Reds legend John Aldridge recently labelled Kolo Toure a 'stop-gap' option for Liverpool, but his performances in pre-season - and during the Reds' 1-0 victory over Stoke City yesterday - suggest that Brendan Rodgers sees the Ivorian as a regular starter. With seven clean sheets in eight games, Toure is making his mark at Anfield, but in an interview this week, the 32-year old made an honest admission about his ability, which (arguably) makes it even more imperative that the club signs another centre-back.
Speaking to the Daily Mail this week, Toure made the following admission:
"I’ve been working really hard on my mobility because I’ve lost it a bit in the last four years. We didn’t work on it.
"Wenger used to know what I was capable of doing but I lost that a bit. But I’m back and have had a great pre-season".
I have absolutely no problem with Toure. He is a great signing, and I'm sure he'll continue to do a brilliant job for the club. However, his self-confessed 'loss' of mobility could pose problems over a season, especially in a partnership with Daniel Agger, who is also not the most mobile centre-half around.
In his post-Stoke press conference last night, Rodgers claimed that he is 'confident' that the club will bring in 'one or two more' players before the transfer window closes, and hopefully one of those players will be a mobile central defender.
As for Toure - he marshalled the defence extremely well against Stoke, and one particular incident epitomised his leadership ability, and willingness to take responsibility.
After Simon Mignolet's double-save, Liverpool's players mobbed the keeper in celebration, but Toure immediately ordered everyone - including Gerrard - to get back to work and concentrate on the impending corner. You can see it in the following video:
I'm sure that's exactly what Jamie Carragher would've done, and it's heartening to see there is still real leadership in the heart of LFC's defence.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Speaking to the Daily Mail this week, Toure made the following admission:
"I’ve been working really hard on my mobility because I’ve lost it a bit in the last four years. We didn’t work on it.
"Wenger used to know what I was capable of doing but I lost that a bit. But I’m back and have had a great pre-season".
I have absolutely no problem with Toure. He is a great signing, and I'm sure he'll continue to do a brilliant job for the club. However, his self-confessed 'loss' of mobility could pose problems over a season, especially in a partnership with Daniel Agger, who is also not the most mobile centre-half around.
In his post-Stoke press conference last night, Rodgers claimed that he is 'confident' that the club will bring in 'one or two more' players before the transfer window closes, and hopefully one of those players will be a mobile central defender.
As for Toure - he marshalled the defence extremely well against Stoke, and one particular incident epitomised his leadership ability, and willingness to take responsibility.
After Simon Mignolet's double-save, Liverpool's players mobbed the keeper in celebration, but Toure immediately ordered everyone - including Gerrard - to get back to work and concentrate on the impending corner. You can see it in the following video:
I'm sure that's exactly what Jamie Carragher would've done, and it's heartening to see there is still real leadership in the heart of LFC's defence.
Jaimie Kanwar
NOTE: Please stick to the Comment Policy (Click to read)
Come on Jamie, this is surely deliberate sensationalisation.
ReplyDeleteToure says he lost it in previous seasons and it was not worked on. The obvious conclusion is surely that it has been recognised and improved upon now..
I think he will surprise many people this season and prove to be one of the acquisitions of the summer. That said i agree in the point made that we need another Defender.
ReplyDeleteEumm Touré was the first one bearhugging Mignolet...anyway, softest penalty you'll see this season. Had Agger not touched it, it would have gone straight into the hands of Mignolet. Liverpool 1 - Biased FA 0. It's just a pain that this "penalty" won't be the end of it.
ReplyDeleteHe also says that he's "back".
ReplyDeleteYeah, nowhere do I see where he says he's not the player he used to be. Mischievous methinks
ReplyDeleteAh, I see. Just because the ball would've ended up in Mignolet's hands means that the handball should be ignored?
ReplyDeleteHow can it be a 'soft penalty'? Agger obviously handled the ball, and it's his fault it happened because he went in for the interception leading (unnaturally) with his hand. If an opposing player did that against LFC fans would be up in arms.
The only person biased here is you.
No, it is not 'deliberate sensationalism' in the slightest. Toure says *twice* that he's lost his mobility. A defender who loses their mobility is clearly not the same player they used to be.
