2025/26 James Tarkowski


Never thought I'd say this about him, but Tarkowski is the avatar of our failure.

He's undroppable but hasn't put a foot right all season.

Something has defo happened. I'm not sure if he's just a player at that age where they lose half a yard and they're getting punished for it in this league where pace can catch out defenders positionally; whether the team are playing a higher defensive line and that's contributing to him being off the pace; whether he's just physically not up to putting himself in harms way anymore (because he just seems not to want to know from set pieces in particular); or whether and it's psychological and his head is somewhere else and it's not on football.

He's the most droppable player we have IMO. He's consistently one of our worst performers in the team each game and yet his position is assured.

Outside of clubs like Burnley, Wolves, Leeds and even West Ham he'd never get a game elsewhere in the PL.

We have a RB who's adapting as best he can to that position but is really an international CB in the team. Only a fool would persist with what's happening now. O'Brien should be replacing Tarkowski for the foreseeable. The fact that we all know he wont underlines that Moyes is more interested in playing politics and saving his own neck from any dressing room revolt that could come from dropping Tarkowski than he is in making the right decisions for the club.
 
Central defence has been our weakest area this year and he is at the heart of it. As usual didn't clear the area in front of Pickford for the second goal (a GK error, but once again Tarky is on his toes) and completely dissipated for the third.

He sorely needs Jarrad back to cover him and tell him what to do
 

Never thought I'd say this about him, but Tarkowski is the avatar of our failure.

He's undroppable but hasn't put a foot right all season.

Something has defo happened. I'm not sure if he's just a player at that age where they lose half a yard and they're getting punished for it in this league where pace can catch out defenders positionally; whether the team are playing a higher defensive line and that's contributing to him being off the pace; whether he's just physically not up to putting himself in harms way anymore (because he just seems not to want to know from set pieces in particular); or whether his head is somewhere else and it's not on football.

He's the most droppable player we have IMO. He's consistently one of are worst performers in the team each game and yet his position is assured.

Outside of clubs like Burnley, Wolves, Leeds and even West Ham he'd never get a game.

We have a RB who's adapting as best he can to that position but is really an international CB in the team. Only a fool would persist with what's happening now. O'Brien should be replacing Tarkowski for the foreseeable. The fact that we all know he wont underlines that Moyes is more interested in playing politics and saving his own neck from any dressing room revolt that could come from dropping Tarkowski than he is in making the right decisions for the club.
He's not the same player without Jarrad, I think it's as simple as that. Looked this bad at the beginning of last season without him.

Possibly exacerbated by the injury he had, but he needs someone who is quick, calm, and a good communicator next to him at all times.

Tarky is a red blooded defender who wants to go looking for the ball and making tackles. He leaves a lot of gaps and he needs a sweeper alongside him.

Keane isn't that partner, someone who also wants to step out and go looking for the ball. Football is all about partnerships, these two might work for a team playing a low block, but I'm not sure they work for a team like us who want to play higher up.

They both end up out of position too often and we leave huge gaps. Where were they both for the third goal? Embarrassing
 
Never thought I'd say this about him, but Tarkowski is the avatar of our failure.

He's undroppable but hasn't put a foot right all season.

Something has defo happened. I'm not sure if he's just a player at that age where they lose half a yard and they're getting punished for it in this league where pace can catch out defenders positionally; whether the team are playing a higher defensive line and that's contributing to him being off the pace; whether he's just physically not up to putting himself in harms way anymore (because he just seems not to want to know from set pieces in particular); or whether and it's psychological and his head is somewhere else and it's not on football.

He's the most droppable player we have IMO. He's consistently one of our worst performers in the team each game and yet his position is assured.

Outside of clubs like Burnley, Wolves, Leeds and even West Ham he'd never get a game elsewhere in the PL.

We have a RB who's adapting as best he can to that position but is really an international CB in the team. Only a fool would persist with what's happening now. O'Brien should be replacing Tarkowski for the foreseeable. The fact that we all know he wont underlines that Moyes is more interested in playing politics and saving his own neck from any dressing room revolt that could come from dropping Tarkowski than he is in making the right decisions for the club.
I agree with most of this, but our issues now in CM mean we have to persist with it.

