Some people have criticised Ron Vlaar for his defensive duties and some have even begun to nickname him ‘cardboard’ Ron instead of his real nickname the ‘concrete’ Ron. The Birmingham mail investigated this and compared Vlaar’s defensive duties to those of Jagielka, Ferdinand and Olsson.
Interceptions:
Vlaar: 27
Olsson: 17
Jagielka: 51
Ferdinand: 33
Duels won:
Vlaar: 75%
Olsson: 57%
Jagielka: 69%
Ferdinand: 63%
Clearances:
Vlaar: 128
Olsson: 187
Jagielka: 185
Ferdinand: 168
Tackles Won:
Vlaar: 76%
Olsson: 65%
Jagielka: 65%
Ferdinand: 78%
Fouls Conceded:
Vlaar: 7
Olsson: 22
Jagielka: 10
Ferdinand: 7
Passing Accuracy:
Vlaar: 80%
Olsson: 77%
Jagielka: 77%
Ferdinand: 91%
So looking at these stats we are way better off with Vlaar. I think he’s very important this season because he is one of our last leaders on the pitch. I also know that he will link with Dunne well once he returns. These two defenders are professionals and they’ll work well together no matter what. I will admit that Vlaar might’ve cost us Wembley and the Everton win but we’ve been stronger defensively with him in the side and I’m a fan of his. He is a good leader and I only hear good words from my dutch friends about his attitude and commitment.
Good stats..its over to you oohah!
The mail have suggested that we’re actually not bad when it comes to corners.
As per usual, I’d say stats mean absolutely nothing.
To be fair anon3, they’re not far wrong. I’ve been saying for a while its not that we’re that bad at corners (not great either) but if you give away as many as we do you will undoubtedly concede a few goals. The issue, IMO, relates more to the fact that we give corners away so cheaply, predominantly Clark and Bennett who seem to automatically knock it behind as opposed to playing the ball out for a throw. At least 5 of the corners against Everton could have been knocked out for a throw in a very innocuous area as opposed to corners, but I guess that’s what you get with a combination of nerves, panic and inexperience.
Oohah must be loving this! Benteke = Heskey mk2
Vlaar. = Dunne. mk2
Stats mean diddly squat you can read into them anyway you want. The players he’s been compared with are not that great anyway. Rio well past his sell by date but anyone can look good playing for utd even Dunne (hmm maybe not)!!!
How anyone can say he is a good leader is beyond me he shirks responsibility for example v millwall he let lichej at four foot nothing mark their fwd while vlaar was nowhere to be seen. He bottled it because that fwd out jumped him 10 mins before from a corner and nearly scored. If vlaar is a leader then I’m brad Pitt!! He’s been a huge let down and he one of only a few players we have that lambert would have looked at to help the youngsters. He surely can’t be happy so far.
Are you sure the its the stats that mean diddly squat and not your ridiculously biased views?
I’d say it’s the latter.
agree vlaar in last few games clown comes to mind switchs off and costs us
Spot on
Got nobody else to take his place anyway !
Just like most things in life stats require definition and greater analysis…lets be honest, the man in the street can be accurate with a 2 yard pass…shame Barry Bannon cant!
The Dutch aren’t a crap team and any Dutchman who can get in his international side can’t be that bad.Vlaars been in the prem 6months he’s gone in at the deep end and still adjusting I say give the villa side a break man they need it.UTV
Barry has to go, his attitude on the pitch is awful, he never helps his team mates out, I hope he never wears the shirt again, I never clap or cheer him if he is in the squad, pointless player who thinks he is better than he is. His career is going to nosedive like other big time charlies who have nothing to back up the big time attitude with.
When he was out of the team we were appalling, the clearance level is low because he tends to pass it out, i think he gets stick because other players are not doing the job. Also all players make mistakes especially if they are going for it more than other players, not in all cases but in some i believe some players make more mistakes than others simply because they are involved in more play than other players who dodge the critics.
