Dara O'Shea

[helmclaret]

He’s constantly out of position. He has improved over the last couple of months but he’s not up to it. We’ve too many players just not up to it in the PL.

[helmclaret]

For me, O'Shea seems to get caught facing towards our goal, and goal line, rather too often.
Can't fault his commitment though.

Correct. Centre half’s shouldn’t always be running like hell back towards their own goal.

[boatshed bill]

Bloody hard to man mark though.

Is that what we call an "off the wall" comment?

[IanMcL]

His brother Rick is apparently quicker

He certainly puts himself about!

[Im_not_Robbie_Blake]

It wouldn't surprise me if he is our Captain next season

Just what I said on Saturday!

[longsidetrumpet]

He’s quick for a centre half, but I’m not sure I believe he’s the fifth fastest player in the Premier League.

There was a Fulham player (Willian, I think), that did him for pace in the first half by a couple of yards.

And Willian’s 35 (he really is)

[KRBFC]

We never had a quick back four they didn't need to be because they was organised. We have defenders sprinting now because we are so easy to get in behind

It’s absolutely nothing to do with organisation

It’s everything to do with Dyche playing with a deep defensive line and Kompany wanting the defence to push further forward. There are positive and negatives to both.

[claretcarrot93]

Weird at City OShea got outpaced by Nunes.

[Quicknick]

It’s absolutely nothing to do with organisation

It’s everything to do with Dyche playing with a deep defensive line and Kompany wanting the defence to push further forward. There are positive and negatives to both.

Wasn't Dyche playing a deep defensive line to do with organisation?

[Goliath]

Weird at City OShea got outpaced by Nunes.

Remember it says top speed not acceleration. I presume those with the low centre of gravity like Sterling etc have better acceleration but a lower top speed.

[Big Vinny K]

Not sure about these stats and how they calculate speed to be honest.
It was reported last year that Darwin Nunez was the fastest player in the league - and looking at him you can see why.

Thought Al Dakhill was said to be second fastest at some point ? Possibly using the same metrics as O Shea.

The centre back at Spurs Van de Ven looks absolutely rapid - not sure where he is on the list but when it showed his highlights on match of the day he was eating up the ground and getting in some vital challenges.

[KRBFC]

Wasn't Dyche playing a deep defensive line to do with organisation?

Define the word organisation and then you have your answer.

Plenty of teams don’t play a deep defensive line, it doesn’t mean they are less organised.

[jrgbfc]

He’s constantly out of position. He has improved over the last couple of months but he’s not up to it. We’ve too many players just not up to it in the PL.

Like most of our squad he'll be excellent in the league below, not quite Prem standard.

[BurnleyFC]

They need to line them all up and have a sprint race against one another like they used to do years ago to determine who was the quickest.

Johnny Francis might still have a chance.

[Goliath]

Not sure about these stats and how they calculate speed to be honest.
It was reported last year that Darwin Nunez was the fastest player in the league - and looking at him you can see why.

Thought Al Dakhill was said to be second fastest at some point ? Possibly using the same metrics as O Shea.

The centre back at Spurs Van de Ven looks absolutely rapid - not sure where he is on the list but when it showed his highlights on match of the day he was eating up the ground and getting in some vital challenges.

Van de Ven was first on the list

[Big Vinny K]

Van de Ven was first on the list

Oh right - not seen the list.
Yep he looks a key player for Spurs if they can keep him fit.

Back in the Saint & Greavsey day they used to have a good old fashioned 100m race to determine the fastest player.
I remember a lad called Williams who used to play for Swansea winning it - problem was he was crap at football !

Also remember Malcolm MacDonald running around 10.5 seconds for the 100m in Superstars ! I doubt there are many footballers who could have done that.

Quickest Burnley player I thought I’d have ever seen was John Francis. Then one day I was at one of my many away disappointments at Edgeley Park and sat very near the pitch. There was a ball hit into the corner and John Francis was running towards it and we had just signed Junior Bent on loan - he ran past Francis like Francis was treading water !! That memory still sticks with me now.

[aggi]

For all the excitement around Beyer and Al Dakhil (and the improvement that Ekdal made when not playing) O'Shea has probably been our best defender this season. He's improved a lot as he's settled but the others haven't got to that stage yet.

[BurnleyFC]

He had a tough start, but without doubt he’s been our best and most consistent defender so far.

[claretcarrot93]

For all the excitement around Beyer and Al Dakhil (and the improvement that Ekdal made when not playing) O'Shea has probably been our best defender this season. He's improved a lot as he's settled but the others haven't got to that stage yet.

Well that probably explains why we have only three wins then

[bumba]

He had a tough start, but without doubt he’s been our best and most consistent defender so far.

To be fair it isn't difficult because he's the one whose consistently played and consistently played in his best position haha

[bumba]

It’s absolutely nothing to do with organisation

It’s everything to do with Dyche playing with a deep defensive line and Kompany wanting the defence to push further forward. There are positive and negatives to both.

Is the deep defensive line and shape not all part of the organisation?
I'm not seeing many positives to how VK is currently setting us up at the moment

[whiffa]

Correct. Centre half’s shouldn’t always be running like hell back towards their own goal.

I think in fairness to Dara more recently he's been running back to cover for Vitinho. So not always his fault.

[Quickenthetempo]

To use your pace to your advantage, you need to think quick as well, plenty of anticipation.

Our team are sadly lacking in this department.

[dougcollins]

To use your pace to your advantage, you need to think quick as well, plenty of anticipation.

Our team are sadly lacking in this department.

An element of this is experience- speaks for itself.

[Bowclaret]

My player of the season to date and I was VERY critical of him earlier in the season.

Would love to see him at right back with Beyer and Esteve and Taylor left back

Looks a lot more solid

[Goliath]

O'shea, Esteve, Beyer, Delcroix, Al Dakhil, Ekdal, Mcnally.
That will be a hell of a list of centre backs for Championship level.

[dougcollins]

Pace is so important at this level and I think that’s why we didn’t go for THB. Esteve also looks very quick.

That guy at Brentford - Mee, is it? He's done ok.

[ClaretTony]

We never had a quick back four they didn't need to be because they was organised. We have defenders sprinting now because we are so easy to get in behind

The one quick defender in recent years was Michael Keane

[jdrobbo]

The one quick defender in recent years was Michael Keane

I seem to recall you saying he was the fastest in the whole squad.

[ClaretTony]

I seem to recall you saying he was the fastest in the whole squad.

It was Michael Duff I think who said it

[Cirrus_Minor]

I think he has improved and, in my opinion, is better than Beyer. Be interesting to see, out of the three of O'Shea, Esteve and Beyer, which two Kompany selects. Unless he goes with a 3 of course.