ReplyDeleteAnd just because he's worked on it doesn't mean he's back to where he was 4 years ago. Having a good pre-season doesn't magically make a 32 year old player regain their optimum mobility.
Sack ian ayre , he can never do a deal for a decent player properly
ReplyDelete26m for willian when they want 30m , that is only inviting other teams to bid
29m made , 23m spent
Jamie make an article about the clown that is ian ayre
Eum yes that is exactly why. Agger, by inadvertently handling the ball, did not influence the outcome of the game, nor the trajectory of the ball, nor did he show any intent of hitting the ball with his hand. Had this happened at OT, the FA would still be explaining how it was the right decision not to award a penalty this morning.
ReplyDeleteTottenham have more pull than us
ReplyDeleteWhy is rodgers so arrogant he could have had van gael or johan cruyff working with him
Think about it baldini and boas vs rodgers and ayre
it is a no contest
sack the arrogant one and ian ayre
Actually, it doesn't take that long for ones body to adjust, especially not with professional athletes. So it could very well be that a pre-season of training has severly improved his mobility. And anyway, your hero Hyypia was about as mobile as a oiltanker but it didn't stop him from becoming one of the greatest defenders this club has ever seen did it?
ReplyDeleteStill he's very good..
ReplyDeleteBad news = more readers. It's worked for Rupert M for decades.
ReplyDeleteSo let me get this right - you want to SACK both Ian Ayre and Brendan Rodgers?
ReplyDeleteDeluded..............what planet are you on?
van gael, or Van Gaal as he's called in Holland..., is pretty much the most arrogant man in the country so I'm not sure how he would be an improvement in that respect.
ReplyDeleteYes, except 90% of this article is positive. Please stop posting pointless snipes.
ReplyDelete'it would have gone straight into the hands of Mignolet'
ReplyDeleteMost likely but not guaranteed, a beach ball might have appeared out of nowhere to distract him for e.g.
Different defenders have different strengths; Hyypia never had great speed, but that was never a hindrance. Toure's game is arguably based on speed, so when he loses that, it makes a difference. With Sami, it didn't make a difference because his game was not built on speed.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a snipe. You know as well as I do that it's the headline that matters. Your site, you post whatever you want, however you want it.
ReplyDeleteI disagree. Touré is fast but that doesn't mean that his game is based on that. He's strong and he has good positioning. A CB only needs speed if he's pushed up high and the opponent breaks on a counter attack but other than that they're always behind the ball so a CB's game can never be based on speed alone.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Out of thin air it could have appeared :-)
ReplyDeleteHere we go again with the tedious Man United conspiracy theories. You're doing a good job of fulfilling the negative stereotype of the typical, biased LFC fan.
ReplyDeleteLooking at Agger's approach to the ball, he had no business leading with his right arm. He deliberately put his arm in that position; it didn't just happen, and given the awkwardness of the position, he'd have to consciously move his arm.
The referee's interpretation of Law 12 )the handball law) depends on whether the hand or arm is in an "unnatural" position at the point of contact.
According to David Elleray (Former President of the Board of the Referees' Association of England/FIFA and UEFA referee assessor and instructor):
"Referees look at two specifics - did the hand or arm go towards the ball or in a manner which would block the ball, or is the hand in a position where it would not normally be?"
Clearly, Agger's hand is not in a position where it would normally be, hence it is (IMO) the right decision.
Good on you Jamie ! (I am reading this as a positive article which shows what a hard working and modest player Toure is) Yes Kolo was ace at the weekend and there was something brilliant about watching him charge up the pitch, putting his head on the ball and generally being the most enthusiastic player on the pitch. Our Invincible is showing so much love for the club its just great to see a player be so happy to be with us !
ReplyDeleteOn a side bar David Moyes is totally showing his lack of class by trying to rob Everton, 28mil for both Fellani and Baines ? Total lack of respect. I am feeling so positive right now I can even spare some sympathy for the blue half of Liverpool.
It was a stone wall peno, how can anyone argue otherwise? It was a big let off for Agger and he knows it. I'm just happy we won, a game we could have won 3 times over
ReplyDeleteThe silly Man United paranoia angle bores me, so I'm not fussed about that angle. Each to their own.
