Clrnc Commentator on the Dutch channel called him Sporting's Saka

    Clrnc Diomande seemed unstable for a modern CB. Very rash, even if he's good on the ball.

      Clrnc But he plays like a young Kolo Toure so no thanks

      If he actually did then I'd be all for it if we didn't have so many defenders. Kolo was quality. As it stands I don't see it with guy much as there was someone on here 1 or 2 years ago who was saying he's going to be one of the best CB in the world in a few years.

          Big Willie Kolo was also very rash and had brain dead moments especially when he just broke through.

          Diomande is a physical specimen but we have enough of those. I like modern intelligent classy defenders these days in the mould of Calafiori. Or Bastoni

              Clrnc Kolo was also very rash and had brain dead moments especially when he just broke through.

              Couldn't have been that brain dead if he ended up an Invincible in only his season season at the club whilst playing ever single game.

              Edit: In any case, my point is, comparing Diomonde to Toure as if it was a slight is an insult to Kolo. Diomonde would be flattered to even be likened to him.

                  Big Willie Ah I see.

                  For some reason I keep thinking his first season was the 02/03 season

                      Clrnc no it was supposed to say "only his second season" and not "only his season" which doesn't make sense. It was his second season when we went invincible. He joined in 02/03.

                        Big Willie

                        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.

                            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.

                                Big Willie peak paddy and Gilbert o'sullivan had alot to do with protecting kolo in that invincible season, as well as being babysat by 2 of the best to ever do it (cashley and sol). he certainly wasn't dead weight, but he wouldn't be able to perform the way he did without being ensconced in such excellence

                                    Gazza M peak paddy and Gilbert o'sullivan had alot to do with protecting kolo in that invincible season, as well as being babysat by 2 of the best to ever do it (cashley and sol). he certainly wasn't dead weight, but he wouldn't be able to perform the way he did without being ensconced in such excellence

                                    Feels a bit disingenius to say it like that when Gilberto and Vieia both missed chunks of that season. Even Cole missed a bunch of games following OT. Think Lehmann, Toure and Thierry were the only players to play almost every game that season in the PL.

                                        Kolo was great and after Sol went he was much better than Gallas, who went hunting goals constantly and left Kolo to defend on his own.

                                        Big Willie paddy only missed around 2 months early in the season. cole a sinilar amount due to suspension. parlour and edu stepped in to provide a similar level of shielding on the occasions anyone was out. kolo was very good, but the conditions couldn't have been better for him

                                          Bringing in Edu and Parlour to explain why circumstances were ideal for Kolo is a bit strange. You could argue Kolo, Sol and Cole made corcumstances ideal for Edu and Parlour to come in and perform at a level that kept us unbeaten.

                                          Also Paddy missing 2 months of a 9 month season is almost a quarter of the season. Gilberto missed a similar number of games. In any case the argument that Toure (whilst starting almost every game) was one of the weaker player in the team being carried by others rather than being a key player whose involvement contributed to our season is wild to me. But each to their own I guess. I feel he more than held his own alongside the generally accepted World Class players we had that season.

                                            Big Willie its just like saying Rice, Partey and Merino and Co are shielding / surrounding Saliba and Gabriel. Of course they are. And of course they're excellent players too, aren't they? But Saliba and Gabriel are world class in their own right. I daresay outside of the insane number of corner goals, Gabriel and Toure would compare quite similarly as players. Will's point which I clearly see is that you don't play on a team like the invincibles as mere a "decent" player. All those players were some of the very best of their generation. In every single position. I find it interesting that Kolo is seemingly so underrated.

                                                flobaba gabriel has surpassed kolo already for me, as an individual player. can't teach height, and his leadership is a different level. and maybe I still have some latent anger at kolo for bungling babel over in the CL quarters at anfield. it's entirely possible

                                                    This is Kolo Touré we're discussing, who was an actual mainstay of an unbeaten Premier League defence. Think he might have been a decent player myself.