City: Mangala,Clichy are the best

If there's one set of fans that knows not to judge too early then it's those of Manchester City. In years gone by, supporters would cling to the hope that the players they were watching weren't the terrible signing they appeared to be on first sight. These days, however, it's the other way around; they might start off shakily, but those criticising too soon could have egg on their face because the newbie is likely to turn out to be quite good.

Back in March 2014, Martin Demichelis was close to being chased out of Manchester by a pitchfork-wielding mob, following a series of mistakes that contributed to the Blues being eliminated from the Champions League and from the FA Cup. Come the final day of the season, the Argentine was a cult hero, gathering heroic cheers from the stands as he sprinted across the front of the South Stand with the Premier League trophy aloft. On top of that, his hair was fantastic.

This is why there are currently very few supporters who are willing to nail their colours to the mast with Eliaquim Mangala. He started brilliantly against Chelsea, but has struggled since then. A series of shaky performances, topped off with an own goal against Hull, has left impartial observers wondering why on earth the club shelled out a fee in the region of 32 million pounds... eight games into his City career.

The problems that Mangala have going against him come threefold: he's being judged instantly because of the high transfer fee that has been paid, the quality of his debut has left many expecting him to have settled in already, and he's copping a bulk of the flak for the current disastrous form of Gael Clichy. It's no coincidence that the new signing's shakiest games have gone while he's been paired with his fellow Frenchman in the left-back position.