Central Defence

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I know we have many threads on our various problems at the moment with players and martinez etc but I feel our major problem this year has been the individual errors from our defenders this season and last nights game confirmed to me that Jags and Distin are done at top level football for a club like everton, they are completely finished IMHO.

It's great to see Stones back and he was instantly more composed and assured when on the ball and his passing was direct and forward thinking. What Martinez does need to do is buy a Central defender in this window and then another one in the Summer to cover for injuries. Alcatraz, Jags and Distin should be sold in the summer and preferably not play again this season if we can get another defender in and this is no knee jerk reaction as they have stunk the place out all season, they have had over 20 games to sort themselves out and they are either not capable or unwilling to find form and we can't wait for them to improve.

Jags, I don't care if he is our captain he needs to be dropped after a performance like that, no composure on the ball, panics, hoofs it and can't judge a bounce of a ball. Thanks for all the years but you are done at this level.

Distin, need I say anything at al!! A shocking set of performances this season and I don't think he really cares, get rid!

I would like a proper old school defender to sit alongside Stones, someone like Shawcross would be good as his reading of the game is excellent and he rarely makes mistakes.

If Martinez does not buy a new Central Defender in this window I would have lost all faith in him as a manager, it's as clear as day that our Centre Backs are holding us back big time this season.

As for Barry...........that's another debate all together! LOL

 

[Zatara]

Stones is the only quality centre back we have.

Its such a pity to have him and no decent partner for him.

I dont think we should aifn a shawcross type. We should go for a Schar or Van Dijk type.

Players who can defend but also pass the ball.

Failing that, Joe Gomez and watch him and Galloway come through.

 

[Brendan Janus]

Distin will retire at the end of the season.

 

[bluemangroup]

Stones is the only quality centre back we have.

Its such a pity to have him and no decent partner for him.

I dont think we should aifn a shawcross type. We should go for a Schar or Van Dijk type.

Players who can defend but also pass the ball.

Failing that, Joe Gomez and watch him and Galloway come through.

Plumping for the youngsters again Zat? I'm honestly shocked. If we bought Gomez we'd have to loan straight back out I think. He's too good for reserve football.
Wish we'd bought Lascalles. 5m gods sake.

 

[donalmclean]

Distin will retire at the end of the season.

2 seasons too late unfortunately.

 

[Prevenger17]

2 seasons too late unfortunately.

Apart from last season.

 

[bluemangroup]

Apart from last season.

Making it difficult to retire off the back of what was a pretty good season.

 

[donalmclean]

Apart from last season.

he was also a weak link last season when he was fit.

 

[Tubey]

Barry was absolutely fine yesterday. Jagielka and Distin, however, were not.

 

[bluemangroup]

Barry was absolutely fine yesterday. Jagielka and Distin, however, were not.

Still makes us vulnerable to counter attacking teams playing though because he just cannot keep up.

 

[Tubey]

Still makes us vulnerable to counter attacking teams playing though because he just cannot keep up.

Not necessarily. He was fine yesterday as Oviedo was getting forward more than Baines has in recent months, which meant that he was naturally covering the attacking player and in position before the counter attack came.

He and Besic did well yesterday. Barry's game has never been about pace, it's been about positioning, and I haven't seen anything to suggest he's lost any of that side of the game. All I'm seeing is that when we play poorly, he stands out because he isn't mobile enough to be flying around cutting off the danger.

So he's an "on top" kind of player, and there's nothing wrong with that as Martinez is trying to build a team who dominates via possession. If we start playing well again as a unit, Barry will be an integral part of that.

 

[Prevenger17]

Making it difficult to retire off the back of what was a pretty good season.

Terrible foresight really. He should have started dropping major hints that his age was going to lead to a steep and dramatic decline, like
looking confused when the ball gets passed to him and calling Jagielka "Phollup".

he was also a weak link last season when he was fit.

Didn't we keep our most clean sheets with him in the side? He looked good to me tbh

 

[donalmclean]

Terrible foresight really. He should have started dropping major hints that his age was going to lead to a steep and dramatic decline, like
looking confused when the ball gets passed to him and calling Jagielka "Phollup".




Didn't we keep our most clean sheets with him in the side? He looked good to me tbh

im not sure of the stats mate, im basing my opinions on watching him over the last few seasons.

 

[bluemangroup]

Not necessarily. He was fine yesterday as Oviedo was getting forward more than Baines has in recent months, which meant that he was naturally covering the attacking player and in position before the counter attack came.

He and Besic did well yesterday. Barry's game has never been about pace, it's been about positioning, and I haven't seen anything to suggest he's lost any of that side of the game. All I'm seeing is that when we play poorly, he stands out because he isn't mobile enough to be flying around cutting off the danger.

So he's an "on top" kind of player, and there's nothing wrong with that as Martinez is trying to build a team who dominates via possession. If we start playing well again as a unit, Barry will be an integral part of that.

Possibly so, but I think the future lies in Besic maturing and us having a high energy pairing in the middle. Besic's passing range is pretty good and we'd press teams into giving up possession and or errors with him and McCarthy together.

 

[Duncan Disordely]

I don't think Jags (and a few others by the looks of then) have gotten over the booing when he passed backwards at 3-0 vs QPR.

We hadn't been playing well for a few games up to to that point, but that should've been a springboard performance. Yet they were booed for playing to the managers instructions and now some of them look scared to play our way or make a mistake. The confidence has been sucked out of the team.