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The Centre Back thread

Re: Central defenders

If Fazio turns out to be as good as Dawson for us, I'll be delighted.

Re Corluka, one of his problems at CB was his lack of heading ability, IIRC. I certainly wouldn't want him to be playing CB for us. He was a decent enough RB, though far from great.

I disagree with the first part and the second :)
 
Re: Central defenders

If Fazio comes in that's a complete new back five Poch has got in, if you count Yedlin. I'd say he has been watching our DVD's from last season.
 
Re: Central defenders

If Fazio comes in that's a complete new back five Poch has got in, if you count Yedlin. I'd say he has been watching our DVD's from last season.

Fair comment but we beat QPR with 4 of our back 5 from last season, we also beat West Ham with 4 out of our back 5 as well, with another of the old coming back to play CB after the red. So if he has been watching DVDs he must have been impressed :)
 
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Central defenders

Im liking the look of our revamped back 5, on paper.

Lloris, Vorm, Friedel
Rose, Davies
Walker, Naughton
Vertonghen, Dier
Fazio, Kaboul

Vertonghen and Dier both capable of filling in at full back positions in emergency - Kaboul too. Capoue also gives us a 5th choice CB if required as well. Dier looks more than ready for first team football and we know Kaboul is capable when fit - question marks over Naughton i guess but with Rose looking solid in the two games so far we can be hopeful of a similar impovment there.

Weakest area of the field last season is suddenly looking rather good, imv - and for not much outlay taking in to consideration Dawson and what looks like a near exit for Chiriches
 
Re: Central defenders

Im liking the look of our revamped back 5, on paper.

Lloris, Vorm, Friedel
Rose, Davies
Walker, Naughton
Vertonghen, Dier
Fazio, Kaboul

Vertonghen and Dier both capable of filling in at full back positions in emergency - Kaboul too. Capoue also gives us a 5th choice CB if required as well. Dier looks more than ready for first team football and we know Kaboul is capable when fit - question marks over Naughton i guess but with Rose looking solid in the two games so far we can be hopeful of a similar impovment there.

Weakest area of the field last season is suddenly looking rather good, imv - and for not much outlay taking in to consideration Dawson and what looks like a near exit for Chiriches

We were £6.5m in the black before Dawson (reported £3-6m), so if Fazio is less than £9.5m, we've done it all on zero net spend.

I still think Kaboul is shot though, plus he can leave for a free in January. I'd love us to get Musacchio as well as Fazio and give Kaboul his move to Lazio.
 
Re: Central defenders

We were £6.5m in the black before Dawson (reported £3-6m), so if Fazio is less than £9.5m, we've done it all on zero net spend.

I still think Kaboul is shot though, plus he can leave for a free in January. I'd love us to get Musacchio as well as Fazio and give Kaboul his move to Lazio.
I think that we need to give Kaboul a run of games and a chance to recover his match sharpness before making too many conclusions. I thought that he did OK, but still with plenty of room for improvement, on Saturday.
 
Re: Central defenders

I think that we need to give Kaboul a run of games and a chance to recover his match sharpness before making too many conclusions. I thought that he did OK, but still with plenty of room for improvement, on Saturday.

I don't think he was really tested by QPR - we were dominant and the likes of Remy, Matt Phillips and Zamora aren't exactly the toughest opponents he will face all season. He looked very shoddy against West Ham.

I think the contract situation will be an issue for Levy. We could get £4m for him now, or he's free to sign a pre-contract in January. Levy doesn't usually throw that much money away (although Bentley did ultimately run down his contract and Jenas got close).
 
Re: Central defenders

I don't think he was really tested by QPR - we were dominant and the likes of Remy, Matt Phillips and Zamora aren't exactly the toughest opponents he will face all season. He looked very shoddy against West Ham.

I think the contract situation will be an issue for Levy. We could get £4m for him now, or he's free to sign a pre-contract in January. Levy doesn't usually throw that much money away (although Bentley did ultimately run down his contract and Jenas got close).
I still think that it is best to see how this develops. If he can regain his fitness and sharpness he is a real asset. In a situation such as that, I could see him being offered a new contract.

If Poch doesn't fancy him, his injury problems return/aren't behind him/have had a permanent impact on his game or he is running down his contract, I would agree that we should look to move him on.
 
Re: Central defenders

I don't think he was really tested by QPR - we were dominant and the likes of Remy, Matt Phillips and Zamora aren't exactly the toughest opponents he will face all season. He looked very shoddy against West Ham.

I think the contract situation will be an issue for Levy. We could get £4m for him now, or he's free to sign a pre-contract in January. Levy doesn't usually throw that much money away (although Bentley did ultimately run down his contract and Jenas got close).

