[Danny]

In all the fuss over Honda in January, it appears no Rami topic was ever posted!

So I'll do it here, and feel free to move this to players, mods, and change the title.

I dunno, I'm far from won over by him. His positional sense is suspect, and he doesn't seem the strongest. He's quite effective marauding forward but that's not what we signed him for.

I see him as exactly what I originally classed him as, a slightly inferior version of Mexes.

And he's done nothing to dissuade me of that.

[X-Offender]

His only con is his positioning. Other than that, he's very good. Super-strong physically, great in the air, great at tackling. We need players like him.

[Danny]

His only con is his positioning. Other than that, he's very good. Super-strong physically, great in the air, great at tackling. We need players like him.

tbh if he was as good as this Valencia wouldn't have let him go for free.

[X-Offender]

tbh if he was as good as this Valencia wouldn't have let him go for free.

He had a brawl with their coach or something, that's why he was left out of the team. But does it really matter what Valencia think? I judge Rami based on his contribution to our season, and despite a few stinkers here and there, he's been very solid overall.

It's really funny. I follow a number of Italian football-related sites on Facebook, and when we signed Rami and during his first few games with us, a lot of people where so easily discarding him as a cheap defender. But now you won't believe how many comments he gets in his favor. People really want him to stay, because he's proved that he's worth the shirt, and I really hope we sign him permanently. Him and Mexes form a really nice duo. Sure, it's no Costacurta and Maldini or Nesta and Thiago Silva, but given our current possibilities, it's the best we can afford.

[han2503]

In all the fuss over Honda in January, it appears no Rami topic was ever posted!

So I'll do it here, and feel free to move this to players, mods, and change the title.

I dunno, I'm far from won over by him. His positional sense is suspect, and he doesn't seem the strongest. He's quite effective marauding forward but that's not what we signed him for.

I see him as exactly what I originally classed him as, a slightly inferior version of Mexes.

And he's done nothing to dissuade me of that.

I think his positioning is okay, not bad but not great either.

My biggest issue with him is his sudden bouts of head spacing.

Other than that, I agree with x-off, he's been really good for us, he brings qualities to this team that I personally think are needed, plus him and Mexes form a very solid pairing.

I think if we can sign him and extend Mexes's deal with a lower wage, plus have Abate and DS both starting regularly next season, we'd have a pretty great defence

[acid911]

I think if we can sign him and extend Mexes's deal with a lower wage, plus have Abate and DS both starting regularly next season, we'd have a pretty great defence

Yeah, but I wouldn't call it great. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Pretty good defense.

[Danny]

Good by our current woeful standards, dismal by ordinary Milan ones (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[X-Offender]

Nah, good by Serie A standards. Napoli have Maggio, Albiol, Fernandez and Ghoulam for crying out loud, and Roma have Maicon, Benatia, Castan and Romagnoli.

[han2503]

Yeah, but I wouldn't call it great. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sleep.gif) Pretty good defense.

I think it's great by today's standard of poor defences. Even in other leagues

Barca have Pique and Mascherano. Real have the idiotic duo of Pepe and Ramos. Juve have Elbow to the face Chiellini and Bone head Bonucci. Man U have Jones and Evans, Chelsea have Terry and Cahill, Bayern have Dante and Badstuber, City have Kompany and freaking Demichelis!

None of those are all that great either. So Mexes and Rami in my book are on an even keel.

I think the only duo that are really great in there are Cahill and Terry, mostly because of the understanding they have with each other.

In terms of Serie A. Juve aside, you don't have much to talk about, Napoli's is average at best. and Roma's is good as well.

[han2503]

Good by our current woeful standards, dismal by ordinary Milan ones (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

I think defending in general has taken a massive nose dive in recent years, so Mexes and Rami are pretty good compared to any duo out there right now, even at the top clubs in Spain and England

[Danny]

I think defending in general has taken a massive nose dive in recent years, so Mexes and Rami are pretty good compared to any duo out there right now, even at the top clubs in Spain and England

John Terry and Gary Cahill p*ss all over Mexes and Rami tbh.

And even that Demechelis/Kompany combo you deride only conceded 37 goals last season.

Juve conceded 23, we conceded 49.

Let's face it, we can try to paint it however we like but our defence sucks, and other clubs' are much better. I agree that Barca and Real's defences aren't marvellous, but Atletico's is.

Then there's Bayern whose defence let in 23 goals, same as Juve.

We're miles off the top clubs and Mexes and Rami are just ordinary/good defenders.

[Danny]

Nah, good by Serie A standards. Napoli have Maggio, Albiol, Fernandez and Ghoulam for crying out loud, and Roma have Maicon, Benatia, Castan and Romagnoli.

Laugh at Roma and Napoli if you like but it's the lack of goals conceded which makes them miles ahead of us. They would easily laugh at us and say 'they've got washed-up Mexes and meh Rami for crying out loud. Plus Silvestre and and Zapata'.

[milanbuf88]

John Terry and Gary Cahill p*ss all over Mexes and Rami tbh.

And even that Demechelis/Kompany combo you deride only conceded 37 goals last season.

Juve conceded 23, we conceded 49.

Let's face it, we can try to paint it however we like but our defence sucks, and other clubs' are much better. I agree that Barca and Real's defences aren't marvellous, but Atletico's is.

Then there's Bayern whose defence let in 23 goals, same as Juve.

We're miles off the top clubs and Mexes and Rami are just ordinary/good defenders.

How much of our huge number is down to instability in our selections? We seemed to rotate our CBs every game. How can a pairing ever gain an understanding if they can't get a run of games together?

[han2503]

John Terry and Gary Cahill p*ss all over Mexes and Rami tbh.

And even that Demechelis/Kompany combo you deride only conceded 37 goals last season.

Juve conceded 23, we conceded 49.

Let's face it, we can try to paint it however we like but our defence sucks, and other clubs' are much better. I agree that Barca and Real's defences aren't marvellous, but Atletico's is.

Then there's Bayern whose defence let in 23 goals, same as Juve.

We're miles off the top clubs and Mexes and Rami are just ordinary/good defenders.

You can't really make the comparison though, most of our goals were conceded during the first half of the season plus during Seedorf's first 2 months with us. All of which during a constant rotation of CBs and when Rami wasn't even playing

How much of our huge number is down to instability in our selections? We seemed to rotate our CBs every game. How can a pairing ever gain an understanding if they can't get a run of games together?

This, also taking into account that Rami could only start playing with the team at the turn of the new year

[han2503]

Laugh at Roma and Napoli if you like but it's the lack of goals conceded which makes them miles ahead of us. They would easily laugh at us and say 'they've got washed-up Mexes and meh Rami for crying out loud. Plus Silvestre and and Zapata'.

Like I said, how can you make that comparison when there has been such a continual shift and instability in defence for us during this season, mostly due to the coaches/changes in coaches and injuries

Mexes and Rami have only really been playing regularly as a duo for these last 3 and a half months or so. Before that Seedorf hadn't played the same CB pairing for 2 games running. Allegri also continually messed about with the defensive pairing, especially since Rami wasn't eligible to play during his time

That's why most of the top clubs have a better defense than us this season, statistically speaking.