He may split opinion but for me, I've always been happy to see him on the team sheet. His experience, presence and calming influence for me is an important part of our team. We always defend well with him there and alongside Brown has been one of the best central defensive partnerships I've seen in my 40+ seasons. He's a good captain and on the field general and 100 games for a club is not to be sniffed at. I say well done John and hopefully another season after this one still to come.
Well Cest, rarely disagree with you, but massively do here. I think he's easily rattled when Wes isn't alongside. Wes is the stabilising factor, not JOS. He cost us many points last season. He's visibly happier with Wes there.
Well I'm in no way making him a scapegoat but imo. He has the turning circle of an oil tanker, is about as fast as my dad & he's been dead for 10 years. Plus he constantly loses the man he's marking when defending set pieces.
Fair comment Billy. Unfair to make him a scapegoat, they were all pretty dreadful start of last season, but I do recall mistakes he made that led to the oppo scoring. Against Man U, Seb took the hit for losing Mata but I thought JOS let the cross go past him when he could've stopped it. He's sooo slow! I honestly thought he'd be hone this summer.
John has been a liability since he arrived however he is a natural leader and until we find a decent center half we will just have to hope for the best. I wonder if we see Rodwell in their before the end of the season who knows, but I think we should have signed Vandyke as well as Coates on loan.
See the thing is, he is another scapegoat player who gets all the stick and none of the credit IMO. All I know is we are a better team defending when he's there than we are when he's not. He has had more partners than a 50 year old hooker in his time here but just gets on with it. True professional in my eyes and I'd love to see him stay another season after this one. I'm a fan it has to said.
Mine too I thought he had a good game today in a team that Spurs pretty much overran Remember him being interviewed just after we beat Chelsea last season. If there was a player more delighted to win a game I'm yet to see him. If we can forgive players their deficiencies because they give their all for the cause, then IMO O'Shea is in that team
Watched the game live here today. Thought O'Shea was best of the back four. Brown wasn't up to his usual standard and Van Aaanholt still has alot to learn. So pat on the back for O'Shea today for me. In midfield I felt Larsson was off the pace. Rodwell still looking a bit lost but the 80 mins will hopefully have done him good. Catts seemed to get caught in no mans land but put in a great shift. If you could have stopped the game after 5 minutes and asked Alvarez what he thought of the Premie League it would have been great to hear those comments! We were no where near our best but when you don't play well get something out the game. This is where someone like O'Sheas experience is vital...
Well said both of you. His enthusiasm and 100% commitment is brilliant and he leads by example IMO. He is also a decent footballer too and he WAS our best defender today when the other 3 were not at the races. He was a huge part in that point today.
Billy I nearly pissed myself laughing at that, a lovely turn of phrase, but do us a favour and come off the fence on this one.
I wanted O'shea gone after the di canio affair. However O'shea and brown do make a good defensive pairing. However O'shea does have to worst distribution in the world. If the ball has to go further than five yards he will ALWAYS give the ball away.
He is a very limited footballer but he is a brilliant leader, on balance we have no one better, but we need to be aware of the pressure he puts on those around him and until we improve the situation albeit gradually we are going to struggle to make mid-table. This is a tough league no question.
I agree he's a decent captain, although I'd prefer Catts. But as a centre half he's ****ed without Brown next to him.
Just a small observation - out of 40+ games he played last season people can quote the ones he was not particularly good in a struggling team.
He's done well recently, and is a good captain, but how on earth can anyone say we are a better side for him? His lack of pace and composure has cost us probably 30 plus goals during his tenure, he has poor judgement of pace, and for such an experienced player he commits far too early. I'm not giving him flack cos he's been playing to a reasonable, if far from top drawer, standard for 12 or so games, but he gets ripped a new one by any intelligent runner or anyone with pace, time and time again. He's been an alright kind of player, but ****ing hell, he'd be the very first I replaced if I had a chance.