Stones deal all but done....at last.

Could that mean Fernandinho and Stones starting at CB until Vinny comes back?

Are you saying there's no other CBs at the club that'll be available for selection before Vinny returns?

See previous thread.

I don't think Pep rates Otamendi or Mangala. Other than Vinny, who looks like he won't be properly fit for Sunderland, there's Denayer.

If he was so enthralled with our current CB's....why did we try to get Laporte and Stones? Why is he going try Fernandinho at CB? Maybe he's not impressed with Denayer either.....who knows.

Ah right....he's the ultimate utility player then

shakencity wrote:Ah right....he's the ultimate utility player then

He's done it with Mascherano at Barca and Martinez at Bayern....now it seems he wants to try it with Fernandinho...could be a good shout as he's good in the air, quick and skillful on the ball.

He said Fernandinho could play ion 10 positions.

Kolarov played centre back v Bayern Mangala & Sagna both havn't reported back to training yet & sagna can also play centre back so there are many permutations. Don't think pepe will have evaluated mangala yet not until he has seen him train.

Yes, I think he thanked Kolarov for helping out at CB even though he was about as good as he is at LB and that's bad enough.

If we pay £50 million for Stones it will be the biggest 
robbery since Brinks Matt. I have no confidence that he is any better than Mangala or Otamendi or Denayer for that matter For 50 million we should be getting a world class player

We should have got Bonucci for that money and tried to see which of our youngsters could come through and make it. Yoyo, Humphries, Denayer were all worth a shout.

Let's hope Pep has got this right, but I'm a tad worried as well.

I am not worried at all given what I saw tonight yoyo has put himself in the frame otamendi, Mangala Vinny & Denayer all can benefit from pep. Even if pep is right Fernandinho also. Bayern only conceded 17 goals last season with Martinez at centre back a midfield player. Boateng who improved immensely under Pep & Benatia.  whom Ancelotti replaced with Hummels.

I'm not worried...and I certainly wouldn't worry about Stones. He's top class on his day. He was playing in a system by Martinez, who let's face it, is fucking clueless, and yet still performing until this whole transfer bid in Jan.

He's a good player - and I for one, will trust Pep to recognise talent and develop it.

As for Bonucci, that would have been the biggest waste of £50m going for a player who will be 30 in a few months. He was never going to come...it's all about him getting a better deal at Juve.

I'll give the Italian defenders their credit, they want to stay in Italy.

Who were the last 3 top class Italian defenders who came to the PL?