ReplyDeleteIan Ayre yes; Rodgers, not.
ReplyDeleteToure has been great his enthuziazm must be infectious. We won't sign another cb until we move people on. Coates and skrtyl days are numbered. Would much rather have toby and shacko or papa.
ReplyDeleteif im honest id sacrifice a bit pf mobility for leadership...gerrard is quiet for a captain...and if im honest apart for kolo i dont see any real leaders in the squad or team ...good leaders are not necessarily the best players...but they are the ones who players turn to when the chips are down for encouragement .....plus with only having a young manger its all the more important to have an old head out there
ReplyDeleteid watched him for years but just never noticed that part of his game
ReplyDeleteIan ayre has helped rogers get rid of carroll,downers,pepe,cole,shelvey and replaced them with better and hungrier players for less wages. Coutihno and sturridge for 20mil absolute bargain. While being out of cl we have still grown our brand thanks to ian ayres asian contacts. Have you forgotten how poor we were only a year ago. Ayre is doing a great job but it ain't gona happen over night. Have you learned nothing from suarez lfc will offer what willians agent tells them to. Also if ayre wa in charge of the carroll and downer deals we would haave signed both for a lot less.
ReplyDeletehes a defender not a gymnast , alan hansen was the most immobile player ive seen but had great positioning......the no 1 commodity for a cb is positioning you could be like jacki chan but if you keep getting caught wrong side you will leak goals
ReplyDeletePretty sure your the person in the world who watched that game who thinks that it wasn't a stone wall penalty.
ReplyDeletewow.. somebody has no clue lol
ReplyDeleteIam all for defending the club but that was handball mate, bang on penalty
ReplyDeleteMany players learn to play differently as they get older! Yes of course they lose mobility, but the mental ability to put themselves in the right place at the right time is sometimes far greater! You can be fast, but stupid! Or a little bit slower and much wiser in positioning... and guess what... positioning wins!
ReplyDeleteOh and yes... another clean sheet! Magically!
One of the key factors that people overlook is the attraction, especially for overseas players, of moving to London. Yes, Liverpool is a great city but it just can't compete in terms of pulling power. London has so much more and that will be a big influence, not only on the player but their family.
ReplyDeleteThat's what I said no?
ReplyDeleteWow...you try and jump without moving your arms then. Not saying you couldn't, but it isn't "natural". His head and his leg go towards the ball yet it hits his arm. So either Agger is cunningly devious in strategizing his handballs or his arm just went up when he jumped and the ball hit his arm. I'm going for the latter.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of Man United, it wasn't a penalty.
ReplyDeleteActually, I have to modify my statement somewhat. Had the ball not hit Agger's hand, it would have hit his head which is right behind it...
ReplyDeleteAnd he was one of the three directors that rid us of G&H. How quickly people forget...Himself, Purslow and Broughton are the only reason we're still talking about our club today.
ReplyDeleteHis lack ofcompetitive playing time could have contributed to this also.
ReplyDeleteI have been very impressed with Toure so far. He seems like a player with a point to prove. The fire and will are still there, even if the yard is gone.
At first i was a little skeptical about him being a starter, but if he continues in this vein of form my doubts will be completely quashed.
That said, he is 32, fatigur and an increased likelyhood of injury suggest we will definately need a CB capable of being a regular starter to provide competition and cover. But i do think we will have to let one go, skyrtel/coates maybe, before one is brought in.
Overall though Kolo you have exceeded expectations, delighted to admit my skepticism was misplaced.
I agree. In a Seinfeldian Bizarro World it wasn't a penalty. Meanwhile, back on planet earth...
ReplyDeleteWhich begs the question, why was his hand ahead of his head? Do players usually lead with their hand when going to head the ball?
ReplyDeleteAyre deserves to be sacked for the club's handling of the Suarez affair. A total PR mess, which made LFC into a laughing stock. In the absence of Henry/Werner (which is always) Ayre is the de facto head of LFC, and his 'leadership' over the last two years has been poor.
