I think he is a capable defender, extremely capable, and when Mancini sees fit (rarely) he tells Kolarov to stick to his left back position and not transfer forward (eg. Fa Cup Final vs Stoke, 2nd Half). This is when Kolarov is ‘solid as a rock’, he doesnt venture forward and he tackles very well. The problem associated with Alex is obviously his marking as he looses track of his opposition and they roam towards goal, is this his problem or the problem of the entire defensive unit? or even Mancini? People and fans like yourself need to respect his role and have faith that he will succeed in England. Thanks, keep up the great articles.

Love your columns with the exception of the critisism of Alex Kolarov. He was employed by Mancini as an attacking left-back, not a defensive rock. Think of the defensive players who play regular football for us; Richards, Kolo. T, Kompany, Lescott, De-Jong, Barry and to a lesser extent Yaya. T and Milner. They easily cover his ‘questioned’ defensive work-rate. Consider Koloarov’s attacking ability, strength and composure; This is a great asset to a much defensive minded set-up (4-2-3-1) from Mancini and will undoubtably assist us in scoring more goals away from home, particularly, next season as he will, this pre-season to reassess his capabilities and work efficiently with the management team and his teammates to blend his strengths into the chemistry of the team.