Kolarov

[Ted Hughes]

Clichy has actually put in some fantastic crosses recently, but often nobody has been able to find the legs to get in the 6 yard box to convert.

Better crossers than Kolarov: Summerbee, Barnes, Tueart, White, Hinchcliffe, Beagrie off the top of my head. All were able to do something most current City players can't when on the run: pick out a man, especially at the far post.

Colin Bell was the best I've ever seen at the 'driven' cross. Like a howitzer.

I always thought Dave Wagstaffe was a decent crosser, as well.

Didn't see him for City but he was quality.

The thing Bell used to do sometimes when he occasionally drifted out wide, I've never really seen others do very often; it was almost like he was trying to score from the wing, but he wasn't.

Absolutely fucking leather it full tilt into the six yard box about a foot & a half off the ground, & it always seemed to be too fast for the first man, would either hit the keeper or a City player/defender in front of goal or go straight through often without bouncing in the box for a throw in on the other side if nobody touched it. But it caused absolute heart attacks & the whole crowd to jump up.

Kolarov possibly hits a ball hard enough to do that but probably doesn't have the pace or skill to implement it.

Edit: he would do it on the volley sometimes too if a ball was coming over his shoulder or bouncing.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

Fair play to Kolarov. It takes a big personality to have overcome all the stick and abuse some of our own 'fans' gave him and then win everyone over like he has.
Same thing is happening with Garcia and now that our fans can't moan at them two, all attentions have been turned to Dzeko.

I still think though we should get Luke Shaw before Chelsea do. This kid really does look good and would also add to our quota.

[Wonderwall]

I still think though we should get Luke Shaw before Chelsea do. This kid really does look good and would also add to our quota.

Luke shaw looks head and shoulders above Gareth bale at the same stage in their career. I am not saying that Shaw will kick on and become a Bale type of player, but I really like him and would love us to get him in before someone else grabs him. He will be ahead of Baines and Cole very shortly IMO. Both Cole and Baines have gone backwards this year.

[Bridge'srightfoot]

I still think though we should get Luke Shaw before Chelsea do. This kid really does look good and would also add to our quota.

Luke shaw looks head and shoulders above Gareth bale at the same stage in their career. I am not saying that Shaw will kick on and become a Bale type of player, but I really like him and would love us to get him in before someone else grabs him. He will be ahead of Baines and Cole very shortly IMO. Both Cole and Baines have gone backwards this year.

I could also see Shaw becoming a winger like Bale did. Even if not he's a good attacking left back who will suit our system very well.
We really should go for him, although it will probably mean goodbye to Clichy.

There aren't many good English players out there so we should grab the ones that are if we can.

[TheBlueCatsWhiskers]

Clichy has actually put in some fantastic crosses recently, but often nobody has been able to find the legs to get in the 6 yard box to convert. Better crossers than Kolarov: Summerbee, Barnes, Tueart, White, Hinchcliffe, Beagrie off the top of my head. All were able to do something most current City players can't when on the run: pick out a man, especially at the far post. Colin Bell was the best I've ever seen at the 'driven' cross. Like a howitzer.

Quite right - Bell. Tueart was close but I am biased, he was my hero.

Kolarov is pretty decent though.

[Mase]

No one mentioned in this thread is/was better at crossing the ball than Kolarov. Kola will put about five balls in to the box between the keeper and defender that should/would result in a goal if the striker (usually Dzeko) was switched on.

[The Original Special One]

Clichy has actually put in some fantastic crosses recently, but often nobody has been able to find the legs to get in the 6 yard box to convert.

Better crossers than Kolarov: Summerbee, Barnes, Tueart, White, Hinchcliffe, Beagrie off the top of my head. All were able to do something most current City players can't when on the run: pick out a man, especially at the far post.

Colin Bell was the best I've ever seen at the 'driven' cross. Like a howitzer.

Kennedy doesn't make your list?

