Nigel Reo Coker and his limitations/attributes

[holtepaul]

What club do I think he will go to.

Personally, I hope none !!!

Now Young is going, and probably Petrov, I can't think of any other player I would like as Club Captain than NRC.

I really think people on here think it is fantasy football. Put Messi, Ronaldo, Giggs and Silva in midfield and it would be superb. Sorry, football isn't like that.

I've just seen that post above - he can pass it three yards, he can square it, etc. wink.

Yeah ! - you can't know a lot about football because EVERY side NEEDS those players. Modern day, Park and Man U

Or go back, for every Morley and Sid you had Des Bremner for every David Platt and Tony Daley you had Ray Houghton, for every  Paul Merson you had Ian Taylor doing their dirty work.

I seriously find it wierd people don't see this.

[Dave]

You watched a different Ian Taylor to me - he was more attacking than any central midfielder we have playing for us currently.

[VillaAlways]

What club do I think he will go to.

Personally, I hope none !!!

Now Young is going, and probably Petrov, I can't think of any other player I would like as Club Captain than NRC.

I really think people on here think it is fantasy football. Put Messi, Ronaldo, Giggs and Silva in midfield and it would be superb. Sorry, football isn't like that.

I've just seen that post above - he can pass it three yards, he can square it, etc. wink.

Yeah ! - you can't know a lot about football because EVERY side NEEDS those players. Modern day, Park and Man U

Or go back, for every Morley and Sid you had Des Bremner for every David Platt and Tony Daley you had Ray Houghton, for every  Paul Merson you had Ian Taylor doing their dirty work.

I seriously find it wierd people don't see this.

Completely agree Paul think we will really miss him if he goes.I really hope he stays

[Legion]

So do I.

[holtepaul]

God I give up !!!

So are you telling me Ian Taylor would have displaced Paul Scholes in the Man U side , or Denis Bergkamp in the Arsenal side, or (trying to think who was in the top 4 in 2000) - who cares , you know what I mean.

The title says , and I quote "Reo Coker would not get in any of the top 6 teams, so why do fans think he is great"

And my response is - I don't give a toss whether he would or not, he is a bloody good player who we, at this moment, need.

God sake, it is a stupid arguament - Pepe Reina is only considered the 4th best Spanish goalie - is he crap as well !

[Dave]

So are you telling me Ian Taylor would have displaced Paul Scholes in the Man U side , or Denis Bergkamp in the Arsenal side, or (trying to think who was in the top 4 in 2000) - who cares , you know what I mean.

What the hell are you blathering on about?

[adrenachrome]

You watched a different Ian Taylor to me - he was more attacking than any central midfielder we have playing for us currently.

For sure. Just look at how many headed goals he got in open play, which is a good sign . A genuine box to box player.

Speaking of headed goals by midfield players, since ITVP left, we have been bereft in that department. Petrov has one, I think. Barry missed bucket loads, and is still doing it for Man City. Sidwell was another culprit. 

[Chris Smith]

I've seen some odd arguments on here over the years but comparing Reo Coker to Ji Sung Park takes some beating.

[holtepaul]

Dave ??

This isn't hard is it !

The title says "NRC wouldn't get in the top 6 sides, so why do fans think he is great"

I then say, for every "footballer" you need someone doing the hard work for them. I quote for every Morley, there is a Bremner (doing the work) for every Platt there is a Houghton (doing the dirty work - although I actually think , now I think about it the "dirty player in that side" was Paul Birch - so even more so then

I then said , for Merson - he had Taylor.

Someone said Taylor was a better footballer and more attacking.
So I am basically proving my arguament - and you have just proved it for me.

So you are saying "if he couldn't get in a top 6 team - why would we want him"

So lets look at Taylor. I cant remember exactly as it is now 10 years ago, but lets see if Ian Taylor would have got in the top 6.

Ian Taylors position in 2000

Man U - Scholes , Arsenal - Bergkamp, Chelsea - Zola etc...etc...

So Ian Taylor wouldn't have got in the top teams 10 years ago , didn't mean he wasn't a good player did it !

Ths is seriously a ridiculous arguament, so I aint even gonna post in it again.

[The Situation]

I'm not a fan but I suppose the fact that he's been a part of a side that has finished top 10 four years running makes your argument a bit redundant. 

You're not a fan of anyone tbf.

Coker has been great this season. Really good to see Houllier get him playing regulary again. I love his energy and enthusiasm for the game. He's not the most skillful player but he works hard, not afraid to put a tackle in and just generally keeps the midfield solid - he's improved lots this season. Once again I thought he played really well yesterday.

[Dave]

Ths is seriously a ridiculous arguament

You said it.

I said that you comparing Reo-Coker's role to the one that Ian Taylor used to play for us was nuts.

You then started comparing Ian Taylor to Dennis Bergkamp.

[john e]

What club do I think he will go to.

Personally, I hope none !!!

Now Young is going, and probably Petrov, I can't think of any other player I would like as Club Captain than NRC.

