Jason Denayer

Over playing Champions league football and with a top side in France? No chance.

 

Denayer is really good?

 

That would be an excellent move for all parties.

Except Celtic, obviously.

 

Incredibly good, flawless at times.

 

Almost as good as Virgil van Dijk

 

Denayer's wages set to triple and he won't be loaned out and will fight for a first team place. Clearly blew them away in pre season. The boy deserves it - unreal talent.

 

Probably behind only Varane and Laporte in terms of ability as far as young centre-halves go.

 

Never really noticed Laporte but I dont think Varane is that great tbh, he always seems really awkward to me, great pace and decent defender but he reminds me a wee bit of Smalling of Man U the way he just doesnt look that capable of the ball.

 

I think we may be overrating him a tad

 

Remains to be seen but if you look at all the centre-backs in the EPL, he is probably more technically skilled and faster than everyone of them.

There are also not that many actual good defenders in the EPL either, John Terry easily still the best with no one even close despite being about 35.

 

I don't think he's any better than Zouma or Stones as far as youngsters go.

 

We'll soon see.

Again I dont like that Zouma of Chelsea, too clumsy on the ball and just something dopey looking about the way he plays. Doesnt look smart enough tactically although never really played centre-half for Chelsea to see how he would do after a run of games.

Stones I like though, decent defender and also quite skilled on the ball - very good passer of the ball for an English defender.

 

He's no Boyata!

 

Also by our logic Van Dijk is pretty much the best defender in Britain, considering he is still a better player than Denayer...but then I look around the teams and I don't see anyone miles ahead of Virgil

 

He could be lol

Demichelis, Skrtel, Koscielny, Cahill, Mertesacker, Smalling, Jones, Evans, Rojo, Vertonghen, Lovren.... they are really not very good defenders/footballers.

Tony Adams, Campbell, Ferdinand, Vidic, prime Terry, Carvalho, Hyypia, even Kolo Toure and Jamie Carragher would be turning in their footballing graves at the centre-halves in England now.

Terry is the best and Kompany was once very good although probably been 2 or 3 seasons now since he was last playing well consistantly.

 

I'd agree for the most part, although I do rate Koscielny. I also think Vertonghen I'd a pretty good footballer. But aye I genuinely think Virgil would be an asset for a team like Liverpool. Pity it seems to be the smaller teams who are actually looking

 

You could also say nowadays that a new kind of defender is emerging, maybe cause the change in tactics where teams dont flood the box as much and a lot of football is like someone in possession V counter attack that defenders now need more pace than before and to be better on the ball.

15 year ago a defensive line of Terry even now old Terry and current Skrtel would have been a very solid defence as they both defend quite well and hold the line and can win balls in the air but now they'd badly lack pace and are not that great at building from the back. Now youd rather have Pique and Hummels who are not as good a defenders but they're much better on the ball which is probably now more important than 15 year ago where it was more important to be a good defender.

So Denayer is well suited now in that hes very quick and good on the ball even if he was to turn out to not be that great defensively at the top level he'd still be that good a footballer/fast.

 

Koscielny is a bomb scare for me.

Always feel he's going to get sent off or give away a pen with a stupid tackle.

 

Ive never liked him either, he's ok by current EPL standards as in hes by far not the worst but hes just not very good either.

Kolo Toure and Jamie Carragher of 10 year ago were clear better defenders yet back then they werent even the best centre-half in their own teams.

Its mental how bad a lack of good centre-backs there is now. most of the best centre-halves now arent actually that defensively strong(Pique, Hummels, Ramos, Boateng) they are either skilled on the ball or more mobile than most other defenders with good height. In the past defenders were actually defensive players who were smart defensively like Stam, Ayala, Samuel, Vidic, Nesta, Maldini, Campbell, Adams, Cannavaro, Costacurta, Hyypia, Terry, Materazzi there are slim to no defenders of that style anymore or atleast good ones anyway.