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Martin Olsson - Blackburn Rovers + Sweden left back (linked in local Blackburn paper)


Matthew Le God

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He has handed in a transfer request and is being linked with Saints...

 

Rovers have yet to receive any official offers for Olsson, who is contracted to Rovers until summer of 2015, but is understood Southampton, Sunderland and Stoke are all monitoring his situation with interest.

 

http://www.thisislancashire.co.uk/sport/football/premiership/9835177.Olsson_ready_to_leave_Ewood/?ref=rss

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Also previously mentioned by Bailey in the Buttner thread.

 

It was indeed...

 

Am told that Martin Olsson is an alternative to Buttner.

 

Early stages at the moment, but interest is there.

 

Worth mentioning that this has come from the same person who told me that Buttner had signed, so don't get too worked up over it!

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It appears Rovers are holding out for large sums of cash for their better players. I wonder how much Venky's is willing to support them this season and the need to sell? It appears that they want to be more involved and prop them up, at least for the time being.

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It appears Rovers are holding out for large sums of cash for their better players. I wonder how much Venky's is willing to support them this season and the need to sell? It appears that they want to be more involved and prop them up, at least for the time being.

 

I read a couple of quotes from Blackburn fans regarding the Scott Dann transfer, both seemed fairly sure that Venky's don't need to sell players to sustain the club. Could all be talk of course, but the fact there's not yet been any massive clamour for their players to leave is somewhat telling.

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I read a couple of quotes from Blackburn fans regarding the Scott Dann transfer, both seemed fairly sure that Venky's don't need to sell players to sustain the club. Could all be talk of course, but the fact there's not yet been any massive clamour for their players to leave is somewhat telling.

 

Looks like Olsson will be slightly different, as he has now put in a transfer request and his agent says he doesn't want to play in the Championship.

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Looks like Olsson will be slightly different, as he has now put in a transfer request and his agent says he doesn't want to play in the Championship.

 

It is different as he has handed in a request but also the same as they don't (look like anyway) need to sell. If they don't need to sell, they can drive up the price. A bit like we did with Chamberlain.

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It is different as he has handed in a request but also the same as they don't (look like anyway) need to sell. If they don't need to sell, they can drive up the price. A bit like we did with Chamberlain.

 

Indeed. And it will also act as a bit of a deterrent to the likes of Scott Dann, David Dunn, Junior Hoilett (albeit out of contract) to try to engineer a massively cut price deal away.

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As a swede myself perhaps i should be excited over the possible signing of a swedish footballer, but Martin Olsson would (in my eyes) not at all be an upgrade as a left defender. His strengths are the offensive side of the game, but when it comes to defending he is not at all as good as Danny Fox.

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It is different as he has handed in a request but also the same as they don't (look like anyway) need to sell. If they don't need to sell, they can drive up the price. A bit like we did with Chamberlain.

 

Seeing as they have been relegated they will struggle to keep him if he wants to go.

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As a swede myself perhaps i should be excited over the possible signing of a swedish footballer, but Martin Olsson would (in my eyes) not at all be an upgrade as a left defender. His strengths are the offensive side of the game, but when it comes to defending he is not at all as good as Danny Fox.

 

Well Danny isn't much defensively either.

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Seeing as they have been relegated they will struggle to keep him if he wants to go.

 

Struggle to keep him yes, but if they have money they can play hard ball. With NC, he seems happy to let a player rot in the reserves as we have money backing us. If Blackburn have money (big if) they may be able to do the same, at least for a while. If they need money to pay the bills, big debts needing serviced etc, they would have to sell quickly, allowing us to drive down the price. It's economics.

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Struggle to keep him yes, but if they have money they can play hard ball. With NC, he seems happy to let a player rot in the reserves as we have money backing us. If Blackburn have money (big if) they may be able to do the same, at least for a while. If they need money to pay the bills, big debts needing serviced etc, they would have to sell quickly, allowing us to drive down the price. It's economics.

 

Its player power. Once Olsson says he won't play for them he is useless to them. They will want the money in to strenghten for their promotion push.

