2017/18 Mason Holgate

[CRIMHEAD]

He was indeed good tonight, but I think we greatly benefited from no Andy Carroll or similar player.

Mason could be good, especially in a different system, and might be truly ready to be a first teamed assuming we will bring someone to replace Sam in the summer.

 

[Osamabindiesel]

I think he should have been given a shot just because our defense has been so unbelievably bad.

 

[Zatara]

Said he should have been starting but was told he was injured.

Hopefully allardyce sticks with him and Kenny on that right side

 

[Toffeelover]

Want to see him alongside Keane for the future unless in Jan we can pip our neighbours and get Dych.

 

[Eggs]

He was indeed good tonight, but I think we greatly benefited from no Andy Carroll or similar player.

Mason could be good, especially in a different system, and might be truly ready to be a first teamed assuming we will bring someone to replace Sam in the summer.

..totally agree, i’m very nervous of him coming up against the types who are strong in the air, but as others have said the other options have significant weakness so he might be worth a run.

 

[MACCA75]

Said he should have been starting but was told he was injured.

Hopefully allardyce sticks with him and Kenny on that right side

He was injured.

 

[Zatara]

He was injured.

Hence the part of my post...how any pts from 8-10th are we

 

[Prevenger17]

I think he should have been given a shot just because our defense has been so unbelievably bad.

Yeah, it's process of elimination. Holgate isn't amazing by any stretch, but anyone is better than Keane and the 2 sacks of spuds we've been playing there

 

[Azza]

Imagine playing someone in their natural position means that they have a good game.

It's rather unbelievable.

 

[Yarrgh]

Get some pies into the lad, fill him out, he'll be right. If only we had a manager who could instill this dietary requirement into him...

 

[evertonarntwe]

was boss yesterday, for a young lad it seems he was the one out of the two CB's in charge of going to win all the headers

something he did almost everytime

he's fast as well, something our CB's lack

 

[stanhope4]

Best game i've seen him at centre back in a back 4
Hopefully can push on now and i think him and keane should be looking to have the starting places at CB

 

[jtl60]

Think Holgates pace is essential for the back line. Jags, Williams, Baines are all so scared of being caught out they drop deeper and deep.

I'd prefer to see Holdate in the team and occasionally make a rookie error, rather than a Jags/Williams combo and watch them leave the likes of Charlie Austin totally unmarked in the box, twice, in the space of 10 minutes !

 

[Barnfred 55]

Think Holgates pace is essential for the back line. Jags, Williams, Baines are all so scared of being caught out they drop deeper and deep.

I'd prefer to see Holdate in the team and occasionally make a rookie error, rather than a Jags/Williams combo and watch them leave the likes of Charlie Austin totally unmarked in the box, twice, in the space of 10 minutes !

Sorry. Thought you were mate. The kids a footballer who is already a decent defender, although not a natural right back. He is a bit lightweight at the moment and his positioning is not what you would expect from an experienced centre back. But both of these you would expect him to develop over the next couple of years together with his decision making.

His shortcomings are being highlighted, which is fair enough. We don't want smoked shoved up his arse like a lot of our other young players over the last few years. But what does annoy me are the people on here writing him off like he should be the finished article at 20.

For me, he needs to play in his natural position, centre back. Yes he will make mistakes along the way but he will learn quicker that way. Guarantee you that he'll be no worse than Williams or Jagielka and in most games will add much needed pace which is so badly lacking in our defence. It prevents us from playing higher up the pitch against lesser teams.

Don't expect RK to do this anytime soon though. Same with Kenny at RB. Given our lack of quality in these two area's at the moment I think the reward of playing these 2 together way outweigh the risks.

Here's a post I made early in the season and it's just as appropriate now. For Koeman, you can insert Allardyce. Will he continue to play Kenny and Holgate. I'd like to think so but his track record tells you otherwise. Don't be surprised if the next time you see them after Cyprus is the FA cup third round.

Incidentally, the fact Andy Carroll wasn't playing last night was a definite plus. I think he'd have struggled as Carroll would have singled him out.

 

[Kever10]

Think Holgates pace is essential for the back line. Jags, Williams, Baines are all so scared of being caught out they drop deeper and deep.

I'd prefer to see Holdate in the team and occasionally make a rookie error, rather than a Jags/Williams combo and watch them leave the likes of Charlie Austin totally unmarked in the box, twice, in the space of 10 minutes !

Definitely agree with this. He looked really good last night and it was a breath of r fresh air. West Ham were poor like, but it will give him confidence to play there, keep a clean sheet, but also look like a player, bringing the ball out of defence, making clever passes instead of lumping it, and some clever interchanges with Lennon and Kenny, who definitely helped him as well (Kenny was a hat trick away from being MOTM for me).

Another point though, with the defence not sitting as deep, and with Gueye not bombing out of position like a headless chicken every time the opposition had the ball, the team had much more shape than they have at any point this season, and there was no gaping holes inbetween the 2 banks. Wondering whether this was down to Rooney and his organisation from deep, but we looked much more organised, and for the 1st time in a long time, like teams couldn't just walk through the middle of the park unchallenged and find acres of space in front of the back 4.