A couple of years ago I remember a fans’ forum at Craven Cottage. At the forum someone asked if we were going to get a spare centre-back to back up Hangeland and Hughes. Hodgson noted that he’d like to, but that finding players a) good enough to be a regular first team player but b) happy to not be a regular first team player are quite rare. Hence the Smalling/Baird contingency, which seemed fine last season.
And then this.
Hmmm.
I like the signing on the surface. Senderos played in a very attacking Arsenal side and was occasionally exposed as a result. AC Milan saw enough there to take him on loan. Now, he didn’t stick with either, but does that mean he can’t be valuable to Fulham? Of course not. This is just the sort of signing Roy’s good at, talented players who may have lost their way slightly. I like it a lot.
However, we have to ask ourselves whether a young international centre-back was really needed. We may be reading too much into this, but why would Senderos sign for Fulham knowing that we have the most entrenched centre-back pairing in the league? True, Roy is a legend in Switzerland, but even so, we must worry that Senderos isn’t here to backup anyone, that there’s news we don’t yet know about concerning Brede Hangeland.
Hmmm.
Never mind. Nice pickup either way.
Good pickup. My player contribution machine gave him a 26 for 07/08 (time-adjusted), which is very good for a central defender – granted, he only played about 1/3 of the available minutes. He won only about 50% of his headers (low by our standards), but so did Gallas and Toure.
The fact that he hasn’t done much since suggests that he could be a bit of a reclamation project. But he’s still young, has had success before, and could make us better.
He’s definitely a back up.
Whilst on loan with Everton last season he only started one EPL game, came on as a 90th minute sub in another, and was pulled after 51 minutes in a Europa League game. He also played in two Carling Cup matches with the Arse.
yes but he’s young for a centre-back, has had important (and impressive) time in the Swizterland side, and played in the Arsenal team for a bit. Based on his CV to date he’s a Fulham starter, quality-wise. Whether he gets to do that depends on what happens with Hangeland, I suspect.
Somehow feel more encouraged about Roy’s future though.
Oh. I was getting quite excited that Senderos arriving was a good sign Roy plans to stay. Thought he was filling the gap left by Smalling and hadn’t even considered it may have wider ramifications.
I’m hoping we’ve just got more money to spend thanks to Smalling’s transfer. We’ll need depth in the squad for our run at both domestic cups alongside a top 6 finish ;-)
It could mean anything but it MIGHT mean that Senderos is unhappy at the way his career is going and recognises that he needs a manager willing and able to get him back on the right track.
Hangelands agent in Norway has told the press that he’s staying. For some reason I don’t think any clubs would be paying the amount of money we want for a player soon to be 30.
Any news on your end lads?
http://www.liverpoolway.co.uk/forum/ff-football-forum/92114-kop-magazine-reporting-roy-hodgson.html
seems quite likely doesn’t it? You’re getting an amazing manager if so.
Wow. LFC fans don’t seem to hold a high opinion of Sir Roy from what I read over there.
All defenders have looked OK or fantastic under RH and several have reportedly played better than ever before. So it’s a great setup for a defender with the basic attributes, as Senderos surely has. With such a well oiled system you simply have to obey instructions and all is hunky-dorey. Wondering what to do, and judging wrong, becomes a thing of the past. Arsenal is a fabulous setup but not in that same way.
I’ve overstated all that, but the basic case stands, I hope. And if so, one very tall guy may more or less replace another. Perhaps.
This is a good problem to have, and I thinks it speaks to how far we’ve come as a club to say: we should expect to have more good problems in the future.