Well, this thread has taken a turn for the worse...like Evans's form this season.
35
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 17
- Clean sheets
- 9
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 1
Given the players we are being linked with I'd say you're spot on. It seems a Jones and Rojo is the preferred option at the moment, I'd imagine it will be those 2 + 2 brought in.
I'm not into statistics. My eyes confirm Evans easily being better on the ball than Smalling. Smalling being better at defending both in the air and ground.
If I had to choose who our best central defender purely on passing merits and taking the ball out of defence I'd say it would be close between Paddy McNair and Rojo. In the Premiership, I think John Stones ranks pretty high up.
He might be more comfortable on both feet and can run better with it, but that means nothing to me if you are as solid as a wet sponge.
It's no coincidence that everytime he has played recently (cambridge aside) that we have looked very nervous and unsure of ourselves in defense. He just doesn't have any presence.
He might be better but Evans is as clumsy as any other of our central defenders with the ball at his feet.
Smalling was all over the place against Burnley. Ings ran him ragged and how can anyone forget that miskick which led to the best chance of the game. That said, Evans was equally woeful.
John Stones is an excellent defender. Only 20 I guess. Amazing how good he has been everytime I have seen him play for Everton. Compare that to the jokers we have in our CB pairing.
But both prone to stupid errors. Sigh.
To me, Smalling looks a lot more composed. Better at actual defending, in the air and ground as Sultan has said. He also doesn't look like he's going to shit himself constantly.
Fair enough, but it's a bit like saying I'll have the Snickers over the Milky Way when really I want a Mars.
Yeah IMO the tempo of the game caught him out, coming on as a sub like that without warming up can take you a while to get into the game. It was a very quick tempo and he just didn't look settled until the 2nd half.
It definitely wasn't Smallings best game ever, but I would choose him every time over Evans, he just doesn't fill me with any confidence.
He was all over the shop throughout the game. We didn't look settled defensively at all. Anyway, I really liked Evans and had hoped he would now take the mantle of leadership at the back since both Rio and Vidic are gone but for some inexplicable reason he has just regressed a lot this season.
Agreed. I'd trust Smalling over Evans for now. Once we get another defender, I'm hoping Smalling will either improve from having a great leader beside him, or will be good enough to act as a backup. Which I feel he is.
Evans I wouldn't trust with a gun if you put him in a knife fight.
I think a few posters have misunderstood my post. Smalling is absolutely a better defender at this moment in time. Evans is a better passer.
Evans seems to have lost it at the moment.
Evans seems to have lost it at the moment.
Agreed. I think Smalling probably has passed the ball better than Evans this season but only because every aspect of Evans' game has completely fallen apart. To be fair to Smalling, he does seem to have improved slightly on the ball but he's still a long way from looking comfortable. As Michael Owen said, he doesn't have "pass appreciation". Might hit his target but doesn't get it to them in their stride, or in space to run onto. So often he's just hit it a little too hard, or a little behind them. Really fecks with the flow of our football.
I don't know why they're wasting their time arguing over these two anyway. They'll both be gone this summer. Evans has only himself to blame and Smalling just isn't his type of defender.
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The absolute worst for "pass appreciation" and I meant to comment about it in his thread, is Rooney.
It's like he has to stylise everything. 10 yard passes are done with a sand wedge and arrive at knee height, 30 yard passes come with check side Ronnie O'Sullivan would be proud of. Just pass the ball either to their feet or slightly in front of them for God sake. The extra half second it takes to use an extra touch, to wait for it to arrive or push it back in the right direction is such a momentum killer.
Couldn't agree more. Especially with the point in bold. Never understand them.
Unsurprisingly, I disagree. His passing (and his whole game) has been a bit off recently but in terms of "pass appreciation" he's actually one of the best in our squad. Usually gets the weight of pass absolutely spot on. That little reverse to Di Maria leading up to our second goal being an example.
He needs a good strong phsyical presence beside him I think.
He's certainly not the player for experimental, 3 men at the back, set ups. None of our CB's are.
He's certainly not the player for experimental, 3 men at the back, set ups. None of our CB's are.
Yep.
The importance of pass appreciation shouldn't be understated. So many of our passes are either 1/2 yards to the wrong side (or behind), or even hinder the player in their stride. It kills our momentum.
Yes. I called you out on your 'I don't care about stats' bullshitfecking hellintegrity, Jesus wept.
Smalling isn't going anywhere.
