We need to talk about Jonny Evans

[Babylon]

15 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

I know Long stole an advantage, thats why it was offside and not a penalty. But Evans didn't know that, yet he felt that it was a good decision to barge into the back of what he assumed was a legally positioned player. Long being offside isn't relevant to Evans' decision making in that situation, as he clearly thought he was onside or he wouldn't have made such a desperate attempt to get to the ball before him.

So you suggest next time he just lets the player head straight at goal a metre out? The ball was dropping straight to his head a metre or so out (because he was offside) and the only way Evans stood a chance was to challenge from behind (because he was offside). 

 

15 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

Mm, a yard, a foot, whatever, far to close for comfort and he wouldn't have been fully aware that he was making contact in or out the area in that split second. It was a desperate lung when there were other players around that meant it wasn't needed.

Ridiculous, he's next to a whacking great big white line that indicates his position. Has he suddenly got a white cane? He came in from the side, not behind, so would have known his position because of that quite clearly. 

Edited 20 January 2021 by Babylon

[Facecloth]

12 minutes ago, Babylon said:

So you suggest next time he just lets the player head straight at goal a metre out? The ball was dropping straight to his head a metre or so out (because he was offside) and the only way Evans stood a chance was to challenge from behind (because he was offside). 

 

Ridiculous, he's next to a whacking great big white line that indicates his position. Has he suddenly got a white cane? He came in from the side, not behind, so would have known his position because of that quite clearly. 

If you can't make a legal tackle then don't plough into the back of a player you think is in a legal position. I accept Long got there by stealing an advantage, but Evans wasn't aware. If you out of position and a player has got in behind you then don't foul them. So try your best to put him off, unsettle him, but don't barge into the back of him and push him over. I'll put it another way. If Barnes gets played in down the wing and is offside, but hes not aware of that, thinks he's on. He gets into the box but the angle is tight. Vardy is free in the centre with an open goal, but Barnes shoots into the side netting. In the end it doesn't matter because he was offside, but would you not question his decision making by taking the shot?

 

I still think its a dangerous situation to be lunging in on Pulisic there and could easily have caught him in the area instead. I'll concede, due to his reaction, he probably knew he was outside the area at the time, but you do realise if contact carries on into the box then it can be a penalty. What if he hadn't tripped him with his foot and they had clashed knees slightly further up the pitch and its on the line? And why is making a challenge like that when there's plenty of support around? Shows he's panicking.

[Captain...]

2 hours ago, jayfox26 said:

We know Cags and Evans play well together and we know Fofana and Evans play well together. What we dont know yet is whether Fofana and Cags can play well together. They are both similar in that the way they play and are both still quite young. I still feel in most games we need Evans' experience but I could see Cags and Fofana eventually becoming a formidable centre back pairing. The only other difficulty we will have is similar to the Vardy one. We will  need another centre back in the summer but what decent player will want to come here as 4th choice, just like what top striker would come and play 2nd fiddle to Vardy. Ben Davies from preston is a player we have long been linked with and he is a free agent in the summer but apparently Rangers are trying to get him on a pre contract. He could have been a decent option as 4th choice. The other option would be to promote a youth player to be 4th choice but then that could hamper their development if they dont play very often. 

Agree with this, I think it has to be Cags and Fofana vs Brentford, Cags needs minutes under his belt and we need to see if they are a compatible pairing.

 

If they look good together vs Brentford you'd probably give Cags the 90 then rest him vs Everton, then maybe look to Leeds or Fulham to play Cags and Fofana in the league give Evans a rest. Or maybe Cags and Evans vs Leeds, Cags and Fofana vs Fulham. It will soon be clear if we need Evans to marshall the defence and Cags and Fofana are not suitable as a pair.

 

Then with the Liverpool game coming up there is the option to play 3/5 at the back. Hopefully Slavia Prague second leg will be a formality so we have options to keep them all busy without risking our season. We also need to get Ricardo back up to match fitness. Fun times for Brendan.

[Blue ROI]

Evans is a great reader of the game and is good at snuffing out any danger. Soyuncu that bit more physical and Little Wes the better footballer of the 3.

 

As a collective it's hard to beat.

[Jacnah]

14 hours ago, Sly said:

I’m always waiting for him to do something stupid though. You know he’s got that in him. 

