Patrick van Aanholt

[Jeff]

Don't quite understand David. You still haven't explained why that means experience is more important in defending that attacking. How is reading the game and being more "battle hardened" any less important as an attacker than a defender?!

Much of what a striker does that makes him effective is based on his skills with the ball, or his pace. You don't need experience to have those things.

History has shown us that defenders take longer to develop into top class players because experience is so much more important.
That's why there are no defensive equivalents of the likes of Rooney, Owen, Walcott etc getting into the England team at a young age.

 

[Profondo Rosso]

Much of what a striker does that makes him effective is based on his skills with the ball, or his pace. You don't need experience to have those things.

History has shown us that defenders take longer to develop into top class players because experience is so much more important.
That's why there are no defensive equivalents of the likes of Rooney, Owen, Walcott etc getting into the England team at a young age.

Have to disagree, Jeff. The best strikers need to be able to read the game just as well, if only to beat the defenders. Owen as one example you've brought up was a player who thrived on his ability to read the game outfox defenders and get into attacking positions. And what about someone like David Villa, who is hardly the most skilful or quickest but still scores goals by the bucket load because he gets in expert positions because of his ability to read the game?

It was only tonight on the Blackpool game you could see Hernandez when he came on making runs, trying to make them at the read the defenders intentions and creating opportunities for his own midfielders (usually Scholes) to play through balls through for him.

And re: young defenders making it at the international stage what about Rio Ferdinand? Paulo Maldini? Sergio Ramos?

 

[David Gwilliam]

[

If you read that, you managed more than me... my eyes just glazed over :icon_lol:

Oh dear Cate. Which newspaper do you read?
To think that on a different thread I was criticised for having read books by Dan Brown.

5 lines Cate, remember the 5 lines.

Though it was actually a decent post.

As usual I was remarkably concise.

I made four points - (1) attackers and defenders (2) Vans experience (3) Sven's attitude to Berner (4) Mee as an alternative to Berner.

At five lines per point that should have taken twenty lines. Instead I took eleven.

I find myself impressed by my brevity.

 

[Macky]

To think that on a different thread I was criticised for having read books by Dan Brown.

That's unfair Mr David, nobody criticised you, it was the author himself that bore the brunt

 

[Jeff]

And what about someone like David Villa, who is hardly the most skilful or quickest but still scores goals by the bucket load because he gets in expert positions because of his ability to read the game?

I didn't say experience isn't useful for strikers.
But young strikers with pace can do well despite not having experience. It's harder for inexperienced defenders to do so well.

And re: young defenders making it at the international stage what about Rio Ferdinand? Paulo Maldini? Sergio Ramos?

On average a year older (and a year more more experienced) than the strikers I mentioned when they made their international debuts.

 

[Blue Maniac]

On average a year older (and a year more more experienced) than the strikers I mentioned when they made their international debuts.

It could be argued that they had virtually no competition for their places.

 

[pork pie fox]

Nope. Much, much, much worse.

Sheep - irrelevant.
Trees - slightly more relevant, but not really.
Chavs - dirty, fourteen-fingered, council hovel-dwelling shit-eaters.

Sorry BM, I've made the point before and I'll make it again, it depends on where you come from on the county. To me, Coventry are a team from the West Midlands that have absolutely no bearing on me. I've never been there and don't even know anyone from there. Whereas living in Melton (and previously Loughborough), I know plenty of Forest & Derby fans, therefore they are more relevant to me. Cov are nothing to me, genuinely I don't even count them as a local team. For me to dismiss them though would be to do a massive disservice to those on the other side of the county, so I'd just say Forest aren't irrelevant, they just are to you lot over there.

 

[sparky79]

I've heard fantastic reports of PVA's qualities - apparently he sticks to wingers like glue and in dry conditions has been known to create some high gloss finishes!

 

[Hazzman]

To me, Coventry are a team from the West Midlands that have absolutely no bearing on me. I've never been there and don't even know anyone from there. .

I go once a week. Tbh, you could probably walk around the city and not realise they even had a football club there bar the odd newspaper headline and see a calendar of there's in WH Smiths.

In Leicester, you see coats, shirts and all that jazz of City. Coventry? No, it's a higher density of Man U, Arsenal and L'pool (though those shirts have disappeared this season! :icon_lol

 

[spionfox]

I've heard fantastic reports of PVA's qualities - apparently he sticks to wingers like glue and in dry conditions has been known to create some high gloss finishes!

:icon_bigg

 

[give_us_a_wave]

I go once a week. Tbh, you could probably walk around the city and not realise they even had a football club there bar the odd newspaper headline and see a calendar of there's in WH Smiths.

In Leicester, you see coats, shirts and all that jazz of City. Coventry? No, it's a higher density of Man U, Arsenal and L'pool (though those shirts have disappeared this season! :icon_lol

Very true.hence the massed ranks of empty seats to be seen regularly at the Bellend Arena.if you go to Cov once a week though I hope you keep your Tetanus & Hepatitis jabs up to date.

 

[Hazzman]

if you go to Cov once a week though I hope you keep your Tetanus & Hepatitis jabs up to date.

It's a common joke in my house that I have to disinfect myself upon my return.

 

[Blue Maniac]

the Bellend Arena

Not much of a pun is it? Doesn't even rhyme.

 

[pork pie fox]

Not much of a pun is it? Doesn't even rhyme.

Erm, Dicko Arena

 

[give_us_a_wave]

Not much of a pun is it? Doesn't even rhyme.

Its a physical description...all you need to do is look at the aerial view of the place

 

[spionfox]

Its a physical description...all you need to do is look at the aerial view of the place

And while you are up there, shit on the bastards below, below, shit on, shit on.......

 

[give_us_a_wave]

And while you are up there, shit on the bastards below, below, shit on, shit on.......

No need...more than enough shite already appearing there regularly to keep anyone amused.