2018/19 Mason Holgate

FTY · August 18, 2018

Ice in his veins

VentureBrosEFC · August 18, 2018

TheBigIguana said:
Might be true. I still don't fancy Holgate to turn into Alderweireld when we do have that problem

Fair nuff. Let's hope he makes leaps and bounds this season.

brigadier · August 19, 2018

the lad was fantastic great pick from silva , he was the best defender on the pitch, well done.

Azzurri · August 19, 2018

Played well today.

While none of them are great players, coming up against Ings, Austin and Long can be tough as they all give you a different challenge.

Hellerad · August 19, 2018

He looked way more comfortable stepping into the midfield to break up counters than any Everton defender I’ve seen since Jagielka lost his speed.

ToffeeTim · August 19, 2018

Nowhere near the finished article but I like that he is a front foot defender. It comes with its risks but its how good teams play.

Nymzee · August 19, 2018

TheBigIguana said:
I'm being serious. I can't be arsed to go look for last season but today his pass percentage was 60% which considering his position and how much possession we had under limited pressure is pretty poor. Only Tosun was lower but generally strikers will have lower percentages because they typically are playing aggressive passes while defenders are recycling possession. He actually did decent last week but often he reverts back to what he did today which is inaccurate medium range passing and too many long attempts

Can a CB’s pass % not be a little iffy due to the amount of long balls they have to play? Same as keepers.

TheBigIguana · August 19, 2018

Nymzee said:
Can a CB’s pass % not be a little iffy due to the amount of long balls they have to play? Same as keepers.

That would seem true but more often than not they have higher percentages than forwards and wingers and are in the neighborhood of the deeper lying midfield players. Unless Holgate was making long sweeper like runs before trying to play passes, the expectation would be that pass % would be pretty useful in determining the accuracy of his passing compared to Keane, Jags and the like. He was well behind them and I even went looking at some other teams and honestly the person closest to him was Shawcross that I found. Defenders on the teams above us are all more accurate

tommytowne · August 19, 2018

Loved his performance. Nice and cool.
I thought he was our best defender.

Nymzee · August 19, 2018

TheBigIguana said:
That would seem true but more often than not they have higher percentages than forwards and wingers and are in the neighborhood of the deeper lying midfield players. Unless Holgate was making long sweeper like runs before trying to play passes, the expectation would be that pass % would be pretty useful in determining the accuracy of his passing compared to Keane, Jags and the like. He was well behind them and I even went looking at some other teams and honestly the person closest to him was Shawcross that I found. Defenders on the teams above us are all more accurate

Strange, I never really noticed too much if I’m honest. I always was last season he seemed really comfortable on the ball. Maybe it’s an Allardyce hangover.

Nymzee · August 19, 2018

TheBigIguana said:
That would seem true but more often than not they have higher percentages than forwards and wingers and are in the neighborhood of the deeper lying midfield players. Unless Holgate was making long sweeper like runs before trying to play passes, the expectation would be that pass % would be pretty useful in determining the accuracy of his passing compared to Keane, Jags and the like. He was well behind them and I even went looking at some other teams and honestly the person closest to him was Shawcross that I found. Defenders on the teams above us are all more accurate

Strange, I never really noticed too much if I’m honest. I always was last season he seemed really comfortable on the ball. Maybe it’s an Allardyce hangover.

GwladysBlue · August 19, 2018

I think he’s going to cement himself in the team this season. Him with Keane/Mina/Zouma...............Jagielka, all fighting it out to partner him.

TheCount · August 21, 2018

Kids a balr. Reckon he could have started the season first choice had he had a pre season. Athletic, can play, makes interceptions and wins headers. Like to see him with Mina.

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“Luckily for me, I have been kept in the loop on what the manager wants us to do and how he wants us to do it,” Holgate told evertontv.

“Although I had not been out there myself I understand what he wants from us.

“And the time I have had on the pitch in these past two games, I have got my head around what is required.

"I think as a back four and as a team we are showing signs of improvement under him.

“You always have to be ready to play because you never know what is going to happen.

“I would not have wanted my chance to come in those circumstances [replacing Jagielka] but when I was called on I had to be ready.”

“There are quite a few things the manager expects from his defenders,” said Holgate. “We are playing a high line and on the ball we have been told to play out when we can.

“I like playing out so that is good for me. It was a bit frustrating last season because when I found form I had a bit of an injury and it led to the season fading out for me.

“And when I came back for pre-season that did not go the way I wanted, either. But these kinds of things happen and I am happy to be back now, I am fit and feeling good.

“There is competition in every position which is great. It keeps everybody on their toes and you know if you do not perform there is someone just as able ready to take your position. It keeps you on top of your game.”