Benjamin Mendy

[Gentleman Jim]

This is exactly why stats alone should not be considered to judge players, a good cross does not always reach the expected target, that does not stop it from being a good cross, stats will tell you that a cross that led to a last ditch header to cut out a great opportunity and a cross that hit the first man are the same thing, but anyone with even slightest knowledge of football will tell you how wrong it is.

I don't disagree that mendy is a bit wasteful, but to equate him to valencia is foolish, his crossing is miles better than valencia's, not to mention you are forgetting that valencia's crosses are expected to be met by likes of felliani, lukaku, pogba etc while mendy's crosses are supposed to reach aguero, jesus, silva and co.

Exactly.
Many of Mendy's crosses would be devastating if big, physical strikers were feasting upon them. City's Supersmurfs are brilliant in many respects but they need to work very hard to do justice to the crosses.
The situation doesn't get wasted though. Often the defence scrambles the ball clear resulting in corner/throw or recycled possession which keeps the pressure on and can eventually give a goal.

 

[Kush]

I like the look of Saed Kolasinac at Arsenal more than him, offers a lot in attack similar to Mendy plus is more physical and solid defensively.

 

[jungledrums]

I like the look of Saed Kolasinac at Arsenal more than him, offers a lot in attack similar to Mendy plus is more physical and solid defensively.

Agree with this.

 

[Brwned]

Thanks for those stats. But what does your post imply? He's a bit average and overrated? Nothing special?

I think he's a very good crosser of the ball. Maybe not precise enough yet, he's new to the team and the league. perhaps not in his best form righ tnow. But I sense quality in his crossing. He's very good going forward.

I think Mendy's potentially the best fullback around but he is without question one of the most wasteful crossers around. In terms of crossing he's on par with someone like Aaron Cresswell. They both pump in a lot of balls from all angles and sometimes they're pitch-perfect, sometimes they're awful, often they miss. That's not that big a deal because crossing isn't actually very important in a fullback - just look at Marcelo. Generally speaking the best fullbacks aren't the best crossers. Mendy has a lot of other qualities that make him a real handful.

It's not just this season either. Last season he attempted over 200 crosses, less than 20% of them ended up with a team-mate and just 2.5% of them ended up in an assist. In terms of accuracy he's pretty bad, but that's simply because he employs a high-risk strategy. He's much more likely to hit it into the side netting or knock it into the stands than a much more conserative crosser, like Blind, but when he gets it right it can be lethal.

I'd say the overall point is that people are a lot more forgiving of the missed attempts by a high-risk crosser and have an inflated view of their abilities as a result. For most people hitting someone's shins is a much greater sin than than skying it out of play, simply because we've been conditioned to believe that putting it from deep with lots of pace and curl is better than putting it in low from the byline. There's not a whole lot of evidence proving that it is actually any better, in any way, but it intuitively feels right.

This is exactly why stats alone should not be considered to judge players, a good cross does not always reach the expected target, that does not stop it from being a good cross

Sure. In the same way a good shot can just scrape the post, or a good through ball can just miss its intended target. In isolated incidents it makes sense to describe that as unlucky or a good effort or whatever. If that forms a consistent pattern then the word "good" becomes a strange description. It's only crossing where people do this. Passing, dribbling, shooting...if people attempt them a lot and produce very little of substance at the end of it they're called wasteful.

If a cross doesn't actually go to a team-mate then the only possible benefit of it is a poor clearance leading to the attack starting all over again. It might not be solely the crosser's fault that the player missed it, he might've spotted a more dangerous area to put it in and the forward didn't read his intentions, or the defender might've just made a great last-ditch tackle, but it still points to a shared misreading of the situation.

If a creative passer is consistently failing to find his runner then people question his vision, his understanding of his team-mates and his execution. People don't do that when it comes to crossing. Unless they're complaining about their own players, that is. Then missing the target becomes an emotional thing and people pick up on it. The rest of the time it's just dismissed. Then when numbers are provided to illustrate these moments that are freely dismissed, people just ignore them because they don't fit with their perceptions. It's weird.

The situation doesn't get wasted though. Often the defence scrambles the ball clear resulting in corner/throw or recycled possession which keeps the pressure on and can eventually give a goal.

