[Archived] Return Of Henchoz

[AxesFirstTouch]

Hes a damm sight better then Zurab CalamityVishvilli

[Bobby G]

For me as a natural defender he is one of the best at the club. His tackling is good and he reads the game well and for someone with no pace at all, he rarely gets himself into a position where someone can get past him, unlike some of his younger teammates.

He was a class defender and still is. An asset in the squad in my eyes.

[Ricky]

After five minutes play he looks like he's about to have a heart attack. He's getting exhausted too quickly, which has led to some rash challenges and one too many cards for my liking. Apart from that he's not done too bad. Shame Liverpool saw the best of him and not us.

To be honest he's always been the same, he's always looked like he's about to collapse in a big heap. I always recall Duffer being very similar, he's look knackered before running past 5 players like they weren't there.

[Esulx]

"Defender Stephane Henchoz has signed a new one-year deal with Blackburn Rovers. The deal sees the former Swiss international contracted until the summer of 2008."

Official Rovers Txt Service

[Bobby G]

Not a bad extension overall.

[frosty]

Does a decent job as back up. Glad we've extended his deal

[Exiled_Rover]

To be honest he's always been the same, he's always looked like he's about to collapse in a big heap. I always recall Duffer being very similar, he's look knackered before running past 5 players like they weren't there.

The good old days!

[Roar of the Rover]

He's just signed a new contract which will keep him until 2008

Good news or could we do better?

[Eddie]

OK news, he's done quite well, but we could do better and it would be better to bring in some younger players.

[Scotty]

He's not good enough. No idea why we've signed him on again, unless he's doing a bit of coaching on the side.

[herbergeehh]

Depending on the wages I guess. He's good enough to cover if injuries occur, but he's no longer a first choice defender in my opinion. I would absolutely love to see us sign a younger defender (Dawson, Ryan Taylor, Lescott, Curtis Davies etc.) from wherever, but I obviously understand they're not easy to get a hold of, especially not as squad players.

I'm ranting a bit here, forgetting about the young Samba. He'll probably come good as soon as he builds up physically

[HairwayToSteven]

Personally I haven't made my mind up about Henchoz. I think he reads play very well and he seldom gives the ball away. He is also a force defending and attacking set pieces. Though there aren't many players who can't run past him, and against players with a fair amount of skill and pace he often throws himself in to reckless tackles. On his day he's a fantastic player. However I'd also like to see Zurab progress. If Zurab can learn from Nelsen and Henchoz we'll have a top class defender - with pace.

Samba might also be a fantastic coup, he has pace, strength and great presence.

Edited February 6, 2007 by HairwayToSteven

[Perth_Rover]

Personally I haven't made my mind up about Henchoz. I think he reads play very well and he seldom gives the ball away. He is also a force defending and attacking set pieces. Though there aren't many players who can't run past him, and against players with a fair amount of skill and pace he often throws himself in to reckless tackles. On his day he's a fantastic player. However I'd also like to see Zurab progress. If Zurab can learn from Nelsen and Henchoz we'll have a top class defender - with pace.

Samba might also be a fantastic coup, he has pace, strength and great presence.

He hasn't done that badly this season, more then adequate second back-up especially to help the younger players coming through the reserves. May be todd's final nail though at seasons end.

[rover6]

He's not good enough. No idea why we've signed him on again, unless he's doing a bit of coaching on the side.

Gotta agree. However, Hughes is a conservative manager and no doubt he is thinking that Henchoz's 'experience' (that favourite of concepts of footy managers) will help us - somehow.

I think Arsene Wenger's philosophy is spot on. I know he has an advantage of having good contacts in France but he seems to always be thinking one step ahead. He's always looking to bring in young players and plan for the future - but without jeopardising the present. On occasions, he seems to have got the balance slightly wrong - but you just have to look at his Carling Cup team to know that Arsenal can look forward to a rosy future - that's without splashing on new signings, which they will do.

I remember in the summer Arsenal were linked with Davids and Dabo and Wenger refuted the rumours by saying that it would send out a negative message to his young hopefuls if he brought in a old stop-gap.

