Boyata backed for bright future

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Roberto Mancini has backed Dedryck Boyata for a bright future after the young Belgian’s rapid rise into the first team.

The selection of the 19-year-old caught many pundits unawares and he has looked assured during his appearances at centre back.

Saturday’s defeat at Hull was Dedryck's most difficult afternoon so far, but as Mancini points it was not the best day for the whole side.

“If he keeps improving over the next couple of years, Boyata is going to be a fantastic player. He is going to make mistakes, he's still young and that's normal. But then the whole team did not play well in the first half at Hull, but they improved in the second half. We have to learn to start games better. We're a good team, but we have to have the right mentality.”

The manager is hoping he might be able to reunite the pairing of Vincent Kompany and Kolo Toure against Bolton on Tuesday, with City not conceding during the three games when they lined up in central defence together against Stoke, Wolves and Portsmouth

"We have only been able to play Vincent
and Kolo together three times,”
Roberto adds, “and each time we have
kept a clean sheet. Boyata is obviously
a good player, but he is still only
young, and the more experience I have
to call on the better."

Patrick Vieira is set to making his first start for City against Bolton, and the boss is pleased to finally be able to call upon such experience after a run of injuries that reduced his options in both defence and midfield.

“Patrick has the kind of mentality I want us to show for the rest of the season. We have a good chance to hit our targets, and we still have two games in hand. We want to get further up the table, but it depends on us.

“If he can be available for the rest of our games, Patrick could play a big part in that. He has the extra experience that will be important for us to use.

“We have a few options to choose from in midfield with Nigel, Gareth, Stephen and even Zaba if our defence is covered. Before Patrick came, and with some defenders injured, we really only had two midfielders of that type available in Gareth and Nigel - Stephen was also injured for a while so it was hard for them. We wanted to wait for Patrick to be fully fit, and Stephen also had to come back. I didn’t want to pick someone who was not really ready when Kolo, Joleon and Wayne were also out.”

mcfc.co.uk

[Crossie]

hmmmm so a first choice of Toure and Kompany at CB?

I guess Lescott might not walk right back in. But then again what has Boyata done wrong to be dropped? Tough.

Id be happy to see Toure and Kompany have a few games together, but I think we should end up with Komps and Lescott

[Mase]

I dont like Boyata, he makes me feel uncomfortable.

A back pass to Nicky Weaver style uncomfortable??

[aaron bond]

Boyata has potential and has shown glimpses of talent in the few games he has played for us, but as this season is so important to us, we have to go with the more experienced players when they're available.

Kompany has probably looked our best centre back this season so for me he has to start when fit. I'm still unconvinced by Toure. Would probably play Lescott or Onouha ahead personally with Kompany.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

I dont like Boyata, he makes me feel uncomfortable.

A back pass to Nicky Weaver style uncomfortable??

A penalty taking Richard Dunne uncomfortable.

A Gorgeous George's short new haircut uncomfortable?

[The Man In Blue]

I dont like Boyata, he makes me feel uncomfortable.

A back pass to Nicky Weaver style uncomfortable??

A penalty taking Richard Dunne uncomfortable.

A Gorgeous George's short new haircut uncomfortable?

a ben thatcher steaming into a challenge uncomfortable.

[LookMumImOnMCF.net]

I dont like Boyata, he makes me feel uncomfortable.

A back pass to Nicky Weaver style uncomfortable??

A penalty taking Richard Dunne uncomfortable.

A Gorgeous George's short new haircut uncomfortable?

a ben thatcher steaming into a challenge uncomfortable.

A Paulo Wanchope's through one-on-one uncomfortable?

[The Man In Blue]

A Paulo Wanchope's through one-on-one uncomfortable?

a garry cook doing an interview uncomfortable.

[halnone]

Boyata definitely has a bright future. He has a lot of potential. But right now we need someone with more experience.

[Tokyo Blue]

A Paulo Wanchope's through one-on-one uncomfortable?

a garry cook doing an interview uncomfortable.

