bannedfromHandV Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 (edited) We won't be short of a bit of pace with him and okore fully fit Edited July 8, 2015 by bannedfromHandV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr_Pangloss Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted July 8, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 8, 2015 But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. Hopefully that's something Richards has worked on. There was an interview last year where he fully admitted he used to be crap positionally but his pace got him out of trouble (it was an interview about how players are blooded into the england squad too early) I'd like to think that if he's aware that he had those weaknesses then it's something he's corrected (or attempted to correct) since then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted July 8, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 8, 2015 Personally never been a fan of of 3-5-2, always turns into 5-3-2 and gives you bugger all going forward. I predict he will try it and when it doesnt work Richards will play RB in a back 4 depending on the form of Okore. Knowing Sherwood's attacking ways it wouldn't surprise me if it was 3-4-3! 3-5-2 does not always turn into 5-3-2 and can be very positive and give you tons of attackign options, depending on who is in the 5 and how it's set up. 3-4-3 would be awesome, Clark, Okore and Richards in a 3 is actually pretty tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 8, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 8, 2015 But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. He is a far better CB than he is RB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 3-5-2 is smart from Sherwood IMO. It allows us to play to our squads strengths without having to spend loads to plug the gaps. A back 3 of two pacey centre-halfs in Okore and Richards with a leader like Clark in between them could work wonders. Then you can have Bacuna further up the field on one side and Richardson on the other without putting too much stress on them defensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 (edited) But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. He is a far better CB than he is RB. Not sure about that. Has he ever had a real run at centre-back other then his initial breakthrough when he was like 17/18? I'd say he is rather unproven in that position. Edited July 8, 2015 by Isa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobzy Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 3-5-2 is smart from Sherwood IMO. It allows us to play to our squads strengths without having to spend loads to plug the gaps. A back 3 of two pacey centre-halfs in Okore and Richards with a leader like Clark in between them could work wonders. Then you can have Bacuna further up the field on one side and Richardson on the other without putting too much stress on them defensively. Agreed. Think it requires a proper defensive midfielder though - Sanchez? - as the quicker centre backs, in theory, would need to cover wing back positions and the DM would have to drop in. Bacuna as a right wing-back is exactly where he should be IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sexbelowsound Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 (edited) 3-5-2 is smart from Sherwood IMO. It allows us to play to our squads strengths without having to spend loads to plug the gaps. A back 3 of two pacey centre-halfs in Okore and Richards with a leader like Clark in between them could work wonders. Then you can have Bacuna further up the field on one side and Richardson on the other without putting too much stress on them defensively. Agreed. Think it requires a proper defensive midfielder though - Sanchez? - as the quicker centre backs, in theory, would need to cover wing back positions and the DM would have to drop in. Bacuna as a right wing-back is exactly where he should be IMO. 100% needs a solid defensive midfielder who can get about the pitch. I actually think it'll probably be Gueye. Sanchez could work though because at times he would need to drop in alongside Clark and allow Okore and Richards to cover the full backs. Edited July 8, 2015 by sexbelowsound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentVilla Posted July 8, 2015 Moderator Share Posted July 8, 2015 But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. He is a far better CB than he is RB. Not sure about that. Has he ever had a real run at centre-back other than his initial breakthrough when he was like 17/18? I'd say he is rather unproven in that position. I won't argue with you on either of those two points, both are fair comment. That is just my personal opinion on him from the times I've watched him play in both positions. He clearly isn't a natural full back but has been used there a lot because of his athleticism and the wealth of options available to City and England at CB over the period. But personally I think he gets caught out of position too frequently at RB and while he is an athlete he doesn't have enough to contribute going forward from that position. At CB, particularly alongside a leader (Dunne if I recall) in his early days, he was an excellent CB. While prone to the odd lapse of concentration he is far better with the play in front of him and a more traditional defensive role. It is interesting that Richards himself has throughout his career always said he is a CB and wants to play there. I expect that is where we will see him and really hope it is the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SikhInTrinity Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 But we might be a bit short on positional sense and reading of the game. Hopefully Richards is