Will Clichy take over at LB and push Kolarov to LM?
Manchester City’s rotation minefield just became that much more precarious for fantasy managers to walk through. Roberto Mancini has finalized the transfer of LB Gael Clichy from Arsenal today after the Frenchman completed a routine medical.
What does that mean for Manchester City’s defense? And more importantly to us, to our fantasy football squads?
Wayne Bridge, Pablo Zabaleta, Joleon Lescott, and Aleksandar Kolarov all have experience at Left Back, though Zabaleta is predominantly a right sided player and Lescott predominantly a central player – while Jerome Boateng and Micah Richards are also versatile enough to play across the back line. Talk about an embarrassment of riches.
But let’s look at Kolarov and Clichy specifically – two naturally left-footed players. There are two potential scenarios that could come into the equation next month when the Premier League season begins:
1) Clichy and Kolarov split time at LB, causing frustration for fantasy football managers, and Mancini keeps them both fresh for Champions League and domestic football…. OR
2) Clichy holds down the LB slot consistently in the league while Kolarov shines on the left wing and contributes as an “out of position” (OOP) fantasy stud. Could it happen?
Kolarov featured on the left wing in the final month of the season for City and performed admirably well, and it seemed to suit Mancini’s defensive mindset and tactics – and if the big Serb manages to hold down a starting spot on the left flank in the league, whilst being classified as a defender in the official Fantasy Premier League game, he will certainly be on my opening day roster.
We’ll keep you updated as this story develops this summer and let you know how City line up for their pre-season matches, but if Clichy (only 25 years old) is City’s LB of the future than surely Kolarov (also only 25 years old) could be moved to midfield and become a Gareth Bale-in-the-waiting…
Fingers crossed, then.
Related posts:
Nicely put!
However, City has pretty good wingers on their squad. I guess Mancini would play Kolarov on away games, when he takes a more defensive approach making him a nice OOP gamble!
Cheers