Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa joins AS Roma then Lyon

[Flip]

Is he a better defender?

 

Is he a better partner for Colo?

 

I guess WHU will be a great test.

 

 

Than Steven Taylor? He's a much much better defender man than Steven Taylor. Steven Taylor is only playing because he's a strong lad that wins header, but he has very average footballing ability, positioning and intelligence.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

How much have you seen of MYM?

 

I've seen a fair bit of him and he's a much better footballer than Taylor. Problem is, he doesn't seem to compliment Colo to well. When they played in the middle together couple months back, none of them won any headers.

 

I don't know how much of an issue that is TBH. They aren't monsters in the air, but Colo has improved a lot in that area, and there aren't as many big strikers around now anyway.

 

I just think the benefits of playing them outweigh that weakness.

 

Quite a few strikers around better than Colo in the air tbf.

 

Of course, but (a) it doesn't necessarily mean they'll always do something good against him and (b) those players are probably better than Taylor as well.

[The College Dropout]

How much have you seen of MYM?

 

I've seen a fair bit of him and he's a much better footballer than Taylor. Problem is, he doesn't seem to compliment Colo to well. When they played in the middle together couple months back, none of them won any headers.

 

I don't know how much of an issue that is TBH. They aren't monsters in the air, but Colo has improved a lot in that area, and there aren't as many big strikers around now anyway.

 

I just think the benefits of playing them outweigh that weakness.

 

Dezko. Negredo. Carroll. Benteke. Altidore. Anichebe. Lukaku. Torres. Soldad.

 

That's just off the top.

[Flip]

I'd add Graham and Lambert and Crouch to players who'd probably beat Colo in the air.

[The College Dropout]

Wow. I should do some work. Ian is a looney.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'm not saying people wouldn't beat Colo in the air sometimes. But as I said, he will do enough elsewhere to get the better of those players, and those players are also better in the air than Taylor.

[The College Dropout]

The new S'hampton lad looks handy in the air too.

 

A team that is useless in the air better be brilliant on the deck.

 

I do miss the physicality our first PL season back side had.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Wow. I should do some work. Ian is a looney.

 

What are you on about man? Grow up.

[BrettNUFC]

I'm not saying people wouldn't beat Colo in the air sometimes. But as I said, he will do enough elsewhere to get the better of those players, and those players are also better in the air than Taylor.

 

With you on the heading. MYM and Colo can be a good partnership given the time and patience to build up their understanding of one another. They might not be effective aerially but i don't deem this a major issue as it's not like Taylor is dominant force in this area. Don’t see the need to list strikers who would cause problems, they would give most defenders a tough game for this but our two defenders would have the better of them in other attributes of the game.

 

[The College Dropout]

Looks like at least 20% of goals scored are from headers..http://www.kickoff.co.uk/998/scoring-trends/

 

[The College Dropout]

http://thepowerofgoals.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/mode-of-scoring-epl-201011part-2.html

[AyeDubbleYoo]

OK, quite a lot goals are scored from headers.

 

But it's not like Colo/Mapou will be dominated every single time and we'll conceded for fun, we'll also concede less from the 80% that are scored not from headers. That stat doesn't really tell us much about who we should pick from our available players.

[The College Dropout]

There's plenty of goal scored with the feet that occer due to a flick-on or aerially contested ball. Losing headers just puts your team on the back foot. We lose headers upfront with Cisse/Gouff and at the back with Colo. It's a big reason why we are always on the backfoot. Unable to relieve pressure.#

 

 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

There's plenty of goal scored with the feet that occer due to a flick-on or aerially contested ball. Losing headers just puts your team on the back foot. We lose headers upfront with Cisse/Gouff and at the back with Colo. It's a big reason why we are always on the backfoot. Unable to relieve pressure.#

 

Who can we pick to solve that problem though? We don't have anyone. Taylor is marginally better in the air but we cause as many problems as we solve by picking him, probably more.

[The College Dropout]

I'm just shocked that people are downplaying the importance of heading for CB's. It's one of the first things you should look for in a CB.

 

It's not just strikers, defenders/midfielders are a danger too. IMO a team should have AT LEAST 4 players that can be classed as good headers of the ball.

