Carloblues
Player Valuation: £30m
No one was excellent Vs West ham mate, we were awful.
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Zatara
Player Valuation: £90m
If thats the case then we should sell Digne and Godfrey and the incoming right back should be a defender only, no need to have any progressive players in defence.
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
Sorry, Rafael’s tactics and style of play are set up to accommodate Michael Keane?
You genuinely think we’re playing this style of football because Rafael wants to get the best out of Keane and to hell with whether it suits the rest of the defenders?
I mean, that’s laughable, ludicrous, bonkerooine mad…
Next time Keane is out injured or suspended and the defenders you’ve mentioned who can play an “attacking” style are selected, let’s see if Rafael plays a high line possession based game. I rather doubt it. You might find we play the same low block, surrender possession and try to use pace on the counter attack game because that’s Rafael’s style and how he wants the team to play - regardless of Keane.
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
Your entitled to your opinion. Mine is that Keane was excellent against West Ham, led that back line under a lot of pressure and with the wobbly Godfrey next to him. Thought he played really well, could have been worse without him.
Carloblues
Player Valuation: £30m
I think we give up a few very good chance and would have lost by more if it wasn't for Pickford making some great saves, wasn't it Keane who lost the scorer from the corner as well?
He hasn't terrible but he wasn't excellent
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
No, it was Godfrey that lost the man and got out jumped at the near post.
Okay, says you. I thought he was excellent, our best player on the day and let’s leave it there.
Zatara
Player Valuation: £90m
If Digne and Godfrey are players better suited to playing further up the pitch and Keane can only play extremely deep...
...which defender does it suit to play deep?
Clue: Its not the good defenders.
You didnt watch the game then...Antonio had Keane on toast.
Bizarre to suggest otherwise...did you think he was motm when he was giving goals away in the first few games?
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
Mate, Benitez isn’t setting up deep to accommodate Keane. That’s the point you made I was responding to. If you’d said, the way Benitez set up his team suits Keane, then I’d have agreed.
I did watch the game, weirdly Jamie Carragher mentioned a couple of times in commentary that Keane had an excellent game. Bizarre to suggest otherwise.
Zatara
Player Valuation: £90m
I was a bit harsh suggesting you didnt watch the game, apologies for that comment
However, Id argue that both Godfrey and Keane blocked shots well. They both made decent tackles. Godfrey may take some stick for the actions around their goal but Antonio got no change from him all game.
On the other hand, Keane fouled Antonio a couple of times (fine) and also was unable to stop him holding the ball up.
If Keane had stopped Antonio then we would have had a platform to build on...he and Rice were their two best players on the day imo.
What I will say is this, if we are going to play a deep defence in every match then of course you would say Keane and Mina are an obvious pairing. You could also then argue whether we should be playing Godfrey and Holgate as full backs as no one is getting forward and all the full backs are doing is stopping crosses.
Id hope to see us play higher up the pitch now against the next two teams, Watford and Wolves. If we do continue to sit back then I can only assume its to protect Keane.
I cant see any other explanation for hampering an attacking full back (Digne) and a player who would be ideal higher up the pitch (Godfrey).
He had a good game, but by no means an excellent one. He was , however , one of our better players on the day.
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
I thought he was better than good against West Ham, held that back line together and didn’t crack under pressure.
Agree, he won MOTM on the other fansites
You'd have to be a total clown to think he wasn't our best player last weekend.
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
I don’t really disagree re the style Benitez plays, it’s the main reason I didn’t want him to be manager. He’s a bit of a moyes, values players that are positionally disciplined. It’s how Benitez wants to play as opposed to how he has decided to set up specifically to accommodate Keane. Trust me it’s not a style I want to be watching but you’re not going to get buccaneering full backs bombing on or centre backs playing on the half way line.I was a bit harsh suggesting you didnt watch the game, apologies for that comment
However, Id argue that both Godfrey and Keane blocked shots well. They both made decent tackles. Godfrey may take some stick for the actions around their goal but Antonio got no change from him all game.
On the other hand, Keane fouled Antonio a couple of times (fine) and also was unable to stop him holding the ball up.
If Keane had stopped Antonio then we would have had a platform to build on...he and Rice were their two best players on the day imo.
What I will say is this, if we are going to play a deep defence in every match then of course you would say Keane and Mina are an obvious pairing. You could also then argue whether we should be playing Godfrey and Holgate as full backs as no one is getting forward and all the full backs are doing is stopping crosses.
Id hope to see us play higher up the pitch now against the next two teams, Watford and Wolves. If we do continue to sit back then I can only assume its to protect Keane.
I cant see any other explanation for hampering an attacking full back (Digne) and a player who would be ideal higher up the pitch (Godfrey).
Having said that, I was reading somewhere the other day that Lucas Digne’s attacking stats this season are still quite good so it’s not quite so black and white as 4 defenders playing on the edge of the penalty box and never getting forward.
Re Godfrey, to be an ideal defender in a high line, or any line for that matter, you have to be a good defender first and foremost. Godfrey still had a lot to learn and is massively overrated on here - fur coat and nae knickers as my old gran would say.
BigDuncTributeBand
Player Valuation: £25m
Thank you was starting to question if I’d been watching the same game!
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