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As a swede myself perhaps i should be excited over the possible signing of a swedish footballer, but Martin Olsson would (in my eyes) not at all be an upgrade as a left defender. His strengths are the offensive side of the game, but when it comes to defending he is not at all as good as Danny Fox.

 

Well Danny isn't much defensively either.

 

Exactly, Fox is slow and his positioning and marking is terrible, his main attributes are his crossing and set pieces. Its not a surprise Adkins wants another left back, we need competition for Fox as Harding isn't going to provide it.

Edited by Matthew Le God
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Its player power. Once Olsson says he won't play for them he is useless to them. They will want the money in to strenghten for their promotion push.

 

I agree to an extent. It also comes down to the stubbornness of the owner/chairman and the cash behind him. One pushes down the price (player power) one drives it up. If you have a player that wanted out, a broke, weak chairman, you would get a complete bargain. Any of the variables change, the price changes.

Edited by Tokyo-Saint
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We want an attacking, adventurous full back without a doubt. We've got that with Clyne, and to an extend Richardson, on the right hand side.

Do we? When we already have one? Why would we rule out getting a more defensive-minded left back, out of interest? Particularly when we know that Lallana's attacking instincts often leave us exposed at left back and we may need to shore that up against better sides.

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Do we? When we already have one? Why would we rule out getting a more defensive-minded left back, out of interest? Particularly when we know that Lallana's attacking instincts often leave us exposed at left back and we may need to shore that up against better sides.

 

Because we want to play 4-3-3, with a narrow front 3, and there will be more reliance on the full backs to provide the width right down the line - and it's important they're full of pace as well, I'm sure of it. I would say this signing is an upgrade to Fox in that extent.

 

Also explains why we're after a ''midfield'' enforcer type. It's risky as we'll get picked off by the better teams for sure, but it's exciting because we're going to go for it next year.

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Exactly, Fox is slow and his positioning and marking is terrible, his main attributes are his crossing and set pieces. Its not a surprise Adkins wants another left back, we need competition for Fox as Harding isn't going to provide it.

 

I think we will watch Fox get undone by the ball between him and the CH time after time. He's good going forward, but he worries me defensively.

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Was watching the highlights from last night's Exeter game and Dickson looked class. Just saying.

 

I thought this. Quality ball in for the first. Always thought he was better than Harding, even in our League 1 promotion season. Don't quite understand why he hasn't been given a chance.

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I thought this. Quality ball in for the first. Always thought he was better than Harding, even in our League 1 promotion season. Don't quite understand why he hasn't been given a chance.
Didn't see the whole game, just the highlights, but if you didn't know better it'd be a case of 'get him in the first team squad as competition for Fox'. Definitely been unlucky to not play a bit more for us.
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danbsfc: @reluctantnicko Al, #SaintsFc interested in Martin Olsson? Yes or No?

 

reluctantnicko: @danbsfc Heard a whisper a while back. Not come to anything yet.

 

So, it seems we have an interest in him then. Would be a very good signing IMO.

Edited by itchen_dan
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Perhaps Fox appears to be weak because Lallana provides so little support for him? Lallana really is not that great at putting in a defensive shift to be fair - that's not his game, so Fox is often going to get exposed. Now then, put someone like Ollsen in front of Fox and I wager you'll see a different game.

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Lots of people say this but I can't remember him being beaten many times, apart from by Ince at Blackpool.

 

That's because the person he's marking is usually past him before the ball gets there.

 

I had to laugh when I read the Daily Mail Championship Team of the Season, Fox was in there, with his "surging forward runs" named as one of his qualities. I don't think I saw him cross the half-way line with the ball all season, he always hit a long diagonal to the right side of the pitch or a low ball into midfield and never, EVER ran with the ball.

 

http://footballleagueblog.dailymail.co.uk/2012/04/the-pfa-championship-team-of-the-year-amended.html

 

"Left back: Danny Fox (Southampton)

Harte may grab the headlines with his free-kick and penalty-taking exploits, but Fox is a far better player in open play. His surging forward runs have been a feature of Southampton's play this season."

Edited by The9
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That's because the person he's marking is usually past him before the ball gets there.

