James Milner

[Cormack74]

Yup pretty sure he was.

[Exiled_red]

It's an odd situation because logic say we should buy a real left back but Milner has played so well there you wouldn't want to see him dropped, and I can't really see him playing a centre midfield role.

[Chris]

He's been brilliant. Shame he's 31 next week but he's a top pro so hopefully his legs aren't going to go anytime soon.

[Charly]

To be fair... Gary Mac was amazing for 6 months, and Babbel for a year. Both of those players were "unlucky" with age and injury.

Milner is at his peak, and has been in the team for a season and a half and has shown the skillz of Mcallister with the conistency of Babbel. Hopefully we still have a couple more seasons left in him...

Yes... best free transfer ever!

And consider he left city to come here to play centre midfield... and has he moaned? Top player. Top professional.

[G]

The early pages of this thread Up there with the Henderson thread.

[Doc_Piptorious]

It's an odd situation because logic say we should buy a real left back but Milner has played so well there you wouldn't want to see him dropped, and I can't really see him playing a centre midfield role.

Don't think Milner warrants replacing at left back.

His stats in the left back position are excellent. Pretty much close to what one might expect from a world class left back.

Just from his 16 premier league games this season.

5 goals
2 assists
An average of 2.5 tackles per game
An average of 1.3 interceptions per game
An average of 2.7 clearances per game
A pass completion rate of 84%
An average of 1.1 crosses per game (not including corners taken or free kicks)
An average of 1.6 key passes per game and 1.1 dribbles per game

He is basically beating Clyne's defensive stats for the most part, and still putting up offensive stats that are not all that far of those of Firmino.


Now stats rarely tell the full story, but in the case of Mlner they do back up what we are seeing with our own eyes, and maybe they highlight just how impressive he has been so far this season at left back.


Would be curious to see how many full backs in the three top leagues (Premier League, La Liga, and Bundesliga) can match or better the stats of Milner this season, and, if any do, what sort of price tag would such a player command.

[Steve001]

To be fair... Gary Mac was amazing for 6 months, and Babbel for a year. Both of those players were "unlucky" with age and injury.

Babbel was hit with Guillain-Barre syndrome I think. A shocking illness !

[baitman]

The early pages of this thread Up there with the Henderson thread.

https://www.est1892.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3042424&postcount=121

https://www.est1892.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=3265797&postcount=993

[Doc_Piptorious]

Babbel was hit with Guillain-Barre syndrome I think. A shocking illness !

It really is. My dad was struck down with it in late 2004. Paralysed him from the neck down for a period and left him needing a ventilator to breath. Took months and months before he was able to start doing the bare basics again, and things like walking about, buttoning a shirt etc all became big undertakings for him afterwards. 12 years later he is still showing the after effects as certain things never returned but he was luckier than some who got it.



As a Markus Babbel related aside, I got in touch with the club after my dad was struggling badly for motivation and with depression in the first month or so of getting the illness, and Rick Parry was a legend in organising a big get well card signed by the first team. Four players also sent their own get well cards off of their own backs, but the most amazing and touching bit was Parry getting in touch with Babbel in Germany and Babbel taking the time to phone my dad to encourage him to fight the illness and to offer advice on getting through it. He then followed up with a couple of calls in the 12 months that followed just to check on my dad. Made a world of difference to my dad, and we could see that little bit of extra determination in him after that first phone call.

[baitman]

lovely to read that Jaco. Hope he has recovered well.

[Gingawaria]

Babbel was hit with Guillain-Barre syndrome I think. A shocking illness !

Yeah - I don't think at the time people appreciated just how serious it was. The guy could've died, the fact that he played any football after was a miracle.

[Steve001]

It really is. My dad was struck down with it in late 2004. Paralysed him from the neck down for a period and left him needing a ventilator to breath. Took months and months before he was able to start doing the bare basics again, and things like walking about, buttoning a shirt etc all became big undertakings for him afterwards. 12 years later he is still showing the after effects as certain things never returned but he was luckier than some who got it.



As a Markus Babbel related aside, I got in touch with the club after my dad was struggling badly for motivation and with depression in the first month or so of getting the illness, and Rick Parry was a legend in organising a big get well card signed by the first team. Four players also sent their own get well cards off of their own backs, but the most amazing and touching bit was Parry getting in touch with Babbel in Germany and Babbel taking the time to phone my dad to encourage him to fight the illness and to offer advice on getting through it. He then followed up with a couple of calls in the 12 months that followed just to check on my dad. Made a world of difference to my dad, and we could see that little bit of extra determination in him after that first phone call.

I realise that must have been incredibly traumatic for your Dad and all his loved ones but, a lovely story of triumph over adversity ! Thanks for sharing Jaco!

[Gingawaria]

It really is. My dad was struck down with it in late 2004. Paralysed him from the neck down for a period and left him needing a ventilator to breath. Took months and months before he was able to start doing the bare basics again, and things like walking about, buttoning a shirt etc all became big undertakings for him afterwards. 12 years later he is still showing the after effects as certain things never returned but he was luckier than some who got it.



As a Markus Babbel related aside, I got in touch with the club after my dad was struggling badly for motivation and with depression in the first month or so of getting the illness, and Rick Parry was a legend in organising a big get well card signed by the first team. Four players also sent their own get well cards off of their own backs, but the most amazing and touching bit was Parry getting in touch with Babbel in Germany and Babbel taking the time to phone my dad to encourage him to fight the illness and to offer advice on getting through it. He then followed up with a couple of calls in the 12 months that followed just to check on my dad. Made a world of difference to my dad, and we could see that little bit of extra determination in him after that first phone call.

Glad to hear your Dad has recovered and what a great touch from the club.

[Steve001]

Yeah - I don't think at the time people appreciated just how serious it was. The guy could've died, the fact that he played any football after was a miracle.

I was naïve enough to think.... surely, he will be back next week! I couldn't get my head around something that could debilitate you so much so quickly from doing nothing!
It was only when I met a chap in my local gym (fairly recently) who had a similar story to Jacos' Dad, paralysed from neck down etc….. he got over it and was back on his feet but he told me, although the bottom half of his legs were always in pain, half an hour on the stepper and it felt like “hot pokers being shoved into the soles of my feet and up to my knees”

Obviously no illness is pleasant but that really is a nasty one !

[Irishnev]

Yup pretty sure he was.