State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by The_Gun » Fri Feb 04, 2022 7:08 am


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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Feb 04, 2022 8:50 am

According to that, he can't head. He's a fcuking Centre Back!

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Prufrock » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:15 am

I *think* that means he doesn't have to head it that often rather than he's not very good at it. His % of them won is v high.
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:24 am

For me, best centre back we've had for a while, and we've had a few good ones in our time. He goes in with a desire to win and a good attitude. Deservedly team captain and seems proud of it. I like he way he isn't afraid to take the ball forward and he passes decently.
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:48 am

Prufrock wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:15 am
I *think* that means he doesn't have to head it that often rather than he's not very good at it. His % of them won is v high.
Gothcha. He's got a head like a sheriff's..wonder why the don't add stats like "wrong side of attacker" "headed straight up/out/to them"

I think recent games along with Johnston, they've all including Santos, looked happier as evidenced by the string of 'nils'. I'm spending less time peeking through my fingers when the oppo attack. Mind, I didn't settle v Sunlun until we had 5.

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Prufrock » Fri Feb 04, 2022 10:45 am

TANGODANCER wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 9:24 am
For me, best centre back we've had for a while, and we've had a few good ones in our time. He goes in with a desire to win and a good attitude. Deservedly team captain and seems proud of it. I like he way he isn't afraid to take the ball forward and he passes decently.
Yeah I'm a big fan too. If only David N'Gog had been capable of this kind of turnaround.

I'm always surprised he doesn't get mentioned more when people talk about players with the highest ceiling. He's got absolutely everything you want in a centre back. Big, quick, strong, good on the ball. His biggest weakness is decision making/speed of thought sometimes but he's pretty young for a centre back still and hasn't played a lot of league football so likely to improve. He's been noticeably better over recent games at cutting out mistakes, clean sheets first. Though there has still been the occasional free-kick based blip :lol:
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Bruce Rioja » Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:06 am

Worthy4England wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 8:50 am
According to that, he can't head. He's a fcuking Centre Back!
Yes, one who can't head.

He 'should' be a towering threat at set-pieces.
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by GhostoftheBok » Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:26 am

Zat Knight couldn't head and made just under 300 Premier League appearances.

Equally, Rico's inability to head (whilst it also frustrates me) is a bit of a myth. He almost always gets on the end of balls into the box that are his to win and his clearance rate with those headers is good.

He's poor at directing headers, but generally defensive heading has a very wide "cone" of success. "Roughly that way" is almost always enough. He's very rarely utterly wild with headers, but he's not able to direct with power and that is always a concern. It's a technique issue, though, so it can improve. Knight's never did, but others have. Every aspect of his game is better than when he arrived, so there's hope.

I'd be interested to see how many goals we've conceded from poor defensive headers from Rico.

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:47 am

It’s his lack of concentration and lack of real physical dominance that for me that mark him down. He looks much more comfortable in this system. I don’t think he’s had the right partner for a four.

But I still think there are areas where he’d be ripped apart a league up and indeed is in this league at times.

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by GhostoftheBok » Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:52 am

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:47 am
lack of real physical dominance
:shock:

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:03 pm

GhostoftheBok wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:52 am
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:47 am
lack of real physical dominance
:shock:
For his size I don’t think he dominates forwards physically as much as I’d expect. I also think in the opponents box he is absolutely shocking. Shrinks to about 4ft.

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by LeverEnd » Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:06 pm

Don't get Bruce started on Zat Knight! 😜
...

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Bruce Rioja » Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:00 pm

GhostoftheBok wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:26 am
Zat Knight couldn't head and made just under 300 Premier League appearances.
Itself, the most preposterous, illogical statistic that the game will ever produce.
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Bruce Rioja » Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:02 pm

LeverEnd wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:06 pm
Don't get Bruce started on Zat Knight! 😜
Too late, my friend, Too fecking late ;)
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by TANGODANCER » Fri Feb 04, 2022 1:21 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:03 pm
GhostoftheBok wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:52 am
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:47 am
lack of real physical dominance
:shock:
For his size I don’t think he dominates forwards physically as much as I’d expect. I also think in the opponents box he is absolutely shocking. Shrinks to about 4ft.
Have to disagree mate. You are entitled to think and say as you will, but keep it sensible.
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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:40 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:03 pm
GhostoftheBok wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:52 am
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:47 am
lack of real physical dominance
:shock:
For his size I don’t think he dominates forwards physically as much as I’d expect. I also think in the opponents box he is absolutely shocking. Shrinks to about 4ft.
Aye wouldn't want him to come up against Jonah Lomu from days gone by...

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:19 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:40 pm
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 12:03 pm
For his size I don’t think he dominates forwards physically as much as I’d expect. I also think in the opponents box he is absolutely shocking. Shrinks to about 4ft.
Aye wouldn't want him to come up against Jonah Lomu from days gone by...
Yeah but he's in a sport which requires brain as well as brawn :fishing:

I'd back him in a physical battle against Phil Taylor but not Valentino Rossi on a MotoGP bike :mrgreen:

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:22 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:19 pm
Yeah but he's in a sport which requires brain as well as brawn :fishing:
Ohhhh, a bite!

I see you, and raise you Wayne Rooney.....Let's be honest it's about kicking a pigs bladder to someone wearing the same coloured shirt...

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:36 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:22 pm
Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:19 pm
Yeah but he's in a sport which requires brain as well as brawn :fishing:
Ohhhh, a bite!

I see you, and raise you Wayne Rooney.....Let's be honest it's about kicking a pigs bladder to someone wearing the same coloured shirt...
Rooney was an exquisitely talented and intelligent player who got called thick because he's from a deprived working class area. (He's now showing fine managerial ability in a very testing situation but yeah, he's got an accent and looks like a potato, so he must be dense.) Barcelona 2008's average height was about 5ft 7.

I'll always maintain that football is the best balance I've ever seen between brains and brawn, between tactics and physicality. Too far to one side or the other, like chess or boxing, and I quickly find other things to watch. But that's me. Plenty disagree; I care not a jot.

So yeah. I'd back Santos in an arm-wrestle with Tony McCoy, but not in a downhill race with Franz Klammer. :wink:

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Re: State of the Squad 2 - This Time it's Personnel

Post by Worthy4England » Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:39 pm

I think that would be for another thread completely... :-)

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