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Writer: pompeyrug 
Date:Saturday September 20 2008
Time: 3:09PM
UK time is: 12:25:18
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'Arry - Diarra is better all-round than Makelele
Harry Redknapp has told today's Mirror that he believes Lassana Diarra is a better all-round player than the legendary Claude Makelele: 'when Diarra first came here people said he was a Makelele. He isn't a Makelele because he has another dimension to his game.
'He goes with the ball, beats people and surges. He has got everything. He is a player right up there with the best midfielders in the world.
'He is an unbelievable athlete, with amazing power and strength. And he can do amazing things with the ball.'
To be honest I have not really ever seen Diarra as a Makelele type player, defensively Makelele is one of the greatest players of his type but offensively he offered little or nothing for most of his career, Diarra offers so much in this area but also does more than his fair share of defensive work - he is here, there and every where!
Whilst the fella is still relatively young at 23, my thinking is that he can only get better and better - and he has been outstanding this season so far! The better he is, and the more he performs as he has been so far this season the harder it will be to keep him though which is the major drawback.
January is going to be a major test of our resolve. My thinking is that he will not be seeking a move away as he knows he will play every week, he is the key component of our side, the fans worship him, we can offer him football at the right end of the table and most importantly - something he might be concerned about - his playing for Pompey is not seeing him miss out on selection for France at international level, so unless a Madrid, Milan, Barcelona or so on come in for him I cannot see him wanting to go, and maybe, just maybe at this point in his career it would not be 'nailed on' that he would even go just yet...
My biggest fear is that it will be us looking to cash in on him, and this could see us accept a big offer - but again this would not necessarily mean he would want to go even if we did!
Either way, lets enjoy these good times with him here whilst we can, but also all keep out fingers crossed that we can keep him until at least the end of the season, as if we can if he carries on pulling the strings anything could be possible this season...
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Your Comments
I agree Rug it would be a crying shame if we sold him 'because we had to' but I've still a feeling that with the form he is in a Madrid, Barca or Milan type of club WILL come in and he WILL be gone. Let's enjoy him while we can and keep our fingers crossed it'll be longer than the just the next three months...
Chix
.. but to add to that who is to say that Harry will not unearth another 'special' player .. forgetting Utaka.. Kranjcar, Muntari, Diarra, Belhadj.. were virtually all unknown quantities to us and have all shown themselves to be well worth the money we've/we'll paid for them
Chix
what about when it comes to 'longest in the shower' Maka is a legend in the shower stakes :-)
merlin
haha! *cringes* I think Diarra is a good play as a pivote midfielder, just infront of the back four, he would have been an ideal replacement for Lee Carsley at Everton for instance, just a little bit more classier. I think it'll be a while before the likes of Milan, Barca and Real come knocking, if they ever do. He's good but he's not quite there yet.
toffeetower
WOW where is MAKA where is diarra.He is a good player and may be a future MAKA.But there r so many talented players who show great expectation but fail later.Lets see what happen to him.
Saimon_blues
Diarra has the right attitude to make it, and he will. He has discipline and commitment. He is already better than when he first joined us.
Gandor
Diarra has his stuff in storage with my firm & he has paid to January. A coincidence I trust.
storagematt
he has fantastic energy, brilliant positioning, reads the game better than anyone, knows when to run with the ball, when to pass, when to tackle hard, when to increase his effort. he is the complete package in a midfielder - and no-one else seems to realise! (toffeetower - he is MUCH better than lee carseley ever was/could have been, saimon blues... this guy isnt expectation - he's ALREADY fantastic, and based purely on skill, should not be playing for pompey.
pompeycarpet
Matt, he came in January and so probably paid a year up front.... No?
Gandor
Carps I agree that he's better than anything we've seen in a Pompey shirt for a long long time (if not ever) ... and is a class above anything we (or Everton come to that) have in the rest of our squads.. but the big four HAVE seen better and although when he was at Chelski and Arsenal he wasn't quite the finished article (and I still think there's more to come) I'm sure nether of them would pass him up now.. but to compare him to Makelele is a bit much .. at this stage anyway...
Chix
Matt if we had a whip round could we pay for an extra month .. that way he'd have to stay past the January window closing ... or buy a whole new load of gear !
Chix
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