Jarrad Branthwaite

[Rozay]

That was really one of the only times he stood out for me, and not in a good way. He looked big and clumsy there, and its not as if he was facing some mesmerizing winger....

I think he was quite dominant against our forward players before that.

 

[pascell]

Him and Todibo are my picks for CB going forward.

 

[Sea-Cow]

I think he was quite dominant against our forward players before that.

True, but that forward player was Tony Martial.....

 

[Redstain]

Him and Todibo are my picks for CB going forward.

Good choices really good profiles of what the club should be looking at.

 

[Rozay]

True, but that forward player was Tony Martial.....

Who managed to score against Everton (again). And win a pen.

 

[Sea-Cow]

Who managed to score against Everton (again). And win a pen.

Indeed he did. And with those two specific actions I think he raised his rating from the 2-3 range up to a 5, maybe, if one is feeling generous.

 

[Giggsy13]

Sell Varane and bring him in. Time to start selling the expensive flops.

 

[SilentWitness]

Immense yesterday again defensively and the goal he scored. It's a shame that he and Tarkowski are going to be split up as they are a very very good CB pairing.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

The only competent Everton defender today. Looks so good.

 

[Robbie Boy]

I don't really get the hype.

 

[SuperiorXI]

He got lucky with the Garnacho one at the end there. Almost got done.

 

[Rozay]

He’s a really big talent and will almost certainly go to the Euros this summer. I’m a fan.

 

[Remember the geese]

Lumbering

 

[CM]

There's definite talent there. Under a decent coach he could become a very good player.

 

[Insanity]

Doesn't shout a must buy based on his performance in this game. A bit of a mixed bag.

 

[DWelbz19]

I don't really get the hype.

He’s fine but he’s hardly a must buy unless you can get an appropriate figure. I would expect he’s at a similar level to the other young CBs we’ve been loosely linked to this season.

 

[Rojofiam]

Any ideas what kind of fee Everton would ask for if they stay up, and if they go down?

Would be one of the best possible additions we could go for this summer, same with Amadou Onana to pair with Mainoo.

 

[Insanity]

Any ideas what kind of fee Everton would ask for if they stay up, and if they go down?

Would be one of the best possible additions we could go for this summer, same with Amadou Onana to pair with Mainoo.

I don't think Onana is good enough on the ball. If we want to become a more dominant possession oriented team then we need someone with much better skills and vision on the ball.

 

[Robbie Boy]

He’s fine but he’s hardly a must buy unless you can get an appropriate figure. I would expect he’s at a similar level to the other young CBs we’ve been loosely linked to this season.

I think he looks decent. But for example, Maguire looked better when we bought him, and he wasn't good enough. I would steer well clear.

 

[flameinthesun]

I don't think Onana is good enough on the ball. If we want to become a team a more dominant possession oriented team then we need someone with much better skills and vision on the ball.

Agreed, technically Onana is not at the level we need. I'm tempted to say the same regarding Branthwaite.

 

[Bastian]

That lunge at the end was pretty mindless.

 

[Remember the geese]

Not sold on him at all. Much like his mate Onana. Would make more sense to keep Martinez fit and sign good competition for him.

 

[Dan_F]

Might well become a top player in five years, but there’s no chance he comes in and makes the immediate impact we’re looking for. Both our centre halves had better games and neither is likely to be at the club next season.

 

[Red Comet]

Didn't really impressed. Phil Jones made a much stronger impression back then when we were playing against Blackburn.

 

[Sandikan]

That lunge at the end was pretty mindless.

The co-commentator was spot on on whatever feed I was on, he does love a leap in.
Not a sign of a top player at all.

 

[Sandikan]

Might well become a top player in five years, but there’s no chance he comes in and makes the immediate impact we’re looking for. Both our centre halves had better games and neither is likely to be at the club next season.

This is the sort of wishful thinking we see near the end of every season.

I can't see us selling Varane, releasing Evans as it'd mean we need to sign another 2 or 3 centre backs. Especially with Martinez's brutal style leaving him out for massive chunks each season.
Knowing us we'll think Evans has done a superb job and is worth another year.

 

[Dan_F]

This is the sort of wishful thinking we see near the end of every season.

I can't see us selling Varane, releasing Evans as it'd mean we need to sign another 2 or 3 centre backs. Especially with Martinez's brutal style leaving him out for massive chunks each season.
Knowing us we'll think Evans has done a superb job and is worth another year.

I hope not. We need to keep Varane unless we’re buying another top centre half to partner Martinez. I know the wages are a factor but god knows where we’d be without him this season. He's showing he can stay fit when the minutes are managed correctly.

 

[devilish]

TBF dycke ball is hardly the best football to showcase one's skills

 

[Adnan]

He does look like he'll develop into a strong defender because he does have the attributes to both be a good box defender as well as being capable defending the channel in a higher line. But I'm not sure he's good enough on the ball yet or will be. Maybe he can develop that side of his game but I think there might be better options as far as technical ability on the ball is concerned.

I think I'm leaning towards hoping we sign Castello Lukeba from Leipzig for the LCB role.

