Aymeric Laporte | Man City
- Thread starter RDCR07
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Having wanted him here since the days of Fergie when we were linked with 12 mil January bids its almost soul destroying watching him play and do well for City. Probably the 2nd best CB in the league at the moment to boot but do have to wonder why it took so long for a big club to move for him.
I’m also a bit surprised reading some of the comments that people didn’t think he and Stones would become Peps starting duo. Both fit his idea of what a defender should be perfectly, I’ve just always wondered if he’d be able to get it to work and it looks like he has.
Anyway, based on current form is he the 2nd best CB in the league behind VVD?
I’m also a bit surprised reading some of the comments that people didn’t think he and Stones would become Peps starting duo. Both fit his idea of what a defender should be perfectly, I’ve just always wondered if he’d be able to get it to work and it looks like he has.
Anyway, based on current form is he the 2nd best CB in the league behind VVD?
This season so far I'd say yes. He saved us from a bit of a hiding first half yesterday. I dunno if he's better then Vertonghen and Toby in general. They are both excellent defenders who seem to not quite be one song this season but he's up there. I'd say he's a top 5 CB in the PL on ability and just behind VVD on form this season. He's easily the best passer of a ball I've seen at CB in a long time. Unlike Stones he knows when to pass and when to just get rid (although Stones seems vastly improved in that regard). Looking like the perfect Pep CB.
Shows the crazy strength France have when he can't make the squad nevermind the team.
He doesn't get in for non footballing reasons.
Must be, I think Sakho is in their latest squad ahead of him. With Pique gone, was I him, I'd be opting for Spain.
I have no idea why I thought he was Puyol/Cannavaro height. Dude's 1.91m apparently.
So glad he’s doing well.
Some Blues were negged out on him after he stayed put the first time we were in for him.
He was just a kid with a broken leg at the time and needed to do his rehab in familiar surroundings and has proven well worth waiting for.
Some Blues were negged out on him after he stayed put the first time we were in for him.
He was just a kid with a broken leg at the time and needed to do his rehab in familiar surroundings and has proven well worth waiting for.
I read that on here but Hernandez had the exact same issue and has said similar things and gets in the team and is first choice so who really knows what the real reason is but for sure seems non football related especially when I think he was the youth team national captain of I remember.
@padr81 He can no longer opt for Spain as he never started the citizenship request when he was there so that option is gone.
Get what you’re saying about the Spurs lads and if he wants to be classed as better than them in general he has to do it over a season or two but I’ve watched him for years and I would say he is better but we’ll see.
I was reading today that currently he is 2nd in the league for most passes behind Jorgino and he does seem to pick the right pass at the right time and knows when to just get rid of it, he’s always looked like captain material to me, Bilbao he was excellent at organising and taking control of situations. Had some incredible performances against Messi, like proper stand up fights and I’m truly gutted he is at City.
See how he does the rest of the season but so far been really impressed with he and Stones to be honest.
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Gotta say if Antoine (I'm a man child who does 12 year old Fortnite dances when I score, I also think I should win the BDO) Griezmann finds him arrogant his ego must be off the charts.
An arrogant french man... who'd have thought.
Now imagine him once he keeps putting on these performances with the english media raving about him. His head will be so big he won't even be able to get out the dugout. Wish I'd seen him play for France by now, but Deschamps puts a lot of value on team morale and harmony.
He qualifies through his grandparents who were basque
Think that was just the qualification for him to play for Bilbao. Think they would be French Basques not Spanish Basques.
Hes better than VVD
No they were Spanish
Right. Didn't realise that. Thanks.
That's because they aren't. He qualified for Bilbao through one of his great grandparents who is basque and I have never seen anyone mention from which side of the border.Right. Didn't realise that. Thanks.
Not sure about that. I would wait a season or two and then draw conclusions. Van Dijk would also look better at City than Liverpool.
From the article:
Remember when we used to laugh at this left footed thing when LvG came up with it?
It has been my opinion of them for a while.