In other words, it's often as useful as just passing the ball back in-field or having an aimless punt from range. Yet for some reason both of those things are seen as wasting an opportunity, while people are much more forgiving of misplaced crosses. I'd argue that doesn't make much sense if you give it any real thought.

 

[SwansonsTache]

I like the look of Saed Kolasinac at Arsenal more than him, offers a lot in attack similar to Mendy plus is more physical and solid defensively.

Agree with this.

How we never tried for him on a free I'll never understand. He was brilliant in the Bundesliga last season.

Got the physique of a Mourinho player as well.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

I like the look of Saed Kolasinac at Arsenal more than him, offers a lot in attack similar to Mendy plus is more physical and solid defensively.

On a free as well...

I think Mendy is fantastic too but there was absolutely no risk of getting Kolašinac on a free with our left-back situation.

 

[VorZakone]

How we never tried for him on a free I'll never understand. He was brilliant in the Bundesliga last season.

Got the physique of a Mourinho player as well.

Yeah...I was surprised Arsenal managed to grab him despite not being able to offer him CL football this season. Perhaps Mourinho didn't fancy him or he didn't fancy United.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Just came off injured.

 

[BobbyManc]

Hopefully his injury is nothing serious, Danilo is solid but doesn't offer anywhere near the attacking threat that Mendy does. Mendy got injured after Townsend rinsed him twice though, he definitely needs to work on his defending but we all know that anyway. We had Clichy last season who was our worst outfield player last year so we can live with Mendy's shortcomings for now.

 

[DannyCAFC]

What does he know. Mendy is the shit. I would even say he's the best LB in the world right now. Even better than Marcelo. I'm sick seeing all those WC players at City esp with us having so few.

Just no.

 

[VanGaalEra]

I have to apologise, this is all my fault since I put him in my fantasy team. Up next, Aguero and KDB

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[AgentP]

Danilo is a good enough cover. They'll survive. Great news for Chelsea though.

 

[VanGaalEra]

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[charlenefan]

Danilo is a good enough cover. They'll survive. Great news for Chelsea though.

He's not, the balance is completely missing with him at LWB

Good news for their rivals as its his emergence into the side which has seen City start scoring for fun, not saying he's the reason but before he came into the side they were hardly blowing sides away

 

[Adisa]

That's a huge blow for their attack.

 

[Manchester Dan]

Big blow if true. Fingers crossed. Danilo has impressed but it leaves us in a vulnerable position if either him or Walker get a knock from here.

 

[robinamicrowave]

This was always going to happen. Ever since it became obvious we weren't in the market for a second left-back I've had us down to finish 2nd or 3rd this season. I've been convinced for weeks that United will win the league rather than us because they have the squad depth to cope and we don't. It's all well and good us blowing teams away, we're playing great football, but it was always going to be dependent on us keeping the same group of six or seven players fit for the entire season. That was never going to happen and we should have planned accordingly. We'll have similar issues if one of Stones or Otamendi picks up a knock, or if Sane gets injured, or if one of Aguero or Jesus ends up getting crocked. That's bad planning and we'll lose the league because of it.

 

[Pace Abuser]

This is a big blow. It's our left back position that has been irritating me and had me casting envious glances at Mendy. He's incredibly instant important to their whole attacking potency.

 

[Womp]

This was always going to happen. Ever since it became obvious we weren't in the market for a second left-back I've had us down to finish 2nd or 3rd this season. I've been convinced for weeks that United will win the league rather than us because they have the squad depth to cope and we don't. It's all well and good us blowing teams away, we're playing great football, but it was always going to be dependent on us keeping the same group of six or seven players fit for the entire season. That was never going to happen and we should have planned accordingly. We'll have similar issues if one of Stones or Otamendi picks up a knock, or if Sane gets injured, or if one of Aguero or Jesus ends up getting crocked. That's bad planning and we'll lose the league because of it.

TBF a lot of our depth consists of players who can just 'do a job' there. I would trade all our leftbacks for Mendy. It is a huge blow for you guys though, he looked very good from an attacking sense.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Unfortunate news for City, looked like he was on course for a good season.

 

[Treble]

My first thought when watching the injury was that he damaged his ligament. If Danilo/Walker get injured tonight, Chelsea will be happy. But let see first what the Barca based doktor will say. It may be something not too serious.