I really think people on here think it is fantasy football. Put Messi, Ronaldo, Giggs and Silva in midfield and it would be superb. Sorry, football isn't like that.

I've just seen that post above - he can pass it three yards, he can square it, etc. wink.

Yeah ! - you can't know a lot about football because EVERY side NEEDS those players. Modern day, Park and Man U

Or go back, for every Morley and Sid you had Des Bremner for every David Platt and Tony Daley you had Ray Houghton, for every  Paul Merson you had Ian Taylor doing their dirty work.

I seriously find it wierd people don't see this.

i really dont know why you keep going on about Messi and ronaldo etc, this is about NRC, and how he isnt good enough for teams in the top half of the prem which is why those sort of teams wont be banging the door down for him,

dont forget he's on a free, and if he leaves he'l end up at Wolves /Blackburn/Blackpool etc because thats how good he is,

its no good you trying to turn him into the next Des Bremner, he aint even the next Mark Draper, and no where near as good as Ian Taylor

[BC54 VFC]

Stan's form at the time was well shocking to say the least and NRC pretty much said in the papers that Martin was trying to make him a player he wasn't

That sentence sums up, in my opinion, why NRC never really established himself in the team under MON to the extent that he should have. Until reading your post I was not aware that he had made such comments in the press regarding a team mate (Stan), which is clearly out of order.

I am reminded of the league match at home to Newcastle in early February 2008, halfway through NRC's first season and halfway through Stan's second season. NRC spent the whole of the first-half berating Stan at every opportunity. Yes, Stan was having a difficult spell of form but you'd have thought NRC was the captain or even the manager the way he was having a go at him. Stan looked totally disheartened and devoid of confidence, was substituted at half-time and, yes, we went on to win comfortably with Carew's hat-trick but Stan was then taken out of the firing line for the next five games (only one of which we won).

Two weeks after Stan was recalled to the starting line up he scored THAT goal at Derby; his confidence returned and he went on to be our player of the season in 2008-09.

NRC had the famous training ground spat with O'Neill in September 2009 which by all accounts was linked to him having a go at another - junior - player which, understandably, O'Neill did not take kindly to. My view is that NRC spent too much of the early years of his Villa career trying to boss others around and criticise, instead of concentrating on his own game; a bit like AY this season.     

The irony to all this is that with the central midfield having been chopped and changed for the majority of this season, NRC and Stan have each played in seven of the last eight games; our 'mini-season' as announced by Houllier prior to the Everton game, with these matches yielding four wins, three draws and just one defeat. They have played very well together and, along with Bent's goals, are the prime reason why we finished the season so strongly.

I have always been a fan of Stan, but NRC has certainly gone up in my estimation over the course of this season and I would be sorry to see him leave.   

[andym]

What club do I think he will go to.

Personally, I hope none !!!

Now Young is going, and probably Petrov, I can't think of any other player I would like as Club Captain than NRC.

I really think people on here think it is fantasy football. Put Messi, Ronaldo, Giggs and Silva in midfield and it would be superb. Sorry, football isn't like that.

I've just seen that post above - he can pass it three yards, he can square it, etc. wink.

Yeah ! - you can't know a lot about football because EVERY side NEEDS those players. Modern day, Park and Man U

Or go back, for every Morley and Sid you had Des Bremner for every David Platt and Tony Daley you had Ray Houghton, for every  Paul Merson you had Ian Taylor doing their dirty work.

I seriously find it wierd people don't see this.

yeah but those players also provided at least some modicum of attacking threat.  i like nige, great attitude, works hard etc, but he a pretty average footballer.  maybe if he was absolutely standout defensively, a brick wall infront of the defence then his attacking shortcomings would be irrelevent. but hes not, hes good, but not amazing. i think you need more than "get the ball and play it 5 yards square" these days, you need some amount of 2 way play if you are a CM.  im not asking for defence splitting passes, but maybe an attempt to run with the ball into the opposition half, take a shot at goal once in a while etc.  you gotta keep the opposition respecting CM as a threat. we struggle to break down teams who sit back because neither NRC or petrov provide any threat.  the opposition can just ignore them and double up on downing, ash or bent, or force us to bang in aimless long balls.  NRC has i think just 1 goal and 2 assists in his villa career!

saying all that, i would keep him as a squad player. he is useful in certain situations and if/when we play a midfield 3 his limitations are not as much of a problem. however, if we are going to be playing 442, then he is just not good enough to do that. theres also no way we should be giving him 50k a week or whatever he supposedly wants. he's not exactly a unique player, theres lots of hardworking, tough tackling but technically poor players out there who we can get cheaper than that.

[holtepaul]

I said I was not going to post again, but will add one last sentence before I go in the bath !

You say he is not Mark Draper never mind others - can I add

"in your opinion" coz I tell you what, there are 1000's out there who don't think the same as you, including me.

NRC in team - 3 fantastic years
NRC out team - seem to lose, go backwards fast
NRC back in team - lose 1 in 9

Seems a pattern to me

Goodnight all - early night for me !