Micah Richards

[Barry Mead]

Tottenham are set to step up their interest in Manchester City defender Micah Richards, who is set to leave the Etihad this summer. Spurs ready to make Richards offer Richards is down the pecking order at City and is expected to seek an exit at the end of the season in order to kick-start his career after a disappointing couple of years at the club. Widespread reports this week claim City are set to offer Arsenal right-back Bacary Sagna a contract in the summer when his deal at the Emirates expires, meaning Richards will be even more surplus to requirements under boss Manuel Pellegrini. With Pablo Zabaleta being first choice and Sagna tipped to come in, Richards' future looks increasingly uncertain and he will welcome interest from the likes of Spurs, who have been keen on the one-time England international for a while. There are also claims Liverpool could make a move for Richards amid uncertainty over Glen Johnson's future at Anfield, but Spurs are seen as the favourites at this stage to land him.

Read more at: http://www.clubcall.com/manchester-city/spurs-ready-to-make-richards-offer-1719159.html

I'm hoping this is true, I like him even if he's missed a bit of playing time, a very good RB who also can cover at CB, English, so would keep the home grown count up and plenty of PL experience

 

[DaSpurs]

I'm all for this. Very underrated defender IMO who would strengthen us in a variety of ways. He'd be seeing much more time with England if he wasn't at City (even with his injuries).

 

[Blake Griffin]

i like him but even if he is better than walker, it's not a massive difference. not sure what the point would be.

 

[wpd659]

Some truth in this IMO.....

 

[RichieS]

Some truth in this IMO.....

Informed opinion...?

 

[socalspur]

Some truth in this IMO.....

So begins again our quest to build a team out of right backs...

 

[RichieS]

So begins again our quest to build a team out of right backs...

Richards was looking seriously promising at centre back for a while though.

 

[jolegend]

I remember when he was 18 and played centre mid at the lane. He totally bossed it and looked an awesome prospect.

Not much gone right for him in recent years but definitely has the talent to be successful again.

Definitely a centre back for me though. Just needs coaching positionally.

 

[DaSpurs]

i like him but even if he is better than walker, it's not a massive difference. not sure what the point would be.

If we sell Naughton as per looks likely, no harm in bringing in Richards to primarily play CB and to provide cover for Walker and Fredericks. The fact he helps out the HG count is a huge plus. Also can't imagine him being particularly expensive seeing as City have hardly utilized him this term.

 

[ardiles&villa]

Yes please...to play as a centre half

 

[TheAmerican]

He's still quite young, I would be all for it.

 

[Nine while nine]

So everyone is supportive of us signing him, it seems, except my kitchen worktop.

Which, so I'm told, is not For Micah...

 

[Dharmabum]

He's got a football brain a la Kyle Walker, has been injury prone and his attitude has also been questioned. When he came on the to EPL scene as a 18 years he was seen as a potential world class RB but he seem to have gone back-ward development wise. At 26 he's NO longer a promising prospect. Often when players at this level does not take their football serious they frequently get injured - nor do they improve as players even if they stay fit.
Physically he's got almost every attribute a top notch EPL CB need - plenty of pace, strength - but...something seem to be missing from his game.
If he's past his injury prone spell I would however not mind him at Spurs - but at a bargain price.
Kaboul really need to be replaced (I don't want another Ledley King saga again).

 

[WiganSpur]

Yeah would be a shrewd signing. Sell Naughton and Dawson, bring him in and kill two birds with one stone.

 

[DaSpurs]

Yeah would be a shrewd signing. Sell Naughton and Dawson, bring him in and kill two birds with one stone.

With Kaboul's issues and Verts possibly leaving, I see no harm in keeping Dawson for another year to prevent us from having to search for three new CB's. Looking for two as is would be extremely difficult. The modern CB demands the most specific kind of player of any position, and many clubs will be looking as is. Dawson is loyal enough to stay, and we could do far worse than him as fourth choice.

