zokora the untouchable

[Bus-Conductor]

Please don't insult my intelligence with that argument.

Name me a top team in the whole of Europe that has a player as limited as Bent playing up front regularly? There is a reason for that. The days when all a player had to do was score are over my friend. Even your real predators like Van Niistelroy can hold the ball up and bring others into play.

I will not argue, cannot argue, with your assertion that in terms of minutes on the pitch Bent has a very respectable record that compares favourably with all but the very best strikers, but that is a massive over simplification, as you well know.

His limitations as a player have had a MASSIVE effect on our goal threat and the way the team functions.

You tell me which of these things is not true;

Bent has a poor first touch.
Bent is not that great in the air.
Bent has very little technical skill.
Bent has a very poor left foot.
Bent cannot play with his back to goal.
Bent's movement is not the most intelligent you will see.
Bent is poor at dribbling.
Bent cannot really take defenders on with skill.
Bent has no vision when passing.
Bent is not great at defending set pieces and the like.
Bent does not hold the ball up very well.
Bent is not a good passer of the ball.
Bent does not really make himself available for the ball in tight situations.

What does that leave that he can do?

This is an argument I've been putting forward for a long, long time and also applied to Mido to a degree.

It's one thing having an OK gpm ratio but it counts for nothing if the teams GPM ratio goes down because of the piss poor contribution. It's not about how many goals Bent scores it's about how many we score. And with Bent on the pitch we are much less likely to score goals as he can't contribute to team build up and is hopeless technically or creatively.

He's not even that great a stand alone striker for all the reasons listed above. He needs the chance to be gold plated and served on a platter with a huge garnish of creamed luck. Three goals this season two went through the keepers legs, one was offside and one he knew nothing about.

 

[markie]

Brilliant arguments in this thread.. Very imppressive...

Zokora simply is not good enough to be playing 90 minutes every game, week in week out... Central midfield, especially the holding midfield role is essential when playing in midfield as they give the attacking midfielders the license to push forward and score goals. This dpoesnt happen, because zokoras positional ability is very bad, he also has trouble passing forwards and is not the best tackler of the ball... This makes a massive difference to how jenas plays and also how modric plays as they are constantly co,ming back to mop up after zokora has run off somewhere else and left a big gap in the centre..

We play a lot better when he is not playing in midfield and it is clear to see ... Obviously the full blame cannot be on his shoulders but there arent many other players who get the minutes he does and doesnt get boo'ed for the lack of good football he gives to our squad. He definitley hinders everyone around him and I cant believe we havent 1. Bought a decent DM in - 2. Realised that he is a shocking CM/DM and stick him on the bench to come on as a utility player instead of playing him to save a substitution...

I'm sick and tired of waiting for our starting line up to not include him ...

i cant wait for the African nations because we will be forced to play nice football again

 

[AW?]

He's one of our best is he? Kind of explains why we are where we are. Where are we?

 

[SoulDog]

That is bullshit. Most games i think Zokora has been MOTM. He is one of the players that does care, you can see that. Yes he has not scored a goal for us, becaue he cant shoot, but he does everything else.Yes somtimes he does some strange balls but every player who sees the ball as much as him does (modric gives it away loads.) He makes some amazing runs, he Does not stop all game. He also been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

 

[markie]

That is bullshit. Most games i think Zokora has been MOTM. He is one of the players that does care, you can see that. Yes he has not scored a goal for us, becaue he cant shoot, but he does everything else.Yes somtimes he does some strange balls but every player who sees the ball as much as him does (modric gives it away loads.) He makes some amazing runs, he Does not stop all game. He also been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

Maybe you have been watching a different Zokora?

 

[yiddotilidie]

That is bullshit. Most games i think Zokora has been MOTM. He is one of the players that does care, you can see that. Yes he has not scored a goal for us, becaue he cant shoot, but he does everything else.Yes somtimes he does some strange balls but every player who sees the ball as much as him does (modric gives it away loads.) He makes some amazing runs, he Does not stop all game. He also been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

Please tell me what 'everything else'? He never tracks his runners, he never creates opportunities, he rarely breaks the play up, but yea I agree he gives 110% - so what? If that aint good enough then thats too bad.

Your right, he makes some amazing runs - but when has anything positive ever happened as a result of these runs?