Garner can’t come out of there IMO which means JOB right back.
 
He's not the same player without Jarrad, I think it's as simple as that. Looked this bad at the beginning of last season without him.
Possibly exacerbated by the injury he had, but he needs someone who is quick, calm, and a good communicator next to him at all times.
Tarky is a red blooded defender who wants to go looking for the ball and making tackles. He leaves a lot of gaps and he needs a sweeper alongside him.

Keane isn't that partner, someone who also wants to step out and go looking for the ball. Football is all about partnerships, these two might work for a team playing a low block, but I'm not sure they work for a team like us who want to play higher up.

They both end up out of position too often and we leave huge gaps. Where were they both for the third goal? Embarrassing
The point about Branthwaite I'd take, but Tarkowski hasn't been full blooded about anything other than wheeling round and blaming others in the defence all season like Van Dijk.

He's nowhere to be seen in our box when the crosses are coming in; and he's especially not competitive from corners. All of that was food and drink to him before this season.

This is an alarming drop off and only so much of it can be blamed on a lack of a familiar CD partner who blends with him better than Keane.

He's a professional; he cant simply be not performing because his best mate isn't there.

Needs dropping ASAP.
 
The point about Branthwaite I'd take, but Tarkowski hasn't been full blooded about anything other than wheeling round and blaming others in the defence all season like Van Dijk.

He's nowhere to be seen in our box when the crosses are coming in; and he's especially not competitive from corners. All of that was food and drink to him before this season.

This is an alarming drop off and only so much of it can be blamed on a lack of a familiar CD partner who blends with him better than Keane.

He's a professional; he cant simply be not performing because his best mate isn't there.

Needs dropping ASAP.
It was a bad hamstring injury at the end of the season, I think he’s done at this level sadly.
 
The point about Branthwaite I'd take, but Tarkowski hasn't been full blooded about anything other than wheeling round and blaming others in the defence all season like Van Dijk.

He's nowhere to be seen in our box when the crosses are coming in; and he's especially not competitive from corners. All of that was food and drink to him before this season.

This is an alarming drop off and only so much of it can be blamed on a lack of a familiar CD partner who blends with him better than Keane.

He's a professional; he cant simply be not performing because his best mate isn't there.

Needs dropping ASAP.
For who? Has to be JOB

Then who plays right back? Has to be Garner

Then who plays CM?! After yesterday's performance, Tim can't be anywhere near the starting XI.

Recall Armstrong alongside KDH?

Think we're stuck with Tarky there for now
 

For who? Has to be JOB

Then who plays right back? Has to be Garner

Then who plays CM?! After yesterday's performance, Tim can't be anywhere near the starting XI.

Recall Armstrong alongside KDH?

Think we're stuck with Tarky there for now

Change the formation.
 
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Never thought I'd say this about him, but Tarkowski is the avatar of our failure.

He's undroppable but hasn't put a foot right all season.

Something has defo happened. I'm not sure if he's just a player at that age where they lose half a yard and they're getting punished for it in this league where pace can catch out defenders positionally; whether the team are playing a higher defensive line and that's contributing to him being off the pace; whether he's just physically not up to putting himself in harms way anymore (because he just seems not to want to know from set pieces in particular); or whether and it's psychological and his head is somewhere else and it's not on football.

He's the most droppable player we have IMO. He's consistently one of our worst performers in the team each game and yet his position is assured.

Outside of clubs like Burnley, Wolves, Leeds and even West Ham he'd never get a game elsewhere in the PL.

We have a RB who's adapting as best he can to that position but is really an international CB in the team. Only a fool would persist with what's happening now. O'Brien should be replacing Tarkowski for the foreseeable. The fact that we all know he wont underlines that Moyes is more interested in playing politics and saving his own neck from any dressing room revolt that could come from dropping Tarkowski than he is in making the right decisions for the club.

Moyes likes players who have experience rather than trying younger players.

Well said Dave.
 
Starting to look like an utter yard dog tbh. Needs to stop dropping deep in front of Pickford when the opposition look like shooting at the edge of the box too. Has cost us at least 3 goals already this season doing that.
 

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