2025/26 James Tarkowski

Kevsleftpeg · 2025-12-07T10:06:55+0000

heatmeiser said:
Before him we were so short of that kind of character. We had no 'natural leader' in the team. Then we went out and signed two club captains in him and Coady. It was massive.

It feels like a lot of people really under estimate the work he does. He's always talking; to the ref, winding up players, putting team mates in their place (literally in the case of Keane).

Grealish does a similar job but we need to seriously think about who will replace him in that respect going forward.

He's lower mid-table player at best though and his best days seem behind him. We need better to kick on. More pace, better judgment and more composure on the ball required.

f.t.r.s · 2025-12-07T10:08:29+0000

heatmeiser said:
He's done it his entire career. He gets away with it because he knows what he's doing

V.a.r hasn't been around all his career....

He also hasn't been persona non grata with the rs at any point before coming here and we know how their infested media can influence decisions

heatmeiser · 2025-12-07T10:19:21+0000

f.t.r.s said:
V.a.r hasn't been around all his career....

He also hasn't been persona non grata with the rs at any point before coming here and we know how their infested media can influence decisions

Yet he still "gets away with it". He knows what he's doing and he does it very very well

heatmeiser · 2025-12-07T10:25:14+0000

Kevsleftpeg said:
He's lower mid-table player at best though and his best days seem behind him. We need better to kick on. More pace, better judgment and more composure on the ball required.

Disagree with the first part, but clearly he'll be phased out in the next season or two, due to age if nothing else.

It's his on-field personality that we need to replace as much as anything else. It was horrible a few years ago when we had a team full of comparatively timid temperaments

Kevsleftpeg · 2025-12-07T10:44:05+0000

heatmeiser said:
Disagree with the first part, but clearly he'll be phased out in the next season or two, due to age if nothing else.

It's his on-field personality that we need to replace as much as anything else. It was horrible a few years ago when we had a team full of comparatively timid temperaments

Which top half teams has played for in his career? He finished 7th with Burnley one year but he just a journey man with a bit of fight. We used to have England internationals like Jags, Lescott, Stones in our defence and the mighty Distin. We need to get back to those standards.

blackie_jones75 · 2025-12-07T11:28:53+0000

Good scrapper of a centre back performance yesterday but was lucky to stay on I thought

Joey66 · 2025-12-07T12:14:40+0000

heatmeiser said:
How many times has he been sent off for us?

It's almost like he knows exactly what he's doing and all us non-professional footballers should go "oh ok, fair play"

He was very lucky ok

Tel001 · 2025-12-07T12:17:44+0000

heatmeiser said:
Yet he still "gets away with it". He knows what he's doing and he does it very very well

He played every minute of every season he’s been with us until his injury at the back end of last year .

No injuries , no red cards , not even any suspensions for to many bookings …

You’re right , he knows what he’s doing and as long as he’s always available … I want him to keep doing it

Eggs · 2025-12-07T12:19:32+0000

….terrific clearance off the line at a significant point in the game.

heatmeiser · 2025-12-07T12:28:28+0000

Joey66 said:
He was very lucky ok

Tel001 said:
He played every minute of every season he’s been with us until his injury at the back end of last year .

No injuries , no red cards , not even any suspensions for to many bookings …

You’re right , he knows what he’s doing and as long as he’s always available … I want him to keep doing it

It isn't luck. He knows exactly what he's doing.

Toffeelover · 2025-12-07T12:44:17+0000

Eggs said:
….terrific clearance off the line at a significant point in the game.

Indeed, though the cock up by Pickford nearly cost us.

Number_25 · 2025-12-07T12:49:12+0000

I'm a Guardian reading tofu eating card carrying member of the wokerati.

There was nothing wrong with what he did. The Notts player was backing into him giving him elbows, and he just made himself known. It's 50/50 stuff that's just part of the game.

Joey66 · 2025-12-07T13:03:34+0000

heatmeiser said:
It isn't luck. He knows exactly what he's doing.

Just like Gana did at at Old Trafford.....Tarks off the ball barged with his shoulder into a opposition players back forcibly off the ball - mind you there CH reminded me of Yard Dog Yeats ....

Kevsleftpeg · 2025-12-07T14:18:34+0000

Tel001 said:
He played every minute of every season he’s been with us until his injury at the back end of last year .

No injuries , no red cards , not even any suspensions for to many bookings …

You’re right , he knows what he’s doing and as long as he’s always available … I want him to keep doing it

Rubbish, he's been extremely lucky to stay on the field on several occasions. It doesn't benefit the team in any way. He should focus on defending, not playing blind back passes and not deflecting saleable shots into our goal. Cut out all the macho posturing. One stupid red card could cost us Europe this season.