Raul Albentosa

[Gary Teale]

Definitely deserves more time before being judged. I seem to have an unpopular view on Albentosa. I don't think hes looked that bad and when he adapts to the championship... *puts bullet proof vest on* i think POTENTIALLY he could be one of the best centre backs in the division. 

 

WATCH THIS SPACE :L

​What has he done that makes you think he can potentially one of the best centre backs I the division? He may well do but not on what he has produced so far.

What I don't understand is why they even brought him if he cant play left sided centre half as Keogh plays every game. They did buy him for this season as I was at the training ground when he signed and the powers above were using phrases like "he is the final piece of the jigsaw".

[CornwallRam]

I watched a lot of the Youtube clips of Albentosa before he signed. It seems to me that he is just trying to play in the same way he did in Spain. Firstly, he only played on the right and is clearly very one footed. He played just behind the other defenders, headed anything away that was in the air and swept up anything loose that came through. He also set the play going forward with lots of well placed long balls. His partners tended to be smaller and quicker and dealt with the runners, so his lack of pace wasn't an issue. 

 

The problem is that he has to play completely differently for us. He has to play on the wrong side, which he clearly struggles with. In Spain the strikers didn't seem to use physical force or be right in his face, so most of his headers were uncontested. He's struggling to win those header now because he has to also compete for the space to jump. Our centre halves have to do the whole defending job, so he can't leave the chasing to his partner - therefore his lack of pace is a big issue. He is clearly always looking to play constructive passes out from defence. Yet, because he gets less time to set himself than in Spain, and because our midfielders and strikers don't constantly move to find space like those in Spain, his passing looks clumsy and often aimless.

 

I don't think he's a bad player, but he's a very bad fit for our team at present. Hopefully he'll adapt his game over the summer and learn to play in a more 'English' way. If he can't we need to sell him to a continental club quickly. Maybe the policy of buying centre halves from other Championship clubs had more merit than has been realised - apart from Preston obviously. 

[CBE]

I hate having a go at players but when the DET, Radio Derby and many on here marvelled at a two page spread in the DET outlining the merits of our scouting team and in particular their work in Spain I have to take issue. I can't remember (or spell) names but one lad went to Burton  (Callero?) and couldn't get in the side, the other lad never replaced Eustace nor Thorne and if you can play you can play so sadly Albert I would not retain.

[Rambam]

Better to blood Rawson, looks the business, rave reviews.

[tomsdubs]

The guy came in to a style of football he isn't used to, different language, a back 4 that leaking goals all over and making stupid mistakes. Give him a chance. If we finally get a proper organised system with fit first teamers and start playing well then I'll be more inclined to judge.

[Stive Pesley]

Let's remember that he's only started 6 games, and we've yet to see him properly with a settled team and a decent defensive midfielder.

What became clear in the last 2 months of the season was that having a decent defensive midfielder was making ALL of our defenders look a lot better than they actually are

[Kernow]

Let's remember that he's only started 6 games, and we've yet to see him properly with a settled team and a decent defensive midfielder.

What became clear in the last 2 months of the season was that having a decent defensive midfielder was making ALL of our defenders look a lot better than they actually are

​Or having the attacking side that we do, and the absence of a natural CDM would make any defence look poor.

It's no coincidence that last season and 2/3 of this season we were relatively solid defensively, of course with room for improvement but still solid.

We lose Thorne, Eustace AND Omar and our defence turns to *****.

[The_Sheriff]

​What has he done that makes you think he can potentially one of the best centre backs I the division? He may well do but not on what he has produced so far.

What I don't understand is why they even brought him if he cant play left sided centre half as Keogh plays every game. They did buy him for this season as I was at the training ground when he signed and the powers above were using phrases like "he is the final piece of the jigsaw".

​I Read the team he has came from have fell apart since his departure and have been angry with the sale- so we know he was highly rated in spain. I think like a lot of players you cant judge him on a few games we have to give him that chance to adapt.

He is a big lad so should help prevent conceding so many set pieces because first half of the season we seemed to concede alot from corners and free kicks into the box. Obviously theres a lot more to defending then heading the ball away but Raul has faced the best players in the world and is a good age so thats why i feel that potentially he could be a top defender in this league, time will tell of course and i could be completely wrong but we need to give him that chance.