Im not sure about that......Every defender makes the odd error. Evans is consistent and doesn't make many. I have to disagree with you and say I don't see that in him at all and I think you're being overly harsh in your assessment

[Dan Gliballs]

2 hours ago, jayfox26 said:

We know Cags and Evans play well together and we know Fofana and Evans play well together. What we dont know yet is whether Fofana and Cags can play well together. They are both similar in that the way they play and are both still quite young. I still feel in most games we need Evans' experience but I could see Cags and Fofana eventually becoming a formidable centre back pairing. The only other difficulty we will have is similar to the Vardy one. We will  need another centre back in the summer but what decent player will want to come here as 4th choice, just like what top striker would come and play 2nd fiddle to Vardy. Ben Davies from preston is a player we have long been linked with and he is a free agent in the summer but apparently Rangers are trying to get him on a pre contract. He could have been a decent option as 4th choice. The other option would be to promote a youth player to be 4th choice but then that could hamper their development if they dont play very often. 

I’m not sure we will, if we keep all three.

 

Dan Amartey has done quite well when played at CB, and is certainly as good, if not better than anyone we could/would get who would come in as a fourth CB.

 

Our options along the back are as good as I can ever really recall, if none leave, I’d be surprised to see any immediate investment there.

[1972 Fox]

5 hours ago, hejammy said:

So assuming all 3 are fit. Where do we all see the 2 at the back? Cags/Fof or Evans/Fof or Cags/Evans. Which pair is it for the second half of the season (after Cags gets back to full fitness) 

All 3 are top quality players, so a nice selection headache to have if all 3 are fit and available. Evans and Fofana currently have the shirts and are performing extremely well so there is no reason to change that combination at the moment. However, Soyoncu will probably come in for the FA Cup tie at Brentford to get him some game time (as will Ricardo too I would think).

 

I rate Soyoncu just as highly as the other two but I think he will have to be patient and wait for PL selection, then he will need to take his chance when it comes.

[majaco]

Interesting to hear Rodgers talking about how Evans coaches Fofana on the pitch.  I think Soyuncu and Fofana are the better players; however, Evans experience dictates that he has to play.  

[Lambert09]

3 hours ago, Facecloth said:

If you can't make a legal tackle then don't plough into the back of a player you think is in a legal position. I accept Long got there by stealing an advantage, but Evans wasn't aware. If you out of position and a player has got in behind you then don't foul them. So try your best to put him off, unsettle him, but don't barge into the back of him and push him over. I'll put it another way. If Barnes gets played in down the wing and is offside, but hes not aware of that, thinks he's on. He gets into the box but the angle is tight. Vardy is free in the centre with an open goal, but Barnes shoots into the side netting. In the end it doesn't matter because he was offside, but would you not question his decision making by taking the shot?

 

I still think its a dangerous situation to be lunging in on Pulisic there and could easily have caught him in the area instead. I'll concede, due to his reaction, he probably knew he was outside the area at the time, but you do realise if contact carries on into the box then it can be a penalty. What if he hadn't tripped him with his foot and they had clashed knees slightly further up the pitch and its on the line? And why is making a challenge like that when there's plenty of support around? Shows he's panicking.

Your point doesn’t make sense. Is long more likely to score with an open goal from 1 meter or from a penalty? 

perhaps jonnys perception was that it was better to give us a fighting chance at stopping a goal? 
 

 

[The whole world smiles]

2 hours ago, majaco said:

Interesting to hear Rodgers talking about how Evans coaches Fofana on the pitch.  I think Soyuncu and Fofana are the better players; however, Evans experience dictates that he has to play.  

Sounds interesting where did he say that mate? 

[Facecloth]

55 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

Your point doesn’t make sense. Is long more likely to score with an open goal from 1 meter or from a penalty? 

perhaps jonnys perception was that it was better to give us a fighting chance at stopping a goal? 
 

 

So you'd want him sent off, because he would have been had that been a penalty. Sometimes you just gotta do your best to legally prevent the goal, not be as rash.

[Lambert09]

1 hour ago, Facecloth said:

So you'd want him sent off, because he would have been had that been a penalty. Sometimes you just gotta do your best to legally prevent the goal, not be as rash.

Hmm I’m not convinced he would have been sent off. He wasn’t even booked was he? Just a penalty given. 
 

It was more of a mistimed challenged than a deliberate obstruction (although he probably knew what he was doing) 

[Facecloth]

Just now, Lambert09 said:

Hmm I’m not convinced he would have been sent off. He wasn’t even booked was he? Just a penalty given. 
 