I agree.

Against Spammers he was horrendous and he wasn't tested against QPR....when he was tested he was put on the floor by Matt Phillips.
 
Re: Central defenders

I agree.

Against Spammers he was horrendous and he wasn't tested against QPR....when he was tested he was put on the floor by Matt Phillips.

He also struggles in the air, as does Jan, hence the need for Fazio.

I can see why Belgium play Jan at full back, in many ways he's better suited there.
 
Re: Central defenders

I still think that it is best to see how this develops. If he can regain his fitness and sharpness he is a real asset. In a situation such as that, I could see him being offered a new contract.

If Poch doesn't fancy him, his injury problems return/aren't behind him/have had a permanent impact on his game or he is running down his contract, I would agree that we should look to move him on.

Poch having him captain the side with other options like Lloris and Vertonghen playing, and giving him a lot of game time in pre-season and continuing that into the season seems to me like a sign that Poch thinks he can offer something.

He also struggles in the air, as does Jan, hence the need for Fazio.

I can see why Belgium play Jan at full back, in many ways he's better suited there.

When fit Kaboul was stronger in the air than Dawson imo. If he wasn't it was at the very least close.
 
Re: Central defenders

Poch having him captain the side with other options like Lloris and Vertonghen playing, and giving him a lot of game time in pre-season and continuing that into the season seems to me like a sign that Poch thinks he can offer something.



When fit Kaboul was stronger in the air than Dawson imo. If he wasn't it was at the very least close.

Maybe, but that was a long time ago. These days Kab struggles in the air.
 
Re: Central defenders

Maybe, but that was a long time ago. These days Kab struggles in the air.

It can actually be a consequence of an ACL injury.

It took me a while to even notice, but since mine I subconsciously take off from my other (weaker) leg, thus reducing my jump. My physio said that's common.
 
Re: Central defenders

Maybe, but that was a long time ago. These days Kab struggles in the air.

Not from what I saw in pre-season, against West Ham or against QPR.

I don't think I'm far off saying that this is the first time since his injury problems started completing 90 minutes in consecutive Premier League matches. I might very well be wrong and I don't know of a quick way to check that, but the point is more that he now seems to be nearing fitness and match fitness for the first time since his injury problems. If he can't regain consistent fitness it will all be irrelevant as he won't become a regular for us anyway, but at least he should be given the chance to regain that fitness before conclusions are being made about him no longer being able to do what he used to do with relative ease.
 
Re: Central defenders

Not from what I saw in pre-season, against West Ham or against QPR.

I don't think I'm far off saying that this is the first time since his injury problems started completing 90 minutes in consecutive Premier League matches. I might very well be wrong and I don't know of a quick way to check that, but the point is more that he now seems to be nearing fitness and match fitness for the first time since his injury problems. If he can't regain consistent fitness it will all be irrelevant as he won't become a regular for us anyway, but at least he should be given the chance to regain that fitness before conclusions are being made about him no longer being able to do what he used to do with relative ease.
I agree. If he can regain full fitness then he will be one of the or the best CB at the club. It would be silly to write that off on two early games, when the team is in transition and when you would exlect Kaboul to still be finding his way back into playing.
 
Re: Central defenders

The Sun report @MCFC have had enquiries from Tottenham & Arsenal for Matija Nastasic and expect him to join one
 
Re: Central defenders

Im liking the look of our revamped back 5, on paper.

Lloris, Vorm, Friedel
Rose, Davies
Walker, Naughton
Vertonghen, Dier
Fazio, Kaboul

Vertonghen and Dier both capable of filling in at full back positions in emergency - Kaboul too. Capoue also gives us a 5th choice CB if required as well. Dier looks more than ready for first team football and we know Kaboul is capable when fit - question marks over Naughton i guess but with Rose looking solid in the two games so far we can be hopeful of a similar impovment there.

Weakest area of the field last season is suddenly looking rather good, imv - and for not much outlay taking in to consideration Dawson and what looks like a near exit for Chiriches

In all honesty there is stil not one leader amongst that all. You need someone at the back to marshal that defence, I dont see that quality in there at all.
 
Re: Central defenders

i dunno, France's captain, Sevillas former captain and Ajax's former vice captain isn't too bad going
 
Re: Central defenders

i dunno, France's captain, Sevillas former captain and Ajax's former vice captain isn't too bad going

Fazio could be one not seen much of him - def not Lloris and certainly not Vert. We need a **** in there at the back, someone strong and robust wjo wont take ****, will order the guys at the back. At the moment its just too soft.
 
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