Is Zat Knight Half as bad as is perceived on here?

[ohjimmyjimmy]

I'd like to see the club introduce a scale of permitted emotions for players, to be linked to pay/bonuses.

If we win they are permitted to smile. Maybe even laugh. If we win by more than 3 goals, they _must_ be grinning as broadly as possible. Compulsory smiling.

If we lose, no smiling is allowed. Lose by three or more and they should throw themselves to the floor, weeping, possibly whipping themselves with nettles. Hair shirts should be encouraged.

Otherwise, how will we know they care?

Interesting.
Grab a bedsheet and meet me outside the Reebok at 5...you'll be on your way there to boo that kid anyway wont you?

[Worthy4England]

I'd like to see the club introduce a scale of permitted emotions for players, to be linked to pay/bonuses.

If we win they are permitted to smile. Maybe even laugh. If we win by more than 3 goals, they _must_ be grinning as broadly as possible. Compulsory smiling.

If we lose, no smiling is allowed. Lose by three or more and they should throw themselves to the floor, weeping, possibly whipping themselves with nettles. Hair shirts should be encouraged.

Otherwise, how will we know they care?

Interesting.
Grab a bedsheet and meet me outside the Reebok at 5...you'll be on your way there to boo that kid anyway wont you?

I think Mr Puskas said he was going to Euxton to boo him in training.

[Bruce Rioja]

6ft -6ins stood still and 6ft - 5ins when he jumps (if he can be bothered jumping)

Indeed. 6ft - 6ins tall, yet out jumped by the 5ft - 8ins Aguero.

[Prufrock]

Knight spent a lot of time on the bench towards the end of last season, maybe with the realization that he wont be waltzing into the first team we will see him fighting for his place. Hes not bad, he's a gifted footballer, he wouldn't have England caps if he wasn't. As for headed goals, he only has 8 career goals, you can be tall and not be gifted in the air and thats probably something to accept but I personally think with the right attitude and workrate he could be too good for this division. He's made the first step by signing a deal on reduced terms despite being a bench warmer, maybe he's ready to step it up a bit?

Was waiting for the England caps thing to come up. Even if we accept that gaining an England cap means you must be a good player, it only means you are a good player at that time, in Knight's case, 2005, over seven years ago. Only three years before that Michael Ricketts got his England cap. Nobody was using that as evidence three years ago to say he was still a gifted footballer.

Wheater, to me, is clearly better than Knight. He isn't amazing, but he defends better, is much better in the air, and actually, despite his agricultural reputation, better on the ball. He might panic under pressure but given time he will at least try to play his way out, unlike Zat all the time in the world best give it their keeper Knight.

All that said, and as much as he does my head in, he has enough about him certainly to be a decent player at that level.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Probably the reduced terms are what he would only get elsewhere, and those clubs decided their money was better spent elsewhere anyway. Up to the club & Zat now to see if we should have done the same...personally, if the reduced terms are sensible then i'm happy to have him as cover.

Although.
Thinking about it.

A rusty Zat Knight, on the bench for 10 games, coming into a big game as cover.
Yikes.

[n035209]

wheater is on a par with knight in my opinoin which isnt a good or bad thing.

In possession - equal
In air - Wheater
On the deck - equal
tackling - equal
Temperament - Knight
Positioning - equally bad
Reading of game- Knight (doesnt mean he actions his read but, think he knows what he should do)
Rashness - Wheater
attacking threat - equally bad

[plymouth wanderer]

wheater is on a par with knight in my opinoin which isnt a good or bad thing.

In possession - equal
In air - Wheater
On the deck - equal
tackling - equal
Temperament - Knight
Positioning - equally bad
Reading of game- Knight (doesnt mean he actions his read but, think he knows what he should do)
Rashness - Wheater
attacking threat - equally bad

Wheater is a better player than knight

[Ianmooreslovechild]

He's just dopey. And thats the problem, physically he should compete all the time but he switches off, drops deep when the rest push up, loses runners and doesn't use his physicality enough.

All round he could be excellent but the aforementioned faults mean he is always going to be lacklustre at best and downright clownlike at worst.

