Spielmacher
Full Member
He's a great example of how much a centre-back can contribute if he has a strong partner (Vidic) next to him.
He needs to go. I was an ardent supporter of Evans under SAF. But now he's become a complete liability. I have no idea what LvG did to him but he's in complete shambles. He's so afraid of putting his foot in. Always waits for the attacker to make his move and then tries to intercept him. He's playing like a frightened kid. His passing was his greatest asset and that's gone down the drain. How many times did he lose the ball under no pressure whatsoever. He got enough opportunities and didn't take them. Definitely he'll be the first to go this summer.
Chelsea would get 12-13m for himHappened to Cleverley, Anderson and to possibly Chicharito.
More on topic, it's tough to argue against selling him for the 5-7 million (and 65K in wages off the books) we should get from someone desperate for another CB like Newcastle (Coloccini so old, Yanga-Mbiwa gone, Taylor always hurt and Williamson straight Champ) or Everton (They'll have 2 CB's soon now that Distin has finally succumbed to the aging process, and also Alcaraz is technically a pro footballer).
As I've written before, the money and British/Irish myopia means it won't happen, but he should absolutely go to Spain or Italy, where there are less big, fast strikers to bully him and his passing and normally solid reading of the play will matter more.
Its nothing that LvG has done to him, he has never been a good player.
For what ever reason his myriad of long term faults were washed over when we were winning things and people seemed to willfully ignore the fact that he has always been liable to panic under pressure, struggled with physicality, always made dozy hospital passes that put us under pressure, always been suspect with his positioning and not great in the air.
Its no coincidence that as soon as he didnt have Vidic and Ferdinand to play along side him it became increasingly obvious to more and more people that he is not a very good player.
Chelsea would get 12-13m for him
I hope 7-8m for Evans and 15m for Jones.
LVG with the stinger.
The bold part is absolute tripe and a great reminder of how shortlived the memories are of supporters.
LVG with the stinger.
sorry can't see tweet at work, whats it say?
Ashley Connick @AshleyConnick
- Nooruddean @BeardedGenius
I feel sorry for Evans. Painful to witness last night. He may need to move on to get his career back on track. He's far better than this.
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@BeardedGenius pre-match interview with LVG: "Evans is back, has he impressed you in training?" "He plays because Shaw is banned.
No debate from me there.Well I'm sorry but he's still the idiot, for want of a better expression, for refusing to start a superior centre-half because he is stronger on his right side anyway.
Well I'm sorry but he's still the idiot, for want of a better expression, for refusing to start a superior centre-half because he is stronger on his right side anyway.
Let's be honest here, as bad as Evans was defensively, Smalling wasn't to far behind. In fact our whole defence was shit, but mainly the two CBs.No debate from me there.
I would of started Smalling over Evans
I think it's simply down to confidence, but you are 100% right when you say his decline has been horrific. What ever the cause, its going to be hard to come back from it.His decline this season has been horrific. By all accounts, he's quite an intelligent lad. I wonder if he's getting too caught up in this whole philosophy thing and over-thinking everything he does?
Nothing seems to come instinctively or naturally anymore. It's all tortuously drawn out and laboured. Utterly bereft of confidence too. If there's nothing else going on then it's one of the strangest and most dramatic regressions I've ever seen. At an age when he should be hitting his peak too.
Let's be honest here, as bad as Evans was defensively, Smalling wasn't to far behind. In fact our whole defence was shit, but mainly the two CBs.
Smalling hasn't spent the entire season trying his level best to pass the ball to the opposition though.
Let's be honest here, as bad as Evans was defensively, Smalling wasn't to far behind. In fact our whole defence was shit, but mainly the two CBs.
Smalling may or may not have defended poorly on the night. But if LVG feels that he simply could not play Smalling because he is predominantly right-footed, then he's quite simply an idiot. And that is the implication I got by him saying he played because Shaw was unavailable (which meant we needed Rojo at left back and a new centre-half). The obvious question then is 'why not Smalling then?', and the likely answer is that he wasn't an option, due to not being left-sided.
As I said, that scenario would, in my opinion, make LVG an idiot. And I don't really care for anyone saying 'well I'm sure he knows more about football than you' etc. For all his footballing theology, he did not invent football, and there have probably been a lot more all right-footed partnerships than one right/left-footed one. There are better partnerships in this very league than any his right/left fettish allows that are all right-footed. He seems to like to over-complicate the game.
Evans is right footed as well.
Is he not right footed but can also play with his left?Evans is right footed as well.
It's simply the way he operates, he must not like Smalling playing on the left side of a cb pairing. In fact he doesn't seem to rate Smalling in the right of a cb pairing.Smalling may or may not have defended poorly on the night. But if LVG feels that he simply could not play Smalling because he is predominantly right-footed, then he's quite simply an idiot. And that is the implication I got by him saying he played because Shaw was unavailable (which meant we needed Rojo at left back and a new centre-half). The obvious question then is 'why not Smalling then?', and the likely answer is that he wasn't an option, due to not being left-sided.
As I said, that scenario would, in my opinion, make LVG an idiot. And I don't really care for anyone saying 'well I'm sure he knows more about football than you' etc. For all his footballing theology, he did not invent football, and there have probably been a lot more all right-footed partnerships than one right/left-footed one. There are better partnerships in this very league than any his right/left fettish allows that are all right-footed. He seems to like to over-complicate the game.
He does end up doing that often, though. The difference between the two is that Evans seems to have trouble dealing with long balls at times and gets nervous and goes through terrible spells (remember the West Ham cup game?), whereas Smalling is almost always good defensively and just not so good on the ball.
Evans' slumps would be fine at a position like winger, but at CB it's more important you have a high floor than a high ceiling. He was excellent at times, especially during our streak where we didn't concede when Van Der Sar was around.
He just isn't physical enough. I don't know if he has lost weight or a previous injury has left him being timid to contact,
The bold part is absolute tripe and a great reminder of how shortlived the memories are of supporters.
1. I am not saying he needs to be fat weight can be lost muscle mass too. he IMO to me looks less powerful and has worse balance than he used too.Bulk is not an issue. To be a top class footballer, you need to be thin.
Rio Ferdinand in his prime was built like a rake.
Di Maria is our thinnest player and some might say one of our best.
J.Terry is Chelsea's best defender and he is thin.
I could go on, but you get my point.
Contrary to what some believe, to be a top class footballer in 2015, being thin is better than looking like WWE wrestler.
J.Evans' problem is that he is scared of making an error and his size/weight wont make any difference - this is mental issue.
I agree though, that as long as he and P.Jones are on the pitch, we are likely to concede. This guy needs to be replaced.
that's a better burn than the one on twitter, higher up the page.
Bulk is not an issue. To be a top class footballer, you need to be thin.
Rio Ferdinand in his prime was built like a rake.
Di Maria is our thinnest player and some might say one of our best.
J.Terry is Chelsea's best defender and he is thin.
I could go on, but you get my point.
Contrary to what some believe, to be a top class footballer in 2015, being thin is better than looking like WWE wrestler.
J.Evans' problem is that he is scared of making an error and his size/weight wont make any difference - this is mental issue.
I agree though, that as long as he and P.Jones are on the pitch, we are likely to concede. This guy needs to be replaced.
Hope I never have to rake your lawn...