Our Centre Backs

[sir roger]

I would use Skrtle as makeweight for another CB. Skrtle plus 12m for Cahill has been mooted.

 

Tell me you are joking Matthew.

 

I've not seen anything from Cahill to suggest he is any better than Martin, never mind giving them £12m as well.

[Captain]

I suppose it's tricky to guess the starting defensive line-up without knowing who we buy, but let's assume we do buy a LB, as we obv will. And if we buy a new CB, then the line-up will be:

 

Magic----Carra-------New CB-------New LB

I seriously doubt Kenny will demote Kelly.

[Dracco]

I would use Skrtle as makeweight for another CB. Skrtle plus 12m for Cahill has been mooted.

 

Oh my god. I don´t think that Skrtel is any worse than overhyped Cahill.

[Iantn]

I seriously doubt Kenny will demote Kelly.

 

I think you'll be in for a shock then.

[Captain]

I think you'll be in for a shock then.

Time will tell.

[Iantn]

Time will tell.

 

That it will but I highly doubt we are gonna spend decent money to buy a left back and not start him. I also can't imagine the King starting Kelly over Johnson.

[Captain]

Kenny has already started Kelly over Johnson.

 

EDIT: I misread the previous post.

Edited June 5, 2011 by Captain

[Iantn]

I can imagine both. In fact, Kenny has already started Kelly over Johnson.

 

When?

[Captain]

Several times when Johnson has played left back and Kelly kept his spot at right back. In fairness, it needs to be said our choices at left back have been reduced by the less than rock solid Aurelio.

[Iantn]

Several times when Johnson has played left back. In fairness, it needs to be said our choices at left back have been reduced by the less than rock solid Aurelio.

 

As you say, I think it was more a use of Johnsons versatility and a show of our problems at left back than a preference to Kelly being the right back.

[boomer39]

As you say, I think it was more a use of Johnsons versatility and a show of our problems at left back than a preference to Kelly being the right back.

dont agree there, kelly will start next season at rb.. only for his injury,i think we could have been 4th... johnson ,for me was far better at lb than rb... but that was not hard...

once kelly got in the side, he was there to stay... think and hope he will end up like carra....

[Pidge]

Talk of selling Agger and Skrtel is nuts. Soto on his way out means we have three senior centre backs. We need one more and then Wilson, Ayala and Wisdom will be pushing behind them. Even then Wilson should be off on loan and Ayala may well be off too (I'd give him another year, unless Ipswich want him as part of a deal...)

[Jose Jones]

Johnson and Skrtel were our two best defenders for the last couple of months of the season in my opinion.

Both improved a lot in the air and, significantly for me, took on a lot more responsibility.

I'm still not sure whether Kelly or Johnson will be first choice right back though - but that is a good thing. Competition for places keeps players on their toes. If Kelly makes himself undroppable at right back, then Johnson will be challenging hard for the left back spot.

If we do buy Jones (or another centre back) I reckon it would be Skrtel, Carra and the new guy battling it out for the spots. What we do with Agger I dunno.

[Lee909]

I can see Johnson playing at rightback next year.As good a prospect as Kelly he has been injured as much as he has been fit over the past 18 months or so.

I can see it being pretty much as silverliing has said.The left back slot will be the most interesting of the positions as newcastle seem to be expecting a huge fee for Enrique and i cant see us paying it.If we cant get the right player for a good fee it would be worth waiting a year and getting on a free.Its not ideal but Johnson can cover there as we have Flanagan,Robinson and Kelly aswell to cover at fullback.It might be a bit too early for the two to play regualr but i wouldnt shell out stupid money on a fullback,shame we missed out on Taiwo

[stringvest]

Agree with these. I think, and have said many times before, that Skrtel gets a tough time because we see him more often and he's a reputation in our fanbase as this "disaster waiting to happen" despite the less than numerous penos etc he's given away and reds he's picked up.

 

We see Skrtel, and the rest of our side, all the time and we know their weaknesses just as much as their strengths whereas those we covert we don't. We see bits and either decide they are better or worse on that limited exposure of their games.

 

There's a lot of truth in that, but we are disregarding the fact that while Skrtel has improved a lot, just like Lucas, you would hardly describe him as commanding in his position.

[silverlining]

There's a lot of truth in that, but we are disregarding the fact that while Skrtel has improved a lot, just like Lucas, you would hardly describe him as commanding in his position.

 

Yeah. "Hugely improved" doesn't automatically equate to "good enough".

 

It does rather depend on the starting point.

[TheHowieLama]

newcastle seem to be expecting a huge fee for Enrique and i cant see us paying it.

 

 

,shame we missed out on Taiwo

 

Cissokho might be a better option than either of them.

[Wor Horse]

Phil Jones plays and looks like a young John Terry.

 

I would be over the moon if we signed him and gutted if he went to another top four club. He looks pure class

[Stu Monty]

Isn't Kelly a centre-back that we have decided to play a bit at full-back? Hasn't he always been a centre-back when coming through the ranks? Well there's your answer for the future if he is.

[Trumo]

Phil Jones plays and looks like a young John Terry.

 

I would be over the moon if we signed him and gutted if he went to another top four club. He looks pure class

 

Bit of an oxymoron there, I hasten to add.

 

I haven't seen enough of Phil Jones to know what he plays like. The words "highly rated" and "wonderkid" get thrown at any under-20 player who happens to play for a Premier League club, regardless of whether they're any good or not.

[Iantn]

There's a lot of truth in that, but we are disregarding the fact that while Skrtel has improved a lot, just like Lucas, you would hardly describe him as commanding in his position.

 

Yeah. "Hugely improved" doesn't automatically equate to "good enough".

 

It does rather depend on the starting point.

 

Completely agree in regard to improving not automatically equalling required standard but given their age and experience I wouldn't be looking to move either on bar a stupid offer from someone.

 

If you've got players that generally improve why move them on to replace them with ones you hope to be better? Why not add to your options and see which is the best way to go?

 

Not overally saying either of you are saying that about either of these two but just leading on from what I said originally.

[Captain]

Hope? I'd say believe is a better word.

[Iantn]

Hope? I'd say believe is a better word.

 

Believe they can be, hope they will be. Same horse really.

[buffaloboy]

Bit of an oxymoron there, I hasten to add.

 

I haven't seen enough of Phil Jones to know what he plays like. The words "highly rated" and "wonderkid" get thrown at any under-20 player who happens to play for a Premier League club, regardless of whether they're any good or not.

 

Remember Titus Bramble? In 2002 wasn't he the most highly rated centre back by a lot of people. Future England captain blah blah. Turned out to be useless. Also another guy I remember back in 1996ish was Lee Hendrie at Villa being talked up as a future England Captain. Got 1 cap I think.

And Senderos at Servette was talked up as the best young defender in Europe. I know we wanted him but he went to Arsenal. He was crap too. I would have my reservations over Phil Jones being as good as he is said to be.

[Dracco]

Tell me you are joking Matthew.

 

I've not seen anything from Cahill to suggest he is any better than Martin, never mind giving them £12m as well.

 

Some lads will never rate Martin, even if he would play whole season as good as Vidic during his best spells. It´s trendy to call him " disaster waiting to happen" or " giving away needless fouls".

 

He is one of the best CBs in the league and that is a fact.;)