You think that their 4 CBs are better and more reliable than VvD, Matip, Gomez and Lovren and we've got 'Hoover' too) ? I don't. Stones has had a few injuries, and Ottamendi & Kompany, if I remember correctly and it's more a bit early to start saying Gomez is injury prone because of one serious injury and a setback during recovery........I just look at City who have a solid base this last season, take Laporte out, Stones in. Take ottamendi out. Kompany in. All 4 CBs you'd argue pretty solid, and wouldn't suffer too much whichever was playing.
Probably don't want to buy anyone expensive at the moment ... keeping a low profile, and waiting for us, and other clubs to spend big and they then in the middlenof it all spend 50-60M on a player and no one notices in the media coz Liverpool and all the others have spent loads. Bit like the Layering phase of Money Laundering.What I don't get is why Citeh aren't in for him. You'd think a CB would be high on their agenda... Must have someone else lined up already
Probably don't want to buy anyone expensive at the moment ... keeping a low profile, and waiting for us, and other clubs to spend big and they then in the middlenof it all spend 50-60M on a player and no one notices in the media coz Liverpool and all the others have spent loads. Bit like the Layering phase of Money Laundering.
This almost guarantees that City will spend about £100m on a player this summer
You think that their 4 CBs are better and more reliable than VvD, Matip, Gomez and Lovren and we've got 'Hoover' too) ? I don't. Stones has had a few injuries, and Ottamendi & Kompany, if I remember correctly and it's more a bit early to start saying Gomez is injury prone because of one serious injury and a setback during recovery.
Kompany was on his last legs, Ottamendi is as prone to mistakes as Lovren, and over the season VvD & Matip were clearly better than Laporte & Stones. Didn't we actually conceded a goal less than them in the PL too?
Take virgil out our team, and all of a sudden we are a nervous wreck (think how we thought the Bayern game might go, luckily it was at home).
Right.. but that's a one off. Can we expect it to be replicated?How we thought the Bayern game, without Virgil, might go and how it did go (clean sheet, excellent defending) are two entirely different things ... most likely down to the fact that "we" thought wrong.
You're forgetting that we had Virgil fit in the league all season. My point is you can take one of them (city's defenders) out and another in and they dont seem to suffer to much
Matip would win the most improved player award, but it was only half a season. I hope the consistency continues, but is it a guarantee?
Take virgil out our team, and all of a sudden we are a nervous wreck (think how we thought the Bayern game might go, luckily it was at home). Albeit not as much with the big yellow wall behind. You're forgetting how well we play with Matip and Lovren in the same side from previous seasons. Just yuck!
Don't be ridiculous. You're banging on about De Ligt who's only 19 as a starter CB despite his experience. Hoever is 17. He stood in very well for us and I'm happy to have him as 5th CB which would likely never see him start in the PL or CL but see him playing in the LC or possibly early rounds FAC.Stop banging on about Hoever as CB, he's at least 3 years off being a first choice CB. RB yes, CB not yet.
And none of them related. Bad luck or a trend remains to be seen.Gomez has had 3 serious injuries in 3 seasons.
HIs stats don't match up to Matip, Lovren or Gomez. Again you are firing off wild shots.Kompany was on his last legs I agree, yet look what he achieved as his swan song. About 7 clean sheets in 8 and a worldie to break out hearts. That's what I mean about depth chart. We dont have that.
You need to start looking at some stats. And there are no guarantees, even for City's players. Laporte is considered by some way the best City CB (and like VvD played nearly every game, starting 35 and 1 as sub) but Matip, Lovren and Gomez all come close to his defensive stats (converted to percentages) i.e. blocks, tackles won, clearances, headers won and so on. Needless to say VvD is a street ahead of him. You can check them here : https://www.premierleague.com/stats/player-comparison
Well Tom has already trashed this opinion so I'll say no more other than it's exactly what I was going to say !
Don't be ridiculous. You're banging on about De Ligt who's only 19 as a starter CB despite his experience. Hoever is 17. He stood in very well for us and I'm happy to have him as 5th CB which would likely never see him start in the PL or CL but see him playing in the LC or possibly early rounds FAC.
And none of them related. Bad luck or a trend remains to be seen.
HIs stats don't match up to Matip, Lovren or Gomez. Again you are firing off wild shots.
...............
It's often the same shit on 6CM, City's players clearly must be a lot better than ours (despite the team having an inferior defensive record and the defenders inferior stats).
Why not ? Please don't use stats from a couple of seasons ago to support your theory, because that assumes Klopp had made no progress with the team, players or pairings. Surely recent form (1/3 or 1/2 a season ?) is enough.Right.. but that's a one off. Can we expect it to be replicated?
I said Hoever is good enough for our #5 and specifically said he would be unlikely to start a match (in fact more like #6 because Fabinho is ahead of him). And for that I have no problem.You clearly have an opinion, which you are entitled to. But stats mean fuck all sometimes.
Tackles won per 90 minutes, you actually want as low as possible, while clean sheets obviously as high as possible. Tackle % high as possible etc etc.
On their own stats can be misleading, you can spin them how you want to spin them.
So dont bring stats into the debate.
You just need to look the stature of De Ligt vs Hoever to see which one is ready for the premier league.
Bahahaha. Yes.Guys, this De Ligt fella, does he not remind you of that overgrown type that is likely to get proper fat in the next few years. I dont like the look of him, he reminds of the type that walks around with skid marks in his pants.
I am just astounded at the price been quoted. I know you all say the little darling is only 19 BUT all i can say is I dont give a shit ...75M ? Fuck Off, he still fucked up in that CL semi final. For that money, you need to be pretty flawless, and all i see are faulta, and arrogance, over confidence, and potential skid marks if you take his pants off.Ajax is trying to sell snake oil here.
They like the rest of the world are just scared of him.Any ideas as to why the England supporters are booing Virgil van Dijk every time he is on the ball?
I know they are thick as fuck but there must be some reason other than that he is very good.