Is Gaël Clichy that good?

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

He really isn't shite, he's just not great. He's a solid LB, a good one, but not good enough at anything in particular. Kolarov is a bit weak defensively, but great going forwards, but Clichy isn't particularly exceptional at anything.

And by default then not good enough for a top 4 club anymore.

Defenders have to be good at both attacking and defending nowadays. He is awful at the former and average at the latter.

WTF was he thinking yesterday? It was schollboy defending.

 

[sh249]

Clichy is a quality player. Dreadful yesterday but his piss poor excuse of a clearance for their second just summed up our joke of a performance

This for me. The goal yesterday was awful, of course, but then it also smacked of the lack of communication that radiates out of our team/defence as soon as Kompany (plus Hart and Zaba) aren't playing. As the ball was played across, the keeper and the rest of the defence should have been screaming at him to attack it and get it away. Perhaps they did, but I doubt it very much. Doesn't excuse Clichy - he should have been more aware anyway. But as a full-back covering in those positions, it's easy to lose track of a player behind you and you need a shout to help. He hesitated a split-second, and that was all it took.

I also don't think he's been that bad this season in general. Against Chelsea in the cup he was excellent and set up the first goal, against Barca he was excellent for 75 minutes, then tired and got caught out for the goal. He's made some howlers this season (yesterday, Barca, Bayern at home), but then so has pretty much everyone who's played at the back, including Vinny - who I rate as the best centre-half in the world, but who's defending last week in the final was every bit as amateurish as Clichy's yesterday. Look at Kolarov, too - there was a thread on here last week lauding him (quite justifiably) for his performance, and he did do extremely well on the second goal. But he also made a horrific error in the first half when he allowed Johnson just to stroll off the back of him from a throw in, which led to a chance which we just about managed to scramble away (think we got a free-kick for a foul on Fernandinho?). Had that gone in to make it 2-0, and we ended up losing, who knows? Would probably have been taken by a lot on here as irrefutable evidence that Kolarov is wank defensively and we need to get rid asap. That's how fine the margins are.

 

[therealsvenn]

Looked to me like the guy coming in behind Clichy clipped his heels which meant he fluffed the clearance.

Or was that through my blue tinted glasses?

Especially as Silva was penalised for being tripped by a Wigan player!

 

[Lavinda Past]

Looked to me like the guy coming in behind Clichy clipped his heels which meant he fluffed the clearance.

Or was that through my blue tinted glasses?

Especially as Silva was penalised for being tripped by a Wigan player!

Through my blue tinted glasses, it looked to me like Clichy didn't have a f*ckin clue what was going on and would have scored an OG if the Wigan lad hadn't got in before him.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Looked to me like the guy coming in behind Clichy clipped his heels which meant he fluffed the clearance.

Or was that through my blue tinted glasses?

Especially as Silva was penalised for being tripped by a Wigan player!

Through my blue tinted glasses, it looked to me like Clichy didn't have a f*ckin clue what was going on and would have scored an OG if the Wigan lad hadn't got in before him.

It was under 18's level defending from a so called top 4 player.

 

[Mr Ed (The Stables)]

His crossing is shite!!

 

[burnley blue mcfc]

nowhere near good enough,we should break the bank for luke shaw in the summer

 

[AliWaheed]

I thought he was class today

 

[Chi-town blues]

I thought he was class today

^^

 

[celticfc482]

Defensively hes fine, he had a bad patch but has been good this year. Obvious flaw is his attacking play but hes reliable.