Dragovic countdown thread..

[OhYesNdidi]

I thought Dragovic was our best defender last season.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

22 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

So was Shakey then.

 

Dropping a player, one of the oldest and the captain at that, isn't easy. Especially if there is a core of starters who will make your work and your games a living hell if you do. We don't exactly know why he dropped him, so I suggest you to refrain from bashing him in every single post. We laready know that you hate him.

 

The main thrust of my post was to agree with you on the Wes / Dragovic debacle.

 

I’ll continue to slate, or give credit to whom I please without seeking your counsel on the matter.

 

[ZeGuy]

1 minute ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

The main thrust of my post was to agree with you on the Wes / Dragovic debacle.

 

I’ll continue to slate, or give credit to whom I please without seeking your counsel on the matter.

 

I used to read you a lot.

 

But for a couple of months you went on full rage mode about Puel and you lost any kind of objectivity.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

Just now, ZeGuy said:

I used to read you a lot.

 

But for a couple of months you went on full rage mode about Puel and you lost any kind of objectivity.

It is true I do have an axe to grind. 

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, ZeGuy said:

I'll never wrap my head around it and that's what basically strenghtened my opinion about the old guard dictating the rules in the dressing room. Or that Puel has other CB options.

 

There is just no way Puel, or any manager, would rate him less than Morgan as a defender.

 

Or Puel was put in the position of replacing a club captain with a player who isn't even our own, plus. Morgan wasn't playing badly either at the time of his injury. Everything Puel has said has been a long term view on what we are looking to achieve and not just one season. I'm sure he knows very well he needs to change Morgan for the long term, but he'd rather do so with our own player and at the right time. Rather than just dumping a well liked player because of an injury.

[Ric Flair]

4 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Or Puel was put in the position of replacing a club captain with a player who isn't even our own, plus. Morgan wasn't playing badly either at the time of his injury. Everything Puel has said has been a long term view on what we are looking to achieve and not just one season. I'm sure he knows very well he needs to change Morgan for the long term, but he'd rather do so with our own player and at the right time. Rather than just dumping a well liked player because of an injury.

I know what you're saying but we could have solved it with Dragovic being our player by activating the permanent deal in January. Leverkusen wouldn't have minded and we'd have given confidence to Dragovic that we viewed him as the long term future here.

[Babylon]

4 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I know what you're saying but we could have solved it with Dragovic being our player by activating the permanent deal in January. Leverkusen wouldn't have minded and we'd have given confidence to Dragovic that we viewed him as the long term future here.

Dragovic didn't come into the team for his run of games until early Jan, at that point nobody had seen enough to make a decision on signing him.

[ZeGuy]

5 minutes ago, Babylon said:

Or Puel was put in the position of replacing a club captain with a player who isn't even our own, plus. Morgan wasn't playing badly either at the time of his injury. Everything Puel has said has been a long term view on what we are looking to achieve and not just one season. I'm sure he knows very well he needs to change Morgan for the long term, but he'd rather do so with our own player and at the right time. Rather than just dumping a well liked player because of an injury.

That would be a good explanation but he still took the risk of putting off a player  who was better suited to his style.

 

I sincerely don't envy his position right now.

[Babylon]

29 minutes ago, ZeGuy said:

That would be a good explanation but he still took the risk of putting off a player  who was better suited to his style.

 

I sincerely don't envy his position right now.

He could also not particularly like the player or his attitude.

 

Or he read the article about how Dragovic said he understood he wouldn't walk into the team and that he had the captain in front of him, but that he understood because of Wes's age, game time would appear here eventually.

 

Or Dragovic actually expressed personally that he had no problem.

 

There are plenty of reasonable answers to the question, only the manager really knows.

 

I liked Drag' he played ok, but I think people are going well over the top about him and his ability.

[NewEnglandFox]

3 clean sheets in the 7 games he started. 6 clean sheets in the other 31. No wonder people liked him. As for ability he was was a monster at getting his head on crosses, something we were missing.

 

He was dropped the game Morgan came back from injury and was only given one other which was a clean sheet and was dropped again after that. He was our 2nd best defender. Puel had the opportunity to play him but didn't. When he doesn't sign I won't be surprised.

