Philippe Senderos

[LeeB]

I like how everyone has Vlaar sold, on the basis of absolutely fuck all.

[Dante Lavelli]

Hangleland available on a free  - would rather him than Senderos for a season or two

He's three years older and by all accounts was shocking last season.

I agree.  I think his form has plummetted in the last few years, possibly due to the PL move away from target men type strikers and a preference for more mobile forwards, compounded by him getting slower as he's aged too.

[RussellC]

As centre half's go Clark and Baker are still babies, John Terry looked shit when he first started out, in fact I can't think of to many players in that position who look decent at a relatively youngish age.

There are plenty. For example, Gary Cahill was head and shoulders above both of them when MON deemed him surplus to requirements. Ciaran Clark will be 25 by the time we've played 5 games next season. That's not 'youngish' regardless of where he plays.

[Phil from the upper holte]

People are saying Senderos is average and they are right but at the minute that's where we are, a free player is better than spending a few million and a long term deal with all the uncertainty around the club

[supertom]

I like how everyone has Vlaar sold, on the basis of absolutely fuck all.

2+2=5

If we replaced him with Lescott, then I'd cash in. It seems like Randy's delaying the contracts for Delph, Vlaar and Gabby, at the moment. There's a danger we lose three of our best players for nowt next summer. In Vlaars case, I think he's got 1-2 more years at this level in him so if LVG decides he wants Concrete then I'd take the money and run.

But that is on the basis we sign another good CH, because Senderos is no replacement for Vlaar.

As for Vlaar not being Utd level. Right now he is, and for a year or two of transition for them he'd do a good job I think. That said, they've just lost Ferdinand and Vidic, both of whom have struggled with injuries in the tail end of their Yanited careers. Would they really want to buy a CH like Vlaar, with an equally piss poor injury record?
LVG does love Ron though.

[citizenDJ]

And besides, 'average' is better than we have, so there's that, too.

[hilts_coolerking]

He's the kind of player who when mentioned in match reports usually had the word 'hapless' in front of his name.

[cdbearsfan]

Phil will come in handy now that Man U have signed Vlaar, especially if, as expected, Bayern Munich buy Clark and Real Madrid go for Baker.

[N'ZMAV]

And Barcelona buy Luna.

[RussellC]

Ooooh, oooh, I've got one!

And Grasshoppers of Zurich buy Lowton!

That didn't work did it?

[Chico Hamilton III]

Surely our squad would be snapped up by Young Boys of Berne. Or a team from Hungary.

[LeeB]

Ooooh, oooh, I've got one!

And Grasshoppers of Zurich buy Lowton!

That didn't work did it?

Grasssomkers might buy him.

[cdbearsfan]

Surely our squad would be snapped up by Young Boys of Berne. Or a team from Hungary.

In the same way that Cameroon are dubbed the "Indomitable Lions" and Tunisia are called the "Carthage Eagles", I've always hoped that the Magyar national team were called "The Hungary Hungary Hippoes". Bet they're not though, the boring bastards.

[manic-road]

People are saying Senderos is average and they are right but at the minute that's where we are, a free player is better than spending a few million and a long term deal with all the uncertainty around the club

As centre half's go Clark and Baker are still babies, John Terry looked shit when he first started out, in fact I can't think of to many players in that position who look decent at a relatively youngish age.

There are plenty. For example, Gary Cahill was head and shoulders above both of them when MON deemed him surplus to requirements. Ciaran Clark will be 25 by the time we've played 5 games next season. That's not 'youngish' regardless of where he plays.

Plenty! Cahill and erm?  I wouldn't be surprised if Vlaar is wanted by Man Utd to add experience to help Smalling and Jones develop.

[RussellC]

Plenty! Cahill and erm?

Cahill was a Villa example. I was going to give Ramos and Pique as examples but thought they were a bit too obvious. If you're after a few more example, how about this 24 year-old centre-back Man Utd signed a few years ago...?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4570634.stm

or how about this 23 year old?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2140871.stm

Or how about when Villa signed a 24 year-old Olof Mellberg? or Spurs signed 22 year-old Michael Dawson.... let me know if you need any other examples.

I'm sorry, but if you honestly still class Baker and Clark as "babies" then you're seriously deluded.