deployed as a fullback. He is a far better CB than he is RB. Not sure about that. Has he ever had a real run at centre-back other then his initial breakthrough when he was like 17/18? I'd say he is rather unproven in that position. From a City Fan http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2049405-micah-richards-could-save-manchester-city-career-with-centre-back-switch The sight of Micah Richards as a peripheral figure at a moment of glory for Manchester City was one no fan could have envisaged eight years ago. When Richards burst into City’s first team under Stuart Pearce in February 2006, he provided a shaft of light that supporters badly needed. The 17-year-old’s improbable blend of pace, power and athleticism was allayed to a passion for the club whose youth ranks he stormed through with flying colours. If City were to break a trophy drought entering a fourth decade, this fearless youngster from Leeds would undoubtedly be a part of it. The Premier League’s leading lights immediately sniffed around. "I would love to see Micah stay here, captain the club, and maybe be here for 10 years and carry the club on his back if he can,” Pearce told The Times (h/t BBC Sport) in November 2006—the month Richards made his England debut, becoming the country’s youngest ever international defender. "He is good enough to do it. I have not worked with anyone so good and so young." When Sheikh Mansour’s riches and ambition poured into Eastlands less than two years and two managers later, it was clear a vast overhaul was required. Deadwood was to be hurled downstream at the earliest convenience, but Richards would survive. Among City’s 2008 batch of also-rans, here was a player with clear world-class potential. So it proved, as he hoisted the 2011 FA Cup and played a vital role in the following year’s dramatic Premier League title triumph. An uncomfortable trend of international snubs continued at Euro 2012 but, as Richards prepared to be reunited with Pearce and form part of Great Britain’s historic Olympic team that summer, the fairytale looked set to continue. Fast forward to summer 2014 and the now 25-year-old defender's career has ground to a virtual halt. He remains stuck on 13 international caps, only two of those arriving post-2007. Roy Hodgson’s England head to the World Cup in Brazil with a defensive unit of questionable merits, but Richards was never a realistic option to bolster their number. Depressingly familiar injuries and Pablo Zabaleta’s stirring progression from City cult hero to one of the world’s leading right-backs have combined to restrict him to 18 first-team appearances over the past two seasons. Only two of those came in the Premier League this term, meaning the seemingly indelible link between City’s past and present was left without a medal when Vincent Kompany lifted a second title in three years. Richards' candid discussion of the matter on the club’s official YouTube channel was heartbreaking. While Manuel Pellegrini rotated left-backs Aleksandar Kolarov and Gael Clichy on an almost weekly basis en route to glory, Richards was left to watch the indefatigable Zabaleta scale new heights. A fresh contract reportedly unsigned (via The Guardian), it all points toward the end of a City career that will be fondly remembered. Supporters will cast their minds back toward the fearless youth-team graduate who burst onto the scene, giving them a faint sight of the wildest dreams he helped to realise in 2012. But it is the period of Richards’ City career in between these two points that could point toward an alternative future—a future where a superbly talented player with his best years arguably ahead of him is not lost to the club. When Pearce made way for Sven-Goran Eriksson in summer 2007, the ex-England manager switched Richards into the heart of defence alongside then-skipper Richard Dunne. The youngster was a revelation as City stormed into European contention. Tellingly, after injury ended Richards’ season in February, the Blues won three of their remaining 11 league games and Eriksson paid with his job. Mark Hughes came in and recruited a host of centre-back options, ranging from the imperious Kompany to the shambolic Tal Ben Haim. Richards was shunted around a number of defensive roles, his form subsided and his international place disappeared. Although the two may never exchange Christmas cards, Roberto Mancini succeeded Hughes and helped Richards pick-up the pieces at right-back in what became the country’s most formidable defensive unit. Richards the centre-back was consigned to the vaults. Off-field pressures at the Etihad Stadium provide an argument for trying to rediscover this player. If reports of moves for defenders Eliaquim Mangala and Bacary Sagna (via The Manchester Evening News) prove correct it is hard to see a future for Richards at City. But the confirmation on Friday night of UEFA Financial Fair Play punishments, including a reduced 21-man Champions League squad featuring eight homegrown players and spending and wage restrictions, makes such deals high-risk. Mangala is one of the most sought-after centre-backs in world football and was heavily linked with City in January (via the Manchester Evening News). Since then, veteran Argentinean Martin Demichelis turned his form around sensationally alongside Kompany during the season run-in. The duo shepherded City to a decisive run of five consecutive wins and three clean sheets to ensure blue and white ribbons were reattached to the Premier League trophy. Perhaps the vast sums being pinned to Mangala could be put to better use elsewhere? Even allowing for Joleon Lescott’s forthcoming departure, City could guard against a vast cash outlay in these uncertain times by stationing Matija Nastasic and Richards as understudies to Demichelis and Kompany, playing and improving regularly. Demichelis will be 34 when his own deal expires next summer, meaning Richards and Nastastic can battle it out to become Kompany's long-term partner. Following his achingly predictable Olympics injury, Richards made his first appearance of 2012-13 at centre-back in a 3-0 win over Sunderland. He was superb. An enthusiastic attacking threat, Richards lacks the sureness of touch that allows Zabaleta to link so wonderfully with the likes of David Silva and Yaya Toure in Pellegrini’s expansive setup. But the pace, power and aerial ability remain. With homegrown quotas to be met and finances to be balanced this summer, Micah Richards the centre-back could prove a sound investment for Manchester City. