Stevie T's sending off

[Optimistic Nut 188]

£8m = waste of money

 

£3m at best.  People turn around and say "But he's a regular French international"  The same people who don't even realise that France are rubbish now.

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But the players he's keeping out (Silvestre, Squillachi, Givet & Mexes) are not rubbish now.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

He does look like a bit tart when he does those theatrical dives though

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Perhaps, but it stopped Blackburn employing their usual thug tactics as the ref had stamped on it early thanks to taylor!

Also it was an awful chalenge and he had every right to go down for it, Neill is a brainless twat who devotes most of his time to injuring players, well lets be honest most of that team are.

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I'm not against him diving, he just needs a bit of practice at it IMO

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That'll coem with the experience, smooth out the edges of his theatrics to get it down to a fine art! Seriously though i wouldn't want him diving and he doesn't, he just has the sense when he has genuinely been fouled to make sure he gets the freekick and if its a bad tackle he makes sure the ref thinks about a card.

[Guest Sima]

£8m = waste of money

 

£3m at best.  People turn around and say "But he's a regular French international"  The same people who don't even realise that France are rubbish now.

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But the players he's keeping out (Silvestre, Squillachi, Givet & Mexes) are not rubbish now.

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Silvestre plays alongside him.

 

And yes, they are shit or else BOOM wouldn't be keeping them out of the side.

[David Kelly 1260]

I find it staggering to see anyone knocking Taylor.  Yes he's made some mistakes and although he barely touched Bellamy yesterday the booking and thus sending was probably deserved.

But last season I can't think of a better player in our team at all and this season for most of the games he's been up there with Parker as our best player.

He got moved to right back (I think that's what Souness did against Fulham but the whole team seemed all over the place so it's anyones guess) and his performance suffered as did playing alongside Boumsong who couldn't do anything right yesterday.

But for a extremely young lad (which is what he is in Centre half terms) he's generally playing to an exceptionally high standard.  He does make the wrong decision a little too often at the moment but that will come good with experience.  Look how Ferdinand was playing at the same age and you will see a lot of similarities.  I'm not saying he will become as good as Ferdinand no one can say that but I believe he has all of the attributes to eventually get into the England team if he progresses like he could.

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I'm not knocking him in fairness, I think he's a tryer. I just don't see anything in him to suggest that he's a particularly intelligent footballer.

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I think labeling him a tryer is doing a massive disservice to the lad. As I say last season he came in at fullback and despite being out of position he was pretty much our best player.

 

This season he's moved into his favoured position and he's moving on in leaps and bounds. His positioning and judgement is getting better all the time. Against Manure he was exceptional. But at his age he is going to have ups and downs and there will come a time where for his own good he will need to be left out of the team for a few games. This is the way it is for all young players and like I said earlier, for a centre half he is extremely young and as yet he has very little experience.

He may or may not turn out to be an international class player but as far as I can see he has good ability on the ball, is strong in the tackle, better in the air than any defender we've had in recent memory, he is a natural leader and I believe he is showing signs that the parts of his game he needs to learn (positioning, patience and not diving in) he can improve on (something Bramble never looked like until he played alongside Boumsong).

His biggest problem may end up being that he has to learn all by himself as we don't have any decent coaches to help him. Perhaps Roder might be able to help there!

 

Someone like Caldwell is what I would call a tryer. Taylor looks a far better prospect than that.

[sweetleftpeg 0]

I like Taylor, but I've been wary of heaping too much praise on him because he was way over hyped last season. He perfromed well at RB, but looked a bit ropey at CH. This season however he's looking far more assured there. Just needs to be a lot less blood and thunder and more disciplined. Jumps in a bit too dangerously sometimes. Like I say, I don't want him hyped up because if the pressue gets to him a section of twats will turn on him.

[manc-mag 1]

I find it staggering to see anyone knocking Taylor.  Yes he's made some mistakes and although he barely touched Bellamy yesterday the booking and thus sending was probably deserved.

But last season I can't think of a better player in our team at all and this season for most of the games he's been up there with Parker as our best player.

