***Official Manchester City v Leeds United Match Thread***

[Green & Blue]

Its a similar situation to the Hart/Given in Mancinis earlier days.Mancini is looking at what's best for the team long term.I have no issues with Lescott by the way I was more than happy with him before Nasti came into the side.

[Ted Hughes]

Could always move him inside.

I'm sure he'd take to it like a duck.

We basically need 11 Kolarovs in my opinion.

On a serious note though, Lescott was our best center half last year. Before anyone starts, yes obviously Kompany is the better defender. But Lescott had a better season in my opinion and didn't get a lot of credit. I don't think he's been given a good enough run this season but I can see why Mancini has done it, because of Nasti's potential.

I agree with that but I don't understand why he needs to do it at this stage. Nasti could play loads of games v the Leeds' & Villas' without having to wreck the Lescott/Vinny partnership then Bob could move Nastasic in over time if he proves good enough.

Young players often have bad seasons too & go backwards for a while. We saw it with Richards. What happens if Nastasic does that & we've dumped Lescott ?

[dazby]

I'd love to see Kolo's record vs these guys.

Doug has nailed it. Nasty's the better footballer, Joleon's the better defender. Play the appropriate player according to the opposition.

Carl/Alex, Nasty has a high % of headers won because he only goes for the ones he thinks he can win. Rather than make a contest, he keeps his feet and tries to win the second ball.

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with Ted. (I might be a Ted licker by now)I think pissing about with the very successful Vince/Joleon pairing has been a mistake. I'm not sure why, but Joleon has been a convenient scapegoat since he joined for many. He started to get his shit together and play well and twice copped injuries that set him back again, but people just said he was shit. And yet in the main he has been excellent. Nastasic in his first few games was making more mistakes than Richard Ashcroft but he has improved gradually. I still believe that Joleon is the better option over him though. Kolo just frightens the shit out of me.

[kinkylola]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with Ted. (I might be a Ted licker by now)I think pissing about with the very successful Vince/Joleon pairing has been a mistake. I'm not sure why, but Joleon has been a convenient scapegoat since he joined for many. He started to get his shit together and play well and twice copped injuries that set him back again, but people just said he was shit. And yet in the main he has been excellent. Nastasic in his first few games was making more mistakes than Richard Ashcroft but he has improved gradually. I still believe that Joleon is the better option over him though. Kolo just frightens the shit out of me.

I think we've stumbled upon the actual answer, and that is that through a clean Jan ... Mancini swapped Lescott and Nasti with good effect to counter a specific threat from the oppo.

There are upsides and downsides to that ... a lot of people believe you need a run in the first team to really hit form, others might say that being played against oppo that are going to play into your strengths will give you a better opportunity to excel.

I'd be happy if we found success swapping players as needed, and it's something that we could try a bit further up the pitch, imo ... say if we needed some pace out wide, why not start sinclair instead of nasri? Or play yaya behind a front man and have milner and rodwell to run the oppo midfield ragged behind him.

I think we have a lot of variation in player qualities in our team, but we don't seem to take advantage of it apart from trying to play wingbacks and 3 at the back and swapping cb's. take it further I say.

Sometimes

[Hazy2]

Once again, I find myself agreeing with Ted. (I might be a Ted licker by now)I think pissing about with the very successful Vince/Joleon pairing has been a mistake. I'm not sure why, but Joleon has been a convenient scapegoat since he joined for many. He started to get his shit together and play well and twice copped injuries that set him back again, but people just said he was shit. And yet in the main he has been excellent. Nastasic in his first few games was making more mistakes than Richard Ashcroft but he has improved gradually. I still believe that Joleon is the better option over him though. Kolo just frightens the shit out of me.