 

[tomaldinho1]

I have to apologise, this is all my fault since I put him in my fantasy team. Up next, Aguero and KDB

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Wasn't there a case of this last season - I can't remember which player but it was a serious injury. They went to Barcelona and were somehow better in record time?

 

[cyberman]

Thats a horrible blow, especially when Danilo isn't half the player.
City have a very strange squad, wingers for days but only have single options for fullbacks and strikers so all 4 will need to play most games.

 

[el3mel]

Feel sad for him but that's a big blow for them for sure. They only have 2 FBs available now.

 

[tavtavtav]

Wasn't there a case of this last season - I can't remember which player but it was a serious injury. They went to Barcelona and were somehow better in record time?

Yup.
They sent Jesus to Barcelona and he came back a few months later like he had been healed by heavenly intervention.

 

[BobbyManc]

This was always going to happen. Ever since it became obvious we weren't in the market for a second left-back I've had us down to finish 2nd or 3rd this season. I've been convinced for weeks that United will win the league rather than us because they have the squad depth to cope and we don't. It's all well and good us blowing teams away, we're playing great football, but it was always going to be dependent on us keeping the same group of six or seven players fit for the entire season. That was never going to happen and we should have planned accordingly. We'll have similar issues if one of Stones or Otamendi picks up a knock, or if Sane gets injured, or if one of Aguero or Jesus ends up getting crocked. That's bad planning and we'll lose the league because of it.

I don't think we can blame not winning the league on not having a sub left-back. Our depth is fine, really. We should have kept Maffeo personally, but I do not think we have any particular problems with depth. Sure, a few injuries could screw us, but we can say the same about every single team in the league.

Danilo is a good enough cover. They'll survive. Great news for Chelsea though.

Yeah I'd have loved to have seen Mendy getting in behind Zappacosta/Moses. Danilo is better defensively but getting forward, especially on the left-hand side, he doesn't offer half the threat Mendy does.

 

[BobbyManc]

Yup.
They sent Jesus to Barcelona and he came back a few months later like he had been healed by heavenly intervention.

You mean he came back a few months later like he had a few months of medical treatment?

 

[tavtavtav]

You mean he came back a few months later like he had a few months of medical treatment?

Well at first being out for the remainder of the season was a touted possibility and he managed to be back in (I think) 2 months due state of the art medicine and maybe in part to whatever special ultrasound fracture healing techniques they allegedly used as well everything going to plan. Not quite heavenly I know, but I had already decided I'd have to try get a pun in there somewhere.

 

[tomaldinho1]

You mean he came back a few months later like he had a few months of medical treatment?

Nah, I remember this was really weird. He fractured his metatarsal and then was back in training 7 weeks later

http://www.eurosport.com/football/m...us-returns-to-training_sto6117569/story.shtml

KDB tore a hamstring and went to see the same doctor. They almost got him back in 4 weeks for a Barca game.

Not saying something fishy is going on but surely everyone should be sending their players to this magic guy in Barcelona!

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Delph ended up at LB/LWB on Saturday and did OK there. Not ideal but it's an option.

 

[simonhch]

No-one likes to see a serious injury for any player. Rival or not.

 

[Theafonis]

That's very sad. Hopefully it's not too serious. He's an incredible player

 

[ehsanul]

He was making fun of a rival player in twitter and the whole summer he was trying to fool fans about joining their respective clubs.So i guess the injury is karma for him.

 

[el3mel]

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Seems he's out for a very long time.

 

[DannyCAFC]

Delph ended up at LB/LWB on Saturday and did OK there. Not ideal but it's an option.

IIRC, there were reports when Pep arrived last season that he was looking at Delph at LB in training, so it would seem he's had a bit of experience working out in that position at least. Probably the best option they had within the squad at the moment, I think Danilo would stunt their attack too much.

 

[adexkola]

Is it confirmed?

 

[BobbyManc]

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Seems he's out for a very long time.

The scan results still haven't come back yet so Pep doesn't know but his comments suggest the initial observations are not positive. Have to wait and see and hope it's not anything serious.

 

[Thunderhead]

Apparently pep reckons will need to bring someone in in the Jan window, could be a bad season ending one by the sounds of things

 

[BluesJr]

He was making fun of a rival player in twitter and the whole summer he was trying to fool fans about joining their respective clubs.So i guess the injury is karma for him.

His twitter nonsense makes him extremely unlikeable I agree.

 

[Thunderhead]

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