SafewayFox

A good response and get that but can still pick on too many mistakes PSV as mentioned or being the wrong side of Targett against Newcastle in the build up to their 95th minute winner. I’m merely stating that in my opinion and this appears to be backed by Rodgers that right now, Castagne is head and shoulders above JJ defensively. I genuinely scratch my head about the underrating of Timmy on here. Have his injuries curtailed his initial great start? 100% However, as per his performance and goal against Brentford and many others since he’s returned from injury…he’s shown enough class to be considered in the conversation as one of our starting FB’s if ask me.

Castagne is defensively head and shoulders above JJ currently anyway and if you consider Barnes is our first choice LW - one thing that Harvey isn’t notorious for is his defending/tracking back so quite a simple decision for Brendan on this one. JJ pre injury was amazing but this season hasn’t got close to those levels and you can’t solely say that’s down to him playing on the right rather than the left as him with lackluster tackles leading to goals like they did against PSV or being simply taken out of the game by a diagonal ball need coaching out of his game. Which have no correlation to what side of the pitch he’s on but happened numerous times since his return. I will say though that JJ is a very good member of the squad and can see him being a first choice FB for years just want those pre-injury levels back.

JJ is definitely not a more complete FB than Castagne. If you counted mistakes leading to goals since JJ has been back he has probably had more “errors leading to goals” asterisk next to his name than Castagne would have his whole professional career. Castagne is vastly underrated on here and as someone else said on a different post it’s because JJ is electric which I love but let’s not make out that Castagne is a slouch and doesn’t have Duracell bunny energy levels himself.

I was going to say a combination of them tiring and tactics of sitting on the score as sure they’d have taken a draw before KO.

He could have played a 5 yard pass before he slips when watch it back.

100% Barnes gets called selfish a lot but that was one of the biggest “shoulda woulda coulda” moments I can remember in a long time.

Not doubting that but Ricky in his pomp was a constant threat. The drop off in his pace/acceleration is sad to see but then again he probably had to consider Sharky having a ‘mare so didn’t offer as much going forward/instruction from Rodgers perhaps?

It’s sad as so true!

Another change of personnel rather than a timid formation that ISN’T working 🤦🏻‍♂️

Ricardo has lost more than a yard of pace hasn’t he 😢

What stands out for me in the first 25 mins is how high up the pitch KDH is playing which is very surprising as it’s so obvious Youri doesn’t have the legs and getting easily played around.

Really liked this article but surely it could be condensed to a much more basic one stating that we’re static and offer very few positive runners off the ball. When we play(ed) free flowing football under Rodgers previously it involved a lot of one touch/triangle passing to take opposition players out of the game but now it’s all about allowing them to reset their formation and practically “park the bus” hence us offering very little as xG or more importantly for me much to cheer about as a fan. Move Madders centrally, drop Tielemans for a few games and instruct whoever the wide players are to be no further than 5/10 yards off Daka/Iheanacho so they can actually link up play with runners off the ball to create a bit of panic in the opposition defence please Brendan.

Wasn’t that a European game where you could argue the quality/opposition more suited his less hurried style? I hate being harsh on a player but Soumare for me isn’t right for us as a club right now nor a player in a very fast paced PL. Someone made a comment on his personality being different to Little Wes’ which is so true, I wonder if Soumare would have passed Pearson’s “personality test” he allegedly including in his scouting reports?

I think they’d be hesistant to sell and would price him out of a move like Watford did with Sarr when they got relegated. Also, I’m still not sure he’s actually an improvement on what we’ve got personally.

As someone on the fence with Rodgers…curious how you came to this conclusion?

Sean Dyche about 3 weeks ago said that “Everton don’t know how to win.” Do opposing managers say (about us) - “Leicester don’t know how to play football after 90 minutes”??? How many times….all this does is re-open my Spurs nightmare and get very anti Rodgers.

Baffled at how many seem to think we’d be a better squad without Castagne. For me, he’s our most complete FB - before Ricardo’s injury it would have been him but if we’re being honest he’s gone from being in the top 3 RB’s in the league to middle of the road and think other fans would say they have as dynamic FB’s as him now sadly. Castagne’s best traits are his energy, defending 1 on 1 and football brain if ask me - his link up play with Praet/Youri at times last season was a joy to watch down the right. Hopefully this is just all agent talk as at 26 he’s hitting his peak years.

Which I’d love to see come true for us but many more established and proven players from different leagues haven’t made the switch to the PL so have that nagging doubt about Soumare. This is where I hold my hands up and say that I never watched him in full matches for Lille so basing it on YouTube videos but seems like he did like driving with the ball at Lille but for me that’s not enough for the box to box midfielder role that KDH has proven improves us as a team. Rodgers himself said that KDH needs to add goals/assists to his game but even with Lille that wasn’t Soumare’s strength which takes me back to my point that he was a poorly thought out signing.

A good way to look at it but just don’t see Soumare having the work ethic or mobility of KDH. Take KDH’s inch perfect slide tackle on ASM against Newcastle, a thing of beauty but Soumare’s lack of desire to track someone since been with us highlights the huge difference so I stick with my point of Soumare being a poor fit for me.

I always try to second guess why Rodgers makes certain decisions and can’t help think JJ at RB and Castagne at LB is his way of identifying that we don’t have that dynamic right sided player that we’ve all been crying out for. Ricardo/JJ whilst from a deeper position offer us that and Castagne in particular is defensively our most sound FB. Which only adds to the urgency of finally identifying a starting 11 RM/RW.

I really like part of your comments but then can’t think a 442 diamond would see sides cut us up so easily that we’d witness all sorts of 20th position defending stats on Sky - you might tell I’m a bit jaded at seeing Sky pick on that as frequently. I really don’t like us with 3/5 at the back so think 433 with N’Didi hopefully back next season like he was prior this season with KDH and Madders next to him and someone who has KDH’s engine/work-rate able to deputize Madders against the likes of Liverpool/see a game out etc would be our best set up. Another reason the Soumare signing seems an odd one to me, as he can’t play in that shape in the slightest.

Similar to how Huth made Morgan a much better CB, having Evans (could argue Fofana too) mask Kasper’s limitations aka commanding his box at set pieces. Not that I feel our scouting (or Rodgers) got it right in the slightest with Vestergaard but could see their flawed logic with him also helping with this issue. Kasper hasn’t all of a sudden become a nervous wreck at collecting crosses/coming off his line it’s just he had players throwing their bodies on the line previously to avoid that weakness leading to us conceding the most goals from set pieces (thanks for highlighting that only a couple of times Sky).

Which is a totally valid point but earlier in the posts didn’t someone post that Thomas averages more progressive passes than JJ? I actually like them both as players just feel that JJ often gets a free pass as he can run faster than Thomas which seems to be the stick Thomas gets repeatedly hit with on here. I would say that this is probably not helped by how much more conservative Thomas is with his crossing compared to when he first broke into the team, which surely has to be down to Rodgers instructions.

As a long time reader but never commented before happy to accept that comment. I’ve always thought it feels that JJ gets a lot of (deserved) praise with certain failings glossed over in comparison to Thomas and Castagne. As for Thomas not going wide, our wide players recently keep being very one dimensional in their play with very little “mixing it up” going on the outside/cutting in rather than constantly cutting inside and often running into trouble.

Compare most Top 6 sides 3rd choice LB to Luke Thomas and tell me one better? Castagne/JJ clearly are at a better level right now but Thomas as good squad depth who has potential is a great predicament if ask me.