Are you seriously that fecking deluded. Stats only tell part of the story, being a United fan you'd think you'd know that. We are currently third having played some of the most mundane football I've seen us play in years, looking at our stats alone you could argue that we have had a fantastic season, however most fans tend to use their eyes to gauge an opinion. Further, Smallings passing stats are probably impressive as he knows how to pass a ball in a general direction, stats don't show how he under or over hits the pass or plays the ball behind the player or not in his line of play. It's not fecking rocket science.
You're boring me now.
If stats dont matter then why did you bring up the comparison matrix stats in support of Evans? Sorry but you're full of shit. More examples of your one sided BS. @Dumat12 posted this in response to your Evans stats
These stats can make Demba Ba look like Messi, but it ain't so. It's proven countless times that they are misleading and inaccurate. You can judge him with your own eyes.
This was your response:
You, one page back:Ah ok, stats are only acceptable when they work in your favour, gotcha, I'll remember that for next time shall I
I don't care what stats you use to back it up it's common knowledge. Best passer, do you actually watch games?
I'll again quote your original post with the Evans stats
You, just now:
looking at our stats alone you could argue that we have had a fantastic season, however most fans tend to use their eyes to gauge an opinion
You're a walking goddamn contradiction. I don't even need to waste my time with you anymore. No integrity, no credibility
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His confidence looks completely shot.
I feel sorry for him. He really has regressed in the past year or so and it's hard to fathom why. It wasn't so long ago that he was pretty much a certainty to take over Rio's spot in the team when he retired. Now he looks bereft of ideas and, as you say, his confidence has evaporated. Pity.
If stats dont matter then why did you bring up the comparison matrix stats in support of Evans? Sorry but you're full of shit. More examples of your one sided BS. @Dumat12 posted this in response to your Evans stats
These stats can make Demba Ba look like Messi, but it ain't so. It's proven countless times that they are misleading and inaccurate. You can judge him with your own eyes.
This was your response:
You, one page back:
I don't care what stats you use to back it up it's common knowledge. Best passer, do you actually watch games?
I'll again quote your original post with the Evans stats
You, just now:
looking at our stats alone you could argue that we have had a fantastic season, however most fans tend to use their eyes to gauge an opinion
You're a walking goddamn contradiction. I don't even need to waste my time with you anymore. No integrity, no credibility
Are you for real? I haven't said stats don't matter, show me where I said that? You have a very bad habit of making things up, again the actions of a child.If stats dont matter then why did you bring up the comparison matrix stats in support of Evans? Sorry but you're full of shit. More examples of your one sided BS. @Dumat12 posted this in response to your Evans stats
These stats can make Demba Ba look like Messi, but it ain't so. It's proven countless times that they are misleading and inaccurate. You can judge him with your own eyes.
This was your response:
You, one page back:
I don't care what stats you use to back it up it's common knowledge. Best passer, do you actually watch games?
I'll again quote your original post with the Evans stats
You, just now:
looking at our stats alone you could argue that we have had a fantastic season, however most fans tend to use their eyes to gauge an opinion
You're a walking goddamn contradiction. I don't even need to waste my time with you anymore. No integrity, no credibility
Stats only tell part of the story, you can use them when assessing the ability of a player and to back up your belief in that player’s ability, it's not black and white, surely you're not so stupid that you believe they tell the full picture, no one can be that fecking stupid.
Again, back to the Smalling stats, you completely ignored when I said that his passing stats may be high but his passing ability is terrible, I've been able to arrive at that opinion simply by watching the game, you see, stats say one thing but any fan can tell you that passing is his biggest weakness.
As for bringing up my previous posts (in which I posted the stats), I was replying to this post from you
Now you're just embarrassing yourself, the fact remains that stats are only good in your eyes when they suit or help back up your argument. When I said the 'stats are there' why didn't you say then that you don't give a shit about stats?
Good for you, you dug out some stats in the matrix that favored Evans and you posted them. You took the time to actually create them because they helped you raise a point against me, yet you don't believe in them because as you say, most fans tend to use their eyes to gauge an opinion. Fvck outta with your contradictions.
He's more Evans than Evans himself
GetsmeEvans has been schooled!
fecking hell, are you really that fecking stupid?
Again with the childish remarks, well done. Im done with you.He's more Evans than Evans himself
I've proven that you're full of shit. You can call me anything you want, I don't give a fvckfecking hell, are you really that fecking stupid?
Again with the childish remarks, well done. Im done with you.
Smalling >>> Evans vs Burnley. For the goal Smalling was at least trying to get to the ball - Evans was marking no one on the penalty spot will his man was also in behind. And Smalling single-handedly stopped them scoring an equaliser on at least 4 separate occsassions 2nd half when it was 2-1, and was our best defender overall despite his first half.
Feck me guys keep it clean and less of the low blows!