Player thread: Aleksandar Kolarov (2014/15)

[NQCitizen]

All this talk of he deserves his place in the team because of the attacking options he brings. Remind me again, what is his primary role and is he any good at it?

Attacking.

That's what our full backs do. That's why when Zaba has to defend against someone half decent we play Sagna.

 

[mosssideblue]

All this talk of he deserves his place in the team because of the attacking options he brings. Remind me again, what is his primary role and is he any good at it?

Attacking.

That's what our full backs do. That's why when Zaba has to defend against someone half decent we play Sagna.

My Ghast is Flabbered

 

[Tim of the Oak]

I saw some stats saying AK has been rated the best player in the league over the last three games - just ahead of Kun.

Long may it last!

 

[BillyShears]

All this talk of he deserves his place in the team because of the attacking options he brings. Remind me again, what is his primary role and is he any good at it?

Attacking.

That's what our full backs do. That's why when Zaba has to defend against someone half decent we play Sagna.

That's a very fair point. Also worth remembering the scousers nearly won the league with fucking Flannaghan and Cissoko as their full backs last season.

I still think we need to replace AK though because if you play a high line his lack of pace and his defensive positioning is an enormous weakness no matter how many goals he scores.

 

[NQCitizen]

All this talk of he deserves his place in the team because of the attacking options he brings. Remind me again, what is his primary role and is he any good at it?

Attacking.

That's what our full backs do. That's why when Zaba has to defend against someone half decent we play Sagna.

My Ghast is Flabbered

Marcelo
Alba
Alaba
Alves

Are any of those defensive?

The world's best defensive full back is currently playing in midfield.

 

[BillyShears]

Attacking.

That's what our full backs do. That's why when Zaba has to defend against someone half decent we play Sagna.

My Ghast is Flabbered

Marcelo
Alba
Alaba
Alves

Are any of those defensive?

The world's best defensive full back is currently playing in midfield.

All of those lads have one thing which AK doesn't - bags of pace.

 

[NQCitizen]

My Ghast is Flabbered

Marcelo
Alba
Alaba
Alves

Are any of those defensive?

The world's best defensive full back is currently playing in midfield.

All of those lads have one thing which AK doesn't - bags of pace.

And that is very true.

But we could safely say if he is replaced it'll be an attacking full back and they won't be far from cries of 'but his job is to defend!'

Chelsea are possibly the only top 8 team with defensive full backs (even then Ivanovic is one of their most attacking players)

 

[mosssideblue]

Marcelo
Alba
Alaba
Alves

Are any of those defensive?

The world's best defensive full back is currently playing in midfield.

All of those lads have one thing which AK doesn't - bags of pace.

And that is very true.

But we could safely say if he is replaced it'll be an attacking full back and they won't be far from cries of 'but his job is to defend!'

Chelsea are possibly the only top 8 team with defensive full backs (even then Ivanovic is one of their most attacking players)

I'm not wanting them not to attack, but first and foremost they are expected to be able to defend. Kolo is not very good at it.

 

[Georgemk]

heres how i see it,
we need a world class left back, both kolarov and clichy are not add this level.
kolarov is inconsistent defensively due to his lack of pace but great for playing against smaller teams where we are on the attack most of the time.
clichy is inconsistant defensively and doesnt offer alot going forward so isnt very effective against weaker teams

so i would rather have kolarov but remember that he is not homegrown whilst clichy, so either:
1) sell kolarov and buy a world class left back - gaya/rodriguez and send angelino out of loan
2) sell clichy and promote angelino to first team, mangala can play at LB aswell, angelino hasent had opportunities in the 1st team though so i see this as being unlikely unless he has an exceptional post-season/pre-season.
3) keep both of them and as they are both inconsistent, play whoever is playing well.

 

[Deleted member 58678]

All this talk of he deserves his place in the team because of the attacking options he brings. Remind me again, what is his primary role and is he any good at it?

The name "full back" should be scrapped from this sport. Originally full backs were the players who fully (or almost fully) stayed back to defend ie modern central defenders. How they came to represent the players in a team who are outside halves/wingers is beyond me!

For me modern "full back"s are WINGERS. Wingers like in rugby who do as much attacking as they do defending (but in good football teams they'll do far more attacking than defending). Especially in our team in both our title wins in recent years. Having an attacking winger like Navas in the side stops us making the most of our best players in midfield and takes up Zaba's space on the wing too much.

In good attacking sides formations often look like this:

-------------GK-------------
---------CD---CD---------
------------DM-------------
----------CM----------------
FB---------------------------
---------AM---AM---------
----ST------------------FB--
------------------ST----------
but obviously across a whole pitch not on a narrow computer screen :)

And this is more than the average, good teams attack for 60-75% of the game so their primary role is to join the attack out wide.