A Frank-Clark-signing-a-striker kind of uncomfortable.

I agree with Svensational. I think he needs a break but he will be a good player in the future.

[King Kev]

I dont like Boyata, he makes me feel uncomfortable.

What is this based on?

[CityFanFromRome]

Boyata definitely has a bright future. He has a lot of potential. But right now we need someone with more experience.

It's not like our "experienced" CBs have done much better than him so far though. I'm not saying he should be our first choice CB but he can be the first alternative to the Tourè-Kompany pairing for me. Unless Lescott comes back on great form and shows what he really can do, that is. AS for Onuoha, I'd put him on par with Boyata at the moment, but he too will have his chances to show what he's worth I think.

[john@staustell]

As I said in the Bolton team thread, some think it's heresy to criticise a performance because:

a) He's young
b) He's just come in the team

and, most holy of holies

c) HE COMES FROM OUR ACADEMY!

But the fact is in this live or die, big matches situation we are in at the moment, he makes SS and many of us feel uncomfortable because at the moment he is not up to the task of commanding player in a key position for a would-be top 4 side.

There are reasons for this of course (as above) and I'm sure he will be an excellent player for us in the future, not yet.

But we need 11 excellent, non-nervous players out there right now, and to compare him with Lescott, Toure or Kompany is insanity of the highest order.

He's filled in well, now move over son and wait your turn! Good lad.

[Vhero]

The lad is still young and got lots to learn and he will get better over time but right now he won't be first choice. The fact he is getting picked over Ned who did great for us and who I thought was gonna be great after last year just shows how great he is gonna become.

[CityFanFromRome]

But we need 11 excellent, non-nervous players out there right now, and to compare him with Lescott, Toure or Kompany is insanity of the highest order.

He's filled in well, now move over son and wait your turn! Good lad.

Well, this is where I don't agree with you. He's surely less composed than Kompany, Lescott we still haven't seen under Mancini so we don't know, and Tourè...well he can be great one game and gash the following one. If he could find consistency, then of course he'd be ahead of Boyata in my pecking order, and to be honest he still is, but it has to be said that at least with Boyata we know what we can expect from him every game.

I was watching the highlights of the Hull game again, and I just wonder how could an experienced defender like Tourè allow Vennegoor of Hesselink all that time to lay it off to Altidore for the first one (then there has to be said that no one was marking the American, but this is another part of the matter) withouteven attempting to take the ball from him, and again, for the second goal, how could and experienced defender like him head the ball stright in the middle...it's obvious that there will be an opposition player on the edge of the box, so you have to head it toward the flanks, this is basic defending really...

I'm not saying Boyata wouldn't have done these things, I'm just saying that until he does these things, Tourè is not much more reliable than Boyata.

[john@staustell]

The lad is still young and got lots to learn and he will get better over time but right now he won't be first choice. The fact he is getting picked over Ned who did great for us and who I thought was gonna be great after last year just shows how great he is gonna become.

Very true. But Ned has always had exactly the same slanted support among fans because he (was) young, academy player blah blah etc. Can you imagine the furore about Ned if we'd paid £5M from Everton for him 4 years ago? Fuck me he'd have been hounded out of the club. He had one really good spell, last season before he got injured - again. This season he cost us the win at Liverpool at least with a lousy clearance, and generally looks OK, but no more. And we need more.

[Vhero]

The lad is still young and got lots to learn and he will get better over time but right now he won't be first choice. The fact he is getting picked over Ned who did great for us and who I thought was gonna be great after last year just shows how great he is gonna become.

Very true. But Ned has always had exactly the same slanted support among fans because he (was) young, academy player blah blah etc. Can you imagine the furore about Ned if we'd paid £5M from Everton for him 4 years ago? Fuck me he'd have been hounded out of the club. He had one really good spell, last season before he got injured - again. This season he cost us the win at Liverpool at least with a lousy clearance, and generally looks OK, but no more. And we need more.

Probably the same could be said about Ireland if he hadn't come from the academy really or Richards but I get where your going.