Lescott

[Alioune DVToure]

Joleon Lescott has been rather improbably linked with a move to West Ham in tomorrow's papers...

You guys think there's any chance of this being true?

I've been in a coma for a week - how did we get on mid-week btw?

:o

I agree that he's our second best centre-half ahead of Nastasic and Demichelis, so I suspect that if he were to become available there'd be a couple of clubs in the top half interested. That said, if you're offering him a good contract and the promise of regular first-team footy, who knows?

West Ham are a bigger club and more attractive proposition than the likes of Southampton.

[Beefymcfc]

Lescott would be a fool to move to a team like West Ham at this point in time and unless we get a quality replacement in we'd also be the same. Nothing against the Hammers but when you have a chance for silverware then you've got to take it. Imagine in 10, 20 or 30 years time when he's reminiscing over his acheivements and was asked why he didn't finish the double/treble/quadruple winning campaign, instead going to London for a relegation scrap that could see him go from the top to the second tier within 6 months?

As for a World Cup slot, I don't think there's a chance in hell he's looking at that. He was involved in the first half of the campaign and did very well but now he seems to have been frozen out with the pairing of Cahill and Jagielka being the preferred option. Fuck, even Smalling and Jones are favoured over him in that position so how low does that put him in the pecking order?

I like Lescott, always have, and if I was in his boots I'd be staying put until the end of the season, find a club that has a chance of at least competing and get a handsome sign on bonus. Going for relegation would not be an option.

[Tesl]

We would be throwing away any chances of the title if we let him go anywhere.


When will Pellers wake up to the fact defending isn't about being comfortable on the ball?

Err, that's a little hyperbolic. You genuinely think this City team wouldn't be capable of winning the title without Lescott in the squad?

If he goes to West Ham then they have done great, because I'd hate to see us let him go this January and think he should be a week in starter alongside Kompany. I'll be really disappointed if that happens.

[clippo22]

Sadly I think Lescott will never pull on the England shirt again, no matter how well he plays in the second half of the season. Same as Barry, Roy will not see either of these in the first team and will pick younger players to fill the squad up. Meaning the likes of Smalling and jones in defence and Cleverley and Henderson in midfield will be picked ahead of Lescott or Barry. Even more tragic I think Micah could well fall into this category, if he ever gets fits!

Back to the thread though and I think he will get offers from higher up the table than West Ham but I don't think he will be offered a better package from those teams. West Ham will pay him silly money and a lengthy contract which will appeal to him. Personally I would like to see him stay as we will need him whilst competing on 4 fronts this season.

[Nick]

also buzzing the hammers beat cardiff yesterday! and pleased for carroll

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Lescott would be a fool to move to a team like West Ham at this point in time and unless we get a quality replacement in we'd also be the same. Nothing against the Hammers but when you have a chance for silverware then you've got to take it. Imagine in 10, 20 or 30 years time when he's reminiscing over his acheivements and was asked why he didn't finish the double/treble/quadruple winning campaign, instead going to London for a relegation scrap that could see him go from the top to the second tier within 6 months?

As for a World Cup slot, I don't think there's a chance in hell he's looking at that. He was involved in the first half of the campaign and did very well but now he seems to have been frozen out with the pairing of Cahill and Jagielka being the preferred option. Fuck, even Smalling and Jones are favoured over him in that position so how low does that put him in the pecking order?

I like Lescott, always have, and if I was in his boots I'd be staying put until the end of the season, find a club that has a chance of at least competing and get a handsome sign on bonus. Going for relegation would not be an option.

This.
I don't see why we would let him go. Nastasic and Dimechellis should be shown the door before him.
When Lescott plays he's like a magnet to the ball, he wins so many headers and he's always there. Sure he fucks upon the odd occasion, but so does Kompany and so do Dimechellis and Nastasic but they seem to get away with it whereas Lescott is unfairly
criticised.

The 'he's crap on the ball' argument is perhaps one of the most ridiculous arguments I've heard aswell. I want a centre back who is good at defending rather than one who's going to try to make 60 yard pinpoint passes.

[walmai]

West Ham are a bigger club and more attractive proposition than the likes of Southampton.

That's an interesting comment, at which I raised an eyebrow in surprise...

We've a bigger fan-base, sure, but don't know whether that's much of a factor in a player's choice.

Soton have a more progressive approach to the game, I'd have thought.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

That's an interesting comment, at which I raised an eyebrow in surprise... We've a bigger fan-base, sure, but don't know whether that's much of a factor in a player's choice. Soton have a more progressive approach to the game, I'd have thought.

More level headed than I was, when we were in a similar position mate.

I always swore we weren't that bad and Pearce would sort it ha.

[Spurge]

If I were him, I'd go on loan to West Ham.

[highlight]Playing regularly will see him have a crack at the England squad for what is sure to be his last chance to play in the World Cup finals[/highlight]. If he passed that up, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He may not make the squad, but he has no chance at all the way things are now.

That said, I don't think City will let him go.

Yes I'm surprised nobody else in the thread could see this as a reason for him to leave City. I'm not sure that a loan will really suit City particulalry if we are looking to get a central defender in.

