Bacary Sagna backs Eliaquim Mangala to succeed at Manchester City

Alam Khan - Reporter 07:33 29/12/2015
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  • Extra work: Mangala has stayed behind for additional training with Sagna.

    Bacary Sagna believes Eliaquim Mangala will become a “great defender” as he puts in the extra effort to prove his worth at Manchester City.

    The France international has come under fire and fierce scrutiny ever since the Etihad outfit paid Porto a reported £42 million (Dh230m) fee for his services 16 months ago.

    Inconsistent and nervy displays have left many questioning whether the 24-year-old centre-back can succeed in the Premier League.

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    But, with captain Vincent Kompany sidelined again with a calf injury, Mangala will prepare to face Leicester’s lethal attack, led by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, tonight with the backing of Sagna, his team-mate for both club and country.

    The City right-back said: “He’s going to be a great defender one day. Now we just have to be patient. Of course it’s never easy to take criticism, but he’s still young.

    “To come and play in this league is not easy at all. I came to Arsenal at the same age, 24, and from the first season I had, everything went well.

    “Now we have a setback with him, but he started the season very well and we didn’t concede any goals. But when times are a bit harder, the first ones to blame are the defenders.

    “I’ve been blamed, he has been blamed, but that’s football. I stay with him after training, to work on his position and ball control and he’s doing a lot to make a difference.

    “He wants to get better. He doesn’t ask me, but I want to help him. No matter what, we try to communicate, even after games. 

    “We try to analyse when we concede goals what he should have done a bit better, what I should have done a bit better. We try to analyse to improve.”

    Although City failed to keep a clean sheet for a ninth game running, Mangala was largely unruffled in the 4-1 win over Sunderland.

    But Sagna, 32, also thinks the transfer fee – the most for a defender in the Premier League – has set higher expectations of Mangala.

    “The club bought him for a lot of money, but it’s not easy to deal with it because he is always going to have that image, that he’s the most 
    expensive defender,” added Sagna.

    Mangala will look to show that at Leicester as City bid to make a statement in the title race.

    The Foxes are surprise contenders, but Sagna said: “They play as a team, they fight as a team, they are dangerous and are hard to beat.”

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