Savage, did anyone see?

[vblockranger]

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/robbie-savage/Robbie-Savage-QPR-s-Adel-Taraabt-must-work-harder-to-be-a-Premier-League-success-Stoke-have-real-chance-of-an-FA-Cup-final-upset-against-Manchester-City-article726383.html

"Adel Taraabt has been the best player in the Championship for the last two seasons, and he can have a real impact in the Premier League when QPR rightly go up under Neil Warnock.

But to do it, he will have to show a lot more guts and a bit more nous than he did against me on Monday night.

When the managers and captains went into the referees' room for a chat before my Derby played QPR on Monday night, Neil introduced us.

"You already know each other," he said, referring to our three previous battles.

I replied: "He'll know a lot more about me after tonight."

Our plan, as it has been in those earlier meetings, was for me to man-mark Adel. He doesn't like it, and he definitely didn't like one early challenge I put in. Neither did the ref and I was in the book after 15 minutes.

What disappointed me about his performance then was that, despite knowing I was one mistimed challenge away from a red, he didn't drop deep for the ball, dragging me all over the field and increasing the chances of me making a mistake.

In fact, he spent most of the second half standing forlornly on the left wing until he was taken off.

Taraabt has got so much talent and he will get a chance to show it in the Premier League, as not many teams will want to sacrifice a player to man-mark him.

But if he wants to have a lasting impact beyond the shock value of his first season, he will have to work a lot harder than he did on Monday."

[will]

I can't get my head around that mentality though. Derby fans are happy that savage did a job on taarabt and are happy with the draw. Every team should be set up to go out and win, I know not all managers adopt this but surely the game is about winning. Football is about entertainment and setting your sides up 'not to lose' is boring. I know it is part and parcel of the modern game but you don't see teams such as man utd go out with these tactics.

Football is about entertainment? No. Not unless you're sitting in an armchair, staring at the TV, demanding value for your Sky subscription, rather than going to the games. You're being totally unrealistic - and ungracious.

Derby needed a point to be reasonably sure of safety, and were playing away at the runaway leaders. And you expect them to be playing cavalier attacking football? Put yourself in their shoes. What would your approach have been?

Savage is a professional football player who I personally dislike and although he has a laugh with the fans etc I think he is and has been an animal on the pitch during his career.

It's worth reassessing your prejudices from time to time. One fan's "animal" is another fan's hero. We've had a few in our sides down the years.

Credit where it's due. No one doubts that Tarabt is a top player. But in his own (different) way, Savage is also a top player who has performed at a level much higher than Adel so far.

[bushcelt1]

Savage had a decent game the other night-adel did'nt. He is a spoiler and not a very good one-has been lucky imo throughout his career-could have played for bangor and not looked out of place.never would have played top flight football 20/25 years ago.

[waterbuffalo]

Who walked away with the World Cup winners medal and who has remained a bitter man ever since?

vogts has the medal
he will never be considered
one of the game's finest players
unlike Cruyff who only won the european cup 3 times with ajax
and won it as manager with Barca. Vogts has coached whom? Scotland?
Look, the same thing happened with beckenbauer/charlton in 66, I realize it is part of the game, but to give all the credit to savage when all he did was stop adel from playing is disingenuous.

Would I want Savage on my team?
Absolutely,
do I want 3 savages or 3 adels in my team?
Obviously the latter.