Name: Aly Cissokho.
Age: 26.
Clubs: Gueugnon, Vitoria Setubal, Porto, Lyon, Valencia, Liverpool and now Aston Villa.
Having played for six clubs before he joined Villa, Cissokho is like a well-travelled veteran already. This hardly fills me with optimism. Just think, Villa fans: he has played for big clubs like Porto, Lyon, Valencia, and Liverpool. If he is so good, why would any of these sides have let him go? Why would Valencia allow Lambert to sign him for peanuts?
Cissokho earned one international cap back in 2010. Jay Bothroyd only has one England cap and look where he is now. So, is Cissokho really that special? Is he really going to be better than Bertrand, Bennett, Richardson, Stevens or Luna at left back?
Cissokho definitely has experience on his side. Making his Premier League debut against Villa will always be a memorable day for the Frenchman. He was torn apart by Villa’s attack. That was a rarity in itself for Villa last season so is it a sign of things to come? Lambert seems to think not, believing the twenty-six-year-old will be the answer to all our problems at left back.
Maybe my negativity will prove to have been misplaced but Villa fans have a right to have such an attitude. You have to analyse every fine detail. If Cissokho is the real deal someone like Rodgers would have signed him permanently, especially when his price is considered. Aston Villa fans want solidity. He is in the prime of his career. He is better than Stevens. Bennett robs a living. Luna has gone and so has Bertrand. Richardson seems to be another Bacuna. He will play wherever Lambert needs him. He played behind Bent against Parma, which is not the position I would prefer to see him in. Cissokho has not done much more than what we already have and, hopefully, has arrived at Villa Park with a point to prove.
Fans will slate me. Aston Villa is a relatively small club now. Aston Villa simply cannot attract someone like Bertrand permanently. Aston Villa simply cannot pull in big crowds to pay for bigger signings. Aston Villa simply cannot compete with Everton and Newcastle any more. To sign a experienced Champions League left-back so cheaply is unheard of (Ashley Cole aside).
Cissokho is big and strong, which has been lacking as Luna was too short and Bennett a mere school boy. A strong back four could be forged and this is desperately needed. It seems that Cissokho has a point to prove, as did Martin Laursen, who became one of my favourite Villa players when he arrived from AC Milan.
The jury is out on Cissokho. He played nineteen times for Liverpool – the team, let’s not forget, that finished second in the Premier League last season. Only time will tell how Cissokho will fare at his new club. I hope the man proves me and other doubters wrong. With the season upon us, now is the time for the defence to gel and to let the clean sheets roll in!
Simply, no! As the Times put it yesterday Lambert’s buying policy is eccentric at best, he screwed up the youth project with poor buys and is doing the same at the experienced end of the market.
There are limited funds available but these have again been squandered on quantity not quality.
Just want PL away from the club as soon as possible… utter disaster!
I am a LFC fan, and hate to say it, but if he plays in 6 games or less for AV,
you will have ducked a bullet.
As a Liverpool fan I can say he, along with Glen Johnson, was our worst player last year. He had a couple of alright moments, but far to infrequently. This isn’t to try and gloat, but you’ll soon see how clueless he often gets. Positioning was terrible and he was caught out all the time. Saying that maybe he’ll settle with you and that will help him play more consistently? You never know!
I am also a true Liverpool fan and the Johnny from above is a clueless idiot.
Cissokho is much much better than any FB at Villa because he is very very strong defensevly.
He is no attacking fullback but 10 times more solid than Luna and Bertrand and some of the games he played last year were brilliant (defensivly) he is Gob awful with ball at his feet but almost impossible to get past! He had Chamberlain in his back pocket at Anfield f.eks.
We’ve got 5 central defenders now, 2 old, 3 young. I wonder if Baker would have been better served permanently converting to left back?
Pulis For Villa. Pulis for Villa. Pulis for Villa
Our players will be 100% improved.