Is one of Abd or Greer out of contract? I'd take him but only on a year and on low ish wages but aren't we meant to be going in for van Dijk again over the Summer (though admittedly we might not manage to get him) and we also have Dunk so I'd assume one of Abd or Greer might make way if we did bring him in.
A definite yes for me so long as the wages are reasonable and the contract short.
We've not seen enough of Upson yet to make a considered opinion for the future. He certainly looks the part so far and if would seem he is naturally left-footed?
Currently i wouldn't. A good player but hardly one for the future and not one i would want us to as yet build a defence around. I wouldn't scream TERRIBLE SIGNING if we bagged him, but i wouldn't be amazed either. If he keeps improving his passing game and getting into the spirit of what we are, then who knows though.
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Currently i wouldn't. A good player but hardly one for the future and not one i would want us to as yet build a defence around. I wouldn't scream TERRIBLE SIGNING if we bagged him, but i wouldn't be amazed either. If he keeps improving his passing game and getting into the spirit of what we are, then who knows though.
Useful experience but if he wants MORE than 1 year deal we need to be in the champ. After another 18 months (next 6 and a year deal) he won't be Prem standard and thus wouldn't want him AT THAT POINT on Prem wages.
Of course if he signed on something like 8k not 25k and thus was on Champ wages we could offer him a couple of years even in Prem but why would he do that if we were?
Extra season in Champ on those wages wouldn't be a problem
Would I like to keep a player who was starting in central defence for England at the last world cup?
Yeah, go on then.
In all seriousness, he was VERY good against Blackburn. You can just SEE a prem-trained defender, even once the legs become less mobile. The positioning was spot on.
settled in well I think, plays the ball around nice and reads the game well. Cant see Dunk getting a look in unless of injuries and with Caldy as another option happy with the defence now.
Any wholesale changes in the back four is daft. There are only 3 other teams who have a slightly better 'goals against' record than ours. Sure, age comes into it but basically that's a pretty stable and effective part of our team's make-up. If it ain't broke, don't mend it.
I wouldn't say it's stable, we're leaking a lot of soft goals from crosses and set pieces. I think the players are good enough, just need more organisation and drilling to make sure everyone knows their job.
I consider VVD and Upson to be a much stronger combination than Greer and El Abd. I also think Greer is a weak captain; doesn't seem to be able to motivate and lead when the chips are down.