Aurelio (v Riise)

[kopdan]

Riise is a great wing back. He's the better of the two. He's just out of sorts.

[Shaggy]

Hmmm......yeeeah....buuuut....

It happens once in about 15 games and we wont get to play Watford next season, so what's the point?

Who's to say he hasn't finally got to grips with things? We should at least give the bloke a chance. With Riise being so out of form, and extremely limited in any case, he's our best option as things stand.

I honestly believe many people are blinkered by Riise's penchant for the odd screamer.

[Shaggy]

Aurelio is a footballer, Riise an athlete and an SMS monster.

Exactly.

[Parm]

But to me Aurelio isn't a left back - he's a genuine wing-back, and when we switch our formation to one like today's, he's the natural option.

[/I

i think both are quality wing backs. people have highlighted their strengths and weaknesses. If we played 3-5-2 or 3/4/3 every week then one of them would be perfect for us.
Yes we could do with someone like Bridge or Silverstre at left back but we cant have it all.

also re ginger, he has lost a lot of form, you can really see how poor he can be without that goal threat. That shot today was dire.

[Craig_H]

Who's to say he hasn't finally got to grips with things? We should at least give the bloke a chance. With Riise being so out of form, and extremely limited in any case, he's our best option as things stand.

I honestly believe many people are blinkered by Riise's penchant for the odd screamer.

I'm not saying dont give him a chance, i aint yelling 'sell sell sell' (yet), but i'm just saying thus far, he hasnt shown me much. Of course give him a chance.

Riise is capable of 10 goals a season in all comps, because he can get into really advanced positions down the left and aside from the screamers, he can actually finish well for a more defensive than attacking player.

[lfc4ever]

He works best when there is cover behind him, wing-back is about the best description I suppose, which prob works best with 3 at the back, he is not good enough defensively for 4 at the back being an out & out LB, he's neither a Riise nor a Kewell, but an inbetweeny and is great for that role, so it should not be a matter of Riise or Aurelio, it can be Riise & Aurelio & Gonzales/Kewell, depending on the situation, he can cover all 3 positions, is best as wing-back, but not good enough (yet) as sole incumbent of LB or LW.

[Guest]

Christ, how's not rating a player 'doom mongering' ?

Do you think every one of our players is Pele or something?

You can see my point mate. Aurelio is a good player settling in a foreign league so he needed that settling in period. He plays the simple pass and has a terrific passing range. (Can play long or short and has a good cross on him).

He's not a pacey player, so for me he will not be very effective at left wing.

[Craig_H]

You can see my point mate. Aurelio is a good player settling in a foreign league so he needed that settling in period. He plays the simple pass and has a terrific passing range. (Can play long or short and has a good cross on him).

He's not a pacey player, so for me he will not be very effective at left wing.

No arguments there. I just dont think he has enough 'impact' in his game, to be effective enough in the Premiership. As you've said he wont be very effective at LW, and from what i've seen, he seems a bit ropey with his defending too. So i really dont see WHAT he can offer us.

*waits hoping to be proven very wrong (but declines the opportunity to eat his hat if this does happen)*

[Guest]

Is Evra a great left back ? He's been found regularly because of his attacking nous. But he's keeping Heinze on the subs bench.

The key is players gain confidence by playing in a team which is playing well and with confidence. It's been difficult for most of our new players because of our results at the start of our season.

[Milan_Milan]

But to me Aurelio isn't a left back - he's a genuine wing-back, and when we switch our formation to one like today's, he's the natural option.

Which is why he's around if you ask me. Rafa loves his possibilities as we know. I doubt he'll play too often as a left back in a 4 4 2, but he does offer cover there. He can play left mid or left back as a sub if we've won a game or in the cup, and when we switch formation, he's the first choice to come in on the left hand side.

I reckon Riise (assuming his form comes back, don't forget he was part of the record breaking defence last year, and people were producing remarkable stats about goals conceded when he played and didn't) will be our first choice left back for the next couple of years, with Rafa presumably looking to bring Insua through after that. I don't think Aurelio is earmarked in his plans for first choice left back or left midfielder unless he improves radically, but he's the ideal wing back.

[Red_Al_77]

If we had a decent LW we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Neither Riise or Aurelio are good enough at LB and neither are good enough at LW. Both offer something as wingbacks and Aurelio is in pole position because Riise is so off form.

[Shaggy]

Which is why he's around if you ask me. Rafa loves his possibilities as we know. I doubt he'll play too often as a left back in a 4 4 2, but he does offer cover there. He can play left mid or left back as a sub if we've won a game or in the cup, and when we switch formation, he's the first choice to come in on the left hand side.

I reckon Riise (assuming his form comes back, don't forget he was part of the record breaking defence last year, and people were producing remarkable stats about goals conceded when he played and didn't) will be our first choice left back for the next couple of years, with Rafa presumably looking to bring Insua through after that. I don't think Aurelio is earmarked in his plans for first choice left back or left midfielder unless he improves radically, but he's the ideal wing back.

I'd go along with that mate.

[Craig_H]

Is Evra a great left back ? He's been found regularly because of his attacking nous. But he's keeping Heinze on the subs bench.

The key is players gain confidence by playing in a team which is playing well and with confidence. It's been difficult for most of our new players because of our results at the start of our season.

It's frankly nonsensical that Evra is keeping Heinze out, IMO.

[Guest]

No arguments there. I just dont think he has enough 'impact' in his game, to be effective enough in the Premiership. As you've said he wont be very effective at LW, and from what i've seen, he seems a bit ropey with his defending too. So i really dont see WHAT he can offer us.

*waits hoping to be proven very wrong (but declines the opportunity to eat his hat if this does happen)*

True he isn't an 'athletic' kind of a player, as he's more in the mould of a gifted lightweight player but I've seen him tackling with some vigour in matches, so i wouldn't bet against him being strong.

On that front i think JAR has the edge but, but I'm frustrated at the way Johnny gives the ball away by hoofing it long.

[Shaggy]

If we had a decent LW we wouldn't even be having this discussion. Neither Riise or Aurelio are good enough at LB and neither are good enough at LW. Both offer something as wingbacks and Aurelio is in pole position because Riise is so off form.

But while we haven't got any decent wingers (Gonzalez may yet come good), this 3-4-3 formation would appear to be our best set-up - certainly away from home - with Aurelio being the ideal player for the left-wing-back slot.