Kieron Dyer signs one-year contract extension with QPR

[Hughesy]

He was a good dribbler - I'll give you that - but there is absolutely no way in a million years anyone could ever describe Kieron Dyer as having a better touch (ie an ability to bring the ball under control) than Joe Cole.  Dyer's control of an incoming ball was pretty bad to be honest.

[CaliMag]

I'm flabbergasted. Joe Cole.......Kieron Dyer. I can't be arsed to debate it. I'll just add this. You're all mental.

Dyer was at least equal the player. Made of glass but his running off the ball and touch were better. Cole takes far too long to get a ball under control and moving. As for pace and versatility? No contest really is there? Cole is a show pony who rarely got a run in the team under 4 different Chelsea managers. Prior to that he was decidely average.

Dyer played a significant number of games and linked very well with those around him. Gary Speed certainly appreciated the legs next him and the front two had a field day because he dropped deep, took the ball off the centre halves (and he was probably the last central midfielder we had who was capable and confident doing that) and could move it off swifly. His pace made him a problem and the likes of Shearer and Bellamy had the wit to utilise that.

Pretty sure his off field antics didnt help but thats the kind of player who comes here. Its also the reason Craig Bellamy is off to his 9th club. Both got a little too far up their own arses up here. We arent Man Utd are we? If we had been then both would have been shifted a lot earlier.

 

Gary Speed got a lot of stick when paired up with Dyer because he had to do it all in the CM and often got overrun. Dyer created space because he often drifted out wide (usually on the right overlapping with Solano). I am not sure how much Speed appreciated it at the time.

[Hughesy]

Speed was the key in that midfield.  He held it together and had to do all Dyer's defensive work for him yet got a huge amount of stick from fans who clearly didn't have a clue what was going on.

[Yorkie]

Loved him off the striker. Martins/Dyer was good fun and probably one of the telling factors in us keeping our heads above the water that year.

 

He was a little shit but i can't help but have affection for the likes of him; such a bloody good player. Criminal how little games he played for us given the length of his stay.

[Yorkie]

When did I say they were?

 

You didn't, but why would you pluck Joe Cole out of thin air? I don't see any comparable attributes, or qualities at all. Even hypothetical.

 

Because, if you read the post again, you'd see that I said 'same esteem' - a different type of player, not world class but dangerous all across the midfield and generally a very good option.

 

Don't see what's wrong with this. I agree. Dyer at his best could win a game on his own.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I continue to be flabbergasted. Dyer at his best was still nothing on Joe Cole at his best. I don't know why that should even need to be uttered. I also seem to remember Dyer when he was at his best going missing in big games, and once (still, it sticks in the memory) when he was in form, receiving the ball on the left wing from Scott Parker, and the ball rolling out under his foot for a throw in. This was just after he'd been given the 80 grand a week contract.

[Yorkie]

Flabbergasted. I think you're either overrating Joe Cole or underrating Dyer. Cole's a cracking player and has undoubtedly been a better one on a more consistent basis. However, i don't think it would have been beyond Dyer's capabilities to reach a similar level, had he remained conistently fit. Injuries have absolutely killed a player who had the potential to be brilliant.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

[merlin]

Was glad to see the back of him - a talented player who turned into a waste of space and spent too much time believing his own publicity ; will never forget the way Scholes rammed Dyer's boastful claim to his England place right down his throat at SJP when Scholes orchestrated a 6-2 win....pure justice !

[Yorkie]

Yeah i was chuffed about that. Mint day.

[Ronaldo]

Yeah i was chuffed about that. Mint day.

 

f***ing incredible, surprised the club didn't release a DVD.

[Guest n4e]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

 

I have to agree with the others. I'd have a 100% Dyer over a 100% Joe Cole.

[Guest Antigalican]

Dyer is living proof of how in this day and age mediocre players can become multi-millionaires.

[Hughesy]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

 

Or they just don't understand football would be my guess.

[Lenny]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

 

Or they just don't understand football would be my guess.

 

So people don't understand football because they don't agree with the pair of you. Christ

[relámpago blanco]

Dyer is living proof of how in this day and age mediocre players can become multi-millionaires.

Dyer wasn't mediocre, I have no doubt he would have been an England regular had he not had the injury problems, even when he came back from injuries under Roeder iirc, he was different class.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Dyer is living proof of how in this day and age mediocre players can become multi-millionaires.

