2018/19 Michael Keane

[Mutzo Nutzo]

The crack on the head obviously did him some good and made him remember that’s he’s a decent central defender.

If he starts playing crap again we should give him another bash.

 

[McBain]

Ma name is Michael Keane.

Not a lot a people know dat.

 

[Groucho]

Beginning to look like the player we thought we had all along.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

You don't become a bad player overnight.

There was a lot of mitigating circumstances for him last season;

Come on blues - cringing at some comments in here.

Clearly, there's a player in there who can defend and there was just so many mitigating factors last season - management, the inconsistency of the defence he was in and he played under medication/injuries.

Put any defender in that Everton side last season, often next to Cuco Martina, Ashley Williams and a young Kenny and they'd struggle. Later on in the season, he did start to settle/look better when Coleman and Baines come back, and we settled with Jagielka an Keane rather than Williams.

Stick with him. He's a confidence player more than most and will only get better.

 

[Saint Domingo]

You don't become a bad player overnight.

There was a lot of mitigating circumstances for him last season;



Stick with him. He's a confidence player more than most and will only get better.

I’m all for patience with players but I’m not sure with Keane. We could have been 2 down before half time against Fulham. We seem to have these moments where Keane and Zouma have both chased the same ball, or where Keane is stranded in the middle of midfield. The same happened against Arsenal. I don’t know if it’s a system thing or Keane chasing the ball but I don’t think we defended great, luck just went our way for once. You’d presume Mina would be first choice when for given the price we paid, if I had to pick a partner for him based on recent performances it would be Zouma despite his loan status.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

I’m all for patience with players but I’m not sure with Keane. We could have been 2 down before half time against Fulham. We seem to have these moments where Keane and Zouma have both chased the same ball

How many games have they played together?

 

[Saint Domingo]

How many games have they played together?

It’s a fair point, I just think quality players often make the game look easy. Zouma has made some errors yes but is already looking so comfortable on the ball. Same with Digne, he needed all of about one game to adapt to how we play. With Keane it feels like it’s always a long process of waiting for his confidence to increase or having to find the right system or the right partner. I’m not sure he has enough on the ball to ever be good enough for where we want to be. He’s playing well at the moment but is he actually playing well or is he just playing well compared to how he played last season?

 

[Brisan123]

It’s a fair point, I just think quality players often make the game look easy. Zouma has made some errors yes but is already looking so comfortable on the ball. Same with Digne, he needed all of about one game to adapt to how we play. With Keane it feels like it’s always a long process of waiting for his confidence to increase or having to find the right system or the right partner. I’m not sure he has enough on the ball to ever be good enough for where we want to be. He’s playing well at the moment but is he actually playing well or is he just playing well compared to how he played last season?

I think a lot of the defensive problems stem from both full backs being high up the pitch at the same time
That leaves the 2 CBs somewhat isolated
Even if Gana covers one full back a quick cross field ball leaves Keane and Zouma exposed
This happened against Fulham and the ball over the top for West Ham’s first goal was another case of both full backs being high up the pitch and not covering the CBs
If we are going to play with 2 high full backs then both CBs need to be extremely pacy and physical.
I’d worry about us against Vardy next Sat

 

[GrandOldTeam]

It’s a fair point, I just think quality players often make the game look easy. Zouma has made some errors yes but is already looking so comfortable on the ball. Same with Digne, he needed all of about one game to adapt to how we play. With Keane it feels like it’s always a long process of waiting for his confidence to increase or having to find the right system or the right partner. I’m not sure he has enough on the ball to ever be good enough for where we want to be. He’s playing well at the moment but is he actually playing well or is he just playing well compared to how he played last season?

My whole point with Keane though is he's never had that.

I think judgement should be reserved until he has a run in a settled back four.

Anyone who has ever played in a defence at any level will understand/appreciate how important that is.

Keane played through injury and was on painkillers most games last season, thrown alongside Martina (both RB and LB), Kenny, Mori, Jagielka, Holgate etc.

Towards the end of last season when we settled with Coleman an Baines back, with Jagielka he looked a lot better. I'm not surprised he started this season better as well - for me, Silva needs to give a back four a long run regardless of the result.

He's played a couple of games with Zouma and we're questioning their partnership/understanding? Says it all, really.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Getting better and that result on Saturday would've provided him with another boost - first clean sheet of the season. At this rate it'll be him and Mina soon enough.

 

[Brisan123]

Lads going on about no need for a settled back 4
Look at Chelsea , the RS, City , Arsenal ,all settled back 4 this season
Look at United , chopping and changing and conceding all over the shop
Every coach or top manager I’ve ever heard talking about defence states the importance of a settled back 4 and goalkeeper
They more than any other area of the pitch need to know where the rest of their back 4 are , what they are likely to do , and where they could get caught out
They know one mistake and it could be a goal
When /If Coleman , Mina ,Keane ,Digne get an extended run of 5/6 games together then we should see a massive difference
Hopefully Leicester is the first of these

 

[ADT]

Him and Mina next season will be immense

 

[Nyhus]

Same with Digne, he needed all of about one game to adapt to how we play. With Keane it feels like it’s always a long process of waiting for his confidence to increase or having to find the right system or the right partner.

To be fair, Digne and Keane arnt from the same mould. One is of Barca/Roma/PSG quality, the other smells a little like Koeman and Burnely.

Edit:
Im pro Keane btw, he has made real progress this season and is looking like the player we payed for.

 

[jackyboy]

I like the balance of him and Zouma.

 

[Saint Domingo]

To be fair, Digne and Keane arnt from the same mould. One is of Barca/Roma/PSG quality, the other smells a little like Koeman and Burnely.

Edit:
Im pro Keane btw, he has made real progress this season and is looking like the player we payed for.

Yeah but for 30 million shouldn’t he be near Digne’s quality. That’s kind of my point, it’s like he’s being praised now for not being completely awful (even though he’s still making critical errors each game). He’s improved yes, he’s looking more confident and stronger in the air and in the tackle, but has he suddenly become good on the ball? Has he suddenly found a yard of pace? No. I’m not saying let’s not persevere with him, or that partnerships don’t need time etc. But we paid 30 million for him and Chelsea’s 5th choice centreback we have on loan is a lot better.