2018/19 Phil Jagielka

[germanblue]

Most underrated player by some of our fans.

Call me a football romantic, but Jags is the total opposite of some of this new modern football pros.


Reliable, down to earth, never say die attitude, great defender and great person off the pitch. All these things we´re crying for in these days.

Mr. Brands job must be to find a younger version of Phil Jagielka and it will be a hard job.


In deepest love,

his greatest fan germanblue!

 

[larbert toffee]

Polish, short for Nicodemus ( biblical name )

Nicodemus with wizards is even better.

 

[Eggs]

...like him, always liked him.

 

[Steve0]

Nicodemus with wizards is even better.

Nicodemus and pliers were a great polish reggae band.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Most underrated player by some of our fans.

Call me a football romantic, but Jags is the total opposite of some of this new modern football pros.


Reliable, down to earth, never say die attitude, great defender and great person off the pitch. All these things we´re crying for in these days.

Mr. Brands job must be to find a younger version of Phil Jagielka and it will be a hard job.


In deepest love,

his greatest fan germanblue!

There was a time and place for Jags. Solid professional, he did a job for us for many years.

However, if the first 2 minutes of this game were any indication, he should never see the pitch again. The Cardiff guy spotted him 10 yards and he made it up in about 30 yards when they should have scored. He should not be playing at all

 

[catcherintherye]

As has probably been said on here, I enjoy watching Jagielka play enormously (as someone who plays/ed) a similar position there is an awful lot to admire about his performances.

Without doubt he is not a physical specimen quite like our other 3 centre backs and in an era of the game often measured by statistics and measurements he probably doesn't always stack up so well. However what is harder to measure which he has in abundance is experience and an ability to read the game. If you watch back last nights game, it was a bit of a masterclass from the perspective of how to defend. You don't need to be that quick, strong, tall or anything else if you know where to position yourself at any key moment.

On several key moments the ball would drop towards our goal and he would be there. It's not coincidence. It reminded me of a lot of the goals we have lost, particularly the goals at Millwall where no player would be neat the ball, how little reading of the game we appeared to have. Our players were nowhere near it.

It's funny as a young player I never really thought his reading of the game was so strong. He seemed to rely on his pace, bravery and spring to get himself out of trouble. There's no doubt he has developed that side of his game post Moyes. In many ways that sort of old fashioned defender, that you saw of Watson, or Carragher or Terry before him has gone out of the game now. He has it in abundance though.

Jagielka has essentially played out the same pattern the last 4 seasons. He really struggles with the physicality of the league in the first half of the season. However come the 2nd half of the season tends to really thrive. I suspect it's because the pace of the league drops a bit and also because, as an older player it probably takes him longer to get fully into match fitness.

Either way he's in my team for Sunday. We lack leaders and he is miles ahead of any of our defenders for leadership. I'd play him in a back 3, with any of Zouma/Mina/Keane either side of him. Strangely I think he will help improve all of them as he will guide them through a game. He was absolutely brilliant in last seasons derby.

 

[Joey66]

He made one bad mistake , and has Dieghn to thank but after that, he controlled our defence barking out instructions and played well - First time for an age when a high ball , and there were plenty went into our box I felt comfortable, as you could see, and hear him keeping the right tight line on crosses - pure experience. you can't buy that, he is in his twilight years, but I would play him in the Derby with a faster defender than Keen around him........

 

[Lanolin]

There was a time and place for Jags. Solid professional, he did a job for us for many years.

However, if the first 2 minutes of this game were any indication, he should never see the pitch again. The Cardiff guy spotted him 10 yards and he made it up in about 30 yards when they should have scored. He should not be playing at all

Well there were 90 minutes literally straight after that where he did really well, so i'm not sure why we would take the first 2 minutes of senior football he's played in about 6 months as an indication of what he can do.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

Well there were 90 minutes literally straight after that where he did really well, so i'm not sure why we would take the first 2 minutes of senior football he's played in about 6 months as an indication of what he can do.

To be fair, it's because the centre halves had nothing to do after that. Cardiff were absolutely dire.

Gana, and dare I say it, Schneiderlin had really good games in midfield.

