On march 2011 · astonvilla.vitalfootball.co.uk
Martin Laursen has said that Carlos Cuellar's 'fearless' approach to defending will be a huge asset for Villa as we enter our final games of the season.
Speaking to the Official Site Laursen said that he expects Cuellar to take his first team chance with both hands and leave Gerard Houllier with a huge selection headache when all of our defenders are fit and available.
'One of the main characteristics of being a defender is being fearless, especially in England where the game is so physical. It's important you are not afraid and really up for it. Carlos is very much up for it.'
Another key attribute for Laursen is that he believes that Cuellar is capable of grabbing far more goals than he has done in the penalty box from set pieces. Laursen's goal crown has only really been challenged by Ciaran Clark, with the remaining central defenders less than prolific in front of the net, and Laursen has a few words of advice for our ever changing central pairing.
'You must try and focus. Don't think about running back, just concentrate on scoring. Think as a striker, give everything to score a goal. I certainly think Carlos is able to do that too.'
Carlos is certainly one who divides opinion on the forum, but the bottom line at the moment is he'll be called on, we need him and we definitely need him at his best.
We all know what he's capable of, and to ensure we get the points we desperately need we'll require King Carlos on top form for the remaining games once fit.
I certainly hope he steps up to the plate, and proves a few of his doubters wrong. If he does that, we all win.
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