Everton defence

[Ring master]

Barrys been back to his best this year aswell

Would not say back to his best-could have cost us a few goals-[think it was him made 2 mistakes in seconds that led to shots v spurs],like the odd few to be fair though,but not as bad as last season,and must be doing well,as we have hardly heard a word about him this season.

 

[Lewisefc92]

After an absolute shocker of a season Gareth Barry is back to his best and there is no doubt about it when he plays well there is less pressure on the back 4. Jags has had his best start to an Everton season since his early days with Lescott and Stones is just boss. Galloway and Browning have filled in well, in particular Galloway but Baines and Coleman would still improve our back line.
If only we had Big Nev in goal

 

[sportbillyblue]

At the back end of last season I don't think he could possibly have foreseen how some of the youngsters had progressed. We've been very lucky in that regard. Galloway has been a revelation, Browning typically impresses and would be even better if he buckled down more ... and Mori has settled in really well.

We've also got a host of cracking young defenders pushing for starts / developing nicely e.g. Kenny, Lees, Pennington, Holgate & others.

It wouldn't surprise me if an Everton backline represented England in the near future.

Just need a decent goalie now.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Bizarrely, I think we're more solid with Browning and Galloway at full back. Their extra height, and strength compared to Baines and Coleman comes in handy. They're less likely to both be bombing forward as well, so we're defending more as a unit which means there's less pressure on Barry and McCarthy.

What we gain in defence we lose in attack though.

Galloway seems to enjoy going forward

 

[Saint Domingo]

All for nothing when you have a rank goalkeeper. How many more points would we have this season with even an average keeper? People just seem to laugh off this huge weakness though. A decent keeper claims that corner, we score and all of a sudden we are 1 up against a team with no clue and no hope. Mignolet stopped his side being on the end of a whitewash and Howard couldn't even catch a ball a yard away from him.

With the way we've been playing we should be far higher up in the league. Barkley Lukaku Stones Galloway Jagielka have been some of the best performers in the league every single week yet we're in 7th because yet again the same old suspects undermine what we're doing. This team could do anything but I fear we won't see it because the players I've listed above along with Deulofeu Browning Garbutt Besic Mirallas will be gone by the time we finally stop Howard from having his job for life.

 

[Lanolin]

I really don't agree that Browning and Galloway make us better defensively.

I think the team is set up much more defensively because they're in it, which may make us seem more solid, but individually they're (currently at least) inferior players. I was pleased with Browning's perfomance on saturday because of the context of his inexperience and the importance of the game but if that had been Hibbert he'd have been getting slated. He gave away a couple of unnecessary corners (including one where he seemed to slice the ball out under no pressure fairly late on) and was covered by McCarthy and Jagielka a number of times, even though he wasn't actually getting forward.

Also worth noting that despite their considerable height advantage over the other 2, we still can't defend set pieces.

 

[Woolly Blue]

Galloway seems to enjoy going forward

True, he's more conservative than Baines though and doesn't have such clever feet, but he does seem confident in the opponents half

I really don't agree that Browning and Galloway make us better defensively.

I think the team is set up much more defensively because they're in it, which may make us seem more solid, but individually they're (currently at least) inferior players.

I think I agree with you

But, if we're more solid then we must be better defensively, even if it's just down to the way we're setup ? Coleman and Baines are better full backs ( especially going forward ) than Browning and Galloway, who, to be fair, aren't really full backs, they're more centre halves who are playing full back at the moment. If you're thinking that if we were setup the same with Coleman and Baines in the side that we'd be more solid than when we give them full licence to bomb forward and rely on McCarthy and Barry to cover, then I'd say that's right too.

 

[Fresh Prince of Belle Val]

5 teams have conceded less than us, and 1 the same amount as us. We are still 3 points behind target. So nothing to cheer about yet.

The good news is despite injuries to 3 out of our starting back 4, the back up players have performed superbly.

 

[streeky]

The most correct statement I think our manager has ever quoted, although he is not slow to put a positive spin on things His comment that Jags is the most in form centre back in the prem for the last 12 months is bang on ,and he goes on to say that it is no surprise that players who play alongside him are showing their best form. Bang on, he is doing a captains job by leading by example ,and his partners are following suit.

 

[Stanley Parker]

The team is still taken unawares by short corners.

We'll pay for it one day!

 

[Groucho]

I'll never truly forgive him for signing Alcaraz.

For me this has been redeemed and offset both by the fact that he got rid of Alcaraz and then replaced him with Mori, whose middle name is almost "fumes".

 

[SerenityNigh]

True, he's more conservative than Baines though and doesn't have such clever feet, but he does seem confident in the opponents half

No doubt he recovers defensively more quickly than Baines, even if his attacking dalliances aren't as sultry

 

[SerenityNigh]

For me this has been redeemed and offset both by the fact that he got rid of Alcaraz and then replaced him with Mori, whose middle name is almost "fumes".

Slightly off topic, but it was hard to discern on the tv broadcast Sunday--was the ground loudly chanting/groaning FUNES late in the second half? Certainly sounded as such through the tv.

 

[hullefc]

How would other teams do without their 2 recognised full backs, replacing them with 2 U21s players. Lose their young CB who was/is wanted by the Champions and put in a CB that has been in the country for less than a month? As far as the attacking threat of the 2 young full backs go, they are not getting forward as much at certain times but Galloway does pop up in the area and with a bit more composure, not unusual for a young player, could have scored at least 2 goals.

With the full backs not getting forward as much, that has allowed McCarthy and/or Barry to push further up the field. And still get back to protect the full backs. A tremendous team effort.

 

[l4toffee]

Would not say back to his best-could have cost us a few goals-[think it was him made 2 mistakes in seconds that led to shots v spurs],like the odd few to be fair though,but not as bad as last season,and must be doing well,as we have hardly heard a word about him this season.

barry has been quality this season .