Now, obviously the talent bubbling away below the Rovers first team is less impressive - and we don't have the dosh to splash out on say Walcott but I would like to see Hughes adopt a long-term approach without taking his eye of the short-term.

Perhaps, it's asking for too much as we are one of the clubs that go into a season knowing that relegation is a possibility. Arsenal don't have to worry about that.

Edited February 6, 2007 by rover6

[broadsword]

Now, obviously the talent bubbling away below the Rovers first team is less impressive - and we don't have the dosh to splash out on say Walcott but I would like to see Hughes adopt a long-term approach without taking his eye of the short-term.

Yes, because we have an ancient team of has-beens, don't we? Warnock, Reid, Emerton, Pedersen, Derbyshire, McCarthy, Bentley ... they're all queueing up for the knackers-yard.

You have a hard-on for young players. I'd rather see a team that wins.

[gazsimm]

I am glad we have signed Henchoz on for another season, he has done very well for us this season when we have needed him and he is a very good back up player for us

[rover6]

You have a hard-on for young players. I'd rather see a team that wins.

Stick to the whimsical. It suits you better.

Edited February 6, 2007 by rover6

[broadsword]

Oh get you, sweetie!

Have you got your managerial tracksuit yet with your initials on, so you can feel like a proper manager when you're playing Championship Stuck in Your Bedroom Getting Bleary Eyed 3?

I'm sorry but your "I will tell Hughes where he is going wrong from behind my PC" attitude is quite honestly a little bit irritating after the 5,000th judgement based on media reports and televised games.

[Jim Royle]

Gotta agree. However, Hughes is a conservative manager and no doubt he is thinking that Henchoz's 'experience' (that favourite of concepts of footy managers) will help us - somehow.

I think Arsene Wenger's philosophy is spot on. I know he has an advantage of having good contacts in France but he seems to always be thinking one step ahead. He's always looking to bring in young players and plan for the future - but without jeopardising the present. On occasions, he seems to have got the balance slightly wrong - but you just have to look at his Carling Cup team to know that Arsenal can look forward to a rosy future - that's without splashing on new signings, which they will do.

I remember in the summer Arsenal were linked with Davids and Dabo and Wenger refuted the rumours by saying that it would send out a negative message to his young hopefuls if he brought in a old stop-gap.

Now, obviously the talent bubbling away below the Rovers first team is less impressive - and we don't have the dosh to splash out on say Walcott but I would like to see Hughes adopt a long-term approach without taking his eye of the short-term.

Perhaps, it's asking for too much as we are one of the clubs that go into a season knowing that relegation is a possibility. Arsenal don't have to worry about that.

...and do you think Wenger and his team of talent spotters get these top youngsters from around the globe for nothing?

If I remember correctly Pennent cost c£2.6m, Denilson c£3m

and that's just a couple I've heard off

So not even considering the wage bill of the Arsenal Youth team / squad, BRFC would require immediate payback on such investment.

[ABBEY]

Oh get you, sweetie!

Have you got your managerial tracksuit yet with your initials on, so you can feel like a proper manager when you're playing Championship Stuck in Your Bedroom Getting Bleary Eyed 3?

I'm sorry but your "I will tell Hughes where he is going wrong from behind my PC" attitude is quite honestly a little bit irritating after the 5,000th judgement based on media reports and televised games.

tell sturrock instead

[LDRover]

rover6, yet again you make your point(s) eloquently but to use Wenger as an example is flawed due to the money spent on the youngsters recruited (as said in a previous post).

Just on a side note, what's your opinion of Man United's acquisition of Larsson and consequent loaning out of Giusseppe Rossi?

[rover6]

Oh get you, sweetie!

Have you got your managerial tracksuit yet with your initials on, so you can feel like a proper manager when you're playing Championship Stuck in Your Bedroom Getting Bleary Eyed 3?

I'm sorry but your "I will tell Hughes where he is going wrong from behind my PC" attitude is quite honestly a little bit irritating after the 5,000th judgement based on media reports and televised games.