That and he's a complete pussy.
Might be ok in the championship but there will be times where his dopey fecklessness and complete lack of aggression will make most on here want to kill! Me included

How anyone can claim that he is better than Wheater is beyond me.As footballers not disimilar abilitywise but attitudewise give me a Wheater anyday

[officer_dibble]

I'd have one wheater over ten knights. No desire. Gutted Wheats is injured.

[Tombwfc]

Wheater can have all the desire in the world, but it doesn't stop him making a very similar number of mistakes, and (to me anyway) hasn't resulted in him defending any better.

One looks like he cares, one looks like he doesn't give a shit. If the end result is the same, I don't get why it matters.

[TKIZ!]

Wheater is a better defender for me. We looked a lot more solid when Wheater and Ream played at CB.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Wheater can have all the desire in the world, but it doesn't stop him making a very similar number of mistakes, and (to me anyway) hasn't resulted in him defending any better.

One looks like he cares, one looks like he doesn't give a shit. If the end result is the same, I don't get why it matters.

Once he got a run in the team I dont think he made anything like as many ricks as Knight did. Importantly he also provided some attacking threat which in a team of non scorers is kind of handy

[TKIZ!]

Both good goals against the Dingles

[Verbal]

wheater is on a par with knight in my opinoin which isnt a good or bad thing.

In possession - equal
In air - Wheater
On the deck - equal
tackling - equal
Temperament - Knight
Positioning - equally bad
Reading of game- Knight (doesnt mean he actions his read but, think he knows what he should do)
Rashness - Wheater
attacking threat - equally bad

Wheater is a better player than knight

Remind me how many more goals Wheater scored than Knight this year.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Not just the goals he scored but the fact he attacks the ball on corners and is always likely to create a chance. Without him we dont offer anything like the same threat on set pieces. Rather than just counting how many more he scores than Knight(check a career record if you cant work it out from watching them play) just ask yourself who you'd rather be defending a set piece against. Terry Feckless or the Dancing Queen

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Alternatively just ask the question when and where where is zat Knight at his most dangerous

[Montreal Wanderer]

wheater is on a par with knight in my opinoin which isnt a good or bad thing.

In possession - equal
In air - Wheater
On the deck - equal
tackling - equal
Temperament - Knight
Positioning - equally bad
Reading of game- Knight (doesnt mean he actions his read but, think he knows what he should do)
Rashness - Wheater
attacking threat - equally bad

Wheater is a better player than knight

Remind me how many more goals Wheater scored than Knight this year.

Didn't Wheater have 3 (2 v Rovers and one in the FA Cup v Macclesfield)? I can't recall Zat scoring any. For me Zat should dominate in our area but doesn't use his size or strength. He never seems to jump for a header and seems generally slow. So I prefer Wheater (and Ream) back there, and they both offer some attacking options.

[Beefheart]

wheater is on a par with knight in my opinoin which isnt a good or bad thing.

In possession - equal
In air - Wheater
On the deck - equal
tackling - equal
Temperament - Knight
Positioning - equally bad
Reading of game- Knight (doesnt mean he actions his read but, think he knows what he should do)
Rashness - Wheater
attacking threat - equally bad

Wheater is a better player than knight

Remind me how many more goals Wheater scored than Knight this year.

He scored 2 more in the league, 3 more if you include the cups I believe. Given that he wasn't in the team for all of the season, and that Cahill (who we can all agree is a goal threat) get's around 3 league goals a season. He offers some goal threat, more than Knight at least.

Wheater is a far better player with the ball and just an all round better defender in my opinion.

[Turkish Trotter]

The question was "Is Zat Knight Half as bad as is perceived on here?"
The only answer is no he isn't half as bad, he is totally as bad as perceived on here.
Knightmare sums him up !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Armchair Wanderer]

The game against Everton, which season was it? Last season? He lunges into a tackle, goes down injured, lucky not to be sent off imho. Out for games/weeks/months. If it had been in the area it should have been a penalty, I think it was outside. I don't see all the positional stuff a lot of you see but that incident was bad enough.

I'm not anti-Knight, he could be a decent back-up in the championship, hopefully after Wheater, Ream and Mills. No idea if Mills is any good but I've liked Wheater and Ream so far.