Our Improved Defence
- Thread starter Trautmann's Chiropractor
- Start date
Thats the million dollar question because when you look in the various leagues across Europe no-one really seems to stand out. Theres a real shortage of top drawer centre halves at the moment with Stones and Otamendi as good as any pairing in the Premier League, if not Europe.
I just think that to completely demoralise the opposition and make us even stronger we need that real rock at the back, someone of similar ability to the unattainable Bonucci or Chiellini.
Even if you look at Spains big two, the German Rags and PSG none have centre halves who I would class as absolute top drawer, with Hummels and Thiago Silva probably about the best of the bunch. Pique, Umtini, Varane, Ramos and Marquinhos are carried by the attacking flare of their respective teams against far weaker opposition and aren't in my opinion anywhere near as good as proper physical players such as the Cannavaro brothers, Jaap Stam, Ricardo Carvalho or John Terry in his prime.
I trust our managers judgement and hopefully Pep has his eye on a real gem and will pull a rabbit out of the hat.
This was not that serious of a problem as many made it out to be. Yes, he was no where close to Ederson, but a good # of the goals he conceded were similar to the 2 Ederson conceded. Just freaky goals.
I said to anyone who would listen over the summer, we'd have conceded fewer goals this season even if we hadn't changed anyone. As the % of goals we conceded from chances allowed was abnormal and an outlier. A regression to the norm was always most likely.
But that aside, our general play has improved. As for the CBs, the hysteria from the summer was always silly- Either the claim that Otamendi was a bad player or that Stones was soft were just silly. Both are very good players.
Who are the great athletic CBs in the game today? Of which you think one might fit this description you have above?
For what its worth, my opinion on Bonucci is well documented. He was greatly flattered by playing in Italy and for Juve. Decent passer of the ball but other than that, he is more reputation that anything... A reputation mostly built on Pep's admiration.
Chiellini, I'll give you. He is the Vidic of today's defending. A no nonsense solid all round defender. But he is slower mow and was never fast to begin with. Don't know if he'd be able to cope with the speed and open style of football here.
Most of the players I'd suggest, are really around Stones age and some even younger. Laporte, Varane, Koulibally, Diego Carlos and Marquinhos are looking the business so far.
But for What its worth, Ota and Stones rank comfortably with these guys.
Chiellini as you say has never had pace, but has never really needed it due his physical presence, marking ability and reading of the game. He is probably the last of the traditional Italian defenders in the Ferrara, Baresi, Bergomi, Vierchowod, Nesta mould.I remember during the summer of 2007 when Sven's was trying to sign him for about 3.5 million quid, that would have been money well spent.
Add defending from the front
Teams to tired from chasing the ball to counter quick
Defenders reading the game better
More formidable keeper
Faster fullbacks, to recover
Our weaknesses are still there, it's just harder to exploit them.
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NorCalBlue
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No, on Saturday, Stoke got one shot on target and they didn't score one goal - they scored two! Clearly we need Bravo back in goal.
dickie davies
Well-Known Member
Do you remember the game against Middlesbro around eleven or twelve years ago!
They didn't even have a shot against us and yet they won 1-0
Perhaps this was Mourinho's tactics vs Liverpool last Saturday
NorCalBlue
Well-Known Member
Was that when Dunne scored an own goal? Those were the days, eh?