[Archived] Vince Grella Signs

[Guest Kamy100]

Agree with Jim, I thought that on Saturday after Dunn went off we lacked an attacking midfielder and therefore became very predictable. We need someone in the middle of the park who is creative and can break forward not another defensive midfielder.

[almuncle]

To be fair he wouldnt be very good when it came to crosses now would he?

Never really rated his footballing ability,but that Brian.... Far more entertaining .but has a reputation of being a bit of a naughty boy.

[imy9]

Agree with Jim, I thought that on Saturday after Dunn went off we lacked an attacking midfielder and therefore became very predictable. We need someone in the middle of the park who is creative and can break forward not another defensive midfielder.

His name is King Carlos, he has been signed to provide creativity in the middle of the park.

Defensive midfield is a key area, reading the comments on Grella he has a terrific engine, good tackler and reader of the game and can play the 'killer pass', sounds great to me! Dont forget we also have Dunny, Ince will not purchase a THIRD creative midfield player.

I am hopeful of a top class right sided midfield player to replace Bentley, that is THE number one priority, someone with genuine pace, who can beat an opponent, without this we will become one dimensional in the way that we play and will be poor on the counter attack.

Question- The Chilean striker that we have, is he a pacy striker or is a target man.

[AussieinUk]

Question- The Chilean striker that we have, is he a pacy striker or is a target man.

You are talking on Pinto (aka 'El Tanko')? If so, is a target man

[my_name_is_Earl]

Grella is a gret signing for us. After watching him plenty of times for both the socceroos and for Parma and then Torino, this guy is a very under-rated player. His sheer athleticism combined with both excellent positioning and intelligence in breaking up the play will be crucial especially after all the goals we've been leaking recently.

I'd say he was a vast improvement on Mokoena and Vogel (from what i've seen so far) in terms of distribution and positioning and he is a player that will sit so the other three midfielders can break forward.

Very happy to see Grella here, in a settled midfield he will be a very good player.

[broadsword]

You are talking on Pinto (aka 'El Tanko')? If so, is a target man

I hope that is Spaneesh for "Tank" and not "Tanker"?

[AussieinUk]

I hope that is Spaneesh for "Tank" and not "Tanker"?

No, otherwise it would be 'El Gordo'

[Guest Kamy100]

His name is King Carlos, he has been signed to provide creativity in the middle of the park.

.

Good as he looks on youtube it is going to take him time to settle in the Premiership. Also it looks as though he is more suited to playing further up the park, what we need is a more established attacking central midfielder.

[Majiball]

Having just read the thread from start to finish, I'm happy that we are strengthening our midfield and filling a role which has been sorely vacant since Savage lost his form and was sold as a result (A 12 month period now really).

It is also clear that JAL has never watched a game of football. A midfielder must be able to defend and attack in equal measure? What garbage. What makes it worse is that you then suggest that Vieira, Keane and Barry can attack as well as they can defend? What garbage. What about Petit, Makelele, Gattuso? These players (taking away Barrys' penalties) have about 5 career goals between them. They cannot shoot, they cannot take a man on, they cannot consistantly play killer passes, and outside of a fifteen yard radius their distribution isn't exactly world class. But these guys can attack and defend in equal measure? Do me a favour. For you to suggest that they aren't percieved, even by themselves as 'defensive' midfielder is crazy.

And what of the other extreme? The leagues best ever attacking midfielders, like Pires, Giggs, Ljungberg, Juninho, Le Tissier, Ginola and Rolnaldo cannot defend for sh*t. Not at all. Pick a team with a midfield four comprised of those players and that team will get beat with no 'defensive' midfielder to boot. Why is that?

So welcome aboard Vinny, and keep dreaming JAL.

5 career goals between Vieira (46), Keane (66), Barry (39 penalties count I believe), Petit (24), Gattuso (16) and Makelele (16), few more than 5 I think.

you can have midfielders that do both roles they've existed for years, you have to make a distinction between the types of different midfielders you have named. Central Midfielders and a holder/sitter, there is a drastic difference between them, and their roles. Villa play with two central midfielders Barry and Coker, both get forward and both defend changing between the roles as required by the game situation. If the situation allows both would get forward and if it didn't they wouldn't.

