Pat's Van
Player Valuation: £70m
no idea, thought it was out of a film or something
- Status
Of the 10 conceded in those three matches, Jags was directly at fault for four and Barry for three. They were also the worst two players on the park in all three fixtures. I suggest you re-watch those games.
West Brom were never, ever a threat. Alcaraz could have played that game and we wouldn't have conceded, primarily because Barry played much, much better against WBA (and Wolfsburg) than he did against Chelsea, Arsenal and Leicester.
Your analysis of "Who was playing at CB when we conceded goals" is a touch simplistic, ignoring the play of our CDMs and the level of threat presented by each opponent.
TGW89
Player Valuation: £35m
I've got to agree, I went to the Palace game last season (performance-wise it was essentially a re-run of Sunday, scoreline and all) and Wolfsburg, the two games were like chalk and cheese in terms of defence quality. What Palace obviously lack in skill they make up in pace and countering which is a winner in itself.
Once again, Distin was caught out by this, just as he was in April. Against Wolfsburg you would not guess this was a team that gifted an average of 3 goals every home game.
It doesn't seem that long ago an article written (I think after either the 3-1 win at Fulham or the 3-0 win over Arsenal) stated that within the Stones-Distin partnership it was difficult to tell which one had 15+ years experience and which one was a young man with stamina and pace..... something like that.
Has any 37-year old ever experienced such a drastic decline? Or has every other team now "got our number" and realise that despite all our sexy football and dynamite starts to matches, our weakness is defending on the counter?
My verdict is a little of both. Weaker teams will have studied our games (particularly in late 2013) if they know what's good for them and a summer of poor conditioning for Distin seems to have destroyed him once and for all. A transfer in January or retirement in the summer is a cert if this carries on.
Martinez owes him an apology for this premature, seemingly irreversible decline - Jags would be in the same poor nick if he was also 37.
Regardless, Distin will always be welcomed at Goodison, it was already quite a gamble taking him on in 2009 but he rose to the plate well and, if nothing else, serves as a shining example of professionalism to emerging youngsters. The likes of Heitinga and Drenthe could have done with taking a leaf out of his book.
or a goalie with bigger hands
I would not let her toss me off, she would make it look tiny.
marty mcfly
Player Valuation: £40m
That sounds good until you actually watch him play. He still looks as good athletically as he always did and his pace is what saved us being hit on the counter multiple times last season. He was always prone to the odd mistake.
I think both him and Jags are still good and have been since the break. It's just now either or because I would have stones as first choice.
alpha1
Player Valuation: £8m
Get Yobo back!
Or are there any other free agent defenders knocking about that we could take on for the short term?
What about the January sales? Maybe get somebody in then?
Obviously if we keep gifting so many goals away til then we will be in a whole load of trouble but maybe we will find our proper form defensively soon. That's what I'm hoping anyway!
Still, it might be prudent for the club to be looking at serious replacements in the defensive unit for both now and the future.
I think we need another GK to push Howard more, at least 1 CB to challenge the first team pairing and a good back up RB for when Coleman is injured/tired/out of form.
Or are there any other free agent defenders knocking about that we could take on for the short term?
What about the January sales? Maybe get somebody in then?
Obviously if we keep gifting so many goals away til then we will be in a whole load of trouble but maybe we will find our proper form defensively soon. That's what I'm hoping anyway!
Still, it might be prudent for the club to be looking at serious replacements in the defensive unit for both now and the future.
I think we need another GK to push Howard more, at least 1 CB to challenge the first team pairing and a good back up RB for when Coleman is injured/tired/out of form.
Toffeelover
Player Valuation: £80m
Pat, have you ever heard of an affliction called Elephantisis? caused by a parasite. Google that mate.
D
Deleted member 28206
Guest
Sigh
tim cahill
Player Valuation: £50m
Our defence has gone a bit Wigan.
diggerdestroyer
Player Valuation: £40m
Silvan 'the mistake' Distnn is the answer to that question kid. Yawn. bored of him making mistakes
- Status
