LOL Baz!
A few good results changes everything.
I still think this is one area of our we can improve, or perhaps improve the players in front of them, although they are doing very, very well atm.
Indeed it does change everything- mentally. I mean I have been the one harping on about how good our squad is and we just needed to prove it to ourselves! That's being shown right now- the immense quality this lot has.
Look at Man U and their midfield the last 2 seasons- doesn't look great on paper in my opinion- Giggs, and Scholes playing there, Carrick (good player) and Anderson... a bit makeshift if you ask me. But it's been good enough and with that mental edge they've had over the whole of Europe, they've made it work big time- 2 league titles, an European Cup and that World Club Championship in 2 seasons. Pretty damn good.
I think our fullbacks are a bit like that- they're good enough for our team and have shown it ever since they were here- not just in the last few weeks- Aurelio and Arsenal a couple of seasons back, Arbeloa against Messi and Barca in his first game for us! But now, they've developed into that zone of confidence in their abilities and the ability of our team- as have other players, the fans, the manager...
As you said in the other thread- more than half the match is played in the head. At the moment that's why we're on top form. That goes to our fullbacks too!
I distinctly recall you saying that Baz. I sort of said it too - back at the start of the 2006 season when he was stupidly penalised by a linesman at Bolton who wasn't aware of Reina's advanced techniques:
I particularly love the way Reina's first action, on seizing a ball after a set piece, is to run swiftly to the edge of his box. He knows that if he can release it quickly he'll have taken 3 or 4 of opposition players out of the game just by running past them with the ball. In other words, the equivalent of an amazing dribble.
He and Agger are similar in that respect. They are both genuine 'attackers' as well as defenders. They understand how disorientating it can be for the oppo if you bypass their front line while keeping total control of the ball.
Brilliant technique isn't it? I have to admit everytime I see Pepe run to the edge of the box and unleash a kick I always think back to that Bolton freekick that resulted in us losing a goal (and actually, we lost that game 2-0 I believe with that being the 1st goal). But he was well inside the box when he let it drop from his hands. Idiot linesman.
Good point about releasing it quickly- it's one of the reasons we're so accomplished at counter attacking football- all across the defence we have the ability to spring a quick pass to our attackers.
Agger bringing the ball out of defence is an amazing skill to have too- did it twice yesterday and he was barely on (although it was easy for any of our defensive players to come out and go for Villa at that point- the point I made about Lucas playing so well from holding midfield).
In terms of our defence- I'd put it as our weakest area! I'm not overly confident with Skrtel or Carra I have to admit. Skrtel needs to calm down a bit and take a leaf out of Hyypia's or Agger's book and take more of a measured approach. Carra- defensively can't fault him most of the time, but when he needs to play the ball forward, it's not that great. I don't think it's brilliant, but then I do think it's more than capable enough when they're not being hassled by a strong target man (at which point I get nervous).
Arbeloa definitely needs another RB in the squad to keep him going and to come in when he's injured. Degen isn't that player and I hope Rafa let's him go- no point in him being here if he's barely able to play 10 minutes over the whole season. Waste of wages and waste of a place in the squad. Swap him for a RB who can play, and who is good cover and a good option for the squad and it's set.
As for Aurelio- he stays fit, he's unquestionanly in the team. But that's the crux of it- how long can a rich run of fitness last for him? Jury's out on Dossena (I don't think he's shown a great deal of defensive ability- something we do need to have in a fullback) but Insua, for me, should be the 2nd choice. We're covered on the left as yorky says.