I have to add that give him a season but nobody can deny we look a lot better with him in the team and 15 corners is a lot to give away, I am certain most of those were done by Bennett, I think we need to look at why we are giving away so many set pieces as it looks like we have the corner issue dealt with
If we can sure up our defence we wouldn’t be half bad.;)
When he was out the team we had our best defensive run of the season think we only conceded 3 goals in 5 or 6 games. Then came the Chelsea match where for some reason we were like rabbits caught in the headlines. The defence lost a lot of confidence after that which is understandable. But since cardboard Ron has returned the defence still looks as shaky as ever especially on corners. So the question we should all be asking is is Vlaar the best of a bad bunch? Maybe yes maybe no. But assuming a yes then that’s not really saying much is it?
I disagree that stats are meaningless… those same stats (3 points) amount to a final league position and tell their own story. Despite the leaky goals, I’ve long thought that our defence wasn’t the biggest shocker in the side; it was the midfield leaving us completely exposed.
I know most people wanted a quality CB and who wouldn’t have taken one? But in all honesty, I think between Lowton, Baker, Clark and Vlaar, we’ve got some reasonable quality there.
What we don’t have (which new boy supposedly does – time will tell) is some steel in the centre. The centre of the park is the driving force for the rest of the team and if that’s failing, everything fails – you can’t defend or score.
It will be very interesting to see if our new recruits have a position impact. If we do go down, then I for one will be looking more toward the midfielders than the defence as to the reasons…
^this
Seconded from me. Been saying for ages that our defence would almost certainly look a lot better if it had something resembling a midfield in front of it. Boy did we need someone like Sissoko in Jan, but heigh ho, that horse has bolted…
Could do with Taylor/Boetang combo again.
Dunne and Vlaar playing together? Dunne’s contract is up in the summer! The blokes not going to put on a villa shirt ever again, especially after his ‘set back’ last week. Can we really rely on a over weight centre back that hadn’t played a game all season?
Shows how desperate wev become when we start thinking Dunne is our saviour.
exactly why we should have signed a centre back in Jan. Well, its either Clark or Baker now. although maybe our best bet is playing both, putting Baker at LB?
Vlaar looks ok except that nasty habit of losing his man on set pieces occasionally. Him and Clark aren’t the biggest, and we don’t have much height elsewhere in the team (I don’t count benteke as the last thing you want is a striker back marking). It’s a shame we have constantly missed any opportunity to get a big unit in the middle of the park. Sylla might help, but huddlestone, nzonzi, Diame, basically a big central midfielder can make the difference.
Bottom line is, if we conceded less corners we will concede less goals. For me, Bennett is way way too weak for this level. I’ve seen him make silly mistakes (expected) giving away corners often. Add in one of our own players blocked Guzan for evertons equaliser. We just need to get away from this panicking at the back.
Andy Carroll will be a big test. But I see Nolan as the real danger man alive in the box.
He’s ok but his CB, LB and RB are letting him down. The organization of the defense is haywire. Also there is no discipline in the system (if there is any) if you look back at Fellaini equalizing goal, there is nobody guarding the post. The players fails the footballing basic tactical needs.
Kamal, your the only one that’s picked as to why, Oohah will blame one person if he dont get it right , as for why he didn’t, dont matter. we have only in my mind 4-5 decent player’s Vlaar does not have reliable players to fit in with him. Oohah give Vlaar a chance and dont keep looking for escape goats, lol
Football is about 11 players. To have one player to carry the whole team, we need extremely exceptional player. Those player aren’t that many and in this day and age those player doesn’t come cheap. Since are no longer investing in such player, we need those average player to be organize, discipline and determined collectively. The manager plays a vital role in managing this. It is not impossible for a team with average player to be competitive or even win a league. Remember teams like Deportivo in La Liga, Wolfsburg in Bundesliga & Montpellier in Ligue 1. Take Deportivo for example, prior to winning the title, their player weren’t so call big stars. They didn’t spent excessively but they did it. If you were to follow the team at that time you will notice how efficient and discipline their team was. They work collectively with such passion and determination. Everybody knows what is their role. This is not a result of individual skills but organization from the manager. This is what we lack right now. Having too many average player without proper guidance is a recipe for disaster. Unless we can improve on this we are not going to escape relegation.
