If this was asked before Hazard's goal majority would be saying he's the best. I think he is, who else?
How highly do you rate Laurent Koscielny?
- Thread starter Raees
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This season? Alderweireld for me probably is the best one, Sideshow Bob's done very well too, van Dijk perhaps? Bailly?
Then there's Dele Alli and Henderson, of course.
I like Koscielny, he's been easily Arsenal's best defender for the last three or four years.
He isn't fit to lace Vidic/Ferdinand/Terry's boots.
Koscielny is good, but he's massively overrated. I had an Arsenal fan put him over Adams in their best 11, that's how deluded about how good he is. Sadly, they can't have the best CBs in the league if they're consistently out of the title race by Feb.
In a two, it's probably Alderweireld is probably the best CB, Luiz in the middle of a 3 shines and has to be up their, but I have no doubt if he was in a pairing he'd look comical again.
In a two, it's probably Alderweireld is probably the best CB, Luiz in the middle of a 3 shines and has to be up their, but I have no doubt if he was in a pairing he'd look comical again.
He wouldn't be fit the lace the boots of Nemanja Vidic and a fair few others. Not in the same stratosphere. One of the most overrated players going.
Your frequent snark jibes about Alli and Henderson are more tedious than Spurs / Liverpool fans hyping of them.
It's mostly Alli actually but I'll keep that in mind.
Absolutely nowhere near ours or Chelsea's pairing.
Carragher or Hyppia - maybe, I tend to underrate them, obviously, but he is in the same category of talented defenders who doesn't have enough class to maintain the same top level week in week out.
He is one of the best center backs in the league, top-5 or so, but that says more about the league.
Quite amazing the overrating of Luiz here. Put him in a 2 CB setup without the cover of Matic and Kante who is a very defensive pivot and you'd see him exposed for what he is.
I still think Van Dijk is the best defender in the league.
He can be really superb but I dont think he has the consistency of some of the other defenders being discussed. I like him though.
A lot of that comes down to the fact that he plays for an inferior team. I think if you put him in any of the top teams out there, he'd look world class on a consistent basis. I rate both Koscielny and Alderweireld highly, but if I could have any of the three, it would be van Dijk. I think he has a higher ceiling than both, reminds me a bit of Jaap Stam.
That's the point though.
Koscielny has never been in a team defensively drilled and / or in a system that helps him hence he's never challenged for the title whereas Luiz is on course for the title.
I suspect we will find out next season if you are right or not as he is almost certain to get a move to a top club.
I fell into the trap of overrating him - he is a good player but I really don't think he is on the same level as someone like Alderweireld or Vertongen.
I guess it's v hard to judge a CB these days because they are expected to play almost like Deep lying playmakers in some teams and 'Robert Huth' in others. Ideally we all like the mix of Rio/Vidic as it complements both ways of playing.
For me he is a good player but there are others I would sign ahead of him in the EPL
I guess it's v hard to judge a CB these days because they are expected to play almost like Deep lying playmakers in some teams and 'Robert Huth' in others. Ideally we all like the mix of Rio/Vidic as it complements both ways of playing.
For me he is a good player but there are others I would sign ahead of him in the EPL
Doesn't "love" the art of defending enough to be a top top defender. Good footballer mind.
He verges between being good and decent in my book. No where the likes of Campbell/Toure or any other Arsenal defender in recent memory to say nothing of Adams. Only comparison to the likes of Rio/Vidic/Terry/Carvalho is that they are all defenders at least.
I agree. He's nailed on for a move to a top club, possibly abroad.
In my opinion, Alderweireld is miles ahead of him.
One of the best CBs in football. Sometimes underrated because of Arsenal's defensive failings.
He is bit like Arsenal. Probably the perfect player if you want to describe Arsenal under Wenger in last 5 years or so.
He probably is, which really brings home the current state of the position
He's a couple levels below Rio and Terry, a level below Vidic and Carvalho, and about on the same level as Hyypia, though the finnish was less error-prone iirc
So you're saying Rio was better than Vidic? That one is debatable, but Terry better than Carvalho?
At his peak, Carvalho was a supreme, Rolls Royce defender that Terry can only dream of being.
You mean that's even up for debate?
Come on...That one is debatable, but Terry better than Carvalho?
At his peak, Carvalho was a supreme, Rolls Royce defender that Terry can only dream of being.
I think he's brilliant, up there with Alderweireld as the best CB in the league.
Good defender, but no one trait that puts him above any top tier defender. Not the biggest, strongest, or fastest. Maybe tactically aware & maybe passes a bit better than the average, but probably fits Arsenal best. Not sure if he'd be getting time in any of the other top 6 teams as they are currently set up, TBF. Liverpool would probably be his best fit, but they also have the most brittle defenders. Prefer the Spurs duo over him, while the Chelsea defenders fit their style. Probably doesn't help that his partners have been rather shite when comparing to their counterparts on in the Top 6. Actually, I forgot how crappy the available CB's for City are (not counting Kompany), so he'd probably get a lot of time with them.
I don't who the best CB in the league is. These questions are often influenced by the recent past. Ask the same question when Arsenal are on some amazing unbeaten run and you will have some different answers.
Having said that, if I am to build a team, he'd be my 4th choice CB behind Alderweireld, Vertoghnen, and Bailly.
Having said that, if I am to build a team, he'd be my 4th choice CB behind Alderweireld, Vertoghnen, and Bailly.
Sounds about right. I'm very biased, I adore Kos and he's been my favourite Arsenal player for years, I'd even describe him as our best player post-Van Persie.
But with the teams he's played in it's impossible to describe him in the top tier of centre backs. Though you could definitely blame some of his defensive partners, a ludicrously unorganised midfield and no protection from the team in front of him, we just haven't been good enough defensively while he's played, and you'd have to give him his share of the blame for that. He's not an organiser sadly, and that's why his best partner was always Mertesacker, despite his obvious flaws.
On the flip side, I've never had a defender I enjoy watching play more than him. Peak Koscielny against the likes of Aguero, Messi, Lewandowski has been incredible. Strong, fast, ludicrously good one-on-one and an expert tackler. It's hilarious how many times he's left one on one with the opposing team's centre forwards, and how easily he deals with them.
He's miles ahead of Vertonghen.
He'd obviously start for any of the top six.
Wouldn't trade any of our CB's for him except Rojo.
He's in the same categories as Carragher at his best. Perhaps edge Carragher due to more being comfortable on ball. Terry, Carvalho, Vidic, Rio... were on different level comparing to Koscielny. Showing how the quality of PL has slipped since the peak at late 2000s.
He isn't even in the top 3 defenders in London, let alone the premier league and world.
I'm sure he'd start for any of those teams. Who'd keep him out from those teams?
Very good player, i'd put him alongside the likes of Brede Hangeland , Robert Huth etc.
I've heard a few on Arsenal Fan TV who seem to think Koscielny is in the top tier of CB's but you might be right.
I think I'd put him in the same tier as Carragher and Hyypia personally. Not at the level of the best CB's to play in the Premier League though.
That's around where I'd put him too, though I prefer his style of play.
Yeah Carragher was never much of a footballer and Hyypia was a lot slower than Koscielny.
I feel like maybe both were more reliable as defenders than koscielny has been though?
Not very.
I rate Luiz, Alderweireld, Kompany, Van Dijk and Vertonghen over him.
I rate Luiz, Alderweireld, Kompany, Van Dijk and Vertonghen over him.
'miles ahead' of arguably best CB in the league? He wouldn't start for Spurs or Chelsea.
Appreciate he is a good player but unsure why you think he is that good.