[sheblue]

Be disappointed to see him go. Be a very good signing for WH.
If he is going, let's hope we have a replacement lined up.

[Slim]

If I were him, I'd go on loan to West Ham.

[highlight]Playing regularly will see him have a crack at the England squad for what is sure to be his last chance to play in the World Cup finals[/highlight]. If he passed that up, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He may not make the squad, but he has no chance at all the way things are now.

That said, I don't think City will let him go.

Yes I'm surprised nobody else in the thread could see this as a reason for him to leave City. I'm not sure that a loan will really suit City particulalry if we are looking to get a central defender in.

Well he already qualifies for a league medal should we win it, so there is that.

However would he want to sit on the bench for 6 months before the world cup.

Yeah, not a single soul.

[walmai]

That's an interesting comment, at which I raised an eyebrow in surprise... We've a bigger fan-base, sure, but don't know whether that's much of a factor in a player's choice. Soton have a more progressive approach to the game, I'd have thought.

More level headed than I was, when we were in a similar position mate.

I always swore we weren't that bad and Pearce would sort it ha.

I actually think that we might have turned a corner yesterday, as it happens, Lee. Way I see it is that, as much as our football is a little regressive in approach, Sam can get enough from our best players to just about scrape a survival. It won't be pretty - which tends to make few players that keen about joining - but we're on lock down in terms of extravagance until we move to the OS...

[sheblue]

That's an interesting comment, at which I raised an eyebrow in surprise... We've a bigger fan-base, sure, but don't know whether that's much of a factor in a player's choice. Soton have a more progressive approach to the game, I'd have thought.

More level headed than I was, when we were in a similar position mate.

I always swore we weren't that bad and Pearce would sort it ha.

I actually think that we might have turned a corner yesterday, as it happens, Lee. Way I see it is that, as much as our football is a little regressive in approach, Sam can get enough from our best players to just about scrape a survival. It won't be pretty - which tends to make few players that keen about joining - but we're on lock down in terms of extravagance until we move to the OS...

It mightn't be pretty, but neither is relegation.

[Spurge]

If I were him, I'd go on loan to West Ham.

[highlight]Playing regularly will see him have a crack at the England squad for what is sure to be his last chance to play in the World Cup finals[/highlight]. If he passed that up, he'd regret it for the rest of his life. He may not make the squad, but he has no chance at all the way things are now.

That said, I don't think City will let him go.

Yes I'm surprised nobody else in the thread could see this as a reason for him to leave City. I'm not sure that a loan will really suit City particulalry if we are looking to get a central defender in.

Well he already qualifies for a league medal should we win it, so there is that.

However would he want to sit on the bench for 6 months before the world cup.

Yeah, not a single soul.

Oh dear, yes, the dangers of skim reading coming back to bight me on the arse. My apologies for overlooking your post Slim.

[Saul Goodman]

Papers say this had been agreed but we want to wait until the 20th.

[Slim]

Papers say this had been agreed but we want to wait until the 20th.

I guess someone is arriving and they aren't willing to do without him as backup.

[Benjay]

Err, that's a little hyperbolic. You genuinely think this City team wouldn't be capable of winning the title without Lescott in the squad?

If he goes to West Ham then they have done great, because I'd hate to see us let him go this January and think he should be a week in starter alongside Kompany. I'll be really disappointed if that happens.

I agree. I thought the post was a wind up. The idea that we will throw away the league by selling Lescott is a joke. I am clearly in a minority but I dont see what all the fuss is about. Not sure why but when he has the ball I break into sweats. Not sure I have seen him pass with his right foot and these days you need to be good with both feet.

[walmai]

I actually think that we might have turned a corner yesterday... It won't be pretty - which tends to make few players that keen about joining - but we're on lock down in terms of extravagance until we move to the OS...

It mightn't be pretty, but neither is relegation.

True words...

[Nige]

Well, anyone who was at the game tonight high enough in the stands to see more than shorts should agree...... Lescott was the only defender who tried to take responsibility for moving the game forward,

Without him that spare-part Nastacic would be lost, all he does is avoid responsibility and pass (slowly) to either the other CB or the goalie.

If Lescott goes we're thread bare at CB and we will nothing. This weakness is emphasised every time Garcia and Pantillimon play which might be often come April.

[aaron bond]

Nastasic is considerably out of his depth with us. You could see last season he lacked any real defensive ability, yet some morons were calling him 'world class' just because he looked more comfortable on the ball than Lescott. He actually doesn't have this magical range of passing that some people like to claim.

He's a complete liability and his pathetic attempt to make a tackle on the Blackburn player running at him in the first half when he gave away a free kick just outside the box is something we see from him almost every week.

The best compliment I used to be able to give Nastasic was that he was marginally better than Savic. I don't think that's true anymore.

Lescott, on the other hand, is looking more composed now he has played a few games recently and it would be a mistake to get rid of him, especially as he's still the best partner for Kompany out of all of our options.

We paid an embarrassing amount for a really poor player in Nastasic, and if we could fool a club out there into taking him from us then we should make it happen.