Guardiola brings out best in Laporte
Aymeric Laporte may still be trying to win the confidence of France coach Didier Deschamps, but as Manchester City travel to Laporte’s homeland to face Lyon on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola’s trust in the centre-back is indisputable.
Signed for a then club record £57m (R1.01bn) in January, there was scepticism as to whether City needed to splash out once more for a centreback after investing more than £80m (R1.4bn) in John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi and the return to fitness of captain Vincent Kompany.
On his arrival from Athletic Bilbao, Laporte took time to settle in his new surroundings with all three of his Champions League outings last season ending in defeat.
However, having had a full summer under Guardiola’s orders in preseason as he missed out on Deschamps’s World Cup-winning squad, Laporte has become the stalwart of a City defence that has conceded just eight goals in 19 games.
The 24-year-old is the only outfield player to have played every single minute of Champions League and Premier League action.
“I can move the squad but when one player plays good, good and good, it gives me confidence so I give you another opportunity. It is not complicated,” Guardiola said to explain why Laporte had not been rotated.
“Sooner or later Laporte will be selected for France because it is difficult to find a better left central defender than him in the world,” Guardiola said.
“But of course it is good for the team for some of our players that are not selected for their countries to get rest.”
Three international breaks in the past three months have given Laporte the rest and recovery time he needs, while many of his teammates have been putting tired bodies on the line after the World Cup and the Nations League.
“Laporte didn't have the World Cup, was fresh and arrived in top condition and especially he is a left-footed player,” Guardiola said, highlighting another key attribute the Frenchman has over the likes of Stones, Otamendi and Kompany.
With Laporte an ever-present fixture in Guardiola’s plans, France's loss has been City’s gain. – AFP