You've named Pires, Vieira, Petit and Ljundberg an Arsenal midfield, so two can't pass can't score, two who didn't get forward petit 1 in 8 Vieira 1 in 10, both changed between roles as required. When Vieira drove forward petit held as required and vice versa. There talents may not have laid in dribbling but they still got forward, they still set up goals and scored goals. You do not have to have one doing one role and another doing the other role, both can be shared, just as you can have one sitting and one attacking. Both systems work.

You also need to make a distinction between the formations Villa's 442 and our 4132 the later requires a sitter, the former does not, but requires two central midfielders who are good all-rounders, as opposed to specialists.

[JAL]

Having just read the thread from start to finish, I'm happy that we are strengthening our midfield and filling a role which has been sorely vacant since Savage lost his form and was sold as a result (A 12 month period now really).

It is also clear that JAL has never watched a game of football. A midfielder must be able to defend and attack in equal measure? What garbage. What makes it worse is that you then suggest that Vieira, Keane and Barry can attack as well as they can defend? What garbage. What about Petit, Makelele, Gattuso? These players (taking away Barrys' penalties) have about 5 career goals between them. They cannot shoot, they cannot take a man on, they cannot consistantly play killer passes, and outside of a fifteen yard radius their distribution isn't exactly world class. But these guys can attack and defend in equal measure? Do me a favour. For you to suggest that they aren't percieved, even by themselves as 'defensive' midfielder is crazy.

And what of the other extreme? The leagues best ever attacking midfielders, like Pires, Giggs, Ljungberg, Juninho, Le Tissier, Ginola and Rolnaldo cannot defend for sh*t. Not at all. Pick a team with a midfield four comprised of those players and that team will get beat with no 'defensive' midfielder to boot. Why is that?

So welcome aboard Vinny, and keep dreaming JAL.

I suggest young man its you that doesnt have a clue.

To be fair he wouldnt be very good when it came to crosses now would he?

[JAL]

5 career goals between Vieira (46), Keane (66), Barry (39 penalties count I believe), Petit (24), Gattuso (16) and Makelele (16), few more than 5 I think.

you can have midfielders that do both roles they've existed for years, you have to make a distinction between the types of different midfielders you have named. Central Midfielders and a holder/sitter, there is a drastic difference between them, and their roles. Villa play with two central midfielders Barry and Coker, both get forward and both defend changing between the roles as required by the game situation. If the situation allows both would get forward and if it didn't they wouldn't.

You've named Pires, Vieira, Petit and Ljundberg an Arsenal midfield, so two can't pass can't score, two who didn't get forward petit 1 in 8 Vieira 1 in 10, both changed between roles as required. When Vieira drove forward petit held as required and vice versa. There talents may not have laid in dribbling but they still got forward, they still set up goals and scored goals. You do not have to have one doing one role and another doing the other role, both can be shared, just as you can have one sitting and one attacking. Both systems work.

You also need to make a distinction between the formations Villa's 442 and our 4132 the later requires a sitter, the former does not, but requires two central midfielders who are good all-rounders, as opposed to specialists.

Cheers majiball well put, its that interchangeability of the midfielders that i'm looking for, not the narrow minded limited central midfielder who can only perform one role.

[Eddie]

None of the players mentioned can really attack. Very few players in the world can attack and defend to a premiership standard. Obviously you want a player who can defend a bit, or play decent passes and could score if wide open from 10 yards out, but to expect us to bring in a player who can do both in equal measure is unrealistic. Oh, and if we ever do, he'll be one of the best players in the world.

[imy9]

Living in a planet far far away...

the players that you have mentioned are some of the greats of the PL, I would love to have them play at Rovers but they play at a level above us, champions league football.

Also I dont think you have seen Villa play if you think Barry and Reo Coker can inter change. Barry is a holding midfield player who can tackle and make simple passes (why do you think Gerrard/Barry works!)- Grella for us. Reo Coker is supposed to be a driving midfield player but he is neither good enough to be an attacking midfield player or defensive enough to be a holding midfield player- Dunny is much better than him.

