Oaks Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Looks like he can play on the left side then. I thought he did so a few times for Feyernoord but couldn't get a definitive answer, Okore and Vlaar looks to be the combination we'll go with. No sign of Clark today either. Yeah he looked decent. I think Clark will be 4th choice, and I'm happy with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John_10 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Thought he looked a bit dodgy first half. Allowed Santa Cruz to lose him for a clear chance and looked like it was a pen when he challenged him a bit later. Became much more comfortable as the game went on. Okore and Vlaar is certainly gonna be the starting defence. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samjp26 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Yeah looks like Lambert has Clark down has his 4th choice too. I'm cool with that, definitely happier with Baker's progression. Think Vlaar will thrive next to Okore, who looks very composed and calm on the ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oaks Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Yeah looks like Lambert has Clark down has his 4th choice too. I'm cool with that, definitely happier with Baker's progression. Think Vlaar will thrive next to Okore, who looks very composed and calm on the ball. Okore has the recovery pace we've been lacking for a while. He also spreads the ball well, which is nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Okore did misplace a few passes today and didn't quite put enough weight on most of his completed passes. Vlaar by contrast was excellent. They'll thrive together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heid3ster Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I was pleased to see Vlaar play both on the right and the left side of defense, and he seems comfortable on both sides. This will be a big year for Ron, he has a lot of people to convince still (as evidenced by these boards), but I think he's looking pretty solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lexicon Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I thought he looked good today but then I've never had a problem with him - I don't really get the criticism he's got, he's a good player. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Condimentalist Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 If he plays left it sounds as though he will have just as much of a job covering Luna as Clark and Baker did with Bennett last year. Lowton wasn't the best defensively either last year but I expect him to improve. Still think we're dodgy at the back but hopefully Vlaar and Okore will turn out to be a reasonably solid pairing. I think it'll take a few months but if we can sort ourselves out at the back we're set for a good season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 He's slow, poor in the air and positionally all over the shop. He didn't have a good game at all today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 He's slow, poor in the air and positionally all over the shop. He didn't have a good game at all today. A complete nonsense. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggy_333 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Risso i'm sorry but you're wrong about him today 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risso Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I hope they stick some highlights up, so you can watch it again. We're going to get murdered in the first few games with him holding the defence together. It's a good things we're so good going forward, because we're still weak at the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggy_333 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I was at the game with another 8 people, we could all see his performance and were all impressed with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted August 10, 2013 VT Supporter Share Posted August 10, 2013 Vlaar cost us £3m and we got what we paid for - a completely average Prem defender. I don't think he's quite as terrible as Risso is making out, though I do think all in all he had a pretty ropey season last season that wasn't helped, in fairness, by the situation he found himself in (he's simply not a good enough defender to hold together a defence struggling as badly as that, in a team struggling that badly, on his tod), but I don't think he's that good either. He never has been. He got a lot of his Dutch caps more or less by default - the Dutch having struggled for top class defenders for a while and he was a decent option... but little more. I'd like to see more from him this season, and I think we will, solidifying him as a solid Prem defender. He's not going to enter the Villa Centre Back Hall of Fame though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AValon Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Must say, he looked better than a lot of games I've seen him in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Is he better than Melberg? No. Is he better than Knight? Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsid Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 Scored a bloody good goal. From a corner!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leev692 Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 (edited) Not a bad game from concrete Ron but I dont think he's captain material! He's seems very quiet. I sat right behind the dugout and first half the only Villa player you could hear shouting was Guzan! Edited August 10, 2013 by leev692 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darrenm Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 I was also at the game and thought he looked very good. Perhaps I'm no expert on defensive positioning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StefanAVFC Posted August 10, 2013 Share Posted August 10, 2013 One thing that stands out with Vlaar is that he never picks up yellow cards. It's because usually he positions himself in the right position so he doesn't have to bring the player down. He's underrated on here, but definitely expendable if baker/okore step up. This point stands IMO. (couldnt be arsed to type it out again in light of another game) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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