zargof

So Mike what's the deal with Delph? 9M is peanuts these days. Where does he fit on a scale of Mangala to Messi?

Garbatellamike

we bought him for 8 million so make a profit. Delph is a good squad player does everything ok but isn't spectacular at anything. He has a good left foot so adds balance to the team and also did well playing left back. Closer to Messi than Mangala methinks and with Rodri and Fern ahead of him in midfield and Mendy, Zinchenko and Angelino at left back he is surplus to requirements. He will workhard and not let you down.

Garbatellamike

please don't take this the wrong way but do you ever actually watch any football?

Garbatellamike

Being a better defensive rb than TAA isn't that a bit like better at football than Phil Jones? i.e. everyone alive and kicking?

TAA is top notch going forward but defensively still learning and set pieces.........

BristolUK

Yes, it's how I know he's terrible at defending...as shown in his last England match.

Garbatellamike

Ah ok so to confirm you based your comment on just the one match then?

BristolUK

Yes, that's right, just one match. You don't get any better do you. I should listen to the advice I get.

Garbatellamike

Ah well if you'd watched the last 76 league games in which Walker's team conceded 50 goals whilst scoring over 200 and running up 198 points you might have concluded he was quite good defensively. He is not as effective going forward as Trippier or TAA but is better at the back than either.

As to advice, watch more games, comment intelligently and you'll be fine.....

BristolUK

So presumably you'd say the same about players like Jones and Smalling when they played in a ManU defence conceding few goals too. Absolute top defenders right? Nope.

And the reverse when Spurs were leaking more goals than the comparable teams around them while Walker was in their defence.

This is the same silly argument that a player must be good because of the medals he's won....and then you see team mates with the same medals but realise they are lesser players so maybe, just maybe, there's more to it.

zargof

This discussion about right backs is stupid. They are all shit compared to Tony Hibbert.

civilservant

I'm getting pretty irritated with the lack of news coming out of Old Trafford regarding the deals for Maguire and Fernandes. We cannot start the season having only got James and Wan-Bissaka in or we should just surrender Champions League football for 2021 right now.

​​​​​​​Seamus Coleman was better.

Garbatellamike

No maybe about it there's lots more to it.

You are 100 per cent correct you can hide a poor player in a dominant team. Jones is a good example as was Wes Brown but here is the thing. Since Walker arrived to replace Zabaleta Citeh has won 5 of the last 6 domestic trophies. He is picked by the best coach in the world ahead of Danilo and by the England manager ahead of Trippier. These 2 successful managers clearly don't share your irrational hatred for Walker and neither do I. The facts tend to suggest to the reasonable observer he is a decent defender...

DaveLovesDee

And playing alongside and behind better players at City than at Spurs obviously helps. He was a decent player in a poor team at Spurs, but City made him better.

BristolUK

Which might say a lot about Zabaleta. Also ignores Kompany's role, especially since he's been available to play more often.
Then there's the presence of a certain Laporte in the same defence.

There's also the record number of goals scored in the same period in large part to dominance of possession. I wonder if opponents having so little possession might hinder their chances on attacking City's weak link.
I don't hate him. He's just not very good at defending. He is fast, of course, and a very useful player to have when the press is beaten and a breakaway is on for the other team.

DaveLovesDee

Just be thankful none of these CL winners played for your teams.....

Oh, some did... Sorry