Centre-back

[ForzaMancini]

Caulker

If we just wanted a traditional English defender we'd keep Lescott, they will want someone who is good with the ball at his feet. Caulker's pass completion is <75%, 6% lower than our worst passing defender (Kolarov).

Don't disagree with the assessment of Caulker but a bit harsh to use his passing percentage, I'd imagine any defender in our team would have a higher than average passing percentage.

 

[pudge]

Caulker

If we just wanted a traditional English defender we'd keep Lescott, they will want someone who is good with the ball at his feet. Caulker's pass completion is <75%, 6% lower than our worst passing defender (Kolarov).

Don't disagree with the assessment of Caulker but a bit harsh to use his passing percentage, I'd imagine any defender in our team would have a higher than average passing percentage.

Can we use Cardiff's second worst defence, with a keeper forced to make the most saves last season, against him?

It may be unfair to say any player recently relegated wouldn't be good enough, but I don't think it would be in this instance.

 

[Mr. Aguia]

If we just wanted a traditional English defender we'd keep Lescott, they will want someone who is good with the ball at his feet. Caulker's pass completion is <75%, 6% lower than our worst passing defender (Kolarov).

Don't disagree with the assessment of Caulker but a bit harsh to use his passing percentage, I'd imagine any defender in our team would have a higher than average passing percentage.

Can we use Cardiff's second worst defence, with a keeper forced to make the most saves last season, against him?

It may be unfair to say any player recently relegated wouldn't be good enough, but I don't think it would be in this instance.

He wasn't good enough for Spurs. That's why he went to Cardiff. So if he wasn't good enough for a 5th-6th place team how in the hell is he good enough for us?

 

[Hart of the Matter]

Re: Centre-Back 3rd option

Flap Flap Flap people believing paper stories :( wait till things are official before saying they're gone.

It is only paper stories that we were in for them in the first place.

It's been made very well known from Mangala and Benatia that we're after them.

Many players make such claims for all kinds of reasons. Still only paper talk at the end of the day.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

So nasty was our best defender two seasons ago? Are you supporting another team? As i Said these are My personal thoughts and i like rekiks style more not saying he is better

Just my 2 cents: players can be made to look great or ordinary depending on the system being played. E.g, no one can argue that Terry or Cahill aren't great defenders. But remember Chelsea under AVB's high line: they weren't effective. I think Nastasic is the same (although with time he might develop his game further): when we played deep, he used his reading of the game to overcome his lack of pace and (apparent) strength. He struggles with the high line. Injuries did not help either. Not saying you need pace always to play in high line (eg. Demicheles, but his reading is better than Kompany's IMO, he owned Barca till his tackle on Messi), but it helps. A lot.

IMO our system needs quick CBs who are also good readers of the game and good passers. Pacy BPDs. That's why I am wary of Mangala: physically imposing, but does he have the brains?

I'll never understand this "Nastasic can't operate with our high line" concept. I feel like one person said it, and they said it with authority, and now a bunch of people say it because that's the common thread. Like the idea that Micah Richards is a competent CB.

The high line itself was at fault to start the season. Pelle pulled it back as the season went on. Nasty had problems in the early games in the same sense that everyone had problems in the early games. After that form and fitness kept him sidelined. We've never seen him play in our current defense, except in Al-Ain, which is a neglible friendly. But he was a fantastic player two seasons ago, and that was at the age of 19. That's so rare for a central defender, the idea that people are ready to write him off seems insane to me.

Also he's not the fastest player in history, but he's not exactly strolling around the pitch like a one-legged monkey smoking a pipe.

Not sure it is the high line that has tripped him up. More the playing on the front foot, intercepting rather than tracking and forcing out wide. He continually went through opponents to achieve this rather than around. Front foot defending also means reacting and anticipating cover for when when of your team mates gets it wrong. This takes experience. He is good at holding the line but you also need to know when to break it.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

High line, hahahaha.....City's "high line" is the 18 yard line, which is handily painted on the field so the players can see it and not go back beyond it for their offside trap!!

Nasty and Rekik are BOTH quality young defenders who may well be long term servants AND internationals. The added bonus with Rekik is he has height and has played LB, too, so is a good left sided player for a 3/5 man back line.

One of the things I have noticed more recently is the amount of goals that are scored by the CF pulling off the two CHs and torturing the much smaller FBs. This is one of the positives that Kolarov gives us over Clichy and Micah gives us over Zaba. The ball in between the CHs and over them to the far post has been our defensive Achilles heel. I think Rekik and Nasty both play that ball quite well.

 

[roslers number plate]

Re: Centre-Back 3rd option

VanDyke at Celtic looks perfect and wouldnt cost to much ?

 

[Llandegren]

Re: Centre-Back 3rd option

Inigo Martinez is the one who fit us the best. Keep rekik aswell

 

[Kompanyon]

Re: Centre-Back 3rd option

Lovren

 

[Llandegren]

Re: Centre-Back 3rd option

Lovren

No