So me expressing an opinion irritates you? It doesn't matter whether my arguments have any validity but because they are made by me, vitriol pours from your fingertips.

I noticed that in my post questioning Hughes' decision on the renewal of Mokoena's contract, your immediate response was "If only he listened to you, eh? The man's a fool." (typical mixture of whimsical and droll)(No such derision for other's who concurred).

Yet further down the life of the thread, as consensus grows that Mokoena is a shoddy player, Bryan, responds to a description of a dire piece of play from Mokoena in a match with: "You can't teach that sort of thing. You're born with that sort of touch and awareness."

I don't mind criticism, after all, it's part of the banter and general liveliness of this board. However, I do take exception when someone as inconsistent and apparently opinion-less (or maybe it just gets diluted by the drollness) as Bryan throws insults at me because of my opinions and not their substance. Suggesting I get a "hard-on" or whatever for young players because I am a proponent of giving youth players a central role at Rovers, I find insulting. Not because of the words used but the discriminatory way I have been targeted.

Maybe I do bang on about things far too much - but that's because I strongly believe in them and have thought them out (whilst I admit to having been wildly wrong before and will be in the future, I don't think you'll ever find me putting forward a view without foundation or reasonable argument). I enjoy engaging in the debates and widening my horizons by engaging in argument. I guess that's why most of use this board.

I challenge anyone to argue against the fact that my record on "being right" (if there is such a thing in the world) on issues regarding Rovers is as good as anyone's. (It's a shame that there is no record of opinions expressed on here because then you could identify the people who have no opinion or who are always wrong from those who are usually right).

Sorry, mods, off topic.

Edited February 7, 2007 by rover6

[rover6]

rover6, yet again you make your point(s) eloquently but to use Wenger as an example is flawed due to the money spent on the youngsters recruited (as said in a previous post).

Just on a side note, what's your opinion of Man United's acquisition of Larsson and consequent loaning out of Giusseppe Rossi?

You're right. I accept that Arsenal can afford to splash cash on teenagers. (I kind of admitted that in the final sentence of my post). Perhaps, I am wrong to draw comparisons with Arsenal due to the gulf in financial muscle between us and them. But it'd be interesting to see a Premiership manager of a 'lesser team' trying to build a team that grows 'organically' without millions to spend.

Perhaps, its not possible, which is why it's not done.

As for Larsson in, Rossi out, that smacks of short-termisim in my book. But if short-termism wins you the league - who's to complain. But then when Rossi moves on and proves a success with another team or doesn't develop as much as he should have due to lack of first team opportunities, maybe that short-termism will come with a cost.

Edited February 7, 2007 by rover6

[broadsword]

So me expressing an opinion irritates you? It doesn't matter whether my arguments have any validity but because they are made by me, vitriol pours from your fingertips.

I noticed that in my post questioning Hughes' decision on the renewal of Mokoena's contract, your immediate response was "If only he listened to you, eh? The man's a fool." (typical mixture of whimsical and droll)(No such derision for other's who concurred).

Yet further down the life of the thread, as consensus grows that Mokoena is a shoddy player, Bryan, responds to a description of a dire piece of play from Mokoena in a match with: "You can't teach that sort of thing. You're born with that sort of touch and awareness."

I don't mind criticism, after all, it's part of the banter and general liveliness of this board. However, I do take exception when someone as inconsistent and apparently opinion-less (or maybe it just gets diluted by the drollness) as Bryan throws insults at me because of my opinions and not their substance.

No, it's the way you make pronouncements about things, as if you're a guru sat in his underpants on some misty mountain top. You don't express an opinion, you give us the truth according to rover6 eg "Hughes has made a mistake".

If you couldn't tell that the second statement you've quoted was tongue-in-cheek then you relly are out-of-touch.

I wouldn't stop anyone having an opinion. It's the way you express your point-of-view that irritates me, it's as if you know everything about football and you are educating all of us plebs.

Sorry to single you out, but I had to say something after reading the same pompous (yes, I'd say they were pompous) armchair diatribes again and again and again.

[krislu]

Another year of Henchoz I feel sick...

Edited February 8, 2007 by krislu