Nathan Ake

[foggy1974]

23, of which only two headers scored may have been preventable by a big fuck off centre back like Maguire.

Would Maguires block head of got in the way of Townsends rocket

 

[aguero93:20]

Tim Cahill was a monster at attacking set pieces. Doesn't make him dominant in the air, play him upfront vs Vinny and pump 100 balls up to him how many do you think he's winning? Vinny would win at least 90.

Look at the stats of CBs winning the most aerial duels by % bet there are none in the top 20 6ft or under. It'll be the likes of Vinny, Maguire, Van Dijk, Boly and Dunk.

Cahill would win more of them than Vinny. Always did.

 

[ctid1894]

Being big generally means you are dominant in the air. A trait that will actually prevent a lot of goals.

Your attempt to make that fact seem irrelevant by saying Sterling doesn't score headers and should be replaced makes absolutely no sense and has nothing to do with our side requiring a bit of height in defence.

You mean those two league goals we conceded to headers, all fucking two of them.

The Sterling thing was to make you see how stupid what you’re saying is. Would you really replace him to score two header goals a season, exactly, no you wouldn’t.

 

[ctid1894]

There really isn't any correlation. The way we choose to attack with 2 #8's acting as #10's to find space for wingers to provide crosses on the ground for tap ins. Opposed to how other teams will attack us with high crosses in the air.

WOOOOSH

 

[ctid1894]

Would Maguires block head of got in the way of Townsends rocket

According to 90% of the posters in this thread yes, not only would he have prevented that goal but he would have brought it down dribbled it past 7 men ala Yaya Toure in his prime, brushing everyone off and slotted it into an open goal after rounding the keeper with a few step overs.

 

[leo_city]

There really isn't any correlation. The way we choose to attack with 2 #8's acting as #10's to find space for wingers to provide crosses on the ground for tap ins. Opposed to how other teams will attack us with high crosses in the air.

We've played some of the most physical and tallest sides in PL, thrashed them.

The only thing we need to work on is defending on set pieces, esp corners. We will manage fine with Stones and Laporte dealing with Aerial threats, they did fine when they played together. Long balls have rarely done us as much harm as people think.

 

[cityboy1]

We've played some of the most physical and tallest sides in PL, thrashed them.

The only thing we need to work on is defending on set pieces, esp corners. We will manage fine with Stones and Laporte dealing with Aerial threats, they did fine when they played together. Long balls have rarely done us as much harm as people think.

pep seems to disagree

 

[ctid1894]

We've played some of the most physical and tallest sides in PL, thrashed them.

The only thing we need to work on is defending on set pieces, esp corners. We will manage fine with Stones and Laporte dealing with Aerial threats, they did fine when they played together. Long balls have rarely done us as much harm as people think.

Everyone keeps going on about this needs for height and physicality in central defence for dealing with set pieces, when in we didn’t concede a single headed league goal from a set piece who was being marked by a central defender.

Well we did but it was a diving header from Koscielny about 6 inches off the ground in case someone wants to be pedantic, I can’t remember who got caught ball watching to let him in to be fair but it was a central defender.

 

[ctid1894]

pep seems to disagree

Pep is a perfectionist, he will see minor problems when no one else does. That’s why he is as good as he is but it doesn’t mean he will alter something that’s clearly working very well to fix that minor problem at all costs. It’s a balancing act.

 

[leo_city]

pep seems to disagree

I can also bet you height is not as big a consideration when targeting players as people are making it out to be. Neither is pace. It's all about intelligence and whether he can lead the backline, be commanding all round. One trait isn't more important than the other.

I'm not entirely against Maguire, but obv Pep and his staff know more than fans. If they've seen enough and deem him worthy of whatever has to be spent, then we trust them. For now everyone who has seen Maguire play regularly is only stressing again and again that he's not as good as his price tag, and it's really hard to argue against that.

 

[aguero93:20]

Everyone keeps going on about this needs for height and physicality in central defence for dealing with set pieces, when in we didn’t concede a single headed league goal from a set piece who was being marked by a central defender.

Well we did but it was a diving header from Koscielny about 6 inches off the ground in case someone wants to be pedantic, I can’t remember who got caught ball watching to let him in to be fair but it was a central defender.

Delph and Laporte I believe.

 

[Larry Stranger]

Pep is a perfectionist, he will see minor problems when no one else does. That’s why he is as good as he is but it doesn’t mean he will alter something that’s clearly working very well to fix that minor problem at all costs. It’s a balancing act.

