Concrete Ron

[RussellC]

I'm not sure what infuriates me more - the fact that Savage managed to make a lucrative career out of being a footballer, or the fact that he's now making one as a pundit. This is just bordering on the nonsensical. Unless he actually rates the likesof Smalling< evans, Skertel, Loveren, Kolo Toure, Managala, Demichelis, etc. higher than Vlaar. As other have said, Aside form probably Chelsea's centre-backs, I think I'd take a fit Vlaar over any of them, and I'd include Mertesacker in that.

[PeterWithesShin]

Strikes me as having a go at Savage for the sake of it. As big a cock as he is at times, is there really anything damning in saying "Could he get into the top four or five clubs? I am not so sure.” I think the same, this is the Ron Vlaar who has been part of some of our worst defensive performances and seasons in memory. Sometimes he's very good, he has also been shit.

[pauliewalnuts]

I agree with PWS.

Savage is a dreadful, dreadful idiot and an awful pundit, but he's hardly being controversial is he?

I imagine 95% of us would agree he's not good enough for the top four or five clubs. Lots of us have spent the last several months saying he's not good enough for us to worry too much whether he stays or goes.

[Villa in Denmark]

I think it's this bit that takes him down to his usual  cock socket gob shite levels

He (Vlaar) is a decent player, he had a good World Cup, but is he top level?

.

To question his abilities on the basis of the World Cup is struggling for an argument, when he was viewed by most people to have been the best defender on show.

If he'd said "despite his world cup showing, there are question marks about his consistency in the PL" then I don't think there would be any argument.

[OCD]

I think he could play a big part for a top 4 or 5 club on the condition that he was capable of having seasons injury-free or somewhere near it. As he keeps breaking down I'm not sure anyone would want to make plans that depend on him.

[Mellin]

I recall a couple of other defenders from the last 20 years who struggled with injuries and went on to be brilliant at Villa. Let's hope Vlaar follows suit.

Needs to get that contract signed first. He has the potential to lead us forward over the next few years.

[JG]

Fact is that Ron is without doubt our best centre back. He's the only one who makes it look easy & simple, because he reads the game the best. Clark & Baker are all blood & thunder, but Vlaar doesn't need to do that, he's already where he should be, which is the sign of a good defender. Okore has great pace, so he can compensate for not winning the initial ball or poor positioning. Vlaar is that bit older too & that experience is pretty priceless.

The big issue is his fitness, as we all know. Not having your first choice defender available so often complicates things. Ideally if he's not available I think we need another senior defender, other than Clark, Baker & Okore, but then who do you play when he is available? I think if you could guarantee his fitness then keeping him is a no-brainer, but thats just not possible.

In terms of whether he's good enough for the top 4, probably not as a front line defender, but I know for an absolute fact a move to Man Utd was seriously on the cards earlier in the season, and given his history with LVG then this didn't surprise me, as a squad player.

For me, the fact he's had a change of heart is hugely positive, for no other reason than it's indicative of the changes at the club under Sherwood.

[Dave]

I imagine 95% of us would agree he's not good enough for the top four or five clubs. Lots of us have spent the last several months saying he's not good enough for us to worry too much whether he stays or goes.

Not sure about that.

Chris Smalling, Tyler Blackett, Eliaquim Mangala, Kolo Toure, Dejan Lovren and Johnny Evans are all considered to be good enough for the top four or five clubs.

At the moment a defender doesn't need to be Vidic, Campbell or Hyypia to play for them, and a fit Ron Vlaar (a bit of an oxymoron, admittedly) is more than good enough to usurp any of that lot above.

[tom jennings III]

He is a very good defender and if fit I think we'd be receiving inquiries from other clubs for sure. However, and I would level this at all of our current defenders, he just doesn't score nearly enough goals. Remember what is was like with Martin Laurson at the back, I assumed we'd score or he's get his head to every corner or free-kick in the opposition half! Really lacking in that dept. in my opinion.

[JG]

He is a very good defender and if fit I think we'd be receiving inquiries from other clubs for sure. However, and I would level this at all of our current defenders, he just doesn't score nearly enough goals. Remember what is was like with Martin Laurson at the back, I assumed we'd score or he's get his head to every corner or free-kick in the opposition half! Really lacking in that dept. in my opinion.

Our set piece work in both defence & attack has been poor all season. We look vulnerable defending & rarely like scoring attacking. I'd hope this would get sorted once Tim has had them for a pre season

[olaftab]

Savage is a dreadful, dreadful idiot and an awful pundit

Sorry what was that you said about Savage I didn't quite catch it?

[Brend'Watkins]

I imagine 95% of us would agree he's not good enough for the top four or five clubs. Lots of us have spent the last several months saying he's not good enough for us to worry too much whether he stays or goes.

Not sure about that.

Chris Smalling, Tyler Blackett, Eliaquim Mangala, Kolo Toure, Dejan Lovren and Johnny Evans are all considered to be good enough for the top four or five clubs.

At the moment a defender doesn't need to be Vidic, Campbell or Hyypia to play for them, and a fit Ron Vlaar (a bit of an oxymoron, admittedly) is more than good enough to usurp any of that lot above.

Precisely. 

He's far better than some of those too.  Savage is talking through his arse as usual.

[Phil from the upper holte]

He's hardly being controversial I aree, but why does he even feel the need to speak on Ron when there are 100's of players to tallk about.

Just being a ****** as usual

[Ozzjim]

Said for a while, there are very few top drawer centre backs in the league. A solid, reliable, steady player is worth keeping hold of because even most of the ones at the top sides have serious issues. Terry and Cahill are considered the best in the league, but both are shown up in Europe and at times at home by mobile strikers that turn a defence, while Cahill has never been great in a physical battle. The Man City lot are pretty woeful and make a lot of seriously silly errors. All at Liverpool apart from Skrtl make basic mistakes almost weekly. Koscielny is a really good player now, but Mertesacker is incredibly slow and gets caught out. That Gabriel looks a decent player, could be interesting to see how he goes next season. But all in all, if any of them outside Chelsea came in for Vlaar it would not shock me at all, because if they found the magic elixir to keep him fit, he is a pretty steady, solid defender.

[joe_c]

If Vlaar played for another middling side who had just reached the FA Cup Final, he wouldn't pass comment at all. He is just sticking his oar in because it's Villa. The prick.