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isa Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I won't argue with you on either of those two points, both are fair comment. That is just my personal opinion on him from the times I've watched him play in both positions. He clearly isn't a natural full back but has been used there a lot because of his athleticism and the wealth of options available to City and England at CB over the period. But personally I think he gets caught out of position too frequently at RB and while he is an athlete he doesn't have enough to contribute going forward from that position. At CB, particularly alongside a leader (Dunne if I recall) in his early days, he was an excellent CB. While prone to the odd lapse of concentration he is far better with the play in front of him and a more traditional defensive role. It is interesting that Richards himself has throughout his career always said he is a CB and wants to play there. I expect that is where we will see him and really hope it is the case. Fair enough. I don't harbour any particular pessimism in regards to prospect of Richards as a centre-back, to clarify, just that I have no real inclination either way. The certainty behind some fan's view that he is 'better than what we have' or 'an upgrade on Vlaar' often seem to be based more on his reputation and where he has come from to my mind. My more recent memories of Richards when he did get the occasional appearence at centre-back were not very favourable although I accept that it would be harsh to conclude much from those given the circumstances (i.e. injuries, sporadic appearences). What I would say however is that if the noises about switching to a back-three are true, I could see him working well in that system. The 'wider' centre-back role functions almost as a hybrid and Richards' experience and capability as a full-back would make that a good fit in theory. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaChris Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 We won't be short of a bit of pace with him and okore fully fit Yep Okore looked totally shot at the end of the season but when he's 100% he's quick enough. If we're playing a back 5 then Bacuna, Richards, Okore and hopefully Amavi all in there means we could actually park our defence close to the halfway line and probably be o.k, long time since we've been capable of doing that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Personally never been a fan of of 3-5-2, always turns into 5-3-2 and gives you bugger all going forward. I predict he will try it and when it doesnt work Richards will play RB in a back 4 depending on the form of Okore. I always like 3-5-2 as was a good tactic for us back in the 90s under Little Think this would give us enough balance on both ends of the pitch especially as 3 at back all comfortable on ball to play into midfield Richards Okore Clark Bacuna Amavi 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
romavillan Posted July 8, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted July 8, 2015 Agree with the defensive mid comments above. Clark could still do a job there IMO too, but probably best as back up. I like Baker and he's naturally left sided so conceivably he could be left sided CB and Clark could sit in front of the 3 and cover at CB for whoever has to move out to cover for an advanced wing back... 3 at the back is very flexible and doesn't have to be defensive, it can be suicidally attacking if you want it to, on the more defensive end you could go... Guzan Richards Okore Baker Bacuna Clark Amavi Gueye Delph Grealish Benteke on the more attacking end... Guzan Richards Okore Clark Bacuna Gueye Amavi Gil Delph Grealish Benteke actually you could go more balls out than that, but that's a nice side. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Earl the Pearl Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Delph playing CAM? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshVilla Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 Richards talks to the media more than Sherwood does apparently we should go for Austin if Benteke goes http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/452666/Charlie-Austin-Aston-Villa-Micah-Richards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSV Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 He talks a lot this kid. Saying we should sign Austin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 better than the usual cliche footballer soundbites 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackbauer24 Posted July 8, 2015 Share Posted July 8, 2015 I'm happy with the signing. I think he shows promise. He seems like a good guy. Now please just shut up! Don't talk about Delph, don't talk about Benteke, don't talk about who we should buy, just play football and if you really must, talk about yourself! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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