Maybe most times lack of height won't hurt us, but to your point about being a perfectionist he does see things that can harm us even though we win most games. Against Watford in the league we won 3-1. Even though the game was done and dusted Watford lumped a goal kick which Kompany missed and Deeney headed it directly into the path of Deulofeu who slotted it home. If we have situations where we are winning by 1 goal lots of these teams will revert to lump ball and it can cause problems for us. There's been some set pieces that hurt us. Chelsea's 2nd goal at the bridge. Brighton when they scored 1st on the last day. It's not only about headed goals. Rondon bullied his way to getting a goal against Newcastle. I'm sure Pep looks at a lot of situations which never actually leaded goal, but was a clear shot that the opposing player just missed and thought that we need to prevent that from happening.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

We just need a CB that can hold his own 1-1, reads the game well and doesn’t panic when Ederson gives him the ball. Height doesn’t come into it

 

[01cravend]

You mean those two league goals we conceded to headers, all fucking two of them.

The Sterling thing was to make you see how stupid what you’re saying is. Would you really replace him to score two header goals a season, exactly, no you wouldn’t.

Headers has fuck all to do with what Sterling has to do on a pitch whilst it's a massive part of a CBs game. And your only targeting direct headed goals conceded as your argument that we don't need height in our backline? You are calling me stupid for agreeing with something Pep has said.
You're an actual moron

 

[Withnail]

We just need a CB that can hold his own 1-1, reads the game well and doesn’t panic when Ederson gives him the ball. Height doesn’t come into it

Step forward Alderwiereld.

 

[01cravend]

We just need a CB that can hold his own 1-1, reads the game well and doesn’t panic when Ederson gives him the ball. Height doesn’t come into it

Let's play Zinchenko there then

 

[ctid1894]

Headers has fuck all to do with what Sterling has to do on a pitch whilst it's a massive part of a CBs game. And your only targeting direct headed goals conceded as your argument that we don't need height in our backline? You are calling me stupid for agreeing with something Pep has said.
You're an actual moron

Calling someone an actual moron when you’ve clearly not understood the post you’ve replied to is quite amusing.

Let me spell it out, the initial Sterling comment was a sarcastic piss take. Repeat it back to yourself a few times, hopefully it’ll eventually sink in.

 

[leo_city]

Step forward Alderwiereld.

He's so much more accomplished and experienced, overall game is great compared to Maguire. But I guess he's too valuable for Spurs and could well renew his contract given past season. I hope if there's any opportunity we go for him

 

[01cravend]

Calling someone an actual moron when you’ve clearly not understood the post you’ve replied to is quite amusing.

Let me spell it out, the initial Sterling comment was a sarcastic piss take. Repeat it back to yourself a few times, hopefully it’ll eventually sink in.

You're a moron for feeling the need to reply to something Pep said with a "sarcastic piss take".

 

[ctid1894]

Maybe most times lack of height won't hurt us, but to your point about being a perfectionist he does see things that can harm us even though we win most games. Against Watford in the league we won 3-1. Even though the game was done and dusted Watford lumped a goal kick which Kompany missed and Deeney headed it directly into the path of Deulofeu who slotted it home. If we have situations where we are winning by 1 goal lots of these teams will revert to lump ball and it can cause problems for us. There's been some set pieces that hurt us. Chelsea's 2nd goal at the bridge. Brighton when they scored 1st on the last day. It's not only about headed goals. Rondon bullied his way to getting a goal against Newcastle. I'm sure Pep looks at a lot of situations which never actually leaded goal, but was a clear shot that the opposing player just missed and thought that we need to prevent that from happening.

Risk vs reward

If Pep thought height and physicality were so vitally important he wouldn’t have ever bought Stones or Laporte. There’s taller, more physical central defenders as I’m sure you will agree. The fact is playing the way we do, controlling possession is far more valuable to protecting a lead than being able to defend the odd set piece and punt upfield. That’s not to say height and physicality isn’t important but that’s were you have to get the best all round fit, someone who can do everything well but doesn’t have any significant glaring weaknesses.

Of course we’re going to get caught out occasionally, it’s football shit happens but you don’t try and rectify one minor issue by buying a big ćunt. That’s like having a mint missus but then fucking off with a big fat lass because she’s got bigger tits, even though she’s a cross between Luke Chadwick and Phil Jones.