VVD is slighly better than Laporte imo (including the fact Laporte contributes goals too) but the latter is 3 years younger. Chances are, Laporte has a higher ceiling.
Nah not yet.
I am glad he is doing well. One of my favourite CBs stylistically and someone who does not rely on a purely physical advantage (strength, pace, leap) to be a great CB, like many others have done before him. Any side who didn't sign him has missed out big time because I can't think of many other young CBs (except for Varane) who are better than him. Maybe De Ligt has a higher ceiling, too early to tell.
I really liked the look of Joe Gomez when he played for England the last time around, yet he still has to grow much more. Him and Tah are very similar, but Gomez looks more composed to me.
I really liked the look of Joe Gomez when he played for England the last time around, yet he still has to grow much more. Him and Tah are very similar, but Gomez looks more composed to me.
I think I agree. Laporte started quite slowly because he wasn't starting every week and had to displace two of Otamendi/Kompany/Stones when he first arrived but I think he has been excellent this season.
van Dijk gets a lot of plaudits for fixing Liverpool's broken defence, and he certainly has contributed to that, but I think his influence is a bit exaggerated as a result. Liverpool have been impressive defensively this season though it seems to have taken a bit of the edge off their attacking play, whereas City have continued in stride and quietly gone about improving their defensive side too.
I’ve looked for a good bit this morning and can find absolutly nothing other than his grandparents are Basque. Lots of mention of those links being tedious as well, No mention if that’s French or Spanish but an article I was reading the other day says Spain is no longer an option as he didn’t apply for citizenship and if he was to do it now it likely be rejected because it would be clear it’s only for footballing reasons.
Laporte has also said he’d prefer to play for France.
Wasn't LVG playing Blackett at CB because he was left footed though? It might make a difference but Laporte being left footed seems like an added benefit rather than a reason for starting.
Well judging from Pep's comments about him, it seems him being left footed is also quite a big reason for him starting, that's not a slight on him btw, it's just interesting that it makes such a big difference to managers.
I said it at the time but it makes perfect sense, a left footed player will have different passing angles. It's something that Rugby or Hockey fans will easily understand.
Correct - whilst he was playing and therefore living in Spain he could have applied but now he's here, that option has gone because as you say, it would be obvious he's only applying for footballing reasons. Plus as you say, he considers himself french
Yup. You can see the France squad are very tightknit in fairness. Fair enough if he's a cnut. But to leave him out for arrogance is weird.
We also have no idea how he'd turn out being in the squad. I'm not saying Deschamps is wrong, just a strange reason.
He has been in the group, when he was captaining the U21 he was often training with the senior team. Players are often introduced that way.
I always thought that was one of the most reasonable things LVG fussed about.
He’s been called up to the first team as well has he not, he just never featured. Having watched him seen him over a number of years I would never have gotten the opinion that he is arrogant. Obviously we only get a tiny glimpse in to what these guys are like but the shy sort of withdrawn figure sounds more like the p,Ayer I would have imagined off the field.
Checked, he was called up in 2016 for WC qualifiers against Bulgaria and the Netherlands. It was at this time when Deschamps said that thing about not just picking him to prevent Spain from doing so.
Only on the ball.
It is almost as though if they don't do the dances and elaborate goal celebrations or are constantly on social media they don't fit it. Some people just like keeping themselves to themselves. It doesn't mean they are arrogant monsters.
Not getting in ahead of Umtiti and Varane is understandable. It becomes ridiculous when the likes of Rami and Sakho are called up.
Maybe Deschamps wants to see more of Pamela Anderson? There again is there much more to see?
Yes, because we signed and played Rojo and Blackett there purely for their left feet but it wasnt a big feature of our play to start moves from the back. For City their tactics relieve the stress on their CBs through being compact and having so much of the ball. Because of that theres more of a focus on how the CBs use the ball and in that case it makes sense to have someone comfortable to quickly play the ball on the left side.
Oh yea, the amount of shit and stick he got here for that, on top being mocked and laughed at.