Honestly since day 1 I've looked at a lot of the Tarkowski stuff wondering what people are watching when they act like it's some kind of travesty that he doesn't get England caps or listed on league best 11s. When Burnley dropped, I remember watching most of their games towards the end (because they were relevant to us) and being shocked at how many of their goals came from him just not tracking runners at all, even in situations that should not have caused mix-ups. Then he signed for us and most everybody's bought into this narrative that he's just not given enough credit (while he's constantly lauded for doing even simple things), and that he's the reason Branthwaite looks good.
Like, I don't think the guy is horrible, and he's definitely better than the vast majority of yard dogs that play CB in the bottom half of the Premier League, as he is solid in the air, doesn't get red cards, and uses his strength well, but he really does back away too frequently in situations where he should engage, in addition to how many times he just doesn't sense danger until it's way too late. Look at how many times Branthwaite sees something 5 seconds before it happens and gets there to cut it out. Branthwaite is actually the one who makes him (and Mykolenko) look good because of this.