Lovebitesandeveryfing
Well-Known Member
It's the combination that bothers me, mate. Vinny with Demichelis? Well, ok, just about (although there's a lot on here who'll disagree with me: cf. a certain goal scored not so very long ago by a certain Sunderland striker). Vinny with Nastasic? Well, pretty good last season, and that, make no mistake, is our long-term combination, whatever Nastasic's failings this season. He'll come back, he's very young. Vinny with Joleon: definitely, Joleon's a good player when he's got Vinny next to him, and he proved it over and over again during the title winning season (although there are strong signs that Pellegrini does not rate Lescott and he's not long-term for us).
On this question of burn-out, which I'm alert to. It seems to me that a central defender does not burn out to the extent that a box-to-box midfielder does, or even a striker who's constantly looking to shake his marker off. A central defender's essential job is to read balls coming at him, and to move into the appropriate position to mop up. Then, if they're skilled — as Vinny is — to move out of their box with the ball at their feet and release it at just the right moment to a midfielder who's in a better position. By the time they've got to the halfway line, they shouldn't have that ball any more. Then they should hold back. All this, Vinny does excellently, but I'm certain that this doesn't involve getting through as many miles on the park as many other players get through. Plus one other thing: Vinny's just come back from, what was it?, a four week lay-off. And was that the first time he's been injured this season? I seem to remember that it's the second, but I could be wrong. Yaya plays every single game if he's even vaguely fit. Beast seemed to play every single game, in every competition, until he got injured, and I think that's come back to bite him on the arse, big time. Silva's in the same category. These players, yes, must be rested.
On this question of burn-out, which I'm alert to. It seems to me that a central defender does not burn out to the extent that a box-to-box midfielder does, or even a striker who's constantly looking to shake his marker off. A central defender's essential job is to read balls coming at him, and to move into the appropriate position to mop up. Then, if they're skilled — as Vinny is — to move out of their box with the ball at their feet and release it at just the right moment to a midfielder who's in a better position. By the time they've got to the halfway line, they shouldn't have that ball any more. Then they should hold back. All this, Vinny does excellently, but I'm certain that this doesn't involve getting through as many miles on the park as many other players get through. Plus one other thing: Vinny's just come back from, what was it?, a four week lay-off. And was that the first time he's been injured this season? I seem to remember that it's the second, but I could be wrong. Yaya plays every single game if he's even vaguely fit. Beast seemed to play every single game, in every competition, until he got injured, and I think that's come back to bite him on the arse, big time. Silva's in the same category. These players, yes, must be rested.