Manuel Pellegrini and Mario Husillos are very much on the hunt for a new central defender this summer.
Issa Diop and the hugely impressive Fabian Balbuena who was surprisingly left out of the weekend game against Everton are the preferred pairing although Angelo Ogbonna was surprisingly included against Everton despite the Paraguayan being fit..
Winston Reid is now recovering from injury and will be given a pre-season but it seems certain either he or Ogbonna will be allowed to leave at the end of the season.
Today’s poll asks: Which of the two would you prefer to see leave: Reid or Ogbonna?
Can’t really decide until we see which Reid we get back.
Reid is injury prone and on an inflated salary. I would vote him based on that alone.
Reid has been great for us but I have to vite for him he hasn’t been fit In years & with his long contract & wages not to mention if its his back he may never play a run of games again.
And Oggy I worried about in a back 4 tho he has done ok but Balbuena is better. And I like a left footer.
Why I think we should look at Mario Hermos maybe CB LB cover 23yo for Espanyol be one to look at with Maripan.
I think that either player might decide taht its time to move on – which is fair enough at their age. However I want to bring up anotehr angle
We are all rightly outraged when a player shows a lack of loyalty – Arnie this season, Payet two seasons back etc. Both of these players have been loyal – Reid signed a new contract with us at a time that Arsenal and Liverpool were said to be interested. Also if I remember correctly he got his latest horrible knee injury when literally putting his body on the line and getting concussed into the bargain against Swansea.
Ogbonna’s attitude has always been excellent – he doesn’t throw his toys when he is not in the starting line up
So my response to the poll is let the manager decide during the pre-season who his starting pair of centre backs will be (and I agree with most that Balbuena and Diop look the best combination) and thereafter if one of the two (or both) decide taht they want to move on then I will wish them well but personally I would not wish for either to go