 

[Pittsburgh Footy]

As has probably been said on here, I enjoy watching Jagielka play enormously (as someone who plays/ed) a similar position there is an awful lot to admire about his performances.

Without doubt he is not a physical specimen quite like our other 3 centre backs and in an era of the game often measured by statistics and measurements he probably doesn't always stack up so well. However what is harder to measure which he has in abundance is experience and an ability to read the game. If you watch back last nights game, it was a bit of a masterclass from the perspective of how to defend. You don't need to be that quick, strong, tall or anything else if you know where to position yourself at any key moment.

On several key moments the ball would drop towards our goal and he would be there. It's not coincidence. It reminded me of a lot of the goals we have lost, particularly the goals at Millwall where no player would be neat the ball, how little reading of the game we appeared to have. Our players were nowhere near it.

It's funny as a young player I never really thought his reading of the game was so strong. He seemed to rely on his pace, bravery and spring to get himself out of trouble. There's no doubt he has developed that side of his game post Moyes. In many ways that sort of old fashioned defender, that you saw of Watson, or Carragher or Terry before him has gone out of the game now. He has it in abundance though.

Jagielka has essentially played out the same pattern the last 4 seasons. He really struggles with the physicality of the league in the first half of the season. However come the 2nd half of the season tends to really thrive. I suspect it's because the pace of the league drops a bit and also because, as an older player it probably takes him longer to get fully into match fitness.

Either way he's in my team for Sunday. We lack leaders and he is miles ahead of any of our defenders for leadership. I'd play him in a back 3, with any of Zouma/Mina/Keane either side of him. Strangely I think he will help improve all of them as he will guide them through a game. He was absolutely brilliant in last seasons derby.

I agree with this, to a point. Jagielka still has a very high footballing IQ. If he had just a bit more pace, that could be useful against a side like LIverpool. However, in the shape that he's in, I fear they would tear us to shreds. Jags is useful in games we are expected to win, where preventing mistakes is what matters most. In a game where we are the 'dogs and need to up our performances, his ceiling at this point in his career is too low.

I don't doubt he's a calming influence on the pitch and he has experience. I just don't know if Sunday is the type of game for him right now

 

[Lanolin]

To be fair, it's because the centre halves had nothing to do after that. Cardiff were absolutely dire.

Gana, and dare I say it, Schneiderlin had really good games in midfield.

No offence but that either shows a serious lack of understanding of football or a refusal to accept that someone you don't want to rate had a good game. There's more to being a centre half than last ditch tackles and clearances off the line. They caused us no problems because we defended well, and he was part of that, just as Gana and Schneiderlin were. Whether he can keep that up in future, and in particular whether he's suited to playing against teams with a lot of pace and quick feet, I don't know, but it's churlish to suggest he has been anything other than solid when we've called on him over the past 12 months or so.

 

[MikeH72]

No offence but that either shows a serious lack of understanding of football or a refusal to accept that someone you don't want to rate had a good game. There's more to being a centre half than last ditch tackles and clearances off the line. They caused us no problems because we defended well, and he was part of that, just as Gana and Schneiderlin were. Whether he can keep that up in future, and in particular whether he's suited to playing against teams with a lot of pace and quick feet, I don't know, but it's churlish to suggest he has been anything other than solid when we've called on him over the past 12 months or so.

He was absolutely dreadful for most of last season and played in loads of games where we capitulated and got battered.

 

[Lanolin]

He was absolutely dreadful for most of last season and played in loads of games where we capitulated and got battered.

Didn’t say he didn’t. Back end of last season (hence me specifying 12 months) he did well for us though.

 

[goodisonopheliac]

Seeing that overweight middle-aged man in a Everton shirt, tells you all you want to know about Everton.

You've never seen Neville Southall, I take it.

Most underrated player by some of our fans.

Call me a football romantic, but Jags is the total opposite of some of this new modern football pros.


Reliable, down to earth, never say die attitude, great defender and great person off the pitch. All these things we´re crying for in these days.

Mr. Brands job must be to find a younger version of Phil Jagielka and it will be a hard job.


In deepest love,

his greatest fan germanblue!

I'll fight you for him.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Polish, short for Nicodemus ( biblical name )

Didn't he have a one hit wonder with pliers in the 90s?