more goals against them. Consequently, there is no point looking at the defence completely in isolation.
Extreme example: if a team would only have 15 goals against them all season, you might say they're great in defence. But if they scored 0 (zero) goals themselves, then I hope you'd agree that they have not gotten the trade-off right. (They will also most likely have relegated.) They would have probably played 10 defenders at all times, and I don't suppose you'd think they must all be great.
Ok, so United are a very attacking outfit, with one defensive minded midfielder usually Matic.
Whereas Liverpool usually have two deep lying players in Henderson and Fabinho, Kieta or Wijnaldum.
Sometimes the two teams formations and average positions are actually very similar, so thanks for actually supporting my statement even more with your comments. Even better.
I'm not looking at defense in isolation, merely stating a fact that the defence's primary role, especially the CBs is to protect the goal, and United have got the third best defensive partnership in the premiership, despite playing an attacking brand of football, and may I say a vast improvement in 18 less goals conceded from the year before.
What's the difference I hear you ask??
Probably Lindlelof actually playing and the signing of Maguire, unless you feel it's otherwise, in which case id love to hear your thoughts?
Well, you didn't say any of that at the start, so it's helpful that you provide a bit more context this time round. I'm not sure Liverpool really play with two defensive midfielders; I think it's just Fabinho or whoever replaces him. I would also argue that United set up more defensively against other top teams, and played more defensively more generally at the start of the season. But I guess United's season is hard to asses because of its development: there is quite a difference between United in the first few games of the season and after the break. In any case, I just meant to make a general point that wider team context is important, and you provided that now, so I'm happy.
40 mill for a future 3rd choice central defender .
Fair enough.
Fair enough.
Apologies for the bump but didn’t think it was new thread worthy.
Was reading about Stones resurgence and remembered that this lad signed for City...did he even feature for the first team?
Was reading about Stones resurgence and remembered that this lad signed for City...did he even feature for the first team?
Isn't he injured or something? He's not been selected for the national team at least.
Seems to have had the Telles effect.
Has been injured and featured in the beginning but yeah no way Stones or Dias can be beaten for him at the moment. Best CBs in England by a mile this year. Long live financial doping
I believe he's played 6 times for their first team?
But got injured in training has been out for a long time.
Yeah I was thinking exactly the same a few days ago. Absolute waste of time signing for City, said so at the time.
He has made some appearances last season though I think.
Funny how we get dogs abuse for signing players like VDB and Fred for similar money and there's not a peep when Citeh splash that on the likes of Ake and he barely gets a kick.
The comment on Gundogan in this thread aged well
I guess it has a lot to do with City's performances and the fact he's been injured the last 3 months. Has done OK while he was fit, and he probably will be doing OK in the future. Also, dogs abuse for VDB? I think most have forgotten about him too, but he was always meant as a bigger profile signing I guess, but coming from the Eredivisie it was still a relative cheap.
Think Bournemouth looked at us paying £80m for Maguire and set their price accordingly. They both qualify for the homegrown rule.
Unlikely, he's been injured a lot.
Pep gets to make some flop based signings and no one says crap.
Every squad needs a phil jones...
Partly because nobody genuinely cares about Man City that passionately, and partly because they’re doing so well this season. If it was a stinker of a season I think you’d hear a bit more talk about the duds/money spent etc.