 

[thebenjamin]

That is bullshit. Most games i think Zokora has been MOTM. He is one of the players that does care, you can see that. Yes he has not scored a goal for us, becaue he cant shoot, but he does everything else.Yes somtimes he does some strange balls but every player who sees the ball as much as him does (modric gives it away loads.) He makes some amazing runs, he Does not stop all game. He also been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

It's just amazing how people can see the game so differently.

 

[SoulDog]

Please tell me what 'everything else'? He never tracks his runners, he never creates opportunities, he rarely breaks the play up, but yea I agree he gives 110% - so what? If that aint good enough then thats too bad.

Your right, he makes some amazing runs - but when has anything positive ever happened as a result of these runs?

Never create opportunities? He's always trying to bomb forward, going on his amazing runs, trying to find a player to pass to (if only he could shoot)
He is also a good defender, i dont agree with playing him defence but he does his job. He does break play up, and always wiling to put in his foot. Just cause he has not scored for us, people do not see what he does for us same goes to Jenas, same went to Davids. etc.

Great players. And who else would you play in zokora position, o'hara? O'hara is no way as good, good squad player, thats it.

I also remember Zokora putting in a few good crosses, against stoke and hull i think it was.

 

[AngerManagement]

I like Zokora, I like his work rate and his commitment.

But put that aside, he simply is not good enough.

His postional sense is woeful, he gets dragged out of postion constantly and leaves the midfield wide open which is a big part of the problem we have with opposing midfields carving through us so easily.

He makes some nice runs with the ball, but he seems to lack the ability to make such runs and at the same time look up and see what to do with the ball when he gets in an advanced postion (much less execute such a pass should he some how see the strikers run)

To me it seems he has nothing but energy and stamina. I don't see what he currently offers, he neither defends well, wins the ball or offers anything offensively .

I think he makes a good squad member, a good player to have on your bench because of his versatility and energy.

However I don't think he has the required quality to be a successful PL CM.

Maybe under a more strict system he could thrive i.e. if he were set a more defined role and told to simply sweep up infront of the CBs and play the simply passes (thus sticking to the centre more and not chasing the ball out of postion constantly) His occasionaly bursts forward could then be covered by another player and that could work (maybe)

But still, what I have seen of him thus far I have to say I expected much much more of Zokora and he has been a major dissapointment to me. He is the type of player who would have been ok if he had come up through our academy system. I dont ever see us moving forward until we get someone of true class in that CM of ours (to play along side the hopefull World beater Modric will become)

 

[AngerManagement]

Did himself proud again last night

 

[yiddotilidie]

Did himself proud again last night

:rofl:

 

[markie]

Brilliant how as soon as O Hara was switched to left back we crumbled...

O Hara was doing the DM job in front of defence perfectly while zokora was dissapearing off around the pitch hiding where no one can see him.... Then Ramos has the masterstroke to stick o hara left back... (WHY?) and let zoko do the dm role which he is awful at...

Thanks Ramos for ruining our beautiful club with your terrible tactics and constant playing of playing of shi* zokora who wouldnt even cut it in the championship...

Disgusting how so many fans dont even watch him and see how shit he is... He runs out of position constantly and then dives to get free kicks then he hides in places where he wont be critisised... How the hell did comolli ever think that he could replace carrick...

 

[srups34]

Fuck he is one useless ****, he should not be anywhere near the first team, i thought Ramos should have replaced him at the time, instead of BAE.

 

[van_Pommel]

Everytime he picked up the ball in front of the back 4, he dribbled it up a blind alley. I was literally screaming at my TV for him to pass it. It makes me miss Carrick so much. He was always available, never tried anything fancy, just received the ball and then passed it accurately to an unmarked team mate. Its so simple but Dribblier Zokora just doesnt get it!

 

[markie]

So glad people are noticing....

 

[SoulDog]

Idiots, get behind your team and stop slagging players who have been putting in 100% every game.

 

[markie]

Idiots, get behind your team and stop slagging players who have been putting in 100% every game.

Hahahahahahahaha... There is always one... :rofl:

 

[SoulDog]

There is always one? Fucking open your eyes............ Zokora has been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

 

[markie]

There is always one? Fucking open your eyes............ Zokora has been one of our best players for a few seasons now.

Exactly my point... Why dont you watch zokora in the next game. It may open your fragile little eyes :rofl:

 

[SoulDog]

Come on tell me who you would prefer playing than Zokora, in our squad?