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How has he performed as their captain?

 

http://animalia-life.com/data_images/donkey/donkey2.jpg

 

Just spoken to my Rovers supporting mate and this was his honest appraisal of Hanley.

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If he's 188cm isn't he only 6 ' 1.5''? Hardly towering. And he's also slow. So, not particularly tall and slow with limited ability with the ball.

 

You'd have to think there's more to him then, I don't see why Rafa would go chasing after him above all others if he was just slow and not very tall. Maybe he's still good in the air. Williamson was tall but he was really weak in the air.

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Squad building. What a novel idea :D.

It really is.

 

I swear there was a fans forum* where they basically laid out the plan of having as paper thin of a senior squad as possible and rely on reserves/youth expected to fill the gaps, but I can't for the life of me find it.

 

* - it may have been communicated elsewhere but that's where I remember it from.

 

You mean the "purples" and "browns" and so on? :lol:

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If he's 188cm isn't he only 6 ' 1.5''? Hardly towering. And he's also slow. So, not particularly tall and slow with limited ability with the ball.

 

You'd have to think there's more to him then, I don't see why Rafa would go chasing after him above all others if he was just slow and not very tall. Maybe he's still good in the air. Williamson was tall but he was really weak in the air.

 

True.

He might have very good positioning. His interception stats would seem to suggest that.

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6' 1.5" (1,86 meter) is quite high though. Not like hes a midget or anything. Probably well above any average team height he will face this season.

 

Lascelles is 6' 2" apparently, a whooping 2cm higher, and nobody is questioning his height :lol:

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Squad building. What a novel idea :D.

It really is.

 

I swear there was a fans forum* where they basically laid out the plan of having as paper thin of a senior squad as possible and rely on reserves/youth expected to fill the gaps, but I can't for the life of me find it.

 

* - it may have been communicated elsewhere but that's where I remember it from.

 

You mean the "purples" and "browns" and so on? :lol:

aye, turns out to have been one of llambias's genius moments, somehow thought it was more recent than that. :lol:
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If he's 188cm isn't he only 6 ' 1.5''? Hardly towering. And he's also slow. So, not particularly tall and slow with limited ability with the ball.

 

You'd have to think there's more to him then, I don't see why Rafa would go chasing after him above all others if he was just slow and not very tall. Maybe he's still good in the air. Williamson was tall but he was really weak in the air.

 

My guess is he wants more leaders in the dressing room.

 

Leadership is great, but if you are a crap player, you aren't going to be much of a leader. Hanley looks like a big physical unit, if his tackling is quite good and he reads the game well, he'll be a decent defender. TBH, people were calling Lascelles worse than shit in last year's pre-season friendlies. I'd just trust Rafa's judgement on this one.

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We have 4 CB's now (still think that's Dummetts best position) that would probably be adequate to start a PL season, plus Hayden can play there.  We need to concentrate on Wijanldums replacement now, add a goal scoring midfielder and maybe another striker and we are set imo.  The squad is massive in terms of numbers bearing in mind the likes of Gouffran, Saivet and Thauvin are still here.  No one really knows what we plan on doing with them yet

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I'd say Saivet could do a job in the championship myself, I thought he looked okay last season.

 

He looked alright in one game (Everton, I think), but it's hard to really judge based on so little what kind of player he is.

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I'd assume that Rafa doesn't rate Saivet as he didn't even make the bench is some games under him. I don't think he played at all did he, under Rafa?

 

Wijnaldum hardly started as well and i doubt Rafa is hoping he gets sold, he made specific choices based on the shithole we were in it doesn't matter he doesn't rate them.

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Aye Saivet started in the first pre season game. think he could well be used a bit this season.

 

Colback will get his fair share too, unless Benitez does actually want Lucas, that will tell more what he thinks of Colback than anything.

 

If Aarons stays fit he'll be hard to leave out, do we have him on a long term contract now?

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Guest Howaythetoon

One thing everyone has to take in is Rafa's ability to develop a players' game especially mentally and tactically. Look at what Torres said. Rafa who was never a striker or is regarded as a conservative type manager made him a better finisher. I'm confident Rafa can polish even a turd, at least enough to perform to a certain standard anyway.

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Considering Mbemba could be off to the ACON in January, he could be very good cover.

 

Aye. I also just saw that on twitter, along with that pic and it jogged my memory.  Had completely forgotten about the AFCON.

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I think the Saivet thing has been blown out of proportion. He was new to the league and Rafa likes to have experience, doubt there was much more to it than that. I reckon he'll have a good season - he seems a potentially handy footballer from the glimpses I've seen - and will hopefully push Colback down the pecking order.

 

As for Hanley, he sounds like what we've needed for a while. Don't think he'll be an automatic starter, though. As has been said, there's going to be a lot of games, all 3 senior CBs will get loads of playing time.

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