goon Nah, I know what Clrnc means. Kolo was a decent defender and perfect for our high line, but he had plenty of faults, become especially evident after Sol went downhill.
No, not really. I don’t quite agree with that at all. Calling him brain dead is not only off the mark, but it's also insulting to Kolo. While Sol may have been the more polished defender, a partnership that earned 15 clean sheets and conceded more than 1 goal in a game just three times the whole season doesn’t work with one player carrying another at CB.
The idea that Kolo's faults were exposed after Sol left ignores the fact that the team’s shape and structure and makeup changed a lot after 2006. Remember, this was the time AW moved us towards the more possession based yputh project and many players were sold or left on frees. In my opinion, saying Kolo was just a decent defender and usimg the team's defensive decline after 2006 as proof of these faults does him a huge disservice. A similar argument could be made that Sol's flaws were exposed after he left us, if we ignored the fact he was playing for Portsmoth and their weak defence.
I’m not claiming Kolo was the world’s best defender at the time, but he was certainly much more than just decent. He was a hugely important part of that Invincible's season, just as much as any other player at the back. He played every game I think. Diomonde would love to be compared to him.
That said, I would take Gabriel and Saliba over him today. They’re better defenders, stronger on the ball, and more tactically astute, all while being just as fast and strong. In fact, I’d most likeky pick them over Sol as well, but that's less to do with how good they wete at the time relative to their peers, and more to do with how much more advanced the game has become, tactically and technically. Both Sol and Kolo would look lost now if you dropped them right in to today's game with it's tactical and technical demands.
Given the same training and youth development though would Sol and Kolo be able to match up? That's a hard one for me to say with any certainty.
Btw, didn't expect to go on a Kolo defence rant when I started writing this, fuck me that's a lot of shit.