Edited 22 May 2018 by NewEnglandFox

[HoustonFox]

I thought he was pretty decent, and should have stayed in the team but to balance it, Wes was not our worst performer when he got injured so him coming back (in the cold light of day) was logical. However... it was clear he was not to the level Dragovic was performing at, and should have been replaced, especially as we were looking to play from the back more.

 

I’m also puzzled why Dragovic didn’t go to CDM instead of Harry, as he’s more mobile, has played there before, and Harry is our best CB! 

[Ian Nacho]

If we got both Dragovic and Evans I would be really concerned regarding keeping Maguire.

[hackneyfox]

Just now, Ian Nacho said:

If we got both Dragovic and Evans I would be really concerned regarding keeping Maguire.

PL clubs only have two Centre Backs in their squad?

[Babylon]

4 hours ago, OhYesNdidi said:

I thought Dragovic was our best defender last season.

He started like 7 games in the league and we won 1 of them. I liked him, he was worth more game time, but I think we are reaching levels levels of warped reality where he's got better the less he played.

[Bryn]

1 minute ago, Babylon said:

He started like 7 games in the league and we won 1 of them. I liked him, he was worth more game time, but I think we are reaching levels levels of warped reality where he's got better the less he played.

 

Agreed, I'd add to this we can probably find a better centreback for the price.

[rachhere]

1 minute ago, Bryn said:

 

Agreed, I'd add to this we can probably find a better centreback for the price.

But then again that's a gamble as you never can be completely sure how it will work out. With him we know he works well with HM. For me it's no brainer.

[Babylon]

2 hours ago, NewEnglandFox said:

4 clean sheets in the 7 games he started. 5 clean sheets in the other 31. No wonder people liked him. As for ability he was was a monster at getting his head on crosses, something we were missing.

 

He was dropped the game Morgan came back from injury and was only given one other which was a clean sheet and was dropped again after that. He was our 2nd best defender. Puel had the opportunity to play him but didn't. When he doesn't sign I won't be surprised.

3 clean sheets from what I can see with. And 6 without him starting?

[CarbonVirtine]

4 minutes ago, Babylon said:

 I think we are reaching levels levels of warped reality where he's got better the less he played.

Yep, it can kinda get like that! 

 

Amazing how many people were at that first Sex Pistols gig. Or have always liked (or hated) *insert as applicable*.

[NewEnglandFox]

3 minutes ago, Babylon said:

3 clean sheets from what I can see with. And 6 without him starting? 

eh. i must have accidentally counted a cup clean sheet. Still though. the 9 total is right and damning.

[OhYesNdidi]

10 minutes ago, Babylon said:

He started like 7 games in the league and we won 1 of them. I liked him, he was worth more game time, but I think we are reaching levels levels of warped reality where he's got better the less he played.

He was defiantly worth more game time. He was not only relatively quick, which meant he was able to cover for Maguire but was comfortable on the ball and was able to by pass the midfield straight to the strikers with his passing. Our defence finally looked calm and assured. As soon as Wes came back in not only did we lose dragovic's passing ability, but we lost that composure at the back. It looked like Wes was making the other defenders more nervous. 

 

Dragovic looked like a mix of both Harry and Wes. He had the composure and technique of Harry, but was also an excellent defender, throwing his body in the way of shots like Wes. 

[ROB-THE-BLUE]

1 hour ago, Ian Nacho said:

If we got both Dragovic and Evans I would be really concerned regarding keeping Maguire.

Don't worry, Puel will put him in midfield again. 

[mazarron fox]

Would Dragovic get in a top six sides defense? No. Are we striving to be top 6? Yes move on leave it to them who know more than we do!

[danny2997]

2 hours ago, mazarron fox said:

Would Dragovic get in a top six sides defense? No. Are we striving to be top 6? Yes move on leave it to them who know more than we do!

Arsenal - Definitely 

Liverpool - Probably

Man United - Maybe

Chelsea - Unlikely

Tottenham - Nope

Man City - Nope

[Ian Nacho]

2 hours ago, danny2997 said:

Arsenal - Definitely 

Liverpool - Probably

Man United - Maybe

Chelsea - Unlikely

Tottenham - Nope

Man City - Nope

I think it's difficult to judge when he's only started a handful of games when he's being compared to the likes of Morgan who had been god awful.

[Clever Fox]

He'd fit right into Puels style and will only get better when settled into the team. He also knows the club and the squad so he doesnt need settling in time.

We need to get this sorted.