Aleks Kolarov

[blues2win]

I saw him put his body on the line twice in a recent game to save a goal. Healso did fine for the half he was on the pitch against Lennon in the first match against Spurs. There's a happy medium between saying there's room for improvement and that he's absolute shite which is totally unfair. Mourinho stated publicly that he wanted him and I don't think he'd say that about a player who's absolute shite.

Clearly we're not going to agree but you might like to look at another post of mine where I reflected on what you'd said about a Lescott situation and admitted I was wrong. You might like to reflect on your characterisation of Kolarov and admit that you're being a little unfair to the player.

[Mike J]

i think he is a good player. good going forward and has a sweet left foot on him. can improve defensively and i definately think he will.

will get us the odd goal as well.

[Hazy2]

Any player or fan coming to England has a shock at the pace. We do not realise it. Look at the loon on the pitch last night he went to half way line shook hands with Joleon, not sure wh,he turned started to run and collapsed, FFS he never touched the ball , he was shagged. Fitness MATE !.

[Fish111]

God the boo boys are out in force for poor old old Aleks I see.

So no-one can have an opinion on a player without being called a boo boy now? Go and take your head for a shit. It's a forum where everyone has the right to state their OPINIONS, some think he's shit, some don't, doesn't make anybody a boo boy does it? If you want to cream all over pictures of Kolarov go ahead, i won't call you a goo boy as it's your perogative to do whatever you like.

[Renato_CTID]

Slow as a pure defender but highly raccomended when he'll learn how to cross to Edin!

[CityFanFromRome]

God the boo boys are out in force for poor old old Aleks I see. Totally unfair. Absolute shite is he? Just take a look at Bridge last weeekend to see what absolute shite looks like. If he pushes forward Barry is supposed to cover; there's no reason why that should disturb the balance of the defence at all. Mancini wants his players able to cope with that sort of flexibility. If he was unhappy with the degree to which Aleks was pushing forward he'd be stopping him doing so.

In my view our real weakness in defence is at centre back where Lescott is a weak first replacement in that position and Kolo who isn't great in the air.

If he was unhappy with that he wouldn't have bought him, because pushing forward is possibly Kolarov's best trait, paired with his mean shot. If he doesn't push forward, he can't take those shots and put dangerous crosses in (which he's able to deliver, although he hasn't done so too much yet for City)

[s1ty m]

Slow and generally poor imho. Hope I am wrong. Slowest full back in the league? Can't think of one slower. Anyone?

Sadly, you lack pace in this league and you are up against it.

[Green & Blue]

I like Kolarov he's played really well the past couple of games.Not the fastest but by no means the slowest in the league that's just laughable.

He looks a real threat going forward he's been linking up well on the left, i like the way he is always willing to give and go making himself available for the pass further up the pitch.

[Ted Hughes]

I saw him put his body on the line twice in a recent game to save a goal. Healso did fine for the half he was on the pitch against Lennon in the first match against Spurs. There's a happy medium between saying there's room for improvement and that he's absolute shite which is totally unfair. Mourinho stated publicly that he wanted him and I don't think he'd say that about a player who's absolute shite.

Clearly we're not going to agree but you might like to look at another post of mine where I reflected on what you'd said about a Lescott situation and admitted I was wrong. You might like to reflect on your characterisation of Kolarov and admit that you're being a little unfair to the player.

I don't know what I can say mate. I've given him credit for the blocks you mention in my earlier post & I've clearly said that those two instances show me that he can eventually learn to play in the Prem. I suppose I coud add a couple of times when he's managed to cover behind the CB's but that's just something fullbacks do; Bridge did it all the time. Otherwise he's been responsible for some of the worst defending I've seen in that position. His effort for the 1st Everton goal ranks alongside some of Stephen Jordan's worst moments. Really truly awful. And several times different players have knocked the ball one side of him & run round the other. That's park football. You hardly ever see that in the top league.

If he's brilliant in the next game, nothing would give me more pleasure than to compliment him on it. As I've said, I'm not writing him off, I'm just looking at what he's actually done so far as opposed to what he may do in the future.

[BadKompany]

Love your posts Ted,can't argue with any of that,well summarised.

[getdressedmctavish]

Its not hard is it. A good all round footballer who lacks half a yard and who , like most wing backs, aint that great at the far post. He will improve, much like Zab has done, but he will cost us goals. Against that he will make some and score some. Main worry, guys in their mid twenties dont usually get any quicker.A million times better than Bridge but there is a concern that Mancini had hopes that Jerome and Kolarov would be the answer and they are behind Zab and a fit Micah.Now I suppose using your eyes and telling what you see constitutes a hanging offence with some.

[BadKompany]

Since Garrido,we've spent 28m? on left backs - in all honesty,have we improved the position?