Eddie (above) agreed, we can expect £20 million plus if we ever get the player Jal and co mention.

[tony gale's mic]

JAL if you have a spare 15 million at the back of your sofa then put up, otherwise sh...top talking nonsense.

[steven]

No nonsense midfielder in the Ince mould. He will do well here. Very pleased.

[chris]

i have no idea, its good to see people are optimistic at the moment, so look forward to seeing him in action

would like another players if possible for the right wing

[Majiball]

Ok please define the following:

Holding midfielder -

Central midfielder -

Hole player/attacking midfielder -

No examples of players please just define the role.

[JAL]

JAL if you have a spare 15 million at the back of your sofa then put up, otherwise sh...top talking nonsense.

Read back to what ive said, you've got to get them at the beginning of their career, not when they've had several season to blossom and prove themselves.

A good example was David Bentley, maybe Carlos will be one to put in this bracket but people are suggesting hes more of a forward player.

[JAL]

No nonsense midfielder in the Ince mould. He will do well here. Very pleased.

Thats the type an allrounder, someone who can put his foot in but also contributes up the other end to the attacking department.

Maybe i'll just have to dream staring out at those empty seats, wishing, knowing such a player could push the team further up the table filling those empty seats.

[mark]

anyone else feel like we missed out on pedro mended?? a similar age, 1 million cheaper than grella, proven in the prem, and just a couple of seasons ago he was absolute class.

granted i know very little about grella and if he's better than mendes then fair enough but in my opinion that's a tall order....

[joey_big_nose]

I guess Grella is the player who will combine the strength and power of Mokoena with the passing ability of Vogel. We desperately need a player like this to tie together the team. I just wish I knew more about him to be honest, he seems like a big lad and can play a cultured ball. Im heartened to hear he is a runner too.

I imagine he will go straight into the team on Saturday? Wouldn't suprise me. If he has the prescence in midfield to allow us to deploy Villaneuva alongside if Dunn is injured that could be very useful.

For those worried about why we are not signing attacking midfieders: 1) we already have Dunn and Villaneuva 2) I think if we are signing Ireland it will be as an AM rather than a RW.

Oh and JAL - what is the deal with all of this "defensive midfielders are pointless" business?

The best teams in the world use them - Man Utd - Hargreaves/Carrick ; Chelsea last season - Makelele ; Chelsea this season - Mikel ; Spain - Senna ; AC Milan - Pirlo ; Liverpool - Mascherano ; Argentina - Mascherano;

All these players can go forward if they need to or are asked to. But the point is they don't. They dominate the midfield and move the ball around and break up opposing attacks. Some of them are tacklers, others are play makers, some are both. But the point is they all sit behind or on the halfway line for 50 % of a game. Tugay was like this for us - couldn't do the tackling bit but did the dictating bit. Scored 3 goals a season if he was lucky.

The ultimate example is Senna for Spain. Never scores but utterly dictated the game both in passing and in physicality and allowed Spain to field a team of almost ludicrous attacking talent acroos the rest of the midfield. Rarely stepped mor ethan five feet over the half way line. Arguably the best player at Euro 2008.

Hopefully Grella can emulate this a bit for us.

I will reserve judgmeent till the end of September.

[JAL]

I guess Grella is the player who will combine the strength and power of Mokoena with the passing ability of Vogel. We desperately need a player like this to tie together the team. I just wish I knew more about him to be honest, he seems like a big lad and can play a cultured ball. Im heartened to hear he is a runner too.

I imagine he will go straight into the team on Saturday? Wouldn't suprise me. If he has the prescence in midfield to allow us to deploy Villaneuva alongside if Dunn is injured that could be very useful.

For those worried about why we are not signing attacking midfieders: 1) we already have Dunn and Villaneuva 2) I think if we are signing Ireland it will be as an AM rather than a RW.

Oh and JAL - what is the deal with all of this "defensive midfielders are pointless" business?

