I'd take him as backup/a project but we need a first choice player and he doesn't fit the profile.

The switch from a very good defensive right back to one who is quite suspect has the potential to make a significant difference (in a negative manner) to our defensive record

I want players for the NOW as opposed to the future and we have the resources to do this

Klaus wrote:

He looks like a decent right winger, and a complete nightmare as a potential Premier League fullback (and not in a good way).

Far more Eboue than Sagna.

Serious threat going forward, but his lunges at international level are madness.

evoh wrote:

Klaus wrote:

He looks like a decent right winger, and a complete nightmare as a potential Premier League fullback (and not in a good way).

Far more Eboue than Sagna.

Serious threat going forward, but his lunges at international level are madness.

Agreed. Aren't there full backs out there who can both defend and attack?

I don't rate many modern fullback on the defensive side of the game. Bearing in mind how we play teh right side of the pitch (theo cutting in and Sagna providing width) I'd not be against taking Aurier as he is a quality attacking wide player.

Hmm having seen him more he looks too eboueish

Did this get posted in here?

[Video=vimeo]vimeo.com/98256821

Surprised so many are down on him. If he was 25 I'd get it, but at only 21 he'll improve his defensive game with maturity. And with better coaching and competition he could really become a good player.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Hmm having seen him more he looks too eboueish

Klaus wrote:

He looks like a decent right winger, and a complete nightmare as a potential Premier League fullback (and not in a good way).

Gunner89 wrote:

The switch from a very good defensive right back to one who is quite suspect has the potential to make a significant difference (in a negative manner) to our defensive record

evoh wrote:

Serious threat going forward, but his lunges at international level are madness.

Could anyone of you point out to me the instances where he's looked poor/suspect defensively?

I think most people are just repeating what they already thought about him as a player before the tournament, at no point has he looked poor/brainless/suspect defensively in the tournament IMO.

I have seen comments about how ultra attacking he was against Japan, but that was exactly what his team needed at that point; Japan scored a goal and parked the bus, and as we have seen so far, the Ivorians channel most of their attacks through him (which is a very positive sign that they rate/trust him) when they are going for it, so he had to do a lot of attacking. Contrast that to how reserved he was for most of the match against Colombia, he only started bombing forward frequently after they went behind and he caused them all sort of problems.

As I said in another thread, I can't say how good he is positionally (not yet tested enough for me to say), but he's looked good in the air despite his height and unbeatable 1 v 1.

He's one of the players that has got the eye in the tournament so far IMO.

I don't think people are down on him per se, it's just that they are comparing him to Sagna who kept our right side relatively quiet for many years. People think attacking RB => poor defensively. It's a stereotype.

@lorddulaarsenal wrote:

Hmm having seen him more he looks too eboueish

Agree.

During the Japan game, all of it, he was playing more like a winger than a fullback. Zokora had to cover for him on countless occasions.
Having said that, it looks as if the Ivorians by design mean to push Aurier forward in possession and have Tiote slot back in that space. It is when Tiote has to go towards the center while Aurier is on his way back that the CB has to frequently cover that space. Difficult to say how much is down to Aurier and how much is down to tactics.

Tactics is spot on, no evidence that he isn't any good defensively at all, in fact, I'd say that he hasn't been caught out yet in this tournament, which says really that a) the teams he's faced have been poor and b) he has attacked and defended at the right times.

Looks a decent player to me but haven't seen enough of him defensively to judge yet

I think, ideally, the less you "see" of a player defensively is a good preliminary indication of their defensive abilities. I'm more curious now to see how he fares in real one-on-one situations against decent to world class players. Sagna was skinned a hefty number of times this past season.

I just don't think he looked that good going forward. Decent crosses i guess.

Same. Would rather we make a fullback a real strength by going for Coleman or someone like that

I don't really mind if we go cheapo with this guy if we invest properly otherwise. Any good team can carry an inferior fullback. He certainly isn't inferior going forward, and I just don't have an opinion yet about his defending.