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Very pleased with the summer signings, think Mario B will be great too, but I still look at the centre of our defence and worry it's not top 3 standard. I like Kompany but don't think he's a top class defender yet, and I have reservations about Kolo. Lescott has not convinced me at all, Micah and centre half is a liability and Ned is most likely off.

But who to buy?

Difficult because if we bring one in, we'll probably have to lose one too to keep the balance.

There arent many top quality centre backs available or even rumoured to be available, now that vidic has extended his contract.

The only answer therefore is to attack so much more, so that we dont have to defend!

On a serious note I think Lescott and Kompany should be the CB partnership, but it will take a month or 2 to build up the understanding properly. Dunne and Distin use to compliment each other very well, they subconciously knew when the other one was going to fuck up, and could cover for them.

The roles of the fullbacks should not be underestimated too, there on the pitch to defend first and foremost, not wander up the left wing and drift in trying to hit 40 yard screamers.

I'd love Ned and Kompany as our two centre halves. That's a partnership we could have for the next five years.

I don't rate Toure and Lescott isn't much better. It's easily our weakest position in terms of who will be starting there.

We do. As it stands, Lescott and Kompany is our best pairing but neither are top class. I think Vinny is vastly overrated by a lot of Blues. He seems a second a two behind the top strikers in and around the box and has a habit of just switching off. I think, as with a lot of players, his great attitude and the fact that he says the right things leads to people's opinion of him being inflated. He's a decent footballer and a squad man in a top four side, at best. Jury still out on Lescott for me, felt he ws showing signs of promise before his injury.

I agree that this is our weekest position in terms of likely starters. We're lacking someone of the quality of Vidic or Carvalho. The problem is that top drawer centre halfs are not easy to come by. Not seen enough of Luiz to form an opinion but I certainly hope Bobby has a target lined up and plans to ship out Toure.

I'm sure we need another centre half but we have too many new players already & it's upsetting the preparations. Next season (or Christmas to get bedded in for next season) is probably the best bet.

CityGer wrote:I think, as with a lot of players, his great attitude and the fact that he says the right things leads to people's opinion of him being inflated.

I think the same can be said of Ned.

CityGer wrote:plans to ship out Toure.

Not going to happen anytime soon with the signing of Yaya.

No, i think Lescott and Vince could become an excellent partnership if given time and I think Toure, Nedum and Boyata complete a more than competant central defensive corps.

Grob wrote:No, i think Lescott and Vince could become an excellent partnership if given time and I think Toure, Nedum and Boyata complete a more than competant central defensive corps.

i think these two are title winning quality, given time to gel again. definately.

We just need two of our current centre-backs to play week in week out with each other and build up an understanding and a good partnership. More than any other position in the team, Centre-backs are all about partnerships. The two players don't have to be the best, but if they can understand each other then the whole is a lot greater than the sum of its parts.

For me Kompany and Lescott are edging it for me but Komany has a habit of missing the ball and letting a striker go through on goal and Lescott has a habit of getting turned really easily as he gets too close to his man.

Ironically, Dunne and Toure had the makings of a great partnership in the 4 or 5 games they played with each other.

I think Lescott & Kompany are too similar (big & slow), Toure's very hit & miss & we don't have anyone quite ready to take his place. Boyata will be better than all of them in a few years time but we need someone before that. They're all 'ok' players to get us into the top 4 but not Chump's lg players imo.

I think defensively when we have everyone back in the squad, fit and back on form, we will be fine.

Personally i never saw CB is our defensive weakness. For my money RB and especially LB have been the problem areas and we have gone out and addressed this.

Boateng Kompany Lescott Kolarov - That will do me fine for next season.

Kolarov - Toure - Kompany - Boateng

Can't se what you all see in Lescott, Toure is more complete defender.
I'll swap Lesc for Mexes..

Any chance if R Madrid gets Maicon we try and nip one of their spare defenders? I am not sure besides of Ramos, and they want to shift him inside, who we would want from their side.

kennyboy wrote:Kolarov - Toure - Kompany - Boateng

Can't se what you all see in Lescott, Toure is more complete defender.
I'll swap Lesc for Mexes..

I actually expect to see the following as our "First Choice" back 4.... I'd be surprised to see Toure/Lescott as one of the first choicers!!!

LB - Kolarov
CB - Boateng
CB - Kompany
RB - Richards

Like your setup there pepsi_dave

Boateng and Kompany is however not the finish article,
think we be much stronger with a Terry/Vidic type of player.
Our weakest link is still defence.
But who?

Boateng looked during SA2010 a pretty decent prospect, but I'm not so sure he's one to go straight into a back four that wants to be miserly from the get go. However, an outsider's view is that Kolo Toure and Lescott are the obvious weak links in your team. They'll keep clean sheets occasionally, but top class opposition would relish playing against them. What's Kung Fu Vince's preferred position?

Wish we could nick Onuoha of you, although given:

1. His emergence from the academy (with the '25' in mind), and
2. His general abilities

We've got no chance of that.

I think Del Boy has done enough last season in this preseason to get some games - I'd love to watch him again.

Yes but its a top class centre half we need, who must be better than we have. Toure, Lescott and Kompany are good but not top class and thats where we are aiming.

We definitely need a world class centre half trouble is, there aren't many of them available. Kompany is there by accident and because of the injuries that we sustained last season. Both Toure & Lescott need a partner who is dominant in the air as their games are based on positioning. It will be interesting to see who Bobby selects when he has a full set to pick from. I rate Boyata from what we've seen of him and I think he'll get games more so in the cups. I hope that the purchases of Kolarov & Boateng result in us stopping more crosses coming over which was as big a factor in our defensive play last season as the constant need to keep changing the back four due to injuries.

All in all, yes to another centre half but cannot see it happening in this window