ReplyDeleteWell I did explain to you above why it wasn't but my comment is being "moderated' so I'll just wait for it to appear
ReplyDeleteAre you really asking if players arms go up when they jump to head the ball? How many youtube videos proof would you like me to post?
ReplyDeleteExactly. Just look at arsenal on saturday. When things got tough they folded. No leadership cost them that match IMO
ReplyDeleteHa ha, the only way it could have been more of a peno is if he caught it, took a solo, and put it over the bar for a point.
ReplyDeleteand how many of them YouTube clips show players doing a superman to win a header. It was a penalty get over it even Agger nor any of our players for that fact appealed against the decision.
ReplyDeleteIt's not took him long to get that manure attitude ;-) He looks like he is taking the Arsene Wenger approach to transfers and we all know how that pans out. I'd also love it if VP got injured because after watching the Swansea game they will be lost without him.
ReplyDeleteLook at his leg, it's in the same angle and straigthened like his arm. Just because our players are better behaved than to surround the referee and shout abuse at him when a decision goes against them doesn't mean it was the right decision. I think Agger's body language walking away says it all. He clearly disagrees with the decision.
ReplyDeleteSo far, so good as far as I'm concerned - Toure looks a lot better than I gave him credit for tbh!
ReplyDeleteHe remains more mobile than Carragher anyway. And Carragher was our best centreback last year, so I'm not really worried...
Looks like we've finally picked up another quality free signing, following on from Craig Bellamy's signing a few years back.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Toure will help lead us to a few trophies like McAllister did after signing when he was 'past it' way back when!
London is the only plus factor for Tottenham over Liverpool as far as I'm concerned...
ReplyDeleteYou can't help but just to love that guy! When he playing he a leader,gives everything, and a threat from corners! Happy he at liverpool.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't really matter what might have happened. All that matters is what did happen, in that Agger DID clearly handle the ball.
ReplyDeleteAnd Mignolet did get up to save the pen afterwards! :)
Most Brazilian players spend their time off in Brazil and the rest of the year they're working. Willian has lived in Donetsk and now Moscow. Both beautiful cities in their own right but these guys don't move thousands of miles away from the copa cabana to visit a museum or go see a musical. They do it to make money and if he can make money in Liverpool, he'll do it here.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying the ball didn't hit his hand. It just wasn't a penalty.
ReplyDeleteHe was going to head it and then decided to boot it out - too late though as it hit his hand. He didn't do a Suarez and intentionally jump into the air with his hands, he just got mixed up. Typical Liverpool to muck up like that, luckily Mignolet saved the day big time.
ReplyDeleteWow...Suarez is really important to you isn't he? Let's stick to the facts then will we? Ayre handled the situation exactly the way you said, that is correct. However, the laughing stock and the impact this had on the club are entirely a figment of your imagination. If you have any numbers to backup that the Evra story had a negative impact on our club, I'll happily admit I am wrong. Until then, the impact of his handling of the case on the club remains unclear. So what else did he do? Brought in some big sponsors. Helped the club get rid of G&H. Told the chairman of Mansfield and his trophy wife where to go. Ayre is indeed a Liverpool supporter as well as our CEO and that may cause him to let his heart get in the way of his head sometimes but as long as his passion for the club is the reason he makes mistakes sometimes, rather than just the bottom line, I can't think of a better man for the job. At least he cares about the club.
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to waste my time refuting this. I've posted dozens of articles illustrating in detail how LFC's handling of the Suarez situation made the club look bad, and only a person who actually believes that Daniel Agger's handball was not a penalty would think the handling of the Evra situation had no negative impact on the club. Oh, wait...
ReplyDeleteIt's the headline, and the way it is written, that draws attention to the article. A more neutral headline, that would represent the "90% of this article is positive" might not attract that much attention. This is not a snipe. It has something to do with psychology.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know what he was thinking but imo it's a penalty. He looks like he was trying to kick, head and handball the ball away. His body language shows he knows he messed up, he knows he just cost us 3 points but luckily for him Mignolet saved the day.
ReplyDeleteFunny.. I played football for 7 years as defender and not once did I ever give a pen away for hand ball.
