Gallas: how much longer Andre?

[SteveH]

Dawson and Gallas will be gone over the next two windows.

Caulker and Vert with Kaboul coming in once up to speed - plus an edition.

Are there any youngsters doing well enough to come in at centrehalf?

AVB will be overhauling the rest of team over time.

 

[ShelfSide18]

There are a lot of issues with us defensively this season, but William Gallas is well down the list. Without him you can probably scrub off the 3 points at Old Trafford, he was monumental that day and from what I've seen has been fine this season.

 

[spud]

How would Gallas make him play worse as opposed to Kaboul, Dawson, Caulker or Vertonghen?

Read my original post.

 

[spud]

Jesus christ OP. Gallas is playing as our back up to Kaboul. As a back up to Kaboul i think he is better than Dawson.

The OP never said anything about Dawson. I never said that he should play instead. Perhaps you should try reading it again.

 

[theShiznit]

Gallas actually gives the ball away less than all of our regular defenders this season. Of The CB's, his completion rate is 91%, Caulker 89%, Vertonghen 85%, Dawson's is 75%.

His passing is perfunctory I know. I'm not saying he's a visionary, I know Vertongehn is better on the ball and his much better vision with his passing etc.

Wondering, does that include clearances when an easy pass is on, as i have noticed many instances this season when Gallas seemed incapaple of a pass in a slightly different direction to the way he's running and just belts it into touch.

+ that 91% includes many passes to Friedel which is essentially giving the ball away.

 

[kdspur]

Dawson and Gallas will be gone over the next two windows.

Caulker and Vert with Kaboul coming in once up to speed - plus an edition.

Are there any youngsters doing well enough to come in at centrehalf?

AVB will be overhauling the rest of team over time.

he will be pure jammy if he gets the time the way he and some players are carrying on.

 

[Bus-Conductor]

Wondering, does that include clearances when an easy pass is on, as i have noticed many instances this season when Gallas seemed incapaple of a pass in a slightly different direction to the way he's running and just belts it into touch.

+ that 91% includes many passes to Friedel which is essentially giving the ball away.

I think theres maybe 1% truth in that and 99% bollocks.

 

[theShiznit]

I think theres maybe 1% truth in that and 99% bollocks.

from the man that thinks Gallas did no wrong against Chelsea I'll take that

 

[Damian99]

I think theres maybe 1% truth in that and 99% bollocks.

I had to check twice then, for a minute i though you'd quoted one of your own replies.

 

[StartingPrice]

I'm going to hazard a guess - as AVB obviously doesn't rate Dawson, and as seen as Kaboul is out injured until Christmas, and BAE is injured meaning Vertonghen has to play left-back, we will probably have to wait at least until BAE gets back, and maybe until Kaboul returns. I know some folk find this difficult to understand, but Kaboul/Vertonghen will aomost definitely be our first choice centre-half pairing, and for one reason or another we are having to cover for both of them ATM.

I'm going to hazard another guess - if AVB point blank refused to play Gallas, even in our current predicament, most of the Gallas-whingers would be whinging about AVB making the same mistakes he made at Cheslea by leaving Gallas, a veteran, out

 

[kendoddsdadsdogsdead]

Im fully aware of what a high line means and how it's played but as already pointed out, surely that tactic has to be employed with a high pressing game also, squeezing the play higher up the pitch, putting the opposition under pressure. Making them rush their passes thus giving away cheap possession.

But we are not pressing the ball at any type of tempo anywhere on the pitch and if AVB has been adopting this tactic clearly without the high pressing game, then its no wonder we have conceded so many goals and the mans a baffoon. Also i also cannot see this high line week in and week out with Brad "i can't come off my line
today lads" friedal in goal, that simply does not make any sense either.

I am still not convinced we have played with this high line anywhere near as often as you make out, but it's all about opinions, so fair play.

Agree Damian, you can't play offside or a high line when there's no pressure on the ball. You'll get cut open time and again. All you need is a well timed run and that's it. it compounds it if you're defenders haven't got any sort of recovery pace as well. like you, I don't think we've seen it in half the games anyway.

 

[brasil_spur]

The OP never said anything about Dawson. I never said that he should play instead. Perhaps you should try reading it again.

So you're saying that we need to drop Gallas but don't give us an option of who to play instead. Perhaps AVB should just magic a CB out of his arse then?

If we drop Gallas then THE ONLY VIABLE replacement we have is Dawson, until Kaboul gets back from injury.

The reason Gallas is in need of dropping right now is because he is not supposed to be our regular first team choice, this is supposed to be his phasing out season, however we need him right now due to our injuries.

At the moment it is a straight choice of Gallas or Dawson at RCB - if you advocate dropping Gallas then you automatically advocate installing Dawson by default.

I'm all for giving Dawson a run of games right now, as i think that Gallas does need dropping, but it has to be Dawson at RCB.

 

[spud]

So you're saying that we need to drop Gallas but don't give us an option of who to play instead. Perhaps AVB should just magic a CB out of his arse then?

Still didn't read it properly did you?

I said about having a young back four when Gallas is left out, and named Walker, Naughton and Caulker. Did I really have to name Vertonghen too?

 

[brasil_spur]

Still didn't read it properly did you?

I said about having a young back four when Gallas is left out, and named Walker, Naughton and Caulker. Did I really have to name Vertonghen too?

Well if you bothered to post clearly it would be easier to follow your thought process, so you're suggesting:

Walker --- Caulker --- Verts --- Naughton

???

Sounds ok for say Lazio but i'm not sure how well that would work in the league, i'm unsure as to Naughton being capable at LB.

 

[spud]

Well if you bothered to post clearly it would be easier to follow your thought process, so you're suggesting:

Walker --- Caulker --- Verts --- Naughton

???

Sounds ok for say Lazio but i'm not sure how well that would work in the league, i'm unsure as to Naughton being capable at LB.

Glad to see that you got there in the end.

I appreciate the fact that it's not an ideal back four, but I'd take my chances with Naughton until BAE gets back, as I'd much rather have Caulker and Vertonghen in the middle than Gallas. As I pointed out in the OP, it's got to the point where he's costing us goals as well as undermining the certainty of what we're doing.

If that back four doesn't work, there's always Dawson to step in to partner Caulker with Vertonghen going back to left back.

 

[branchie]

Never wanted him to wear our shirt again after the semi final defeat ......