Roberto Carlos and Chelsea
Chelsea is about to sign Roberto Carlos, a move attributed (by the Mirror's John Cross ) to the wishes of Roman Abramovich's 12 year-old son. This might be just the type of thing that could unsettle Chelsea's march to a 3rd straight prem title. It certainly won't be a lack of talent on the pitch. Some thoughts:
Could such a shrewd judge of talent as Mourinho really be happy about signing the Brazilian? Could this be the beginning of some friction between two very willful men, Mourinho and Abramovich? If so, this could get good.
Maybe Chelsea (as rumoured) really have signed Ashley Cole and this is just a harmless bone for Mourinho to throw to his deep-pocketed owner. Carlos will mostly deputize and his slowing legs will benefit from fewer games. He will certainly help grow the Chelsea brand with his global name recognition.
But if they don't sign Cole, is Roberto Carlos a good choice? I think of outside backs much like NFL cornerbacks. They must be lightning fast to mark speedy wingers (the wide receiver equivalent) like Robben and Christiano Ronaldo. If you don't have the wheels you are done as a wingback and must move to central defense or midfield if you are still valuable enough there. For a cornerback who has lost a step in the NFL, he has to learn to play safety or hang it up. The position requires speed.
BTW, I think watching a wingback steal a ball from a winger and go on a box-to-box run downfield is just like watching a cornerback step in front of a wide-receiver, make the pick, and take it 70 yards the other way for a TD. Both are beautful to watch and great displays of speed and athleticism.
Despite his great fitness, Roberto Carlos has lost his speed. Judging by his performances the last few years for Real Madrid and Brazil, he also isn't terribly effective as an attacking option. And, though I never loved his high-velocity low % direct kicks, they have become even less accurate. He and Lampard might pose more of a threat to the fans behind the goal than the keeper.
Like a decent lefty pitcher in baseball, there is always a roster spot for decent lefties in the EPL (how bad did Graham Le Saux have to get for teams to stop offering him contracts?). And outside of Cole, there is a shortage of world-class left backs right now. So maybe Roberto Carlos is the best option - I would just opt for a solid, albeit out of position, defender like Gallas (who btw scores a fair amount on set pieces) over a riskier, attacking player like the Brazilian.
Could such a shrewd judge of talent as Mourinho really be happy about signing the Brazilian? Could this be the beginning of some friction between two very willful men, Mourinho and Abramovich? If so, this could get good.
Maybe Chelsea (as rumoured) really have signed Ashley Cole and this is just a harmless bone for Mourinho to throw to his deep-pocketed owner. Carlos will mostly deputize and his slowing legs will benefit from fewer games. He will certainly help grow the Chelsea brand with his global name recognition.
But if they don't sign Cole, is Roberto Carlos a good choice? I think of outside backs much like NFL cornerbacks. They must be lightning fast to mark speedy wingers (the wide receiver equivalent) like Robben and Christiano Ronaldo. If you don't have the wheels you are done as a wingback and must move to central defense or midfield if you are still valuable enough there. For a cornerback who has lost a step in the NFL, he has to learn to play safety or hang it up. The position requires speed.
BTW, I think watching a wingback steal a ball from a winger and go on a box-to-box run downfield is just like watching a cornerback step in front of a wide-receiver, make the pick, and take it 70 yards the other way for a TD. Both are beautful to watch and great displays of speed and athleticism.
Despite his great fitness, Roberto Carlos has lost his speed. Judging by his performances the last few years for Real Madrid and Brazil, he also isn't terribly effective as an attacking option. And, though I never loved his high-velocity low % direct kicks, they have become even less accurate. He and Lampard might pose more of a threat to the fans behind the goal than the keeper.
Like a decent lefty pitcher in baseball, there is always a roster spot for decent lefties in the EPL (how bad did Graham Le Saux have to get for teams to stop offering him contracts?). And outside of Cole, there is a shortage of world-class left backs right now. So maybe Roberto Carlos is the best option - I would just opt for a solid, albeit out of position, defender like Gallas (who btw scores a fair amount on set pieces) over a riskier, attacking player like the Brazilian.
posted by the idiot at 2:42 PM
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