Pepe

[keemcfc]

Re: Pepe

I think this whole left-footed, right-footed thing gets way over emphasised.

Precisely, you don't see people complaining that both Yaya and Fernandinho are right footed... Not too many teams actually have a 'balanced' CB pairing tbh

 

[117 M34]

Re: Pepe

I think this whole left-footed, right-footed thing gets way over emphasised.

Definitely, I didn't ever consider left foot / right foot pairings until Mancini played toure instead of lescott due to their favoured feet

 

[BigOscar]

Re: Pepe

It's not about being naturally left or right footed, it's about where you naturally play, left centerhalf or right centerhalf. It's completely different, your natural positioning is based entirely on what side you normally play, so it's not like a computer game where you can just stick them on the other side anf they'll be fine. I can't think of too many centerbacks who don't consistently play on the same side of the defence

 

[teddykgb]

Re: Pepe

I think this whole left-footed, right-footed thing gets way over emphasised.

i think that ideally it is, but when you're as one footed as someone like Joleon Lescott is, then it's a real concern.

But overall, yeah, I don't think we need to find a left footed CB, we just need to find a complete CB. Like pretty much anyone lining up in the center of the pitch, you really can't control when and where they are going to possess the ball, they must be able to credibly play the ball with both feet at the level we're aspiring to be. If there's any way to describe how we've moved just that last 5% past a player of Lescott's level (and he's a good CB who would improve most teams, no doubt) it's precisely in this way.

 

[Deleted member 52846]

Re: Pepe

I think this whole left-footed, right-footed thing gets way over emphasised.

That's true. But someone who is used to playing as a left centre half (whether he's right or left footed) will want to play as a left centre half if he signs for a new club.

 

[BigOscar]

Re: Pepe

For anyone who doesn't think it makes a difference what side a player usually plays, just watch the first two goals of the England-Germany game from the 2010 WC. John Terry always plays LCB, in that game he played RCB to accomodate Upson. For the first two goals, in particular the second, he ends up far far too far to the left hand side. On the second goal he ends up pressing a player on the left touchline, just out of habit, leaving absolutely noone in the middle.

Obviously JT is of below average intelligence, so possibly adapted less well than most players would, but it completely messes with all your positioning, your angles and your decision making. All defenders have a side they like to tackle on, so have ways to force attackers to go where they want, but that gets completely messed up when you switch sides aswell. It's a lot less simple than people make it out to be imo

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Re: Pepe

boyata is a new man playing like a man possessed.

 

[pee dubya]

Re: Pepe

For anyone who doesn't think it makes a difference what side a player usually plays, just watch the first two goals of the England-Germany game from the 2010 WC. John Terry always plays LCB, in that game he played RCB to accomodate Upson. For the first two goals, in particular the second, he ends up far far too far to the left hand side. On the second goal he ends up pressing a player on the left touchline, just out of habit, leaving absolutely noone in the middle.

Obviously JT is of below average intelligence, so possibly adapted less well than most players would, but it completely messes with all your positioning, your angles and your decision making. All defenders have a side they like to tackle on, so have ways to force attackers to go where they want, but that gets completely messed up when you switch sides aswell. It's a lot less simple than people make it out to be imo

I don't doubt they have a favoured side, but really how long does it take to adapt? A few months maybe? I mean Kompany played on the left side today and was immense.

The general point is though, i wouldn't buy a lesser player just because they're left footed. Maybe it's preferable to have a left sided player, but in the grand scheme of choosing your targets i think there's a whole bunch of more important things that come first.

 

[BigOscar]

Re: Pepe

For anyone who doesn't think it makes a difference what side a player usually plays, just watch the first two goals of the England-Germany game from the 2010 WC. John Terry always plays LCB, in that game he played RCB to accomodate Upson. For the first two goals, in particular the second, he ends up far far too far to the left hand side. On the second goal he ends up pressing a player on the left touchline, just out of habit, leaving absolutely noone in the middle.

Obviously JT is of below average intelligence, so possibly adapted less well than most players would, but it completely messes with all your positioning, your angles and your decision making. All defenders have a side they like to tackle on, so have ways to force attackers to go where they want, but that gets completely messed up when you switch sides aswell. It's a lot less simple than people make it out to be imo

I don't doubt they have a favoured side, but really how long does it take to adapt? A few months maybe? I mean Kompany played on the left side today and was immense.

The general point is though, i wouldn't buy a lesser player just because they're left footed. Maybe it's preferable to have a left sided player, but in the grand scheme of choosing your targets i think there's a whole bunch of more important things that come first.

I guess it depends how ingrained in them it is. As for Kompany today, he was absolutely fantastic, but we sat so deep for a lot of the game that it makes positioning a bit easier as you have a lot less pitch to worry about, plus, Vinnie is fast enough to cover up any slight positional errors a lot of the time.

I just figure, we want a RCB to cover for Vinnie, there's hundreds of defenders to pick from, it would be just plain silly to go for a naturally left sided one and spend months adapting them. It seems common sense to get a right sided one instead, preferably one with a bit of mobility to cover for both our left sided ones being on the slow side.

 

[Jimfv1]

Re: Pepe

Garcia is too slow, Lescott is a good defender, but there was a reason he didn't play against Madrid last season. He just isn't good enough against the top teams. He'd be great against Stoke for instance, but against quick counter-attacking sides he's a liability, and this is where Nastasic is the better option. Boyata can do a job when paired with Kompany, but I wouldn't trust a Boyata/Nastasic pairing.

Pepe would be a good addition alongside either Kompany or Nastasic. He has the experience in Europe and would strengthen our defence. If Rekik impresses on loan, then we would have a good mix of youth and experience for 4 centre-backs next season. Lescott is a bit like Dunne, a good old-fashioned centre-back but prone to mistakes. Dunnie was quicker, but more accident prone.

On another note, the concentration Lescott needs to make a sideways pass is laughable, it is like he is back on the training pitch the way he positions himself and carefully makes a 10 yard pass left or right.