 

In general, people on this board under value the importance of physicality in football. City have an all star team. They are strong, fast and good in the air along with being great footballers. When we can't compete physically, we don't stand a chance.

[The College Dropout]

Taylor's not marginally better though is he. He's significantly better in the air. He's not Ivanovic or Vidic.. but he's good in the air. Colo is weak in the air. Not average. But for a CB, he loses a lot of headers.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I value physicality, I just think Mapou is physical enough as well as being brilliant in other ways. You're right it's important to have enough properly athletic players.

 

We'll just have to agree to disagree on the heading thing.

[BrettNUFC]

Wouldn't say people are downgrading anything. People are picking MYM over Taylor is simply because Taylor isn't a massive upgrade even on his aerial ability, he is better in that department but not stand out. MYM overall game is a class above Taylor's and is the reason people want to see him in. MYM's pace can compliment Colo better than what Taylor's heading can. MYM and Colo need a run of games to build an understanding partnership which can be used to good effect.

[Deuce]

I'm just shocked that people are downplaying the importance of heading for CB's. It's one of the first things you should look for in a CB.

 

It's not just strikers, defenders/midfielders are a danger too. IMO a team should have AT LEAST 4 players that can be classed as good headers of the ball.

 

In general, people on this board under value the importance of physicality in football. City have an all star team. They are strong, fast and good in the air along with being great footballers. When we can't compete physically, we don't stand a chance.

 

That's not really what's happening here. If anything, I think you're overstating how imperative it is we have a CB who can boss the opposition through the air. Colo and MYM might not be the most adept through the air, to the extent Taylor is, but it doesn't mean they'll fold like a deck of cards every time a more physical striker saunters onto the field. Both are capable of winning headers.

 

I'd much rather have two technically-proficient CBs like MYM and Colo, guys who can carry the ball out of the backfield and make solid forward passes, than two physical brutes like Shawcross and Huth for Stoke, who look like schoolboys trying to carry the ball 10 yards away from the box.

[Tooj]

How much have you seen of MYM?

 

I've seen a fair bit of him and he's a much better footballer than Taylor. Problem is, he doesn't seem to compliment Colo to well. When they played in the middle together couple months back, none of them won any headers.

They looked class as a pairing away at Kharkiv tbh.

[Dokko]

Timing, positioning and anticipation are just as effective in the air as height, brute strength & jumping ability.

 

Also think forwards on a whole are getting smaller and trickier so big lads getting turned inside out isn't always the best approach. However for the likes of Benteke, Carroll etc..you really do need those physical attributes to compete effectively.

 

I don't think we have anyone like that, last player was bramble.

 

[Disco]

How much have you seen of MYM?

 

I've seen a fair bit of him and he's a much better footballer than Taylor. Problem is, he doesn't seem to compliment Colo to well. When they played in the middle together couple months back, none of them won any headers.

They looked class as a pairing away at Kharkiv tbh.

 

Slower, European football though ain't it.

 

I think he'll come good though, just a bedding in period, it's harder at CB to adapt than elsewhere too IMO.

 

EDIT: 2 games aside he hasn't been bad.

[Sean]

What is this shit? It's not as if Taylor's a beast in the air himself, and add in his lack of positioning, tendency to give stupid handballs away in the area, backing off his man allowing a free shot, and now stupidly getting sent off and putting the rest of the team in the shit, I don't care if he's good in the air, he's a liability.

 

But he's a geordie and he likes pumping his chest...seems that's enough for a lot of people.

[The College Dropout]

Every side big team in the league has a striker that si handy in the air man.

 

I'm pretty certain Stoke conceded less goals than us last season. Defenders play on the deck is of tertiary importance to me. Especially as we have a ball playing CB anyway. Defenders that can defend is all that really matters. Tony Adams was hardly Franco Baresi. Nemanja Vidic is hardly a great footballer but he's an awesome defender.

 

I'd have one of Huth/Shawcross starting

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'm not just talking about ability on the ball, I'm talking about other on the ground abilities like reading the game, interceptions, standing tackles etc. All of which I would have Mapou over Saylor.

 

Anyway, we'll get to see how he does hopefully.