We are lacking .....

[caracaracara]

A dominant centre back......

 

Anybody who lived through the pre-Sami era will know where we are entering now.

 

Agger, great ball playing centre back but the game has moved on considerably since 'Jocky's' day. He used to to get beaten fror the headers but we had good enough protection around him. Not so today. Agger is not strong in the air (see Richards goal the othe night - not an isolated incident).

 

Martin is not a top class CB. We may kid ourselves he is ( 'cos he has tatoos?) but he is far from dominant or scary. Footballing wise he is pretty poor.

 

Cara is on the wane due to age but still worth his place due to experience and passion.

 

I would buy somebody like Gary Cahill. either way we need a new dominant CB.

 

Sami mate thanks for the excellent years. Watched you in the first game in the UK at Wolves. You won every ball in the air. A| breath of fresh air to the previous shite in previous years. Clearly you were very slow but your subsequent experience over latter years helped you positional wise. Get him back as a coach one day.

[Red_Jim83]

I think Soto dominates in the air when he plays. I know a lot on here don't rate him at all, but I think the more I see of him the more I like him and the more I think signing him was a good bit of business. he's also a threat from corners.

 

p.s. I totally agree with you on Sami, a true legend of the club. I would have loved to see him come back in the summer as a player/coach. (More so as a coach at this stage though)

[JagSquared]

Soto is very underated, I prefer him to Skrtel. I think due to funds this will have to wait as we have other priorities (CM, Wing(s) and LB) but IF (judging by the time left I doubt it)we sort those out for next summer this would be a priority.

[WrongIslander]

Skrtel is possibly the worst header of a ball I can remember at this club. His timing is abysmal and he's about as hard and scary on the pitch as a newly born pup. Vidic he ain't!

[KopOut]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

[Lee909]

I think Soto dominates in the air when he plays. I know a lot on here don't rate him at all, but I think the more I see of him the more I like him and the more I think signing him was a good bit of business. he's also a threat from corners.

 

p.s. I totally agree with you on Sami, a true legend of the club. I would have loved to see him come back in the summer as a player/coach. (More so as a coach at this stage though)

 

I like him aswell,not a great footballer but niether is Carra or Skrtel on the ball,Having said that Agger is looking worse on the ball all the time.

Soto dominates in the air and seems as good on the ball as the others

[Hermes]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

 

You're 'aving a laugh!!!

 

Rafa...Rafael...Rafa.....Rafael.....

Edited August 28, 2010 by Hermes

[Moo]

Fuck me I miss Sami.

We could have the best defence in the league, which we haven't, and I'd still miss Sami.

One of the greatest thing I've seen on a football pitch, Sami dominating the match - irrespective of whatever else happening on that pitch, Sami standing out above everything else.

[Cantrell20]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

 

Narrow-minded, shouldn't comment on it but can sacrifice three minutes of sleep trying to persuade someone with basic inability of analysis. Anyway, will try to put it simple so you can get it know.

 

1. Rafa let Sami go on his own wish, get over it. Sami underlined in German press I read regularly, in Kicker as far as I remember. Hyypia wouldn't start more than 15 games a season and as great as he was in his heyday, right now he wouldn't be a tremendoud upgrade on Kyrgiakos. Otherwise I want Hansen Lawrenson duo back right away.

 

2. We'll soon come to the conclusion Ged did better not letting a dominant playmaker leave, even though he hasn't signed any (Hamann was a cultured anchorman). Some like you might forget Rafa signed Xabi and helped him develope and eventually turned into a world-class performer. The offer we got was basically unrejectable. We didn't reinvest properly, but it's a different matter.

 

3.As I could agree with you in 20% of second, this one sounds cynical and ignorant. How was Robbie Keane dominant, I have no idea. If you don't get why we sold the likes of Cisse, Bellamy and Crouch, I give up. Money we got from Keane was never reinvested. 12 million we got from the beginning and 3 of 4 from add-ons depending on appearances, so 15 million pounds we were PROMISED to reinvest was STOLEN. Rafa wanted this money for Lavezzi for example, unfortunately never got it back. But surely, he stole it with G&H, now he pretends to work in Inter Milan, in fact he lives in Cayman Island sipping Mojito and dancing Merengue with Carabbean women.

[23CARRAGOLD]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

 

And it goes on!

 

Team Rafa

 

Tea Woy

[llego]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

 

Robbie Keane hahahaha

[Coro]

Anyone read these type of threads and think 'well no shit' but then think 'uh, oh best not mention the dire state of the club because some sensitive nipples on the internet might get all frustrated'.

 

?

