our defence, is neville the weak link

[zed]

am i wrong and why. i think we`ve got great defenders but theyve made costly mistakes - which anyone can do. i love anyone who pulls on the Everton shirt but i`ve got one problem- phil neville. i get neg rep regularly for criticising him so obviously he has loads of admirers who rate him, but for me hes the weak link in our defence. heitinga gets ****ged off for 1 tackle yet neville cost us at least one goal against B`pool but escapes even a mention, his crossing is consistently poor, hes got no legs and hes far too bothered with keeping the oppositions names out of the refs book. enuf. i`m expecting a beating so do your worst peeps.

 

[RFUS]

I think he's been pretty poor this season, from a technical standpoint.

His influence in a leadership/vocal/pointing capacity is a lot harder to quantify, though.

 

[latchnmac]

am i wrong and why. i think we`ve got great defenders but theyve made costly mistakes - which anyone can do. i love anyone who pulls on the Everton shirt but i`ve got one problem- phil neville. i get neg rep regularly for criticising him so obviously he has loads of admirers who rate him, but for me hes the weak link in our defence. heitinga gets ****ged off for 1 tackle yet neville cost us at least one goal against B`pool but escapes even a mention, his crossing is consistently poor, hes got no legs and hes far too bothered with keeping the oppositions names out of the refs book. enuf. i`m expecting a beating so do your worst peeps.

Sorry mate but i totally agree with you

 

[Namdrater]

I agree as well, he's been poor. His defending hasn't been good, he is hardly comfortable on the ball and he is definitely our weakest link. He does give 100% though and has leadership qualities... I don't know if that's good enough to be starting every week though.

 

[Cash]

I agree Neville is a sub standard player always has been. He is a great leader and talker though.

Our weakness in defence is Distins concentration and Heitinga's commitment. Heitinga for me plays like he doesn't want to be here and doesn't seem too arsed if we win, lose or draw. Distin is a cracking defender just lacks concentration at times.

Also I think coleman defensive isn't good enough on the right wing. He tends to stay very wide leaving the right back exposed at times.

Over recent years we have been tight at the back, I just feel as though the widemen arn't putting their graft in defensively or just aren't up to it!

 

[faddy the blue]

I don't think he's been as bad as I thought he was a couple of years ago when we wanted coleman or gosling at RB but I think this season he has been better at defending and attacking too. One goal at blackpool,one bad back pass against chelsea is all I can think of. You forget how Distin tries to be cheeky at times and loses possession, how Jagielka has a thing for scoring own goals,specially against Stoke but at 34 you can't expect Neville to be matching for pace with every pacy striker out there. His attacking and crossing has been better IMO, miles better than Hibbert's who at 29 doesn't even cross the half way line and when has to cross, crosses it over the line.

Neville has been really working hard to keep his body fit!

 

[Aidey9]

Tbh i think he could of got back in and done more for Adam's goal, he seemed to stop running back 20 yards out from goal but the annoying thing is, he saw Adam run right across him and go to the back stick as Blackpool was countering!.

And for me it's not his defending thats the main concern, normally he's ok but its when were on the ball and in possesion, he looks to go long or chip it down the line too much and he doesnt offer Coleman enough support further up the pitch but like someone as said, he hasn't got the legs no more.

But weirdly enough, his presence and leadership skills do rub off on the team and more often than not, we do get better results with him in the side.

And as for Heitinga, that 50/50 what he was favourite for, he should of cleaned out everything, man and ball!. But apart from that and that silly pass straight to a Blackpool player across our own box in the first half, he was ok, same for Distin, he was good but made a mistake trying to do a drag back with ball and got caught out for Blackpools 3rd i think it was?.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Neville is not a defender, only as a 2nd choice does he play there, if you look at his UTD days, he played CM!

 

[Aidey9]

I agree Neville is a sub standard player always has been. He is a great leader and talker though.

Our weakness in defence is Distins concentration and Heitinga's commitment. Heitinga for me plays like he doesn't want to be here and doesn't seem too arsed if we win, lose or draw. Distin is a cracking defender just lacks concentration at times.

Also I think coleman defensive isn't good enough on the right wing. He tends to stay very wide leaving the right back exposed at times.

Over recent years we have been tight at the back, I just feel as though the widemen arn't putting their graft in defensively or just aren't up to it!

I dont know what to make of his commitment atm?. One minute you see him being a brute like last season and getting stuck in, this season it seems a bit too half hearted but yet when we score and at the end of games he's one of the first over to celebrate and start fist waving at the crowd and one of the last players to walk off the pitch after clapping the fans.

 

[Aidey9]

Neville is not a defender, only as a 2nd choice does he play there, if you look at his UTD days, he played CM!

He filled in there like he filled in at LB alot aswell at United.

 

[devtoffee]

if only we could offload him

but who would bid for him

 

[Gary_Lineker.85/86x4 (stephenneedley@googlemail.co]

There is really noone else for the right back position , unless we get a good right sided winger and put Seamus at right back , But Neville is way better than Hibbert IMO

 

[Matt Damon]

Everyone needs a scapegoat

 

[toffeebhoy]

he has been poor this season but i dont think now is the time to start tinkering but come the summer i think it should be the end of his starting eleven days

 

[Deleted member 28206]

He filled in there like he filled in at LB alot aswell at United.

Yeah, thats what i said above.