The Defence.......

[davek]

But even if we ignore the fact that Lookman isnt really a LW and we ignore the rumours of his stinking attitude and sulking to push a move.

Hes not a proven player at all, not even close, hes 90% potential.

I mean I said at the end of last season our needs were :

1 Back up GK
1 starting LB
1 starting CB at least
1 DM/CM
2 Widers
1 ST at the very min

We got a back up GK
We got a starting LB
And we got 1 wider so far

Hence me saying I think its been a decent window.

Three out of seven hoped for new arrivals is a decent effort?

This week will be crucial. Yes, we'll need the next two windows to put matters right after Koemageddon, but if we get no CB and second striker in we will struggle badly and the whole 'project' may run aground before Brands/Silva get started on their 2nd and 3rd window. Wages have been pruned, so I suggest loan deals at least are fully explored - because I doubt there's massive money for fees left over.

 

[davek]

Have you watched Lookman in royal blue?

Yes. Under two ball bag "managers" who didn't know how / want to use him.

 

[Abraders]

In Koemans defence, he tried to sort the backline somewhat with Pickford in goal, and Keane at CB.

But by the time we brought Sam in, it was obvious defence should be our biggest priority to sort out. He compensated for our dire centre backs by completely utilising the team in defence, as he normally does.

Silva/Brands have brought in Digne which is brilliant. But the CBs need to be sorted or we're going to have another dreadful season - dare I say worse than last, because we won't be even a little bit hard to beat at this rate.

Bring in the centre backs.

 

[McBain]

The decision to end the window early was a pretty stupid one.

 

[McBain]

Three out of seven hoped for new arrivals is a decent effort?

This week will be crucial. Yes, we'll need the next two windows to put matters right after Koemageddon, but if we get no CB and second striker in we will struggle badly and the whole 'project' may run aground before Brands/Silva get started on their 2nd and 3rd window. Wages have been pruned, so I suggest loan deals at least are fully explored - because I doubt there's massive money for fees left over.

Martinez took a chainsaw to the defence and should be fully held to account.

 

[Joey66]

The defence - we need one !

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Martinez took a chainsaw to the defence and should be fully held to account.

As for playing personnel, all Martinez did was stop playing a 37 year-old Distin and started John Stones, which most on here would have agreed with. He also was responsible for signing Mason Holgate, who some would argue is our best centre-back currently, and he at least attempted to replace Distin with Funes Mori.

Granted, Martinez's complete inability to defend set-pieces and crosses into the box means he was a poor defensive coach, but in terms of playing personnel at CB we were still looking OK until Koeman arrived.

 

[McBain]

As for playing personnel, all Martinez did was stop playing a 37 year-old Distin and started John Stones, which most on here would have agreed with. He also was responsible for signing Mason Holgate, who some would argue is our best centre-back currently, and he at least attempted to replace Distin with Funes Mori.

Granted, Martinez's complete inability to defend set-pieces and crosses into the box means he was a poor defensive coach, but in terms of playing personnel at CB we were still looking OK until Koeman arrived.

Martinez made the worst defensive signings ever. In three years what is there - a possible starter in Holgate, who we're all crossing our fingers comes good because what are the alternatives? The guy below, RFM a total liability who also wasn't a starter. Thats it. That's why we are still relying on Moyes signings.

He absolutely ruined the defence - and here's @davek blaming Koeman.

 

[meagher94]

The decision to end the window early was a pretty stupid one.

Having the window shut later would just mean we drag it out even longer and don’t get anyone in until the 3rd game.

At least now they HAVE to get it done, before the 1st game.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

Martinez made the worst defensive signings ever. In three years what is there - a possible starter in Holgate, who we're all crossing our fingers comes good because what are the alternatives? The guy below, RFM a total liability who also wasn't a starter. Thats it. That's why we are still relying on Moyes signings.

He absolutely ruined the defence - and here's @davek blaming Koeman.

Alacaraz was bad but he was never first-choice in the Martinez era, more like 4th-choice CB behind Jags, Distin, and Stones. Koeman bought Ashley Williams in to replace John Stones. 'Nuff said.

 

[McBain]

Having the window shut later would just mean we drag it out even longer and don’t get anyone in until the 3rd game.

At least now they HAVE to get it done, before the 1st game.

Well teams are going to be left well short if any longer term injuries occur in the first few games. And instead of a further three weeks to do business, they now have a week. Plus the rest of Europe is still trading - I don't actually understand why they changed it. Very Brexit-ist and a crazy decision in a World Cup year.

 

[Eggs]

Buying a LW for £40M in a window like this when defence needed sorting badly will go down as one of the worst decisions in years if we dont do a tidy bit of business in the coming says.

...not sure what the purchase of Richarlison has got to do with the defence. Surely it’s not a matter of either/or unless your suggesting there’s no more money to spend.

We desperately need re-inforcements at the back, that must be evident to Silva and Brands. I just hope it’s not brinksmanship for key targets that leaves us stumbling around for alternatives in the last few days.

 

[Zezti]

Before we brought Silva in I said a lot along the lines of "You want to put a manager with a terrible defensive record in charge of OUR defence?". When we brought him and Brands in I was at least hopeful we'd replace our central defence but its getting closer to crunch time and we haven't signed 1 CB, let alone the 2 I feel we need. For what its worth, I think we also need a solid CM to sit in front of them.

I really like our attacking options now. Richa, Theo, Tosun, Lookman (if stays) are pretty damn good in my opinion, but its all for nowt if the opposition scores every single time they go forward.
Every effort has to be made to get AT LEAST one CB in this window. 2 preferably. 2 + 1 CM ideally. Without any we're in for a terrible, terrible season.

 

[ilikecheese]

It's not very good...

 

[BigBlueConk]

Or what pretends to be one, is a shambles. Baines and Jagielka, for as much as we all love them, are past it, by a few years. Jags has not been the same since the last but one World Cup and we are watching one of our greatest left backs slowing down. It’s not their fault, we all get older, but it’s criminal that this has not been addressed as we used to do it, both Labone and Ratcliffe were done at 31/32 and replaced. Then we come to Keane, who just seems not up to it and looks more like a championship player with each passing game. We have a great goalkeeper with nothing in front of him. We have a few days left to buy replacements and while I tend not to do bed wetting at my age, I am really fearful of going into this new season. Tbf, we have a Baines replacement now, but CB is a goal scorers dream. The management know this and obviously are working at it, but every other team in the Premier League also knows this and we will get some serious beatings.

Sorry for the rambling, but I’ve never seen such a bad defence in over 50 years.....

The most worrying thing, is that the issue of the defence personnel is not a new one.
Moyes had it sorted with with younger versions of Jags, Baines, Coleman, Lescott/Distin.

Then Roberto knew he needed fresh legs and we somehow ended up with Alcaraz.
Add in one RFM come and gone and we have done NOTHING until last week to start addressing the problem.
Keane you say? Mugs with money is what we were last year. Has he improved the defence? No.
Getting shackled with one of Jags or Williams wouldn't help any footballer though.

The board is to blame first and foremost.

And let none of us forget, we did get some serious beatings first half of last season.
Even if not thrashed on the score sheet, we were getting ripped a new one week after week.

More of the same starting at Wolves I reckon. Nobody will fear us as they know they just need to get into our half.
Goodison will not be a fortress, but a place to get away points.

And I won't blame Marco for a single thing. I think we will struggle to get the defenders of quality we need within a few days and we might even have just try and survive the season. Which means we go all S.A style again and RIP football.