 

Yeah the club's missing a lot of things at the minute.

[Hades]

Soto's anticipation of danger and turning arc is dreadful. Look at the goal for Trabzonspor and Wright-Phillips/Lisandro last season. This makes him a slight liability I'm afraid.

 

It's a pity because his aerial play is vastly superior to the other 3 CB's

[dirk grout]

we're missing a dominant centre back...rafa let sami go

we're missing a dominant central mid...rafa let alonso go

we're missing a 2nd dominant striker...rafa let robbie keene go (and others)

 

poor roy only has the dregs to work with.

 

Why do so many people insist on highjacking threads to have a go at the previous manager. Its pathetic.

 

I agree that we could do with a dominant centre back to play with agger as carras legs are not getting any younger however our centre backs will have to do for the time being as we have other areas in more urgent need of attention. Soto has done pretty well against the long ball teams in the past.

[23CARRAGOLD]

Anyone read these type of threads and think 'well no shit' but then think 'uh, oh best not mention the dire state of the club because some sensitive nipples on the internet might get all frustrated'.

 

?

 

Yeah the club's missing a lot of things at the minute.

 

It depends on what you blame for the poor state of the club Sherlock. Some people see the current debt levels as the blame, some see the previous manager as some pantomine villain.

 

The fact that the EX MANAGER gets more jib on this forum above the 2 current owners says a lot about this forum. For all the shite aimed at RAWK at least the people of RAWK are capable of deciphering who is damaging the club more, and its most certainly not an EX MANAGER who I shall not name in fear of incurring the wrath of the EX MANAGER haters!

[KopOut]

It depends on what you blame for the poor state of the club Sherlock. Some people see the current debt levels as the blame, some see the previous manager as some pantomine villain.

 

The fact that the EX MANAGER gets more jib on this forum above the 2 current owners says a lot about this forum. For all the shite aimed at RAWK at least the people of RAWK are capable of deciphering who is damaging the club more, and its most certainly not an EX MANAGER who I shall not name in fear of incurring the wrath of the EX MANAGER haters!

 

If i remember correctly, SOS reported in their meeting that the transfer fund was a complete and separate account. Funds in and funds out (for transfers only). So, if we aren't in a position to spend on players needed from a pool separate from the debts incurred..then we must lay at least partial blame for our dwindling squad quality, at the feet of those responsible for players bought and sold over the last 2-3 yrs (or since the yanks took over).

[ATXRED]

If i remember correctly, SOS reported in their meeting that the transfer fund was a complete and separate account. Funds in and funds out (for transfers only). So, if we aren't in a position to spend on players needed from a pool separate from the debts incurred..then we must lay at least partial blame for our dwindling squad quality, at the feet of those responsible for players bought and sold over the last 2-3 yrs (or since the yanks took over).

 

Well, considering we've made a profit on transfers every window since the summer of '09, I question the validity of your statement.

[sir roger]

It's usually a trade-off with centre half isn't it.

 

You can have your dominant Terry / Vidic / Hyppia types but they are very rarely speedy & as mentioned with Soto you have to expect some clumsiness. The trade-off is that he probably saves a lot of goals by simply shifting balls out of the box with his head.

 

I prefer one speedy / one grock type partnerships such as Terry / Carvalho a couple of years ago.

 

It doesn't have to be like this though, our best ever 2 for me was Hansen/Lawrenson & while not useless in the air they were not 'dominant' as such.

[Seemann]

Agree with the first post.

 

Hopefully Roy/Purslow get midfield plus a quality backup/partner for Torres in this window.

 

I hope Cole will play on the left and while Konchesky isn't my first choice I do believe he's better than Insua, so that's a step up aswell.

 

Hopefully soon we can get a new strong central defender in. I think we need to see something impressive from Skretel this season or he could be sold.

[KopOut]

the players we have at the back now, r the same players who, 2 season ago, challenged for the Title. Whats changed? Is Woy using zonal marking? if not, then i guess there'll be an adjustment period.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Chris Samba

[danperkins]

Soto and Skrtel are both very average CB's and Carra is a bit leggy, we defintely do need another dominanting CB hopefully with some pace, maybe Wilson can be that man? As above post suggests Chris Samba looks a top choice, IMO great option, this guy is only gone 26!

[Vivaldo]

the players we have at the back now, r the same players who, 2 season ago, challenged for the Title. Whats changed? Is Woy using zonal marking? if not, then i guess there'll be an adjustment period.

 

We can make do for another year or maybe two. If Magic gets some form and Konchesky adapts quickly with the additions of Raul and Pouslen, we should be a more difficult to penetrate.