Not for me, for the simple reason of oppo quality vs output. I found him very very disappointing v decent opposition on the whole. On his day, he could put a good ball in, but so could Nigel Gleghorn or Kevin Horlock etc.

For me Kennedy was the best, prior to Kolarov; and I'm a City-fan of 1969 vintage.
What Kennedy could do was whip a 180 degree cross over without changing stride, or signalling his intention.
None of those others mentioned above could do this.

Prior to Kolarov, Kennedy was the best I've ever seen; not just City.
Which - as an Irish fan - caused me to have such high hopes for him for Ireland, also; but that's literally the only thing in his locker.

Kolarov isn't the quickest: we know this. The managers that pick him know this. But I've frequently seen him put his life on the line in the box; and save our skins with risky last-ditch tackles.

Kolarov never put in a performance as bad as the wretched performances Clichy gave in the home leg against Bayern; or the Cup Final against Wigan

[Mase]

For me Kennedy was the best, prior to Kolarov; and I'm a City-fan of 1969 vintage. What Kennedy could do was whip a 180 degree cross over without changing stride, or signalling his intention. None of those others mentioned above could do this. Prior to Kolarov, Kennedy was the best I've ever seen; not just City. Which - as an Irish fan - caused me to have such high hopes for him for Ireland, also; but that's literally the only thing in his locker. Kolarov isn't the quickest: we know this. The managers that pick him know this. But I've frequently seen him put his life on the line in the box; and save our skins with risky last-ditch tackles. Kolarov never put in a performance as bad as the wretched performances Clichy gave in the home leg against Bayern; or the Cup Final against Wigan

Mark Kennedy??

[The Original Special One]

For me Kennedy was the best, prior to Kolarov; and I'm a City-fan of 1969 vintage. What Kennedy could do was whip a 180 degree cross over without changing stride, or signalling his intention. None of those others mentioned above could do this. Prior to Kolarov, Kennedy was the best I've ever seen; not just City. Which - as an Irish fan - caused me to have such high hopes for him for Ireland, also; but that's literally the only thing in his locker. Kolarov isn't the quickest: we know this. The managers that pick him know this. But I've frequently seen him put his life on the line in the box; and save our skins with risky last-ditch tackles. Kolarov never put in a performance as bad as the wretched performances Clichy gave in the home leg against Bayern; or the Cup Final against Wigan

Mark Kennedy??

Yep

[Alioune DVToure]

Kennedy put in some top crosses for a lot of the headers the Goat bagged in 99-00. The Charlton away winner springs to mind.

[Mase]

Bleeding hell Mark Kennedy better than Kolarov?! I've heard it all!

[The Original Special One]

Bleeding hell Mark Kennedy better than Kolarov?! I've heard it all!

That's all he could do; cross the ball.
Although I seem to remember him scoring a goal for Ireland - against Serbia, I think.

[Im_Spartacus]

Bleeding hell Mark Kennedy better than Kolarov?! I've heard it all!

He did say 'Before Kolarov'

In terms of crossing, I don't think there's much in it. Technically Kennedy was far better at picking out a player from a cross, whereas Kolarov's trademark cross is arguably a more speculative but far more dangerous ball hard and low into the no mans land ahead of the keeper.

[Original Dub]

He did say 'Before Kolarov'

In terms of crossing, I don't think there's much in it. Technically Kennedy was far better at picking out a player from a cross, whereas Kolarov's trademark cross is arguably a more speculative but far more dangerous ball hard and low into the no mans land ahead of the keeper.

In poxy div 1 or whatever it's called now.

Kolarov is the best crosser of the ball in the premier league imo.

[Ted Hughes]

No one mentioned in this thread is/was better at crossing the ball than Kolarov. Kola will put about five balls in to the box between the keeper and defender that should/would result in a goal if the striker (usually Dzeko) was switched on.

And that's pretty much all Kolarov will do.

Which is why neither him nor Mark Kennedy or any such crossers are anywhere near as good as the likes of Summerbee Tueart Barnes Beagrie etc imo, who were good enough to actually pick players out in different areas of the box.