Dyer wasn't mediocre, I have no doubt he would have been an England regular had he not had the injury problems, even when he came back from injuries under Roeder iirc, he was different class.

 

Totally agree, if anything he was underrated by the majority of our fans... probably because he was young, rich and flashy.

[TheGuv]

He had 30 something caps

[Hughesy]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

 

Or they just don't understand football would be my guess.

 

So people don't understand football because they don't agree with the pair of you. Christ

 

When people make ridiculous claims about the ability of Dyer - yes, they don't understand football.  The guy's weaknesses were too numerous and too important to ever make him a top player.  You'll notice that in our most successful seasons, his contributions were limited, both statistically and in the way he unbalanced our team.

[Lenny]

I think I'll just go with a simple: Nah.

 

If anything, I think people have got the rose-tinted glasses on with Dyer.

 

Or they just don't understand football would be my guess.

 

So people don't understand football because they don't agree with the pair of you. Christ

 

When people make ridiculous claims about the ability of Dyer - yes, they don't understand football.  The guy's weaknesses were too numerous and too important to ever make him a top player.  You'll notice that in our most successful seasons, his contributions were limited, both statistically and in the way he unbalanced our team.

 

The most successful season Dyer played in for us was when we finished 3rd and had a Champions League run. Various sources have him playing 35 games for us and 12 in the Champions league. He can't have unbalanced us to that much of a detrimental effect.

 

I don't agree with your assessment of Dyer as a player in any case. You've previously picked out his passing and touch as poor, which is just not true.

 

A lot of people don't like Dyer because he was a twat and spent a lot of time injured. On the pitch and at his best he was class IMO.

[Yorkie]

So this football thing, right. It's something about rackets or bats or summat isn't it?

[Hughesy]

In 2001-02, he played 18 games.  This was the season that we got more points than in 2002-03, but finished 4th.

 

In 2002-03, Premier League stats are as follows:

 

Goals

Solano - 7

Jenas - 6

Robert - 5

Speed - 2

Dyer - 2

 

Assists

Robert - 5

Solano - 5

Dyer - 4

Jenas - 3

Speed - 3

 

Dyer's passing and touch was poor.  I just don't know how you can argue any differently?  His technique was appalling and his awareness of what was going on around him and the 'bigger picture' was average at best.

 

In terms of him unbalancing the team - I am not saying Dyer was a bad player.  He was a good player, but nothing more.  When on top of his game, he could be quite destructive (even if the stats show otherwise), but again, he was nothing more than a good player and he would never have amounted to anything more than that.  As has been stated already, he often left Speed overexposed which meant that against top teams we were often overrun in midfield.  Any central midfield containing Dyer would never have mounted a proper title challenge.

[Lenny]

In 2001-02, he played 18 games.  This was the season that we got more points than in 2002-03, but finished 4th.

 

In 2002-03, Premier League stats are as follows:

 

Goals

Solano - 7

Jenas - 6

Robert - 5

Speed - 2

Dyer - 2

 

Assists

Robert - 5

Solano - 5

Dyer - 4

Jenas - 3

Speed - 3

 

Dyer's passing and touch was poor.  I just don't know how you can argue any differently?  His technique was appalling and his awareness of what was going on around him and the 'bigger picture' was average at best.

 

In terms of him unbalancing the team - I am not saying Dyer was a bad player.  He was a good player, but nothing more.  When on top of his game, he could be quite destructive (even if the stats show otherwise), but again, he was nothing more than a good player and he would never have amounted to anything more than that.  As has been stated already, he often left Speed overexposed which meant that against top teams we were often overrun in midfield.  Any central midfield containing Dyer would never have mounted a proper title challenge.

 

Because I saw him play, a lot, and from what I saw I don't see this as being the case.

 

I think we're going to have to agree to disagree here, but you can't just dismiss peoples opinions of players (and football in general) if they differ to yours.

[JH]

I haven't looked into the stats, but I'm betting Robert, Solano, Jenas and Speed played more games than Dyer in 02/03?

 

EDIT: Maybe not

[Hughesy]

Happy to agree to disagree - but to be honest, dismissals of other people's opinions seems to be pretty much par for the course on this forum.  But thanks for the life tip.