It was more of a mistimed challenged than a deliberate obstruction (although he probably knew what he was doing) 

Of course he wasn't booked, it wasn't a foul in the end was it. Had it not been offside, it would have been denying a clear goalscoring opportunity whilst making no real attempt for the ball (he pushed Long out the way to clear his way to a dropping ball)

[Lambert09]

Just now, Facecloth said:

Of course he wasn't booked, it wasn't a foul in the end was it. Had it not been offside, it would have been denying a clear goalscoring opportunity whilst making no real attempt for the ball (he pushed Long out the way to clear his way to a dropping ball)

If the ref was going to send him off he would have done it when he blew his whistle for the penalty. That’s how it works. 
 

They may have reviewed and decided that it was worthy of a red card but the refs decision was just a penalty 

[Facecloth]

Just now, Lambert09 said:

If the ref was going to send him off he would have done it when he blew his whistle for the penalty. That’s how it works. 
 

They may have reviewed and decided that it was worthy of a red card but the refs decision was just a penalty 

There was no review, the offside was called straight away, point is Evans wasn't aware Long was offside when making the challenge.

[splinterdream]

Evans brings something else as well, you know that the younger players will all look up to him, could be our captain really 

[Lambert09]

1 minute ago, Facecloth said:

There was no review, the offside was called straight away, point is Evans wasn't aware Long was offside when making the challenge.

Hypothetically say it wasn’t offside, would you have been happier if he didn’t challenge at all and let him tap it in? I know which of the 2 scenarios I would be more annoyed by. 

[Facecloth]

1 minute ago, Lambert09 said:

Hypothetically say it wasn’t offside, would you have been happier if he didn’t challenge at all and let him tap it in? I know which of the 2 scenarios I would be more annoyed by. 

Honestly, I'd have been annoyed he let Long get in behind him, once that's happened, I'd rather he not get his marchinf orders and put us down to ten men. He either doesn't challenge, knowing he's messed up, or try his best to put the man off, but don't commit a red card worth foul to give away a penalty.

[Lambert09]

2 minutes ago, Facecloth said:

Honestly, I'd have been annoyed he let Long get in behind him, once that's happened, I'd rather he not get his marchinf orders and put us down to ten men. He either doesn't challenge, knowing he's messed up, or try his best to put the man off, but don't commit a red card worth foul to give away a penalty.

I’d have to see it again tbh. I can’t say I even contemplated a red at the time. Sometimes these things happen and the odd red card is going to happen. Hard to judge with hindsight, personally as a defender I would do whatever I could to try to stop the goal 

[Facecloth]

2 minutes ago, Lambert09 said:

I’d have to see it again tbh. I can’t say I even contemplated a red at the time. Sometimes these things happen and the odd red card is going to happen. Hard to judge with hindsight, personally as a defender I would do whatever I could to try to stop the goal 

But you're not stopping it as such are you, you're deliberately fouling an opponent in the area. He didn't even attempt to out jump Long, just pushed him out the way. Its in this video.

 

 

[HighPeakFox]

Can I suggest that you guys aren't going to resolve this?

[Facecloth]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

Can I suggest that you guys aren't going to resolve this?

Why do people feel the need to do this? So what if a couple of posters are debating something? I'm pretty sure it'll run its natural course. 

[HighPeakFox]

Just now, Facecloth said:

Why do people feel the need to do this? So what if a couple of posters are debating something? I'm pretty sure it'll run its natural course. 

Because I've seen it lead to bans/restrictions and perhaps I'm hoping to avoid it getting that far. 

[Facecloth]

1 minute ago, HighPeakFox said:

Because I've seen it lead to bans/restrictions and perhaps I'm hoping to avoid it getting that far. 

Well that's pathetic from the mods if they are going to ban posters for using thr board to discuss Leicester city and its players, which I'm sure is the prime purpose of the site. We're not off topic and we're not overly repeating ourselves.

[HighPeakFox]

Just now, Facecloth said:

Well that's pathetic from the mods if they are going to ban posters for using thr board to discuss Leicester city and its players, which I'm sure is the prime purpose of the site. We're not off topic and we're not overly repeating ourselves.

I am not a mod, by the way. But I think you're at risk of getting circular, and as a 3rd party to it, it doesn't look like it's getting anywhere. 

 

Anyway, I was trying to be friendly - you do as you see fit.