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suffolk fox

Nathan Ake

By suffolk fox, in Transfer Talk

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jayfox26

jayfox26

Posted
Posted
44 minutes ago, SheppyFox said:

Honestly can’t remember who but I read someone reliable on here say they were expecting 3 at the back ?

Not being funny but that's absolute nonsense. There is no chance we are playing 3 at the back next season! 

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Gerard

Gerard

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, STUHILL said:

Since when has height become such an obsession? We are talking just inches here and who's to say these younger more athletic CB's we are looking at, like Ake, can't easily out jump taller players and actually make up for those 2-3 inches by simply getting off the ground higher

 

I remember going Watford away and being very impressed by Ake's leap, I'd bet he get up just about as far as anyone when he leaps. I always think of him as about 5,6" so was surprised to hear he is 5,11".

 

I'd really like us to give Soyuncu and Benkovic an opportunity but I must confess I wouldn't say no to Ake. I don't want Dunk or Tarkowski but would have Ake in a heartbeat. 

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Vardinio'sCat

Vardinio'sCat

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Billy Big Balls said:

Centre backs 6 feet or under: Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Umtiti, Azpilicueta (played there under Conte in the back 3 and was arguably the best cb in the league that year), Puyol, Cannavaro, Bobby Moore, Daley Blind, Otamendi, Djené (5'9 and in the Spanish league team of the season). All minus a couple are considered world class. 

 

Height is useful but isn't the only important factor for a centre back. Height is good for heading but also makes turning and accelerating much more difficult. Although I think Maguire is overall a better player than Ake, I think Ake might suit us better. We are now pressing high up the pitch and having our defensive line up on the half way line. The pace, recovery speed and distance covered by a smaller player will be very useful to us when teams start to panic and lump long balls in behind. 

 

I'm all for more pace at the back to squash the counter attack, but we need to be able to do the basics of defending too.

 

I would say that solid CB's of that size were exceptions rather than the norm, and if they were in a 2 would tend to play with a physically dominant stopper, as in Moore and Charlton. 

 

Evans isn't that kind of dominant CB, so we have to think about what would work with him, and in the context of the side in general.

 

It wasn't so long ago we were struggling at set pieces and as a side we are pretty small anyway. So whilst I agree that height isn't everything in a CB (and any size has compromises), I'm not sure a converted full back will suffice.

 

PS I'm not saying Ake isn't a fine player, but he would have matched up better with Harry than Johnny Evans imho.

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Jimbo

Jimbo

Posted
Posted

Don't get the whole height argument. Harry Maguire is is apparently 3inches taller than Christiano Ronaldo. I know who'd win a high jumping competition between them. 

 

It's not always about how tall you are, it's reading the game and positioning that makes a defender. Get yourself in the right position and no one is getting a clean header on the ball

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baldeagle

baldeagle

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Don't get the whole height argument. Harry Maguire is is apparently 3inches taller than Christiano Ronaldo. I know who'd win a high jumping competition between them. 

 

It's not always about how tall you are, it's reading the game and positioning that makes a defender. Get yourself in the right position and no one is getting a clean header on the ball

Also some lanky ****ers can’t jump for shit 

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Billy Big Balls

Billy Big Balls

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

 

I'm all for more pace at the back to squash the counter attack, but we need to be able to do the basics of defending too.

 

I would say that solid CB's of that size were exceptions rather than the norm, and if they were in a 2 would tend to play with a physically dominant stopper, as in Moore and Charlton. 

 

Evans isn't that kind of dominant CB, so we have to think about what would work with him, and in the context of the side in general.

 

It wasn't so long ago we were struggling at set pieces and as a side we are pretty small anyway. So whilst I agree that height isn't everything in a CB (and any size has compromises), I'm not sure a converted full back will suffice.

 

PS I'm not saying Ake isn't a fine player, but he would have matched up better with Harry than Johnny Evans imho.

Luckily we already own a 6'4 hunk named big Ben who will hopefully push his way into the team at some point this season. Benkovic (21) and Ake (24) is a partnership I wouldn't mind watching for the next 5 years! 

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sm1

sm1

Posted
Posted

Height isn't the be all for defenders if there are other players to compensate for them. That's where our problems are because we're a real short team. Without Maguire and Ndidi unavailable, we only have Evans as our tallish player. Ben, Ricardo, Hamza, even Kasper isn't tall for a GK. 

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Vardinio'sCat

Vardinio'sCat

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Don't get the whole height argument. Harry Maguire is is apparently 3inches taller than Christiano Ronaldo. I know who'd win a high jumping competition between them. 

 

It's not always about how tall you are, it's reading the game and positioning that makes a defender. Get yourself in the right position and no one is getting a clean header on the ball

But there are other players competing for the ball, so on a good day HM would be taking up the space Ronaldo was attacking.

 

Defending is also about leaning in on attackers, using your strength to block runs, doing the dirty work that your Huth's and Maguire's did with ease. I can see we can vastly improve on HM's mobility, but limiting some of our losses on size and strength might be good. Or it might not.

 

It's all about what kind of CB BR wants, and ultimately I'll get behind whatever the club decides. Ake is a class player, and he would make our back line distinctly pacy (tbf anyone would be better on the turn than  Maguirelol), so we would be free to really commit men forward without having to worry so much about the counter. Expensive tho.

 

We only have a week to see what Rudders can magic up, edge of the seat stuff! :scarf:

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pleatout

pleatout

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, ROB-THE-BLUE said:

Harsh. He scored some important goals the year we got promoted. 

Also went down like Bambi at ??Ipswich??.  Still have a soft spot for him though.  Always a trier.

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Vardinio'sCat

Vardinio'sCat

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, sm1 said:

Height isn't the be all for defenders if there are other players to compensate for them. That's where our problems are because we're a real short team. Without Maguire and Ndidi unavailable, we only have Evans as our tallish player. Ben, Ricardo, Hamza, even Kasper isn't tall for a GK. 

 

That's my point really. From a distance we looked more like an under-23 side against Atalanta.

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RumbleFox

RumbleFox

Posted
Posted (edited)

I find the whole height thing odd, not just with Ake but with the "as a team we are small" thing as a whole.  Can anyone give me objective, empirical evidence that there is a correlation between height and performance?  Last season the smallest team in the league were Manchester City.  Liverpool were the 5th shortest.  Do you know who the biggest two teams were?  Watford and Huddersfield.  I find the obsession with height/size/strength in British football bemusing.  X

Edited by RumbleFox
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Vardinio'sCat

Vardinio'sCat

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, kingfox said:

Imagine not wanting Ake just because he's 5ft11 lol 

 

Height is irrelevant when you realise how good he is, a top ten CB in the league for me.

 

 

 

Imagine not wanting to know if a £50million 5'11' centre back is any good in the air. ;)

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