Brumerican Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Dunne and Laursen or Teale and McGrath ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beasley14 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I didn't think i would ever have said this but there is a chance that on this seasons form Dunney is actually better than Laursen. I bet they could have played together, what a pair that would have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thejoker Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 It's difficult to compare because Laursen played in a much weaker back 4 than Dunne. We look a lot more solid now, but I think thats because Cuellar has improved hugely and we have strength in depth at the back now too. But I'm still going to give it to Dunne by a whisker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlitobrigante Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I loved Laursen, a true legend in the short spell he was here. However in the season before he got his career ending injury, there was already signs that he wasnt going to keep up the standard of performance he had shown the season before. He wasnt as dominant in the air, was making mistakes and wasnt scoring any goals either. He was still comfortably our best defender though. Dunne looks an absolutely brilliant defender so far. I thought we would struggle big time to replace him, but on all evidence so far Dunne is an even better player!! So pleased we have him, such a warrior at the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwpzxjor1 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 It's a tough one. Dunne has been playing fantastically I don't deny.. but for me Laursen just edges it. Perhaps it's selective memory and all that.. but Laursen was an absolute rock. Dunne still scares me a little at times. Very solid defender but still makes big mistakes, and we're lucky most of them have gone unpunished so far. Laursen chipped in with the threat from set pieces too. Dunne has got a couple of goals but teams used to be terrified every time we got a free kick or corner because of Laursen's aerial ability. Teams just don't have that fear against us any more and are happier to give away corners and look to counter, etc.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Oh god, people are arguing that Laursen's as quick as Dunne? What a joke. What next, Barry was quicker than Gabby, just not on the turn? Presume this refers to me? I never said Laursen was quicker. Just he was quick. Some were arguing he was slow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 but still makes big mistakes, and we're lucky most of them have gone unpunished so far. I'm not saying your wrong but please give me 2/3 examples? I really can't think of many? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwpzxjor1 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Liverpool game, very lucky not to give away a penalty; very clumsy tackle. Richard Dunne has always had that about him though, little moments of madness.. I'd still much rather have him than any other centre half in the league right now though. I just don't think we're going to continue seeing this flawless beast we currently have. He will make one or two mistakes which will cost us points. As oppose to Zat Knight, who made a mistake every bloody time to cost us points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AstonMartin82 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 We miss Laursen's threat in the set pieces, but Dunne is slightly sounder in defence. I am personally just delighted we have managed to find a player who even comes close to Laursen's ability... but for me I will choose Laursen even though I think they are both fantastic players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Liverpool game, very lucky not to give away a penalty; very clumsy tackle. Richard Dunne has always had that about him though, little moments of madness.. I'd still much rather have him than any other centre half in the league right now though. I just don't think we're going to continue seeing this flawless beast we currently have. He will make one or two mistakes which will cost us points. As oppose to Zat Knight, who made a mistake every bloody time to cost us points. That's one to be fair and Laursen made mistakes in his time, not many but one mistake in 23 is hardly bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I have picked Dunne, but i would like to add that when laursen was in his pomp - I wouldnt have swapped him for anyone at the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R.I.C.O. Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Imagine if we had both - we'd never lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssexVilla Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I went with Laursen because it was virtually impossible to get past him. Dunne has been immense in a similar way but I always have that sense that he os going to make a rash decision or miss the ball even though he has made few errors for us but he made a lot for City. I think I would have to see a player for at least a season anyway to say he was better than Laursen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SavoMissalot Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Dunne at the moment has such fire in his stomach. He has something to prove since Man City deemed him surplus to requirements and he is highly motivated to prove them wrong. We are reaping the benefit of that. Will he keep his standard of performance up next season. This for me will be the acid test so i cannot judge whether Dunne is the better player just yet. What i will say is that, pound for pound, Dunne is MON's best signing to date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I think Laursen at his best was exceptional and had more natural "talent" than Dunne, but we got what, about a season and a half out of him in 5 years. Dunne has that ability to win the ball come what may, so I'd have to say that as we'll (hopefull) get several years out of Dunne, he'll be the more useful player of the two. In other words, Dunne is probably 90% of the player Laursen was, but I'd rather have the 90% for four years, than the hundred percent for 18 months, if that makes sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerlad Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 What i will say is that, pound for pound, Dunne is MON's best signing to date. This. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 What i will say is that, pound for pound, Dunne is MON's best signing to date. This. Hard to argue with that really. In a way we're lucky that the Arabs at Man City started flinging silly money around, because we'd probably never have got him otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I'm guessing that anyone who would have suggested this when Dunne was at City and Laursen was playing for us would have received a very lively response. He's been better than I expected him to be, much better. Interesting comment there, and very apt,quite a close admission to the existence of the "rose tint " brigade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted January 30, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted January 30, 2010 Dunne's fantastic. but I thinkLaursen edges it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRO Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 close call this one for me. Laursen was very good but used to drift out of position more than Dunne, but I think Laursen was more dominant in the air, by perhaps a cigarette paper. Both dominant centre halves, who I have/had the pleasure to watch. I wouldn't feel comfortable choosing between 2 very good players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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