Martin Laursen

[qs]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Laursen is one of the best aerial defenders in the league and he'd give us another real threat on set pieces. He's lightyears ahead of Tweety. Bit old though.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

No thanks, relatively slow, too old and most importantly, no way near worth the amount Villa will be asking for. I think Agger is better than him and if he is available for 10 million, than we should steal him.

Do you actually watch football?

Thats right, pace is a real problem for us at the back right now. Lets sign some more Franco-Africans, Ive heard they're quick. Good job no-one in the Premiership ever tries long throws or takes good corners or free-kicks eh? Especially none of them horrible 'cross' things like that Beckham bloke used to do. We'd be ****ed wouldnt we?

I mean, too old? FFS Adams and Keown were class for us well into their thirties. Look at Maldini or Cannavaro.

If you think Laursen is going to cost a lot, then Agger will cost more guaranteed. Thats even if Liverpool were to sell, which, to be honest, is even less likely than Villa doing so.

And too slow? What's wrong with a centre-half who can head the ball for Christ's sake? We dont need an entire team of dwarf defenders and midfielder who are scared to tackle.

 

[qs]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Laursen would cost **** all. He's 32 and has a horrible injury record. He couldn't command a big fee at all. Which in itself is more of a reason Villa would never sell to us or any other Prem team.

 

[arsenalfc0719]

Re: Martin Laursen?

It would be a brilliant signing, wont happen though.

 

[JGooner]

Re: Martin Laursen?

No thanks, relatively slow, too old and most importantly, no way near worth the amount Villa will be asking for. I think Agger is better than him and if he is available for 10 million, than we should steal him.

Do you actually watch football?

Thats right, pace is a real problem for us at the back right now. Lets sign some more Franco-Africans, Ive heard they're quick. Good job no-one in the Premiership ever tries long throws or takes good corners or free-kicks eh? Especially none of them horrible 'cross' things like that Beckham bloke used to do. We'd be f*d wouldnt we?

I mean, too old? FFS Adams and Keown were class for us well into their thirties. Look at Maldini or Cannavaro.

If you think Laursen is going to cost a lot, then Agger will cost more guaranteed. Thats even if Liverpool were to sell, which, to be honest, is even less likely than Villa doing so.

And too slow? What's wrong with a centre-half who can head the ball for Christ's sake? We dont need an entire team of dwarf defenders and midfielder who are scared to tackle.

Exactly. It's all about having a range of skill-sets avalable to you in the squad. We're loaded with defenders who rely on recovery pace. What we lack is aerial command, and the likes of Laursen and Upson have it. If all our defenders were Adams-style 'pure' defenders, then I'd be on here advocating 22 year old speed-merchants to broaden our options. Balance, balance, balance.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Oh you really don't rate anyone in the EPL do you.

Yeah I don't, you obviously didn't see me rating Daniel Agger. :roll:

Plenty of EPL players are incredibly overrated.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Do you actually watch football?

Thats right, pace is a real problem for us at the back right now. Lets sign some more Franco-Africans, Ive heard they're quick. Good job no-one in the Premiership ever tries long throws or takes good corners or free-kicks eh? Especially none of them horrible 'cross' things like that Beckham bloke used to do. We'd be f*d wouldnt we?

I mean, too old? FFS Adams and Keown were class for us well into their thirties. Look at Maldini or Cannavaro.

If you think Laursen is going to cost a lot, then Agger will cost more guaranteed. Thats even if Liverpool were to sell, which, to be honest, is even less likely than Villa doing so.

And too slow? What's wrong with a centre-half who can head the ball for Christ's sake? We dont need an entire team of dwarf defenders and midfielder who are scared to tackle.

As I don't rate Laursen as high as you, that means I don't watch football, right..... :roll: As for your sarcasm, it's really pathetic.

Is he the only defender in the World who has aerial ability? Just because I don't want Laursen, does not mean I am not aware of our defensive deficiencies.

So your going to use some of the greatest defenders of the last 20 years, to justify how Laursen will be a good option despite his age?

Agger may well cost more than Laursen, but he is a better option. He will not only suit our style of play as he is very good on the ball, but he has also learnt the disciplined defending employed by Benitez. He is very good in the air, and is at an age to form a defensive partnership for years to come. They were willing to sell us Alonso if the price was right, so there's no reason why they wouldn't sell us Agger, if he became available.

What does being slow, have to do with being able to head? If you deploy a high backline, you need quick players, it really isn't rocket science. That does not mean you need dwarfs, or Africans or whatever. That means you need someone who can conform to the requirements of being an Arsenal defender, Laursen is too old and immobile for this. We need someone who is fairly quick, but can also give us defensive and aerial presence.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Ok then. In general, he is not old for a centre-half. Period. Even if we only get (hypothetically) two years out of him, then its still money worth spent if it gets us Champions League qualification, silverware, whatever.

Alonso wasnt in Benitez's plans last summer, thats why they were willing to sell. Agger clearly is judging by how often he plays.

And as other people have said here, its about balance.

How on earth do you 'conform to the requirements of being an Arsenal defender'? How on earth do you ever progress if you merely conform? Its bollocks. You're essentially advocating more of the same. People said Adebayor wouldnt 'conform' to our style of play. But he offered something different. Even if Laursen was slow and immobile, which I dispute strongly, then we have enough pace around him to be able to compensate for that.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

The age of 32 for someone who is injury prone, is old. If he was a reliably fit person, than that would be a different case.

I said if Agger was available he would be the better option. There's nothing to suggest that Laursen is available, so they are no different.

We can achieve that balance from someone else, it doesn't have to be Laursen.

We play one of the highest defensive lines in the World, which is by far the hardest defensive setup to play in. You need defenders who have the necessary defensive qualities, whilst it is absolutely imperative that they are also fairly quick.

How is that advocating the same? Saying you need defenders who are quick, does not mean that you buy defenders who are sub 5"10.

We were never capable for compensating for Senderos's or Cygan's lack of pace, so we wouldn't be able to that for Laursen.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Well, I think a high line is workable with slower players if they can work an offside trap, something Laursen can probably do better than our current lot. But anyway thats a coaching issue. For me the high line isnt such a good thing. We've been caught out by it this season.

Essentially, in the list of things I would look for in a centre-half right now, Laursen ticks pretty much every box.

Even Agger, as good as he is, is not a massive physical presence, which is what we need. In an ideal world, they'd be quick too, but seeing as we arent going to be getting Rio Ferdinand or Sergio Ramos any time soon, I think in order to solve our aerial issues (amongst other things) we may have to sacrifice some pace. OK, maybe someone like Laursen will get done for pace every now and then, but I think we'd concede a lot less having a good front-post defender, blocking out cut-backs, heading away crosses. No-one does that for us.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

The problem is that the offside trap depends on the whole unit getting it right. So even if Laursen is a master at it, someone like Clichy who often fails the trap, could make it a very poor defensive mechanism. Coaching will definitely play a huge role for something like that to succeed.

We need those qualities in defence. The only difference is that you believe Laursen is the man to provide this, whereas I think that there are better options out there.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Who?

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

That's upto Arsène, and his magnificent scouting system.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

You yourself couldnt name a realistic target?

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

I can't determine who is realistic or not, because I am not privvy to availability, valuation, player mindset and so forth.

 

[Glovegun]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Roughly. Upson would be a realistic target, Carles Puyol would not.

 

[outlaw_member]

Re: Martin Laursen?

Yeah, if you put it like that.