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Ball playing CB`s who is also dominant in the air.


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Thats not my reasoning, its just an example, Oknow Kuyt was nominated and I knew someone would bring it up.

 

Hangeland reads the game exceptionally well, he is a beast in the air, he is good with the ball at his feet and wants to use the ball from the back.

 

He is not the fastest over the first yards due to his height, but his long legs makes up for that, he is fast enough over 10-20 yards and his tackling is also good.

 

There are no real weaknesses in his game and like Hughes said a few weeks ago, maybe you have to work with him to understand what an exceptional player he is?

 

If that is true Code, and Hughes recognises that he's a superb defender, then aren't we going to be paying daft money for a player who is entering his thirties?

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Yes I think we would have to pay a fair bit, and there would be no resale value obviously, but if we can a great option in for around 4 years that would do me, I cant imagine Hangeland asking for silly wages either.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I know its only the Mail, but they linked us with Roger Johnson. Dunno if he is much of a ball playing CB, but I think he is decent enough. Not as good as say Cahill, but good in the air, and will be a lot cheaper if he has 1 year left on his contract.

 

Liverpool considering move for Birmingham defender Roger Johnson | Mail Online

 

Roger Johnson has emerged as a target for Liverpool after director of football Damien Comolli ran the rule over Birmingham City's centre back.

 

Kenny Dalglish is in the market for a defender this summer and Johnson, who was recently called up to the provisional England squad, is nearing the end of a second impressive season at St Andrew's.

 

The 27-year-old, who has only one year remaining on his contract after signing from Cardiff for £5million in 2009, is refusing to talk about contracts until Birmingham's Barclays Premier League future is secured.

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  • 3 weeks later...
I think it is a must for us to get in another ball playing CB who preferably also is dominant in the air who can give Agger competition for his place in the team, play alongside him or replace him when he gets injured.

 

I guess most have noticed how our performances tend to drop when Agger is not playing and like I said in Ants thread about the importance of consistency in our back four, consistency is not really the problem, the problem is the drop in quality beween our first choices and our squad players.

 

I cant think of many CB`s in the PL who would match this criteria but Hangeland is one.

 

Some might say he is too old, turning 30 in the summer, but he easily has 4-5 years at top level left in him and 4-5 years is like a lifetime these days in football.

 

He is superb in the air, good on the ground and he is almost never injured.

 

Since he was brought to Fulham in January 08 he has played 15, 37, 32 (rested for Europe league in the end a bit) and so far 31 PL games this season.

 

He could play together with Agger and he could play instead of him, this is the kind of quality we need to bring in and most successful CB pairings I can think of always have one ball playing player in it.

 

Its all well and good to talk about a player like Cahill, I`m not sure he would bring enough to the table.

 

As a replacement for Skrtel, yes thank you very much, but not to play alongside him,

 

But apart from Hangeland, who else is there?

 

I'll pass on him thanks. Horrific.

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He had a horrible game tonight together with the rest of the Fulham players, we could have scored 7-8 goals tonight and Fulham could have 2-3 players sent off without having anything to complain about.

 

They just could not handle Suarez and our movement today and did not turn up at all.

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I'll pass on him thanks. Horrific.

 

Yep, easily Hangeland's worst ever game for Fulham. Suarez v Hangeland today had a whiff of Bellamy v Vidic a few seasons back.

 

Norwegian commentators mentioned he was a bit off because of an infection/virus, personally I think it could have been Suarez more than a virus that caused the damage:( (sorry, couldn't resist)

 

Still don't think he would be a bad buy, after all, he's not going to play sides of our quality too often, is he?

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Skrtel was almost equally as horrible last night, Zamora very nearly broke him into pieces.

 

I love Martin, but he's frail on confidence and can be exploited rather too easily.

 

With big lads like Zamora, I'd be tempted to stick a short arse on him as he invariably tries to take the ball down on his chest or thigh and try to turn, which is where the problem comes for big defenders. Whereas a small centre back can be mobile enough to nick it off him once he takes that touch to control it.

 

Lovely player though is Zamora, I wouldn't have scoffed at the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt.

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Skrtel was almost equally as horrible last night, Zamora very nearly broke him into pieces.

 

I love Martin, but he's frail on confidence and can be exploited rather too easily.

 

With big lads like Zamora, I'd be tempted to stick a short arse on him as he invariably tries to take the ball down on his chest or thigh and try to turn, which is where the problem comes for big defenders. Whereas a small centre back can be mobile enough to nick it off him once he takes that touch to control it.

 

Lovely player though is Zamora, I wouldn't have scoffed at the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt.

 

Hiya Roy

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Zamora, Carlton Cole and Kenwyne Jones all give Skrtel trouble and yet the forwards who are considered to be, and probably are, better than them he seems not to have a problem with. I think he needs to rethink his approach to these kinds of strikers and play a different way. Mix up standing off them and getting tight rather than competing for each and every punt up field.

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With big lads like Zamora, I'd be tempted to stick a short arse on him as he invariably tries to take the ball down on his chest or thigh and try to turn, which is where the problem comes for big defenders. Whereas a small centre back can be mobile enough to nick it off him once he takes that touch to control it.

 

 

I've read this twice now.

 

Are you suggesting that the best way to defend against big strikers is to man-mark them with small defenders?

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Skrtel was almost equally as horrible last night, Zamora very nearly broke him into pieces.

 

I love Martin, but he's frail on confidence and can be exploited rather too easily.

 

With big lads like Zamora, I'd be tempted to stick a short arse on him as he invariably tries to take the ball down on his chest or thigh and try to turn, which is where the problem comes for big defenders. Whereas a small centre back can be mobile enough to nick it off him once he takes that touch to control it.

 

Lovely player though is Zamora, I wouldn't have scoffed at the idea of him in a Liverpool shirt.

 

Christ.

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We and Skrtel did well while the midfield screen protected the defence. As soon as the screen was bypassed though, you could see that despite recent performances, our defence could still do with some work. And Hapless Hangeland is not the answer IMO.

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That is exactly what he's saying.

 

It's an interesting reversal of the hoary old cliche about big defenders hating "small, nippy strikers who run at them". Revolutionary in fact.

 

"Yeah, we're scouting Europe for defenders that are specifically well under 6 foot, so that they don't win headers against tall strikers. That should confuse everyone"

 

Maybe we should get Insua back and play him at CB?

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Yes, quite often the case.

Let them win headers 20 yards from goal, who gives a fuck.

 

But I thought it was about how Zamora likes to take it on his chest and turn, rather than win headers?

 

Or is this a Zamora-specific Small Defender Strategy?

 

I'm confused.

 

And this confusion is either because you're a genius, whose thinking is so advanced that my puny intellect cannot grasp its internal logic, or because you're an idiot, talking shit.

 

There might be another option, but my brain is now all hurty.

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