Kolarov is great at belting a ball into an area & hoping someone gets on the end of it, not a great crosser of a football.

Joe Royle would not score so many goals from Kolarov's crosses for example. Brian Kidd would. But both would score shitloads if Peter Beagrie had played alongside them, as they did with Barnes Tueart etc.

Dzeko would score a lot more playing with Barnes & Tueart than our current players, as would Negredo.

[Im_Spartacus]

In poxy div 1 or whatever it's called now.

Kolarov is the best crosser of the ball in the premier league imo.

I don't doubt that he is.

Kennedy's crosses were just as technically good in the premier league, problem was that neither he nor the team were good enough to get into the positions to make those crosses count (or happen often enough) in our relegation season.

Kolarov has the benefit of a team at the top of their game creating space for him to make those crosses - just as city did for Kennedy in the championship. Think back to Kolarov under Mancini, crossing was still ok, but the team wasn't setup to profit from those chances OR create the space for him to swing them in as frequently, exactly the same problem Kennedy had in the premier league under Royle.

Not saying Kennedy could have played in this team today, he was a lazy cunt on the whole so wouldn't have fitted in with the work ethic, but on that one attribute, I don't think there's much to choose between them

[Bridge'srightfoot]

No one mentioned in this thread is/was better at crossing the ball than Kolarov. Kola will put about five balls in to the box between the keeper and defender that should/would result in a goal if the striker (usually Dzeko) was switched on.

And that's pretty much all Kolarov will do.

Which is why neither him nor Mark Kennedy or any such crossers are anywhere near as good as the likes of Summerbee Tueart Barnes Beagrie etc imo, who were good enough to actually pick players out in different areas of the box.

Kolarov is great at belting a ball into an area & hoping someone gets on the end of it, not a great crosser of a football.

Joe Royle would not score so many goals from Kolarov's crosses for example. Brian Kidd would. But both would score shitloads if Peter Beagrie had played alongside them, as they did with Barnes Tueart etc.

Dzeko would score a lot more playing with Barnes & Tueart than our current players, as would Negredo.

Sory Ted but he's not just great at belting the ball into the area. He's also brilliant at just looking up and picking out his man.
He's one of the best at the pull-back we've had.

[Ted Hughes]

No one mentioned in this thread is/was better at crossing the ball than Kolarov. Kola will put about five balls in to the box between the keeper and defender that should/would result in a goal if the striker (usually Dzeko) was switched on.

And that's pretty much all Kolarov will do.

Which is why neither him nor Mark Kennedy or any such crossers are anywhere near as good as the likes of Summerbee Tueart Barnes Beagrie etc imo, who were good enough to actually pick players out in different areas of the box.

Kolarov is great at belting a ball into an area & hoping someone gets on the end of it, not a great crosser of a football.

Joe Royle would not score so many goals from Kolarov's crosses for example. Brian Kidd would. But both would score shitloads if Peter Beagrie had played alongside them, as they did with Barnes Tueart etc.

Dzeko would score a lot more playing with Barnes & Tueart than our current players, as would Negredo.

Sory Ted but he's not just great at belting the ball into the area. He's also brilliant at just looking up and picking out his man.
He's one of the best at the pull-back we've had.

I don't see that as a difficult skill, just that City have become one of the most inept teams in the history of football at doing it in recent years.

I'm talking about players who look up & deliver a ball, be it long, short, into the six yard box, in the air, to the far post, driven, stood up, etc etc. Kolarov, on the whole, doesn't.

The players I've listed did, some with both feet from both sides of the pitch, in the same game as well as creating the space to do it.

There is absolutely no comparison. There are loads of City players I would rather have on the ball than Kolarov in that situation, some of them not even wide players.

If you are comparing him purely with other City fullbacks, then he is up there, but imo Hinchcliffe was better, as shown by his delivery of corner kicks.