He got moved to right back (I think that's what Souness did against Fulham but the whole team seemed all over the place so it's anyones guess) and his performance suffered as did playing alongside Boumsong who couldn't do anything right yesterday.

But for a extremely young lad (which is what he is in Centre half terms) he's generally playing to an exceptionally high standard.  He does make the wrong decision a little too often at the moment but that will come good with experience.  Look how Ferdinand was playing at the same age and you will see a lot of similarities.  I'm not saying he will become as good as Ferdinand no one can say that but I believe he has all of the attributes to eventually get into the England team if he progresses like he could.

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I'm not knocking him in fairness, I think he's a tryer. I just don't see anything in him to suggest that he's a particularly intelligent footballer.

35387[/snapback]

 

I think labeling him a tryer is doing a massive disservice to the lad. As I say last season he came in at fullback and despite being out of position he was pretty much our best player.

 

This season he's moved into his favoured position and he's moving on in leaps and bounds. His positioning and judgement is getting better all the time. Against Manure he was exceptional. But at his age he is going to have ups and downs and there will come a time where for his own good he will need to be left out of the team for a few games. This is the way it is for all young players and like I said earlier, for a centre half he is extremely young and as yet he has very little experience.

He may or may not turn out to be an international class player but as far as I can see he has good ability on the ball, is strong in the tackle, better in the air than any defender we've had in recent memory, he is a natural leader and I believe he is showing signs that the parts of his game he needs to learn (positioning, patience and not diving in) he can improve on (something Bramble never looked like until he played alongside Boumsong).

His biggest problem may end up being that he has to learn all by himself as we don't have any decent coaches to help him. Perhaps Roder might be able to help there!

 

Someone like Caldwell is what I would call a tryer. Taylor looks a far better prospect than that.

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Fair enough assessment and well argued mate - it's just a question of instincts I suppose. My instinct is that he will not become one of England's best centre halves. I don't doubt he'll carve out a good Premiership career-he is certainly that good for my money- but nowt special beyond that. And as I say, will always struggle against the top players.

 

You're right what you say though-if i'm wrong and he does make it to the top of the pile then it will be in spite of the set up at the Toon because we're currently offering nothing to develop him as a player (apart from match practice obviously)

[snakehips 0]

Lets just remember what we've got here.

 

A twenty year old lad who is just making his way in the game.

 

A twenty year old lad who is not playing in the best team in the world and as a result has a lot more defending to do.

 

A twenty year old who is playing against some of the best players in the world.

 

A twenty year old lad who must feel a bit of extra pressure as he's playing for the team he loves.

 

And for all the above, he is a TWENTY YEAR OLD lad who is just about holding his own.

 

Well done Stevie Taylor, is what I say.

[manc-mag 1]

Lets just remember what we've got here.

 

A twenty year old lad who is just making his way in the game.

 

A twenty year old lad who is not playing in the best team in the world and as a result has a lot more defending to do.

 

A twenty year old who is playing against some of the best players in the world.

 

A twenty year old lad who must feel a bit of extra pressure as he's playing for the team he loves.

 

And for all the above, he is a TWENTY YEAR OLD lad who is just about holding his own.

 

Well done Stevie Taylor, is what I say.

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Totally agree on that.

[David Kelly 1260]

Is he not still 19?

 

I agree, I'm not trying to hype him up too much I just think it's wrong to A. To start knocking him after a couple of iffy performances alongside a player who's been having a mare and B. To lable him a tryer which as I say suggest to my players like Steve Caldwell who will put everything in for the club but undoubtly would never have the class to deal with top players.

 

I think Taylor has played well this season and I think he has potential to improve. How far is anyone's guess and you won't hear me calling him the next Franco Baresi or Bobby Moore.

 

I totally agree with SLP though. Last season he looked ropey when he was played in the centre and seemed far more comfortable at fullback where you don't need the same positional awareness. This season he has improved massively in the centre to the point where I don't think anyone can argue he has been our best defender (granted the competition hasn't exactly been fierce).

 

I have heard calls for him to be in the England squad which I think is ridiculous but I am more than happy to see him progressing with the u21's alongside the likes of Anton Ferdinand who also looks like a good prospect.