02 Nov 2023 04:12:31
Hi Ed01. Wondering if you have formed an opinion yet on how good Jarell Quansah could turn out to be?

Might be match of the day fever but he reminded me of VVD tonight. Did you see the match? He's calm, skilful, strong, positive, with good reading of the game. Could he be better than Gvardiol and will he be a natural successor to VVD? Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - I watched it but I was far from impressed. He dallied on the ball and was caught on it a number of times. Against a good side, which Bournemouth certainly are not, he is going to give away goals doing that. To compare him to Gvardiol and VVD just yet is ludicrous. He is still making too many basic errors, not holding the same line as his centre-back partner, so players can run in behind one of them very easily. That was where most of the danger came from, he was not communicating effectively with Matip and one would drop off while the other pressed up.

He is strong, good pace and acceleration, he does tend to read the play well but often he is not holding the line because he tries to cheat by getting the wrong side of the attacker to nick the ball. Great when it comes off, but he only needs to get it wrong once and it is almost certainly a goal. It would be better to stay on the right side and shepherd an attacker and reduce the risk. First rule of defending is to always be goalside of your man unless you are attempting to catch him offside. He is on the wrong side even when there is no offside attempt a lot of the time. A better attacker will punish that. Luckily it was Solanke and he is not Premier League level.

When he just concentrates on defending, he is very good, but he is trying too hard to be van Dijk. He is inviting pressure on himself because they saw he was taking extra touches to look for a killer ball and were pressing him hard. If he keeps it simple now, moving the ball on quickly, then he will get himself more time in the future as teams will stop seeing him as a trigger for the press. The potential is there, but he has to get the basics right first.

On the plus side, the conditions were horrible and he did deal with them well. He knows how to use his bulk and speed to control his opponent, though again it should be pointed out that Solanke is not anywhere near top class. To be fair to him, I was not impressed because I have seen enough of him to know that he is better than he showed in this game, rather than because he was poor. The game overall was poor, but he was one of the few that had decent games, just not anywhere near van Dijk level.}

1.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 10:24:05
I think that’s a very harsh assessment Ed. First half I think Quansah was exceptional. He was picking passes through the lines brilliantly and defended really well. He lost the ball once after going on a Matip type run but managed to shepherd the ball out.

Second half was more difficult as Bournemouth came onto us and when he had the ball at the back he looked up and had no options. That led to him getting caught occasionally but he dealt with most situations very well.

It’s a bit early to compare him to VVD but he looks calm, composed and has a good range of passing like VVD has. He’s just a bit raw and still learning the game at this level but that will come.

I’ve been really impressed every time I’ve seen him play and last night I thought he played very well in atrocious conditions.

{Ed001's Note - sorry but you are getting carried away with bias. He was far from exceptional. Not one player played well for us last night. It was a dire game and a poor performance all round. Not that it matters as it was a cup game and the result is all that matters in those. Getting caught on the ball was not due to a lack of options, it was due to him wanting to try and find that killer ball each time, rather than just taking the pass that was on. Bournemouth came onto us because they saw that he was dawdling and attacked that weakness.}

2.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 10:49:59
I have to agree with ed, he wasn't at his best last night, but conditions almost certainly played a factor in some of his play.

I think the biggest difference between our 1st and 2nd string teams is our ability to play out from the back. There's obviously going to be a big drop off, but from the goalie to the CBS and to a lesser extent the FBS, we looked nervy passing it about last night. They shouldn't try to play exactly like the 1st team defence because they're just not quite as skilled at it.

3.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 11:30:18
In a weakened team away to a Premier League side going full strength in awful conditions. Had a good game, he's still learning and should be happy enough with his night.

4.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 12:10:11
What would you do Ed for next summer? Would you give Quansah chances to show what he can do, or do you go after established young CB with a view to replace VVD in the future? If Matip is to leave next summer, Quansah would be the perfect replacement for me. Then get a good young CB with a view to replace VVD in future.

{Ed001's Note - I would be happy to give Quansah the chance.}

5.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 12:14:12
Ed001 he is still very young and am not sure how good of a partner Matip is for a young kid. It would be nice to see him along side Virgil helping him and all so Alisson in goal and Robertson who all communicate more.
And I could not agree more about the conditions last night Ed awful with the forecast have to wonder if the game should not go t ahead for safety off players and fans have to travel up and down the country.

{Ed001's Note - I would prefer to see him alongside Virgil as well, not least because he is naturally right-sided and so is coming in and playing on his weaker side to suit Matip. We do still lack a natural left-sided centre-back, but hopefully Chambers can step up and full that gap.}

6.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 13:18:50
It is these types of comparisons that literally do not help and esp. do not help Quansah develop at his own pace. Saying he is near as good as Gvardiol or has VVD vibes is just insane OTT stuff. Can we please, stop this? The kid is developing and getting chances. CB like CF, is one of the most difficult positions to play and excel as a youngster which is why very few are that good at his age. Whether it be Nesta, Maldini, Gvardiol etc. are exceptions, NOT the rule.

The VVD we are all pining about was a dud at Quansah's age and a massive late bloomer. Like Ed said, I have seen Quansah play a lot better than yesterday for ex. at Wolves and even on his debut on immense pressure at Newcastle. Let's just encourage him and spur him on in his development. The OTT comparisons do not help at all, IMO.

7.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 12:46:09
Do you know what is the club plan with Matip is Ed1? Is he going to get a new contract or he is going. Chambers play against Toulouse right? How did he fare in that match Ed? I didn't get to watch the match.

{Ed001's Note - I expect him to leave in the summer unless he takes a big pay cut and is happy to be a back up. Even then I am not so sure Matip will stay. I expect Quansah to replace him.

Chambers did quite well against Toulouse, not easy to judge as it was a bit of a stroll for the whole team.}

8.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 13:15:32
I’ve only seen it once Ed so I’ll take another look. To me his passing was good in the first half when the midfielders had more space to receive it.

In the second half when the midfielders were being closed down he looked up and couldn’t see the same spaces. Yes perhaps turning and playing sideways or backwards passes to keep possession and pull people around is the best option in those circumstances but he’ll learn that in time.

I was still really impressed with him though you certainly wouldn’t have known he’s the one who’s only had 3 starts between him and Matip. The conditions were so bad though it was really difficult for anyone to really show what they can do.

All in all it’s a win and we are through, that’s the main thing.

9.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 19:16:53
Definitely some tough love comments from Ed01, but realistically if you want to compare a youngster to those mentioned it probably needs to said, a little reality check before we all get carried away. I agree on the positioning, although he was not helped at all by various other factors including the Gk passing out, matip etc. However, his one on one defending was good, he's strong and quick. a learning game but a good test. By the end of the season he should target the 2nd choice cb and first option to the first team. that will allow us to seek another cb (left sided) .

{Ed001's Note - that is a very good point - it is a learning experience and he will learn more from the difficult games that he doesn't play well in.}

10.) 02 Nov 2023
02 Nov 2023 22:25:36
Quansah. Matip. Konate. Gomez. Vvd.

Not too shabby.

11.) 03 Nov 2023
03 Nov 2023 09:06:30
It’s a much happier forum when the players are playing with confidence isn’t it?