Ron Vlaar looks a decent player to me, comfortable on the ball and the only CB at VP who can bring the ball out. Think Oohah just needs a new whipping boy in Dunnes absence.
Spot on Billy boy, I think the criticism on Vlaar is not at this stage warranted, always have to have someone to moan at. try picking on the club and not individual people in the game.
BWS if only you knew what was really going on with Vlaar you would see the same as me. I’m not an itk but know an ex villa player still connected with the club who has told me pl is disappointed in vlaars overall contribution and expected a lot more in terms of performance from his captain. This ex player also states that Vlaar is woeful and should have at least put Baker in front of Fellini. This is something vlaar should have done being the most experienced ch. I cannot reveal source for obvious reasons but he is not impressed with him either and unlike me he really does know what he’s talking about.
Mate I’m no expert on CB’s but when he brings the ball out from defence he looks a little more polished than Clarke or Baker. Baker looks a solid defender but imo has a nasty habit of hoofing it down field (similar to Collins). I’ll take your word on Vlaar but he’s still seems better than the others presently at VP.
Fair point bws but his first job is to defend things like bringing the ball out etc are secondary parts of that job. Is he better than baker and Clarke? Tbh I’m not sure there’s not much in it tbf. And assuming he is better than thoses two it dosnt really say much does it.
Clark is absolute dog shit, i’m sorry but to say there isn’t much between him and Vlaar says one of two things to me;
1) you are so biased you are willing to say anything to put a player down
2) you haven’t a clue about football
I’d say it’s the first.
Clark is one of the worst defenders i’ve seen grace the pitch at VP, utterly shit, concedes an early yellow and has to tread water for the rest of the game, is totally clueless in terms of positioning and is crap on the ball.
Agree about Clarke but vlaar should be better than him the amount he cost and the experience he has.
Bollocks.
Happy to have Vlaar at the back, i have more confidence in getting a result if he is in the team, and a lot more confidence when barry bannan isnt in the team! Hopefully Sylla will provide some much needed steele in the midfield. Hoping Dawkins surprises too, he looks quick with a decent shot on him.
BWS he is, put all this down to coaching and players inability to understand their jobs, again PL is no expert on defense, midfield creation, all in all footballing methods. Oohah you are right in saying Vlaar should have made sure of Fellini and got baker to be on him, again down to bad coaching the blame lies there with the club.
Thanks Vilia Tavern. I was told also that there is no defensive coach at VP!!
Duels won: 75%!!!! who the hell decides what a Duel is and who the hell has watched every Duel to come up with these stats lol, he is a very average center half lets not kid ourselves defenders like him are 10 a [penny all round Europes lower leagues.
Lerner should engage Laursen as defensive coach to assist Lambert
Good call Kamal, Oohah that’s what I mean all down to stupid cut backs by the club, and its us that have to suffer. Why oh why dont Lambert disclose the inability of Aston Villa set up. by the way Oohah its Bill P.
Sorry bill
Agreed someone like a laurrsen or even carragher now he’s retired would be an asset. Lets face it bill the club is a shambles from top to bottom.
We have to face facts, if Vlaar gets injured, we are done for.
Vlaar isn’t the problem, its the players around him. Bennett has looked a conference player at times this season, Lowton the same. We all saw how a mediocre forward in Anichebe walked all over Clark.
Its not easy playing in a defence where everyone else is totally inexperienced in top flight football. We need all the experience we can get as lambert’s foolish and naive youth policy has unsurprisingly completely backfired.
Villain 1 correct, that’s what I have said players around him. he’s to busy trying to put right other players faults.
When have you ever heard of a good Dutch defender,the Dutch don’t do defenders.I’ve got a fair memory of football and can remember two outstanding Dutch defenders from about the last 30 years they were Ruud Krol and Ronald Koeman.They have graced us with outstanding midfielders and strikers but you think of any really good Dutch defenders and you are struggling.
Jaap Stam, Frank De Boer, Phillip Cocu, Frank Rijkaard to name but a few in the past 20 years..
Well Erdington Villa. answer that….