Irakli Azarovi

so he's the Georgian Greg Taylor?

pass.

 

AJ is apparently only 5ft9

That and his lack of recovery pace.

 

People overlook this way too much - his lack of pace is a far bigger issue than him being small

 

Not saying he is the answer but he doesn’t play anything like Taylor. He has pace and dribbling ability to beat men easily. Is good on the ball. The worry for me would be the defensive side of his game. He is very much an attacking full back.

So barring similar height and build he plays nothing like Taylor. The biggest limiting factor Taylor has is for a small guy he has no pace whatsoever. It’s unusual in the professional game these days to have a player with no positive physical attributes.

 

We have a habit of buying totie players probably won’t change.

 

Only thing a can think of as a counter argument is maybe their owner concentration is elsewhere just now all his assets in Donbas region have been confiscated by the Russians who he used to support and his resources are being used elsewhere just now in the east of Ukraine


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Similar in build and a similar lack of defensive ability doesn't solve our issues in that position though. Would prefer someone similar to Ralston/Johnston at LB with a good amount of physicality and they can also play to a relatively good level on the ball. Taylor is good going forward domestically tbh, just gets found out in Europe when he needs to get up and down the flank more.

 

I would prefer a more physical profile as well don’t get me wrong.

Reading the profile of Azarovi, I would say he is more like an Izzy profile when we first signed him. Very good at taking players on, has good pace and engine to get up and down the left hand side and a good 1v1 defender. Isn’t the biggest is his limiting factor as we have discussed.

I have to admit I think it’s a non starter as not sure why Shakhtar would sell their first choice left back for an affordable fee. If there is big 5 league interest he is more likely to go there.

On Taylor he is a decent passer of the ball if it is right infront of him but his crossing is hit or miss, he more often than not takes the easy 5-10 yard option and isn’t the best passer as he often plays it to the weaker foot of his intended target. He has the odd cracking defence splitting pass in him but largely they miss their target or he plays the easy option.

Taylor nearly never progresses the ball with ball carrying which is the opposite of Azarovi. He also hardly ever supports the winger in attack by overlapping, although he sometimes makes decent underlapping runs.

There is actually a Cameroonian left back playing for another Ukrainian team who I think could be an interesting option that has that physicality called Yvan Dibango, who has more of a presence but still has good attacking qualities.

 

I have this argument nearly every week with folk. Lack of height isn't solely the issue (this can be attributed to a few positions in the side) - Taylor gets targeted because he has no recovery pace which is shown up even more due to how far up the pitch he plays.

 

Seem to be sticking to the profile of 21-24 and recent international recognition if this has anything in it.

Know nothing about him so can’t really say but find it quite strange he isn’t considered good enough for the EURO 2024 squad.

 

Our fanbase are hilarious, we want to play the celtic way but with giants. He's 2 inches taller than Roberto Carlos and the same height as Denis Irwin, 2 of the best fullbacks of my teenage years.

 

You can be 5ft 8 and powerful, shouldn’t turn our nose up at everyone that height. Not seen the lad play or anything, but there’s some strong left backs around that height that are units and can get up and down the line at speed and are proper athletes. Even in an aerial sense they can hold their own.

Greg lacks a bit of physicality and recovery’s speed, which would be two attributes I hope we’re looking for.

 

Aye but Roberto Carlos weighed about 45 stone. * was an absolute monster

 

Bingo

 

I know * all about this lad, bring him home.

 

I just want to know who is scouting all these players, since supposedly we can't possibly do it without a DoF and head of recruitment, as well as a big network of scouts, on the books? Weird.

 

Exactly...

Probably means it's pish..

 

If the agent has said we are interested then we are not