 

[DaSpurs]

He's got a football brain a la Kyle Walker, has been injury prone and his attitude has also been questioned. When he came on the to EPL scene as a 18 years he was seen as a potential world class RB but he seem to have gone back-ward development wise. At 26 he's NO longer a promising prospect. Often when players at this level does not take their football serious they frequently get injured - nor do they improve as players even if they stay fit.
Physically he's got almost every attribute a top notch EPL CB need - plenty of pace, strength - but...something seem to be missing from his game.
If he's past his injury prone spell I would however not mind him at Spurs - but at a bargain price.
Kaboul really need to be replaced (I don't want another Ledley King saga again).

All good points, but a lack of motivation is somewhat understandable considering he's behind Zabaleta at one position and City are constantly buying and playing even younger players than he at the other. Hopefully if he comes here, more assurance of playing time can light a fire under his ass, as I think he has the talent to be a real success at a club of our level.

 

[Barry Mead]

He's got a football brain a la Kyle Walker, has been injury prone and his attitude has also been questioned. When he came on the to EPL scene as a 18 years he was seen as a potential world class RB but he seem to have gone back-ward development wise. At 26 he's NO longer a promising prospect. Often when players at this level does not take their football serious they frequently get injured - nor do they improve as players even if they stay fit.
Physically he's got almost every attribute a top notch EPL CB need - plenty of pace, strength - but...something seem to be missing from his game.
If he's past his injury prone spell I would however not mind him at Spurs - but at a bargain price.
Kaboul really need to be replaced (I don't want another Ledley King saga again).

I think he certainly went through a period after looking a fantastic prospect when he started out to having an attitude problem, but I think he got over that and showed he could live up to that potential. You only have to see how much he played and how well he played when City won the title. His injury problems were unfortunate because he had shown he had developed into that player he looked like he had become and I think now the injury problems are past he can continue to show his quality.
He's still only 25 and for me is a far better defender than Walker but with similar pace, strength and stamina and also far more decisive and aware of his options going forward.
Personally I much prefer him to Walker although he needs games now but allowing his strengths at right back and what he can offer at CB adding him to the squad looks a no brainer.

 

[Japhet]

It's a bit early to be saying Kaboul needs to be replaced. He's had a serious injury and subsequent non related injuries in his recovery but he's getting more minutes under his belt and is almost playing regularly. I'd say that is progress. I think Richards could be good business to cover CB and RB though. Maybe a new challenge would square him up a bit.

 

[DaSpurs]

It's a bit early to be saying Kaboul needs to be replaced. He's had a serious injury and subsequent non related injuries in his recovery but he's getting more minutes under his belt and is almost playing regularly. I'd say that is progress. I think Richards could be good business to cover CB and RB though. Maybe a new challenge would square him up a bit.

I agree with your assessment of Richards, but Kabs' injury doesn't look good and is always tough to recover from, especially with a man of his size. I hope it works out, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if the club seems him fit enough to carry on and be a reliable contributor in the last year of his contract.

 

[Dharmabum]

It's a bit early to be saying Kaboul needs to be replaced. He's had a serious injury and subsequent non related injuries in his recovery but he's getting more minutes under his belt and is almost playing regularly. I'd say that is progress. I think Richards could be good business to cover CB and RB though. Maybe a new challenge would square him up a bit.

I doubt it's early to say Kaboul needs replacement. He was out for 1 1/2 season with a career threatening knee injury.
And going from not having played for 18 months to getting an occasional game has to be called progress
His non-related injuries are in fact indirectly related because 1) since he's not played for a long time he's more likely to pick up other injuries, 2) As not to put pressure on his injured knee he will - consciously or unconsciously - alter a lttle bit of how he moves.
It's clear that since he came back he's lost a bit of pace (he's been out-run on a few occasions, something I can't remember happening before that almost fatal knee injury).
And, as pointed out, his size make him more prone to injuries.
Before his injury he was easly one of the very top CB in the EPL, so the question is naturally, to weigh up keeping him or letting him go this summer while Spurs can still get a transfer fee from him.

http://www.physioroom.com/news/english_premier_league/players/2574/younes_kaboul_injury.html