Pablo Zabaleta - Am I missing something?

[Corky]

Corluka is miles better going forward than Zab, he is a cultured right back, both have similar pace but VC was taking the ball from the keeper and setting up attacks this season. PZ is wreckless at times and not a progressive move, we signed in when we thought we were skint.

Micah will end up RB as he started at the derby, a left footed CB should be signed by the end of the month.

 

[seventeen hands]

I think Zabaleta is a good signing, and can only get better. 23 years old, first season in the premiership and seems to be improving every game. Quality buy.

 

[vbr]

I seem to be taking the same stance I did with Zabaletta as I did with Corluka.
Probably the same people were raving about Corluka last year as are raving about Zabba now,...and likewise with DAbo the season before.
Strengths: strong in the tackle; good defensive instincts; good going forward; comfortable on the ball; wholehearted player
weaknesses: gets skinned too easily by wingers/left mids with modicum of pace; poor in the air; can get stranded upfield and neglects defensive duties.

I actually think the Micah Richards of two seasons back to be a better right back performer than Zabba is now.
Whether we ever get that Micah back, and our manager wants to employ him in that position is of course a different matter.

Spot on. Some people are getting far too carried away with Zab saying he's a world class RB when he clearly isn't.

 

[Braggster]

Corluka is miles better going forward than Zab, he is a cultured right back, both have similar pace but VC was taking the ball from the keeper and setting up attacks this season. PZ is wreckless at times and not a progressive move, we signed in when we thought we were skint.

Micah will end up RB as he started at the derby, a left footed CB should be signed by the end of the month.

Sorry, I don't agree. Corluka was more cultured, but not a better attacking RB. Zab's crossing is far superior. Also though Charlie is cultured, Zab is hardly a hoofer à la Ball.

 

[Corky]

Corluka is miles better going forward than Zab, he is a cultured right back, both have similar pace but VC was taking the ball from the keeper and setting up attacks this season. PZ is wreckless at times and not a progressive move, we signed in when we thought we were skint.

Micah will end up RB as he started at the derby, a left footed CB should be signed by the end of the month.

Sorry, I don't agree. Corluka was more cultured, but not a better attacking RB. Zab's crossing is far superior. Also though Charlie is cultured, Zab is hardly a hoofer à la Ball.

He doesn't know what to do with the ball most of the time, he checks back before losing it. Corluka would play it on the floor and makes runs into the box, Zab crossed and we scored once, the problem is we have bo one to cross it to so it is better off playing it on the floor like Corluka used to.

 

[jay_mcfc]

Yes, you're missing something.

I would suggest eyes.

 

[Brucie Bonus]

He is not a signing we would have made if we knew about the money coming in, and he has cost us a few games.

Dropped a right bollock letting Corluka go.

Name them. Name ALL the games HE has cost us.

 

[Corky]

He is not a signing we would have made if we knew about the money coming in, and he has cost us a few games.

Dropped a right bollock letting Corluka go.

Name them. Name ALL the games HE has cost us.

Well in Ten seconds, the WBA first goal playing the guy on side, 2-1 up v liverpool he hets sent off, is that a few?

Not trying to block the tyson shot then fucking up for the second yesterday.

 

[fluffy_blue]

Name them. Name ALL the games HE has cost us.

Well in Ten seconds, the WBA first goal playing the guy on side, 2-1 up v liverpool he hets sent off, is that a few?

Not trying to block the tyson shot then fucking up for the second yesterday.

Unfuckingbelievable! You are singling him out and that is all you can come up with! Are you aware at all who else is playing in our defence and how many absolutely monumental fuckups they have made this season. If we had four Zabaletas in our defence I can assure you that we would have been much much higher up the table right now.

Also I would like the haters here to point out to me the full backs that noone ever gets passed by. Maybe you need to look at the bigger picture and see the movement off the ball in our team (attack and defence). I know it is going to be hard for quiet a few here as obviously you know fuck all about football but just try it. What you will see when on defensive is the centre backs and midfielders that are frequently out of position. When in attack the midfield rarely drops back to collect the ball and when they do they still don't receive the ball as it gets hoofed over their heads because the CB is not confident in his own passing. Our defence is all over the place and to single out Zabaleta who has put in MOM performances in december and who often covers for the other people fuckups is a bit harsh. The lad is young, new to PL, enthusiastic, good ball skills, good tackler, a fighter, his positional play and the timing of runs is pretty good and he is going to get better and better. Why jump on his back? Oh yes, it is because he made a handful of mistakes in all the games he played in his first season playing in a shambolic defense. Well he must be shit then and we better sell. FFS

 

[blue dallas]

People seem to rate him highly but I don't think he's that good.

I'm not saying that he dosen't give 100% and I know that he made a mistake yesterday that led to Forest's 2nd goal but I've been thinking this for a while.

He seems slow. I first noticed it against FC Twente - he got skinned easily a couple of times by one of their strikers but because we won the game nobody said anything.

Since then he's been skinned by other strikers - so it's not a one off.

I don't think that he is a better right back than Micah Richards but he is keeping Micah out of that position and Micah is obviously not as comfortable at centre back than he is at right back but he can't play in his favoured position because Zabaleta looks to be Hughes first choice.

As per title of post - am I missing something? Is he as good as people make out?

fc twente's left winger was mint.
we should sign him. whats his name?

 

[vbr]

Well in Ten seconds, the WBA first goal playing the guy on side, 2-1 up v liverpool he hets sent off, is that a few?

Not trying to block the tyson shot then fucking up for the second yesterday.

Unfuckingbelievable! You are singling him out and that is all you can come up with! Are you aware at all who else is playing in our defence and how many absolutely monumental fuckups they have made this season. If we had four Zabaletas in our defence I can assure you that we would have been much much higher up the table right now.

Also I would like the haters here to point out to me the full backs that noone ever gets passed by. Maybe you need to look at the bigger picture and see the movement off the ball in our team (attack and defence). I know it is going to be hard for quiet a few here as obviously you know fuck all about football but just try it. What you will see when on defensive is the centre backs and midfielders that are frequently out of position. When in attack the midfield rarely drops back to collect the ball and when they do they still don't receive the ball as it gets hoofed over their heads because the CB is not confident in his own passing. Our defence is all over the place and to single out Zabaleta who has put in MOM performances in december and who often covers for the other people fuckups is a bit harsh. The lad is young, new to PL, enthusiastic, good ball skills, good tackler, a fighter, his positional play and the timing of runs is pretty good and he is going to get better and better. Why jump on his back? Oh yes, it is because he made a handful of mistakes in all the games he played in his first season playing in a shambolic defense. Well he must be shit then and we better sell. FFS

Come on now, he isn't saying get rid of Zab, but you lot seem to have it in your heads that Zab is a world class RB when it clearly isn't the case not by a long shot. As was said earlier in the topic

gets skinned too easily by wingers/left mids with modicum of pace; poor in the air; can get stranded upfield and neglects defensive duties.

This is spot on. He needs to time his forward runs better, he bombs forward at every opportunity but does shirk his defensive duties at times like going in for headers, marking in the box, etc.

 

[josh06]

Mr T.



Personally the best visiting right backs I've seen this year have been Raphael & Glen Johnson.

I agree the little ninja turtle played well against us, but his next two games i think he was shown up for what he is.. He is good going forward, but looked a bit shit when it came to defending. (Which we were not going to expose..)