As has probably been said on here, I enjoy watching Jagielka play enormously (as someone who plays/ed) a similar position there is an awful lot to admire about his performances.
Without doubt he is not a physical specimen quite like our other 3 centre backs and in an era of the game often measured by statistics and measurements he probably doesn't always stack up so well. However what is harder to measure which he has in abundance is experience and an ability to read the game. If you watch back last nights game, it was a bit of a masterclass from the perspective of how to defend. You don't need to be that quick, strong, tall or anything else if you know where to position yourself at any key moment.
On several key moments the ball would drop towards our goal and he would be there. It's not coincidence. It reminded me of a lot of the goals we have lost, particularly the goals at Millwall where no player would be neat the ball, how little reading of the game we appeared to have. Our players were nowhere near it.
It's funny as a young player I never really thought his reading of the game was so strong. He seemed to rely on his pace, bravery and spring to get himself out of trouble. There's no doubt he has developed that side of his game post Moyes. In many ways that sort of old fashioned defender, that you saw of Watson, or Carragher or Terry before him has gone out of the game now. He has it in abundance though.
Jagielka has essentially played out the same pattern the last 4 seasons. He really struggles with the physicality of the league in the first half of the season. However come the 2nd half of the season tends to really thrive. I suspect it's because the pace of the league drops a bit and also because, as an older player it probably takes him longer to get fully into match fitness.
Either way he's in my team for Sunday. We lack leaders and he is miles ahead of any of our defenders for leadership. I'd play him in a back 3, with any of Zouma/Mina/Keane either side of him. Strangely I think he will help improve all of them as he will guide them through a game. He was absolutely brilliant in last seasons derby.