Kolarov as a Left Midfielder

[avoidconfusion]

How did everyone like that?

Must say I quite liked it!

[Bridge'srightfoot]

How did everyone like that?

Must say I quite liked it!

Me too. Has a cracking delivery and really looked comfortable playing there.
That should be his permanent position, poor at defending but probably better than most left wingers at it.

[Mase]

It hasn't done Gareth Bale any harm.

[CityFanFromRome]

I think it may be his best position for us; it suits him as he's less exposed defensively, and can be more effective going forward as he plays closer to the goal, thus he has more chances to whip a good cross in, or unleash his left foot.

[Fesan]

Hard to say if we were better because Zab was at left back (and he had another defensive minded player infront of him) or that we played an awfull side (atleast they were bad today) or the fact that he is good there.

I would atleast like to see more of this for instance vs Utd. It is also quite funny that we always seem to line up a team made for crossing the ball, and the players actually choose crossing more, when we don't have Dzeko in our team. Once he came on we saw like one cross.

[Douglas Higginbottom]

Interesting that in training on Friday Mancini worked with Kolarov as a left wing back and Zaba as right wing back, with 3 centre backs through the middle. He didn't go with that in the end but I thought Kolarov looked pretty good in his role today. Not just the attacking quality that we know but also he took up some good positions on that side when he needed to. No doubt we will see more of him in that position.

It's a shame with that left foot that we havent worked out how to get Dzeko in the team as well as Tevez so the option of the high swinging cross for headers can be used but maybe that will come.

[brite blu sky]

Liked him in that position, great that he can play there and imo will get better all round.. defending too.

Also we really saw his left foot power today with that shot.. fucl me!

[Sideshow Bob]

Kolorov has been steadily raising his game since Christmas. That rocket off the crossbar was one of the hardest shots I've ever seen.

[Im_Spartacus]

I think that he was average in this position, albeit slightly less average than he is at left back.

However if he can learn the role.......I just can't see him being a LM, too slow, passing too poor to play in midfield. All in all, plan a with him as a defender clearly hasn't worked, and plan b doesnt look much better.

And what is with all this playing left footed players on the left side business, Mancini has clearly lost the plot, nobody would have ever thought of that

[DoomMerchant]

I think that he was average in this position, albeit slightly less average than he is at left back.

However if he can learn the role.......I just can't see him being a LM, too slow, passing too poor to play in midfield. All in all, plan a with him as a defender clearly hasn't worked, and plan b doesnt look much better.

And what is with all this playing left footed players on the left side business, Mancini has clearly lost the plot, nobody would have ever thought of that

Declaring that Kolarov can play neither LB nor midfield after 6 months in England is fuclin outrageous. He's a talent who i think we'll speak pretty fondly of in future years. Give him a chance...i like his attitude, his canon, and he looked tasty today.

cheers

[Dameerto]

Kolorov has been steadily raising his game since Christmas. That rocket off the crossbar was one of the hardest shots I've ever seen.

It was a belter, wasn't it? The only shot harder than that off the top of my head was Yaya's shot against the post, I think it was his first league match for us at the start of the season.

[Ted Hughes]

For some reason, most of his attempts to cross the ball seemed to come early in the game. A couple were belters. Then it was back to the usual, stop & play it sideways/backwards routine that seems to pervade most City players, rather than swinging in a 1st time ball. I don't think it was anything Bob said, just something all our players seem to slip into. No doubt if we signed Beckham & Bale they'd just spend most games hitting ten yard passes sideways & backwards rather than crossing.

[DoomMerchant]

For some reason, most of his attempts to cross the ball seemed to come early in the game. A couple were belters. Then it was back to the usual, stop & play it sideways/backwards routine that seems to pervade most City players, rather than swinging in a 1st time ball. I don't think it was anything Bob said, just something all our players seem to slip into. No doubt if we signed Beckham & Bale they'd just spend most games hitting ten yard passes sideways & backwards rather than crossing.

it's defo an affliction. Wonder why? Sometimes you wonder if they feel like with so much alleged quality on the pitch that someone must be a better option than what they're looking at.

cheers

[Ted Hughes]

For some reason, most of his attempts to cross the ball seemed to come early in the game. A couple were belters. Then it was back to the usual, stop & play it sideways/backwards routine that seems to pervade most City players, rather than swinging in a 1st time ball. I don't think it was anything Bob said, just something all our players seem to slip into. No doubt if we signed Beckham & Bale they'd just spend most games hitting ten yard passes sideways & backwards rather than crossing.

it's defo an affliction. Wonder why? Sometimes you wonder if they feel like with so much alleged quality on the pitch that someone must be a better option than what they're looking at.

cheers

I can understand it if we try it a few times & it doesn't work as nobody is in the box or someone with square feet is attempting the cross & getting it horribly wrong, but most teams, when they get a player on form bombing balls in & causing trouble, keep doing it over & over again. When Kolarov hit a couple in today, I thought 'Yes! At long long last we're doing it!' Then that was pretty much it for the match. Strange.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

I think his attacking qualities will be best used from LB in the long run, but since we've been leaking goals it made sense to have an extra defender on without going completely into shut up shop mode. He and Zabba against weaker sides can alternate on the left and link up well enough.

Doubt they would be lethal enough against big sides tho.

[Im_Spartacus]

I think that he was average in this position, albeit slightly less average than he is at left back.

However if he can learn the role.......I just can't see him being a LM, too slow, passing too poor to play in midfield. All in all, plan a with him as a defender clearly hasn't worked, and plan b doesnt look much better.

