The Azpi Effect

Ever since Chelsea switched to this system, he's been the heart of the defence that conceded 2 goals in 11 games, and the main reason it even happened.
Not only does he make his side impassable due to him being a rock in 1vs1s and having a proneness to intercepting crucial passes, he also has the acumen of covering defensive gaps caused by Luiz and Moses. Also, despite his shortness, his prime Cordoba's elevation makes him anything but susceptible on the air. And as if that is not enough, he has the same grace at bringing the ball forward and occasionally overlapping as prime Maldini when he played in a similar role in 98/99 Serie A champions Milan's 3-4-1-2. His assist for Costa today is a clear example of that.

Best CB in the PL by 8 miles and comfortably the best defender on the planet.

Would take him instead of Scrubnilo and Cacktrao. Can cover for both Carvajal and Marcelo.

He's unbelievably good. Up there with Matip and Milner in terms of best defenders in the league if we're being honest.

Took me a while to realize this was not a Don't Call me James thread

Valkyrja wrote:Would take him instead of Scrubnilo and Cacktrao. Can cover for both Carvajal and Marcelo.

Cover for Carvajal

Best defender on the planet if the planet only consisted of the EPL I guess.

I'm pretty sure he is just making fun of "the matip effect"

Now that you mention that, it really does have a McAgger tone to it. Then again, I always had considered Azpi a solid fullback so it was just that quip that I found odd.

He has been almost as good as this since his days in Marseille where I watched them exclusively for (Basque) Deschamps and (Basque) Azpi and I was laughed at when supporting him off form in Chelsea, accused of my so non-existent Basque bias but him coming through now proves in the end he was the real deal and has many years to go, such is Azpi's propensity. Shame it has to be in Chelsea, though.

One night I was approached by two visibly drunk spanish guys, to which I replied "I don't speak spanish sorry", to which they replied "we're basque, not spanish", to which I replied "same thing". They proceded to give me the beating of my life, as well as stealing my lighter which now in retrospect I suspect was what their interest in me consisted. Next time I encounter a catalan/andalusian/whatever wannabe indipendist dialects there are, I'll just opt for a more diplomatic "no entiendo".

But yea, the most impressive thing to me is how he's been under 5 different managers, 3 different positions in RB, LB, CB (he even played as a winger in some CL games for Mou), we've had multiple 20M LB singings that were supposed to bench him but he's been a staple member of our first XI despite all of that. Monster.

Best right back in the world right now, even if he is not playing exactly like one.