 

[SilentWitness]

He does look like he'll develop into a strong defender because he does have the attributes to both be a good box defender as well as being capable defending the channel in a higher line. But I'm not sure he's good enough on the ball yet or will be. Maybe he can develop that side of his game but I think there might be better options as far as technical ability on the ball is concerned.

I think I'm leaning towards hoping we sign Castello Lukeba from Leipzig for the LCB role.

I think he's capable but he won't be able to show it due to the manager he plays under.

 

[Ekeke]

Not the best game today but he also faced a strange team setup for us. Our average positions have Rashford and Garnacho furthest forward wth inside wide positions. So we really played with split strikers and Rashford and Garnacho making runs in behind the defence. This caused problems for Everton and even the normally very solid defensively Tarkowski made a mistake he normally wouldnt giving away the penalty on Garnacho. The runs were timed well and the balls found them and Garnacho in particular was a menace running at the defenders

 

[Giggsyking]

If there is any definition of mediocre.

 

[Brightonian]

One of the league's good young CBs but no more than that. Not a wunderkind or anywhere near the sort of value being attached to him.

 

[Ekeke]

One of the league's good young CBs but no more than that. Not a wunderkind or anywhere near the sort of value being attached to him.

I think he is but where he's already good is when he has a physical body up against him playing a normal striker role. There he can be an aggressive ball winning CB. Same thing if a bunch of crosses are put into the box and he can find the right position to clear it out.

He's like normal with the bigger CBs, they want to play against the traditional strikers and forward play. They dont want to be chasing players out to the flanks or chasing balls behind the backline. Thats where the smaller CBs tend to do better. Today we played tactics that made the Everton defence vulnerable like we should have and at 21 he's not particularly good in that scenario. There are also going to be games where a team tries to play that way and gets the timing of the runs and passes in behind the defence wrong and today we got them right

 

[FootballHQ]

Any ideas what kind of fee Everton would ask for if they stay up, and if they go down?

Would be one of the best possible additions we could go for this summer, same with Amadou Onana to pair with Mainoo.

60-70m....

Reminds me of Smalling tbh. Not the finished article but good potential. He does need a talker/leader next to him though.

 

[TwoSheds]

Konsa is a better bet and we wouldn't like the fee for him either.

 

[Ekeke]

60-70m....

Reminds me of Smalling tbh. Not the finished article but good potential. He does need a talker/leader next to him though.

Oher than being tall and I guess young (although we've had loads of other young players to compare him to) I dont see a comparison with Smalling. We took a gamble on Smalling early when he hadnt played much premier league football. He stayed on loan in the premier league and played a bit more for Fulham but not loads. Its more like with Jones where he played plenty for his premier league team and had been talked up a lot throughout it. Although Jones actually played a lot as a DM rather than a CB so even then...

Branthwaite looks quite different to Smalling in that he wants to make tackles. Smalling was more of a reader and interceptor with very good defensive senses knowing the right move but with lower tackling stats. And other than his size and strength Smalling's big weapon was his pace.

As we saw today Branthwaite's pace and running isnt his strength. For example he's nowhere to be seen on our 2nd penalty move where Garnacho is freed on the right and Mykolenko is there backing off from him as first responder. Garner is the man tracking back McTom's run through the middle while Garnacho goes diagonally across towards his left and wins the 2nd pen. When Garnacho is brought down and the ref points to the spot it goes to the wider view again and it shows Branthwaite is walking back to his position. Getting up and down the pitch quickly is not going to be his strength. So he may be more like Maguire than Smalling or Jones.

 

[FootballHQ]

Oher than being tall and I guess young (although we've had loads of other young players to compare him to) I dont see a comparison with Smalling. We took a gamble on Smalling early when he hadnt played much premier league football. He stayed on loan in the premier league and played a bit more for Fulham but not loads. Its more like with Jones where he played plenty for his premier league team and had been talked up a lot throughout it. Although Jones actually played a lot as a DM rather than a CB so even then...

Branthwaite looks quite different to Smalling in that he wants to make tackles. Smalling was more of a reader and interceptor with very good defensive senses knowing the right move but with lower tackling stats. And other than his size and strength Smalling's big weapon was his pace.

As we saw today Branthwaite's pace and running isnt his strength. For example he's nowhere to be seen on our 2nd penalty move where Garnacho is freed on the right and Mykolenko is there backing off from him as first responder. Garner is the man tracking back McTom's run through the middle while Garnacho goes diagonally across towards his left and wins the 2nd pen. When Garnacho is brought down and the ref points to the spot it goes to the wider view again and it shows Branthwaite is walking back to his position. Getting up and down the pitch quickly is not going to be his strength. So he may be more like Maguire than Smalling or Jones.

Yeah in fairness Jones is a better comparison as he'd played a good 18 months for Blackburn before you signed him.

I think with the Ratcliffe link you'll sign Todibo as the young up and coming CB this summer.

 

[friendlytramp]

We don’t need to worry anymore as we’ll have a proper structure in place, if we buy him it’s because he’ll be good enough or at least have the potential to be. We can all rest.

 

[Golden Nugget]

Didn't really impressed. Phil Jones made a much stronger impression back then when we were playing against Blackburn.

Jones was a good player for us until his injuries.