And what is with all this playing left footed players on the left side business, Mancini has clearly lost the plot, nobody would have ever thought of that

Declaring that Kolarov can play neither LB nor midfield after 6 months in England is fuclin outrageous. He's a talent who i think we'll speak pretty fondly of in future years. Give him a chance...i like his attitude, his canon, and he looked tasty today.

cheers

Sorry I wasn't quite clear on my view, I personally feel he has a part to play, we just need to play around a bit to work out exactly what that part is. With both he and Boateng I am happy to wait and see things tried.

He has been poor at left back and was average yesterday because of the reasons given. I worry that he exposes us unnecessarily at LB whilst he is on his learning curve, and yesterdays little experiment was fine vs West Brom but I doubt it will be repeated next week or against any of the stronger teams. I'm certainly not writing either off, I think both Kolarov and Boateng have their part to play.

I wouldn't mind seeing how he does at wing back though, that would appear to be the perfect position for both him and Zabaleta and would allow Boateng to move into his natural position in the middle, with Micah able to stand in either at wb or cb. From Doug's reports Bobby has clearly been considering something like this, and I believe it would give us that balance between attack and defence that we have been craving.

----Boateng--Toure--Kompany
Zabba------De Jong-------Kolarov
-------Silva-------Toure Y----------
------Dzeko--------Tevez----------

[Ted Hughes]

I think that he was average in this position, albeit slightly less average than he is at left back.

However if he can learn the role.......I just can't see him being a LM, too slow, passing too poor to play in midfield. All in all, plan a with him as a defender clearly hasn't worked, and plan b doesnt look much better.

And what is with all this playing left footed players on the left side business, Mancini has clearly lost the plot, nobody would have ever thought of that

Declaring that Kolarov can play neither LB nor midfield after 6 months in England is fuclin outrageous. He's a talent who i think we'll speak pretty fondly of in future years. Give him a chance...i like his attitude, his canon, and he looked tasty today.

cheers

Sorry I wasn't quite clear on my view, I personally feel he has a part to play, we just need to play around a bit to work out exactly what that part is. With both he and Boateng I am happy to wait and see things tried.

He has been poor at left back and was average yesterday because of the reasons given. I worry that he exposes us unnecessarily at LB whilst he is on his learning curve, and yesterdays little experiment was fine vs West Brom but I doubt it will be repeated next week or against any of the stronger teams. I'm certainly not writing either off, I think both Kolarov and Boateng have their part to play.

I wouldn't mind seeing how he does at wing back though, that would appear to be the perfect position for both him and Zabaleta and would allow Boateng to move into his natural position in the middle, with Micah able to stand in either at wb or cb. From Doug's reports Bobby has clearly been considering something like this, and I believe it would give us that balance between attack and defence that we have been craving.

----Boateng--Toure--Kompany
Zabba------De Jong-------Kolarov
-------Silva-------Toure Y----------
------Dzeko--------Tevez----------

Wing backs went badly out of fashion shortly after Keegan's most successful time at City but I never quite understood why. They reconed the system it allowed people to run in behind them too easily but I don't see why it isn't possible just to guard against that tactically. You would normally have a better attacking player than Zabba at right wing back though & perhaps Yaya deeper next to De Jong. Then we have to find a spot for Balotelli!

[DoomMerchant]

I think that he was average in this position, albeit slightly less average than he is at left back.

However if he can learn the role.......I just can't see him being a LM, too slow, passing too poor to play in midfield. All in all, plan a with him as a defender clearly hasn't worked, and plan b doesnt look much better.

And what is with all this playing left footed players on the left side business, Mancini has clearly lost the plot, nobody would have ever thought of that

Declaring that Kolarov can play neither LB nor midfield after 6 months in England is fuclin outrageous. He's a talent who i think we'll speak pretty fondly of in future years. Give him a chance...i like his attitude, his canon, and he looked tasty today.

cheers

Sorry I wasn't quite clear on my view, I personally feel he has a part to play, we just need to play around a bit to work out exactly what that part is. With both he and Boateng I am happy to wait and see things tried.

He has been poor at left back and was average yesterday because of the reasons given. I worry that he exposes us unnecessarily at LB whilst he is on his learning curve, and yesterdays little experiment was fine vs West Brom but I doubt it will be repeated next week or against any of the stronger teams. I'm certainly not writing either off, I think both Kolarov and Boateng have their part to play.

I wouldn't mind seeing how he does at wing back though, that would appear to be the perfect position for both him and Zabaleta and would allow Boateng to move into his natural position in the middle, with Micah able to stand in either at wb or cb. From Doug's reports Bobby has clearly been considering something like this, and I believe it would give us that balance between attack and defence that we have been craving.

----Boateng--Toure--Kompany
Zabba------De Jong-------Kolarov
-------Silva-------Toure Y----------
------Dzeko--------Tevez----------

Wing backs went badly out of fashion shortly after Keegan's most successful time at City but I never quite understood why. They reconed the system it allowed people to run in behind them too easily but I don't see why it isn't possible just to guard against that tactically. You would normally have a better attacking player than Zabba at right wing back though & perhaps Yaya deeper next to De Jong. Then we have to find a spot for Balotelli!

wrt Balo -- it seems insane that he wouldn't be in the side as you mention. Good problems to have i suppose, but clearly a fuclin selection dilemma!

cheers

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

It was brave plan and I thought it worked very well. fair plat to Bobby for coming up with something different that was successful.

[Esky]

It was brave plan and I thought it worked very well. fair plat to Bobby for coming up with something different that was successful.

So you're happy to play a natural left back as a left midfielder but complained every time Petrov came on?

(Not being serious but I thought I'd get in before someone tried to be).