Player Topic: Aleks Kolarov 2015/16

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Our defence was looking much improved before the recent injuries. Kolarov was a part of that. He is an attacking full back and plays to fine margins. I would like to see him improve defensively, stop crosses coming in and, like Zabba, hold his man up without diving in where he can be easily beaten. He's played every game for City this season, as well as Internationals for Serbia... I think he deserves some slack. Fortunately we've had a good start in all competitions and are in a good position and Clichy should be closer to a return soon which means we can carefully select games for Kolarov to play. I'd say the same on the right hand side. Sagna has been excellent this season and Zabaleta will have to find form quickly if he's to be the preferred right back. He didn't have a good season last time out but has been one of our best players in the years before.
 
He's played I think every minute of 12 matches since 10th August and has two qualifiers coming up over the next week. He needs a rest.
 
NQCitizen said:
We could sign most of the top left backs - alba, Marcelo, coentrao - or a promising one - kurzawa, willems - and you'd see exactly the same attacking prowess and defensive fragility.

Most games we attack predominantly down the left because of Kolarov's play.

It's going to be very hard to improve on both the defensive and attacking play of Kolarov in a new defender so naturally people will take the two poles of 'defend first and foremost' and 'Kolarov is the best attacking full back in the league - we don't want to lose that'.
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"We could sign most of the top left backs - alba, Marcelo, coentrao - or a promising one - kurzawa, willems - and you'd see exactly the same attacking prowess and defensive fragility."

No, I really wouldn't mate. Because all of those players are better defensively than Kolarov.

There are levels of defensive competence as a fullback, Kolarov's is arguably the worst of any high profile fullback.

This is a weak link for us, there's no getting around it.

Re improving on both Kolarov's attacking play and defensive, I don't think we have to. Find one who is solid going forward, needn't be better than Kolarov (could even offer less in that department but with room to improve), but a much more competent defender and we'll be a much stronger side for it, IMO.

We'll never reach the latter stages of the Champions League with Kolarov in the side. There an argument the same can be said of Yaya in centre/defensive mid given his defensive flaws. Top sides exploit weaknesses like that, ruthlessly. And it's an area we must look at if we wish to improve as a side.
 
RichardDunneOwnGoal said:
"We could sign most of the top left backs - alba, Marcelo, coentrao - or a promising one - kurzawa, willems - and you'd see exactly the same attacking prowess and defensive fragility."

No, I really wouldn't mate. Because all of those players are better defensively than Kolarov.

There are levels of defensive competence as a fullback, Kolarov's is arguably the worst of any high profile fullback.

This is a weak link for us, there's no getting around it.

Re improving on both Kolarov's attacking play and defensive, I don't think we have to. Find one who is solid going forward, needn't be better than Kolarov (could even offer less in that department but with room to improve), but a much more competent defender and we'll be a much stronger side for it, IMO.

We'll never reach the latter stages of the Champions League with Kolarov in the side. There an argument the same can be said of Yaya in centre/defensive mid given his defensive flaws. Top sides exploit weaknesses like that, ruthlessly. And it's an area we must look at if we wish to improve as a side.
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Got to agree with this. Whilst I do think Kolarov has the best crossing out of the fullbacks in the league he is totally inept defensively. With our attacking 6 guys we don't even need a fullback who is as good at attacking as Kolarov, it's a nice luxury but the negatives far outweigh the positives for me. Defensively is where we're weakest, everyone knows that, and having someone quite as weak defensively as him playing doesn't help that one bit. Not sure we can blame Kolarov for CL woes though.

Would much rather have someone whose far more solid defensively but a little weaker going forward personally. Guess it's just opinion though, I'm sure some love him for his attacking capabilities so much that they don't mind his defensive lapses. Either way though no one can argue we have an age issue at fullbacks on both sides, we need some younger replacements sooner rather than later regardless of peoples opinions on Kolarov.
 
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