Makelele? Nope. Yaya has more speed and strength. You can run down the list: Gattuso? Yaya is more attack-minded, and a LOT faster. Mascherano? Um….okay, that’s one. Essien is right up there, but he’s a thug, and isn’t as creative with the ball as Yaya.

I know it’s early days, and this season might just be a flash in the pan for Yaya, but I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have in front of our back like right now.

But then, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

And Kevin, i agree with you about the foreign limit proposal. If whoever makes the decision to accept it or not happens to be mentally unstable (like Sepp Blatter), it would truly bring down the quality of football significantly. I think that the Non-euro rule is enough.

Last season was filled with uncertainty every time the other side got the ball. It was a group that made Puyol’s weaknesses all too evident. This year, when the other side gets the ball, there isn’t anywhere near as much worry, because Milito is a man, and Abidal is a greyhound, presuming anything gets past Yaya.

Look at how composed things were against Stuttgart and Valencia. There wasn’t a hint of danger from open play.

More importantly, however, last year’s defense was a defense. This year’s defense is also an offense. I’d love to go back over the matches at the end of the season to note how many scoring chances have come from well-placed passes out of the back from a defender. Thuram has had a few, Yaya has had a ton, and those guys also free up Puyol to do his Roberto Carlos impersonation, and go stonking up the wing.

This year’s defense is much better, in light of all that, plus my Yaya man crush. The fact that things are so different when he isn’t in the lineup is a testament to the stability he brings to that holding midfield position. He already, I think, approaches world’s best.

Now, something interesting. Remember when Giuly arrived at Roma, and said that Barca’s training was essentially for girls, and that Roma trains like men? Now, some of that was obviously sour grapes, but is training the reason for the injuries we’re suffering this year? I’ve been thinking a lot about that. We haven’t been getting play-based injuries, as in hard tackles causing things. It’s been muscle pulls and tears, etc, the kinds of things that training can prevent, i.e. stretching and the kinds of comprehensive physical therapies that I think modern sporting franchises (such as the NFL) take for granted. I’m starting to wonder.

Yes, the lads play a lot of matches, which accounts for a lot of the fatigue. Tired muscles are more prone to injury. And the season is long, as well. Thoughts?

In the last of the “I’ve been thinking file,” what do we think of FIFA’s proposal on limiting the number of foreign players per side? I just don’t see it going anywhere, but stranger things have happened. Even during the Arsenal/Chelsea match today (a victory for the beautiful game), one announcer commented on the number of English players on Chelsea, and that there were none on the pitch for Arsenal.

The proposal really bothers me because its inevitable effect will be the dilution of football. Bilbao manages to field a respectable side with its all-Basque worldview, but they won’t be contending for silverware any time soon, it’s safe to say. Look at Barca, for example:

Puyol: yes
Xavi: yes
Iniesta: yes
Henry: no
Messi: yes and no
Krkic: yes and no
Abidal: no
Milito: no
Valdes: yes
Ronaldinho: yes and no, etc.

We’d probably see a lot of that dual-nationality boondoggle sort of thing to get around the rule, but I think it’s kind of silly. It’s like telling a multinational corporation (which is what top-tier football sides are) that they have to hire “locals” first, and can only have x number of foreign-born workers. And this is atop the “non-EU” restriction that is already in place.

Yes, everyone will have to deal with it, but the ruling will inevitably result in a lower quality of football. I can see national sides needing to be national. The rest is silly protectionism, if you ask me.