Let's discuss the center backs

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SerenityNigh

Player Valuation: £70m
Sorry/not sorry about the title spelling.

Right, at the moment Everton have too many ingredients and not enough recipe when you look at the center backs. If you include Lewis Gibson, there are 6 first team CB in the squad--I'll leave him out of my comments below because I don't see him factoring in the squad selection next season, although I've been wrong before. Out of those remaining, who fits and who doesn't? And how do we fix what we have in the squad, or does it not need fixing at all? To me this is a major problem.

Ben Godfrey -- He's fast, powerful, brave, and loves a tackle. He's not played a ton of CB in his first year, and has shown as much, but I can see him in a good CB pairing. 3/5 and should improve, but some of this grade assumes he doesn't stagnate like Holgate.

Yerry Mina -- I love watching Yerry Mina play, most of the time. He's enthusiastic, fun, unconventional, one of the first to celebrate, and creates real problems for the other team. But he's prone to injury and error and still runs like a baby horse. I think we have what we're going to have with Yerry Mina, and with the right pairing he could be a force, but I can't figure out if he's part of the right pairing. 3/5 for Mina, but a squad with him will always be a little unpredictable and error prone.

Big Mick Keane -- Michael Keane is very measured and consistent, but also quite limited. He can cover ground well and put in a timely tackle, but he doesn't have any dominating physical traits. He's played well with Mina in the past, but these together are a limited pair and dictate how the team sets up. I'm convinced Keane can be a great #2, but he's never a #1 CB. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just bad that this squad appears to be full of #2s. I don't see his upside as high as Jagielka's, but he could grow into that role in the right setting. 3/5 for the Keggers, but he could be part of a dominant pairing if we find that #1 CB.

Mason Holgate -- I want Holgate to be great for many reasons, but partly because he seems to have the tools to do the job. Yet even as good as he looked in certain roles (like his midfield gem under Ferguson), he has looked terrible at the back both central and wide this season. Let's hope he's hit a rough patch in his development and will rebound, but it might be that his level is at a lower club, even Championship. 2/5, I hope he keeps developing but the signs aren't promising.

Jarrad Branthwaite -- he's got some tools in his bag but has been given little game time so far. I'm excited to see what he can do and he looks to me like a 4th choice CB to see if he can develop into something, but he's unlikely to be a first choice CB next campaign, and frankly unless we see a lot of shifting in the squad he'll probably be loaned out by Brands again. 1/5 but shows some promise and could be a useful squad player.

What are your thoughts on the squad? The players in the squad? The solution for EFC's defensive woes? Do we have the solution(s) in our squad now or do we need to see Brands looking elsewhere? Which of these need to go, if any? Which of you knuckleheads is putting tacks in driveways on match day to limit Carlo's selection next season?
 
I want to wrangle Keane's neck for what he did yesterday.
Simple breakdown since I can't be arsed with long paragraphs.
Keane - limited but very good when back to the wall defending or park the bus whatever the kids call it these days.

Mina - Keane but 10x better but feels like he can barely stay fit, Decent passes doesn't seem to lose composure easily compared to Keane, Solid all around but can be erratic with the ball sometimes.

Holgate - Potential good player but he can barely string any form together have to take it with a pinch of salt because he has been playing RB most of the time, Cockiness is a pro and a con. Needs a boot up the arse like Pickford if he's apparently smiling when City just tumped us 5-0 and Richarlison wanted to spark him out.

Godfrey - Very high potential, Needs to fix up parts of his game but his commitment and desire are all SS+, He will make mistakes and we have to live with it to sharpen up his game.

Sell Holgate and Keane if push comes to shove.
 

Keep Godfrey and sign a top class CB to partner him
Keane and one of Mina / Holgate as back ups.
Loan out Branthwaite and GIBSON
Branthwaite could do with a good run in a top half Championship side
Looks a good prospect
I don’t think Holgate has a long term future here ( not good enough ) or Mina either ( injury prone and high wages ) but they would suffice as back up for next season
 
We should be open to offers on Holgate.

We have to make a decision on Mina because he now has 2 years left. We either should extend his contract or sell him. He's good enough to deserve a new deal but his injuries are a concern.

I don't know if Branthwaite is ready yet so I can't really say. If he's not ready that probably means another loan.

Gibson should be allowed to leave.

Keane and Godfrey should stay.
 

Godfrey is a great athlete but needs to work on his defending and positioning, he obviously will improve and will become very good.

Holgate I’m a little biased with as I’ve never really rated him, I’d sell.

Keane will look like a colossus some games and then play like Titas Bramble on ecstasy in others

Mina is solid as a rock and a nice bloke to boot but can his fitness be counted on?

Lewis Gibson will never play for the first team

Branthwaite has a lot about him and I think he should be in and around the first team. However, I know playing young players is absolute sacrilege at the moment
 
so keep none of them?
Keep - Godfrey, Mina (if James stays), Branthwaite to develop, Holgate as fill in. Sell Keane not because he's terrible as people make out, but because he doesn't suite the way we want to play. Sign 1 top centre back (I'm unavailable unfortunately due to an arthritic knee) .

Priority is to sort midfield and RB so only 1 change necessary here .
 
Godfrey and Mina should be first choice if we are keeping the same. If we buy another CB they need to be left footed and ideally compatible with both, also quick enough to play as an outside CB in a 3. If we are going to play 3 on a regular basis keep both Keane and Holgate if not sell Keane as his form will suffer most from not being first choice. Holgate needs to be sat down and completely refocused. Maybe if we get a RB and he only plays CB he will rediscover some of the form from last season.
 
Godfrey and Mina first choice. Keep Holgate as squad cover. Promote Branthwaite to the squad. Punt Michael Keane as far as we can.
 

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