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Linked with Cranie?


farawaysaint
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Makes sense for us to be linked with a few centre backs, especially ones like Cranie. If the offer is right I can't see Cov refusing, they desperately need funds after all..... just hope we havn't fallen out totally after all that Elliot Ward business.

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I normally employ a 'never go back' mentality, but Cranie is one of the few old players I'd take a good look at. He left very young in his career, at a time when our management and financial situations were so chaotic it can hardly be held against him. He showed an awful lot of promise when he was here. Crucially, I think he's at a stage in his career now where he could really 'come on' and develop into a great player. A loan with option would be a no-lose situation for us.

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He looked a good player in the Coventry game this week. Even if we didn't need him to play centreback he is better than any of our right backs and could cover anywhere across the back four. If he was available, which he isn't, I'd like to see him back at Saints.

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A great shame he left when he did. A very good defender and had he stayed he would have been a first team regular. I have always rated him and personally I think he is better than Mills who people see to drool over. If we can get him back his versatility would also be a bonus. I think he is a no brainer signing to be honest. One thing I cannot recall does he have a left foot?

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A great shame he left when he did. A very good defender and had he stayed he would have been a first team regular. I have always rated him and personally I think he is better than Mills who people see to drool over. If we can get him back his versatility would also be a bonus. I think he is a no brainer signing to be honest. One thing I cannot recall does he have a left foot?

 

He did make a reasonable job playing left back in several games in the Premiership for us.

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Cranie is another Chris Baird type player. He wants to play centre back and indeed plays well there, but is too short unless he pays covering for a hulking great brute alongside him, and is not quite as fast as you'd want a top level right back to be ideally. Definitely good enough for the championship but not much use to Saints IMO because he'd be competing to play in Fonte's place, not to play with Fonte, and he wouldn't want to come here as a RB.

 

Personally I always thought that Matt Mills was the more promising of the two when they were breaking through into our first team as youngsters.

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Cranie is another Chris Baird type player. He wants to play centre back and indeed plays well there, but is too short unless he pays covering for a hulking great brute alongside him, and is not quite as fast as you'd want a top level right back to be ideally. Definitely good enough for the championship but not much use to Saints IMO because he'd be competing to play in Fonte's place, not to play with Fonte, and he wouldn't want to come here as a RB.

 

This is how I feel, plus he's a judas **** that joined the skates when we needed him most. I'd more than happy to see him stuck at cov for the rest of his poxy career. I have no issue with us signing ex skates, but signing a player that deserted us for `something better'? No thanks. **** im.
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This is how I feel, plus he's a judas **** that joined the skates when we needed him most. I'd more than happy to see him stuck at cov for the rest of his poxy career. I have no issue with us signing ex skates, but signing a player that deserted us for `something better'? No thanks. **** im.

 

Sanctimonious twaddle

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Cranie is another Chris Baird type player. He wants to play centre back and indeed plays well there, but is too short unless he pays covering for a hulking great brute alongside him, and is not quite as fast as you'd want a top level right back to be ideally. Definitely good enough for the championship but not much use to Saints IMO because he'd be competing to play in Fonte's place, not to play with Fonte, and he wouldn't want to come here as a RB.

 

Personally I always thought that Matt Mills was the more promising of the two when they were breaking through into our first team as youngsters.

 

 

Yeah, but where is Matt Mills now though? Cranie is playing regular football at an established Championship club (Coventry).

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So did Jason Dodd, but neither of them are permanent left backs.

 

We have three left backs already but he could play there as cover, as I said he could cover all the back four positions but I see him as a covering centreback not dominating in the air but also a decent right.

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Sanctimonious twaddle

 

I hope so, that's what football supporting is all about - having and displaying irrational hatred of a player that left Saints for their most bitter rivals and then spouting utter drivel about it.

Edited by Chez
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To be honest, you can't blame him for leaving when he did. We were a complete mess at the time. If your employer was going down the pan would you stay just to be loyal, or move to secure your future?

 

Like Mills he never got a fair crack at Saints. Another one overlooked repeatedly for aging failures. Right to go - wrong club in Skates, but they were Prem at the time.

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I normally employ a 'never go back' mentality, but Cranie is one of the few old players I'd take a good look at. He left very young in his career, at a time when our management and financial situations were so chaotic it can hardly be held against him. He showed an awful lot of promise when he was here. Crucially, I think he's at a stage in his career now where he could really 'come on' and develop into a great player. A loan with option would be a no-lose situation for us.

 

A classic Burley cock up...

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He wants to play centre back and indeed plays well there, but is too short unless he pays covering for a hulking great brute alongside him, and is not quite as fast as you'd want a top level right back to be ideally. Definitely good enough for the championship but not much use to Saints IMO because he'd be competing to play in Fonte's place, not to play with Fonte, and he wouldn't want to come here as a RB.

I always find it amazing how, in the age of the apparently 'enlightened' football fan, such entrenched established 'wisdom' is trotted out again and again as if it's validity is self-evident. For all the words written and spoken about football nowadays, the lexicon is still embarrassingly small.

 

Because obviously there are no successful teams that don't use at least one massive, largely immobile central defender. There are no situations in which two more dynamic 'ball-playing' centre backs might be more effective. And there is no benefit to introducing competition in all positions, even ones where your best players play, because they are immune to injury, fatigue, or loss of form.

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I always find it amazing how, in the age of the apparently 'enlightened' football fan, such entrenched established 'wisdom' is trotted out again and again as if it's validity is self-evident. For all the words written and spoken about football nowadays, the lexicon is still embarrassingly small.

 

Because obviously there are no successful teams that don't use at least one massive, largely immobile central defender. There are no situations in which two more dynamic 'ball-playing' centre backs might be more effective. And there is no benefit to introducing competition in all positions, even ones where your best players play, because they are immune to injury, fatigue, or loss of form.

 

Of course you don't need one massive immobile defender .. I didn't say you did... but you do need at least one who is tall enough to cope with the average opposing team's strikers. The ideal is two tall and mobile defenders. Failing that, one big and one small generally works better than 2 small.

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According to the Skates,he was carp so I would say he did a good job when he was there. ;)

Not many would have even seen him play (not sure whether he made total of 4 or 5 appearances for the Skates, depends on the reference source) - so thats 5 appearances watched by perhaps 20 skates (average home crowd?). His first game was home to Manure so not many skates would have seen him that day, only plastic Mancs. ;)

 

Apparently he only ever started 1 league game for the Skates, plus 1 sub appearance.

Edited by VectisSaint
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I normally employ a 'never go back' mentality, but Cranie is one of the few old players I'd take a good look at. He left very young in his career, at a time when our management and financial situations were so chaotic it can hardly be held against him. He showed an awful lot of promise when he was here. Crucially, I think he's at a stage in his career now where he could really 'come on' and develop into a great player. A loan with option would be a no-lose situation for us.[/

 

Well said.... I agree 100%

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He left looking for first team football, and I don't think that looks more likely for him now then it did then. If I read the runes right this was our problem with Billy Sharpe, i.e. he wanted a guaranteed start and nobody is getting that at Saints anymore. They will all have to muck in, help the team and compete for places. That is the kind of squad NA wants, and he isn't going to take any risks with those who think that they are first amongst quals. This makes it a bit more difficult to sign the better known (stars?) players. They'd better arrive with solid confidence to feel certain that if they're on their game they will get picked. I think that is the kind of player NA wants.

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He was poor for us first time, not sure he is what we need now.

 

When exactly was he poor for us? Made his Premier league debut out of position at left back against Chelsea then got dumped at right back. The few games I remember seeing him actually at centre back like the Championship play off second leg he was outstanding.

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