The best teams in the world use them - Man Utd - Hargreaves/Carrick ; Chelsea last season - Makelele ; Chelsea this season - Mikel ; Spain - Senna ; AC Milan - Pirlo ; Liverpool - Mascherano ; Argentina - Mascherano;

All these players can go forward if they need to or are asked to. But the point is they don't. They dominate the midfield and move the ball around and break up opposing attacks. Some of them are tacklers, others are play makers, some are both. But the point is they all sit behind or on the halfway line for 50 % of a game. Tugay was like this for us - couldn't do the tackling bit but did the dictating bit. Scored 3 goals a season if he was lucky.

The ultimate example is Senna for Spain. Never scores but utterly dictated the game both in passing and in physicality and allowed Spain to field a team of almost ludicrous attacking talent acroos the rest of the midfield. Rarely stepped mor ethan five feet over the half way line. Arguably the best player at Euro 2008.

Hopefully Grella can emulate this a bit for us.

I will reserve judgmeent till the end of September.

Totally looking at it from a Blackburn Rovers current strength and weaknesses prospective, not that of what other teams do.

For me we lack attacking strength in our midfield, so to say we need a defensive midfielder in my opinion, is NOT Rovers immediate priority.

Fully hope Grella is the man as £4m is alot of money for a club like Rovers.

[joey_big_nose]

I guess Grella is the player who will combine the strength and power of Mokoena with the passing ability of Vogel. We desperately need a player like this to tie together the team. I just wish I knew more about him to be honest, he seems like a big lad and can play a cultured ball. Im heartened to hear he is a runner too.

I imagine he will go straight into the team on Saturday? Wouldn't suprise me. If he has the prescence in midfield to allow us to deploy Villaneuva alongside if Dunn is injured that could be very useful.

For those worried about why we are not signing attacking midfieders: 1) we already have Dunn and Villaneuva 2) I think if we are signing Ireland it will be as an AM rather than a RW.

Oh and JAL - what is the deal with all of this "defensive midfielders are pointless" business?

The best teams in the world use them - Man Utd - Hargreaves/Carrick ; Chelsea last season - Makelele ; Chelsea this season - Mikel ; Spain - Senna ; AC Milan - Pirlo ; Liverpool - Mascherano ; Argentina - Mascherano;

All these players can go forward if they need to or are asked to. But the point is they don't. They dominate the midfield and move the ball around and break up opposing attacks. Some of them are tacklers, others are play makers, some are both. But the point is they all sit behind or on the halfway line for 50 % of a game. Tugay was like this for us - couldn't do the tackling bit but did the dictating bit. Scored 3 goals a season if he was lucky.

The ultimate example is Senna for Spain. Never scores but utterly dictated the game both in passing and in physicality and allowed Spain to field a team of almost ludicrous attacking talent acroos the rest of the midfield. Rarely stepped mor ethan five feet over the half way line. Arguably the best player at Euro 2008.

Hopefully Grella can emulate this a bit for us.

I will reserve judgmeent till the end of September.

ps - I rate Mendes but he does not have the physical side to his game. If we are playing hardcore attacking players like Carlos or Villaneuva you couldn't get away with him. It would be like Tugay - you have Tugay as the the deeper player but your "breaker upper" - Savage was most effective at this - playing further up the pitch. Mendes and Dunn would be like Tugay and Dunn - BAD NEWS!

[CrazyIvan]

http://www.goalvideoz.com/watch/1996-ac-fi...zo-grella-goal/

A little bit of a rocket from Grella...

[imy9]

Ok please define the following:

Holding midfielder -

GOOD TACKLER, SITS IN FRONT OF THE BACK 4, KEEPS IT SIMPLE.

Central midfielder -

A MIX OF THE TWO, THEY TEND TO BE 7/10 FOR BOTH DEFENDING AND ATTACKING.

Hole player/attacking midfielder -

ATTACKING MIDFIELD PLAYER IS SOMEONE WHO IS AHEAD OF THE HOLDING PLAYER AND JOINS IN WITH THE ATTACKS AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, DECO IS THE PERFECT EXAMPLE, WE HAVE KING CARLOS.

No examples of players please just define the role.