What i'm getting from this topic is that I'm seeing the game differently, or that my player values are completely converse to some.
Petrov WAS a good buy for what he cost, and that's all very well and good but you don't play someone because when you bought them they were a bargain, just like you don't play someone you spent a lot on, so that it's not a waste.
Our team has grown and improved. The main area of improvement, on the whole, is, and i doubt anyone would disagree, defensively. And here we've outgrown Petrov.
When we got him and Sven's squad was still raw and i feel faily loose, he fit right in and was a good player for us. But we've now got a team where every player can put in a challenge. The defense obviously, de jong, kompany, barry, ireland, swp, tevez, bellamy, ade.
When I see these players putting in challenges it not only leads to good things - it shows desire. Petrov (and we all obviously know it) backs out of pretty much every challenge. That isn't desputable. To me it's integral that a player can win the ball, and as far as i can see Petrov's now the only player who doesnt have the ability. It also shows a lack of desire, and a lack of comittment. Yes he's had an injury and what not, but he's being paid thousands of pounds in order to play for the team and give his all. He doesn't earn his money.
I'll agree his output CAN be phenomenal, but the best players in the world don't just create an output now and then, they do it consistently and can also help out defensively.
I honestly believe that if the ball was about to go in our net and petrov could get his body in the way and save a goal, he'd just watch it go in whilst pretending to try and stick a leg out.
It's just not good enough.
I'd like to highlight how deluded people can be about his attacking abilities. Watch him closely next time, god forbid, he plays. What's his main skill? Running at defenders? Actually no - he doesn't.
The first time i've seen him run at a defender in a long time, was at scunthrope for his goal, and the defender was NOT a great defender - like he'd be coming up against in the premierleague and champs league.
He only goes forward when there's space to run into without being closed down. If anyone comes close he'll stop and turn it infield or backward. Vary rarely will he bomb on down the line unless he's already gotten past the defender thanks to a good through ball or flat footedness.
I just can't see what the appeal is - he's not as good as people reckon. As soon as defenders realise that closing him down quickly takes him out of the game, he'll be totally useless.