 

I had to laugh when I read the Guardian Championship Team of the Season, Fox was in there, with his "driving forward runs with the ball" named as one of his qualities. I don't think I saw him cross the half-way line with the ball all season, he always hit a long diagonal to the right side of the pitch or a low ball into midfield and never, EVER ran with the ball.

 

He put in a few crosses from halfway inside the other half that led to goals, but yes he rarely beats the full back on the outside. Has good touch and decent technique but Olsson would be a big improvement if we can get him.

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I'll join the Dickson love in. Not quite sure how or why he's ended up out of favour.

 

Because he's fairly slow, not as good on the ball as Fox, isn't a strong enough passer, and most important has already made a dodgy decision under pressure against a Prem side (pass v Man U in the FA Cup which they scored from).

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He put in a few crosses from halfway inside the other half that led to goals, but yes he rarely beats the full back on the outside. Has good touch and decent technique but Olsson would be a big improvement if we can get him.

 

For rarely read "never", it was amazing to see the drop off in Lallana's game out wide at first when he didn't have Harding bombing on past him opening up space.

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For rarely read "never", it was amazing to see the drop off in Lallana's game out wide at first when he didn't have Harding bombing on past him opening up space.

 

What about his assist against Orient when we won 2-0 up there? That's one.

 

Wasn't it him that went past about 4 players to set up Brentfords equaliser they played here in our first L1 season?

 

So that's two off the top of my head.

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Perhaps Fox appears to be weak because Lallana provides so little support for him? Lallana really is not that great at putting in a defensive shift to be fair - that's not his game, so Fox is often going to get exposed. Now then, put someone like Ollsen in front of Fox and I wager you'll see a different game.

 

I think Lallana is pretty effective defensively, but Fox appears to be weak because he's always on the half way line when we turn over possession, usually because his Hollywood balls are our highest risk passes and the most likely to turn over possession. Richardson had the same problem for a while, but from further forward because his delivery was usually a cross from 15 yards further down the pitch. Chaplow covering him sorted it out for a while, cutting off the source of breaks in behind Richardson - come to think of it, might have been a simple explanation of why we missed Chaplow so much in December and seemed to concede a fair few goals to teams with quick wide players (notably Bristol City).

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What about his assist against Orient when we won 2-0 up there? That's one.

 

Wasn't it him that went past about 4 players to set up Brentfords equaliser they played here in our first L1 season?

 

So that's two off the top of my head.

 

You're talking about Dickson (or possibly Harding), I'm talking about Fox.

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What about his assist against Orient when we won 2-0 up there? That's one.

 

Wasn't it him that went past about 4 players to set up Brentfords equaliser they played here in our first L1 season?

 

So that's two off the top of my head.

 

Yes & yes.

 

I'd put Fox ahead of Dickson, but no way is he worse than Harding.

 

Not sure I'm that bothered he did a rubbish pass aginst Man Utd, that happens all the time. I'm much more bothered that he scored a crucial goal at Plymouth.

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Fox > Dickson > Harding. Harding has somehow stayed in contention, not sure how.

 

It's a strange one. Pardew obviously signed Dickson as he must have thought he was better than Harding, it couldn't have been for cover as Joseph Mills was there at the time and more than adequate in L1. Whenever I've seen Dickson play always thought he was on a par with Harding defensively and better going forward. Strange how he's been unable to get near the team for most of his time here.

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Fox > Dickson > Harding. Harding has somehow stayed in contention, not sure how.

 

I'm not sure Dickson is better than Harding though it's all academic when Fox is clearly ahead of both and we're looking at signing another player.

 

I did notice against Arsenal that Fox looked leaner, and was playing a lot of short passes (only one over 20 yards). Though he still didn't run past anyone, which to be honest isn't the end of the world, but will add a new dimension to his game if Lallana pushes inside to open up the wing. It's as much about whether we think we can score with deep crosses in the Prem as anything, I'd expect Fox's 40 yarders to be a lot less effective against better defences, and his positioning will get exploited more often.

 

I don't have an opinion on Olsson (or Buttner for that matter) though, hardly seen him play.

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