ReplyDeleteIts pretty easy to jump and head the ball without waving your arms in the air.. try it yourself
lol
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the Suarez incident, yes Ayre's handling was wrong, but then the club as a whole was wrong.
ReplyDeleteOther then that I personally believe Ayre has done a good job overall.
i think toure has been superb - true world class ability and at 32 there is no way he has lost it. he has a good couple of years to give us. his run from defence to the other end of the pitch was awesome.
ReplyDeleteYes, the whole club was wrong, but effective leadership has to come from the top, and the reason the club got it wrong is down to Ayre.
ReplyDeleteI don't dispute that how ever what I would say is that Ayre before this has never run a football club before (pretty sure he hasn't) and its a pretty damn steep learning curve.
ReplyDeleteSince then I would say he has improved and continues to improves.
Well obviously Agger isn't as gifted as you..
ReplyDeleteWith respect, I pretty much disagree.
ReplyDeleteToure also specifically says 'I'm back'. He hasn't had a break from football or an injury, so it's reasonable to conclude that he is talking about the aforementioned mobility.
We're not talking about turning back time here , but in that respect anyone over 26 is probably in decline, that doesn't stop players from becoming better at their job IF they work hard on their weaknesses/strengths.
Sports science is extremely efficient at working on specific things which need to be improved by implementing specially designed exercises and training regimes.
Toure talks about loss of mobility , most tellingly, in a PAST tense: 'I lost it a bit', not 'I've lost it a bit'
Sami Hypia made up for his lack of mobility with experience and excellent reading of the game. And that was the case pretty much the whole of his career,; he was never hugely mobile. Toure will do the same.
All the same, I still want Papa or smilar. But not due to Toure's mobility...
With respect, none of those articles showed any conclusive proof of the negative impact you claim.
ReplyDeleteThere was of course , negative press, but you have singularly failed to prove a direct causal link between Suarez and the club's overall standing and fiscal position.
When he leaves, there will certainly be many millions profit even when wages are considered. Suarez shirts have sold like hot cakes.
LFC endures/thrives , Suarez is a footnote.
Too Right mate and lets face it his injury record at Arsenal was shocking so he is about due an injury. If they think Wellbeck is going to cover RVP they must be mental. I can see a busy January in their future and apart from RVP I am actually looking forward to playing them. We ran them close last season and we are a much more together side now.
ReplyDeleteRio Ferdinand had a fair bit of speed to his game and lost some of that. Yet, he is still a very competent defender and still one of the better ones in the league, despite a dodgy spell in the beginning of last season. Once in a while, you will get exposed but as long as you minimize the times of the weakness rearing its ugly head and work on the other parts of your game that you can still benefit from, you stand a good chance of still being a very competent defender in the league. Also depends on the system your playing in and the players around you. For e.g. when Carra was brought into the side midway last season, we adopted a deeper line. There are various ways you as a player, you as a team, you as a coach and you as a manager can still get some very good mileage out of a player in the twilight of his career.
ReplyDeleteKolo is a very good defender and he did really well against Stoke but I agree, we need someone else. He can't play 90 minutes every game and will probably need to be managed a bit. For now he's ideal because we needed someone to play immediately and he can do the work and organise the defence adequately, but over the course of the season he might struggle to keep up. The issue I have is Skrtel. If we're shopping for a new CB the Skrtel is out the door, right? He's too highly paid to just sit on the bench and that's where he would spend most of the season if we bought a top quality defender. But for all the talk of a loan to Napoli the player is still here. Until one of our existing defenders leaves I see no chance of us bringing someone in.
ReplyDeleteI don't think a mobile center back will be a concern in couple of years, if Kelly and/or Wisdom can step up as a dependable center half in a couple of years. Wisdom showed very much promise in the central role last year and I guess Kelly started this year rather well against Man United reserves as a center back despite of conceding two goals. What do you think, can we manage with Wisdom and Kelly in the future?
ReplyDeleteFor goodness sake he caught the ball bounced it twice anfd threw it over the bar. Of course it wasn't a penalty bl**dy biased ref.
ReplyDeleteMove on darling, another match has been played in the meantime. Another one with a dodgy penalty decision by the way. This time not to give us a penalty which was clear as day.
ReplyDelete