[blues2win]

Ted. I'm happy to apologise to you and other posters for the use of the phrase boo boys. You're an intelligent poster and it wasn't fair to describe you in that way.

I think you're far too harsh on Aleks but there we are. To me the full backs in Mancini's system haven't got an old fashioned position but a role and that role is at least 50% made up of getting down the flanks and providing the width. To do that and also have the energy to counter quick wingers is bloody hard; perhaps the hardest job on the pitch. In my humble opinion you're not giving him any credit at all for the developing signs that he can offer us far more in one half of his role than Bridge could ever do in a month of Sundays. Yesterday he scored one goal and would have provided a very good assist had Tevez not missed the penalty. That's one more goal and one more assist than Bridge can ever lay claim to. If Tevez would ever let him take a free kick he'd offer more there, too. He isn't blessed with lightning pace but he's not as slow as some are saying. Like most full backs it's true he needs help against pacy wingers especially if he's just come back from bombing up and down the field.

Remember Mancini knows him well and bought him. Mourinho who knows him well and admitted he wanted him. And Ancelotti who knows him well admitted to envy that we were going to get him.

Was his defending poor for the goal by Cahill. Yes. But he wasn't the only one responsible for that goal. Why was Cahill of all people left completely unmarked in the six yard box?

[Ted Hughes]

Ted. I'm happy to apologise to you and other posters for the use of the phrase boo boys. You're an intelligent poster and it wasn't fair to describe you in that way.

I think you're far too harsh on Aleks but there we are. To me the full backs in Mancini's system haven't got an old fashioned position but a role and that role is at least 50% made up of getting down the flanks and providing the width. To do that and also have the energy to counter quick wingers is bloody hard; perhaps the hardest job on the pitch. In my humble opinion you're not giving him any credit at all for the developing signs that he can offer us far more in one half of his role than Bridge could ever do in a month of Sundays. Yesterday he scored one goal and would have provided a very good assist had Tevez not missed the penalty. That's one more goal and one more assist than Bridge can ever lay claim to. If Tevez would ever let him take a free kick he'd offer more there, too. He isn't blessed with lightning pace but he's not as slow as some are saying. Like most full backs it's true he needs help against pacy wingers especially if he's just come back from bombing up and down the field.

Remember Mancini knows him well and bought him. Mourinho who knows him well and admitted he wanted him. And Ancelotti who knows him well admitted to envy that we were going to get him.

Was his defending poor for the goal by Cahill. Yes. But he wasn't the only one responsible for that goal. Why was Cahill of all people left completely unmarked in the six yard box?

I'm sure he will offer a lot more than Bridge etc going forward in the long run; he's much better at crossing the ball than what we've seen so far. I'm equally sure Mancini does want him to defend like a fullback though. It is difficult to get back but it didn't give Micah an excuse & it won't do for Kolarov, he'll have to get it right & I'm hopeful he will do. Right now though, I don't trust him an inch.

Btw, I hate to say this but the reason nobody was marking Cahill was because Kolarov's defending was that bad & he was running so slowly, Vinny K actually thought the ball had gone out for a goalkick & Kolarov was leaving it! He started to run upfield ready for Joe Hart's throw out, only to find that the ball was still in play & was crossed in behind him. It was shocking stuff by both of them but luckily for Vinny, he isn't Lescott, so that cock up & his challenge on Fabregas & the times he was skinned alive by Dyer v Leicester etc etc are soon forgotton as acceptable mistakes, unlike poor ol Jolean, who gets hung, drawn & quartered for a misplaced pass ;-)

[Martinez]

Gotta love the way he breaks forward, almost always our most forward player when we break from defensive corners and that left foot is definately special. Defensively, it's all about decisionmaking, you don't have to be super quick to be a good full-back imo.

Zabba is no greyhound either but when He gets it wrong, he just brings his man down in a way that it doesn't look like warranting a yellow card (a big difference to when he first joined) He is now our 1st choice full-back because his decision- making has improved and he's fully adapted to the league, not because he's gotten quicker.
Imo Kolarov is determined enough and clever enough to improve in the same way. For the same reasons, I believe Micah will never be first choice

[Mase]

You've only got to look across the road to see how long it took Evra to get used to the pace of the Premiership, and he's not the quickest player either. I've seen enough of Kolarov to think that hopefully after a full season he'll be a solid player for us. Still cannot say the same about Boateng though unfortunately.

[Ted Hughes]

Boateng's 3 years younger though tbf. I think he's got all the raw material but like Kolarov, needs time.

[Mase]

Boateng's 3 years younger though tbf. I think he's got all the raw material but like Kolarov, needs time.

Fingers crossed. Physically he's perfect for the Premiership. Hopefully we can work with him to improve his positioning.