The loss NDJ has been a mistake the control Vinny had over the screen he provided has hit us two fold Vinny has to step up into areas where his straight leg tackle is gonna get him sent off. Joeleon had HIS job stay central to the left and pick a big man at set pieces, Find feet and get set again. Now we are wide open to the better teams, Yaya has no mad dog asking him where the fuck is he going when we need to be solid. De Jong, was not here to start attacks or speed up the game he was here as a foundation for Yaya Silva etc to work on. Barry has been great and a very crucial part of keeping the season going however, Madrid away for the counter attacks which did us at 2-1 IMHO De Jong would never have been looking for a third as Barry was and caught out to the Madrid midfield not tracking back and saying fuck it if they get a 3rd so what NDJ would have been there to foul or win the ball.The rags two Counters, 1st half were against the play for the 2 up in area devoid of a city player NDJ was made to break up and scare the sHit out of Ronney dropping off, Paul Power said it the other day De Jong has been a massive miss for the shedload he did unseen to the fans, a top bloke to have when the pressure is on WHO KNEW HIS JOB. Kolo is a mystry player never ever gonna get a game in a game against the RAGS, DIPPERS, JL is 4th choice and that is wrong IMO.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

[Hazy2]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

4th is at a push mate Toomy Booth has more chance of a game.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

4th is at a push mate Toomy Booth has more chance of a game.

He started five of our last six.

[Hazy2]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

4th is at a push mate Toomy Booth has more chance of a game.

He started five of our last six.

Vinny Injured and Kolo away ANC As I have said JL is a decent player being blamed since Ajax for a lot that was others fault, given support would be fine without NDJ he looks flusstered and clumsy most times I see him. I said at WBA him and Kompany were dodgy all day he made a great last ditch interception which poss won us the points, VK got Milner sent off. I think his treatment is unfair but is he on the slide as it seems the manager thinks. Some defenders get better with age, his no right foot whay-sover does have the crowd hearts in the mouth. No hiding place and under Mancini no sentiment unless you are Yaya.

[Ted Hughes]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

4th is at a push mate Toomy Booth has more chance of a game.

He started five of our last six.

Vinny Injured and Kolo away ANC As I have said JL is a decent player being blamed since Ajax for a lot that was others fault, given support would be fine without NDJ he looks flusstered and clumsy most times I see him. I said at WBA him and Kompany were dodgy all day he made a great last ditch interception which poss won us the points, VK got Milner sent off. I think his treatment is unfair but is he on the slide as it seems the manager thinks. Some defenders get better with age, his no right foot whay-sover does have the crowd hearts in the mouth. No hiding place and under Mancini no sentiment unless you are Yaya.

That's the main thing people judge Lescott on; what he looks like.

They think he's going to make a mistake so they get home after the match & remember the game as if he has, or almost have an orgasm when he does actually fuck up because they've been waiting so long for it to happen, sometimes several games. Meanwhile, the blokes around him actually do give the ball away in their own half (as Nasti did v Leeds several times) & nobody cares.

Every Lescott mistake counts for 5.

[twosips]

Lescott is a very good defender. He's currently better that Nastasic. Nastasic is a good defender. Kompany is our best defender.

That's all I have to say on this.

[Hazy2]

Hazy,

Lescott is not fourth choice. He is second choice left centre back.

4th is at a push mate Toomy Booth has more chance of a game.

He started five of our last six.

Vinny Injured and Kolo away ANC As I have said JL is a decent player being blamed since Ajax for a lot that was others fault, given support would be fine without NDJ he looks flusstered and clumsy most times I see him. I said at WBA him and Kompany were dodgy all day he made a great last ditch interception which poss won us the points, VK got Milner sent off. I think his treatment is unfair but is he on the slide as it seems the manager thinks. Some defenders get better with age, his no right foot whay-sover does have the crowd hearts in the mouth. No hiding place and under Mancini no sentiment unless you are Yaya.

That's the main thing people judge Lescott on; what he looks like.

They think he's going to make a mistake so they get home after the match & remember the game as if he has, or almost have an orgasm when he does actually fuck up because they've been waiting so long for it to happen, sometimes several games. Meanwhile, the blokes around him actually do give the ball away in their own half (as Nasti did v Leeds several times) & nobody cares.

Every Lescott mistake counts for 5.

Not for me Ted, when he was at Wolves he was classy, missed a whole season when they were promoted and came back after a bad injury. For me I will always rate him and like Distain needs a partner to ofset his all lefty thing. I have never hated him just seen a dodgyness this year which we are never gonna aceept like in in the Dunny days.