Steeeeve & CJ

[Tackler49]

Are CJ & Max the new Tarky & Mee they seem to inspire each other to perform better in every match the best central defenders in the Championship by a mile i bet SP can’t believe his luck in having two defenders of that quality UTC

[Bosscat]

Are CJ & Max the new Tarky & Mee they seem to inspire each other to perform better in every match the best central defenders in the Championship by a mile i bet SP can’t believe his luck in having two defenders of that quality UTC

Much as I loved Tarks and Ben, we have a far better pairing ... the only thing missing is the goals from corners free kicks that Tarky and Ben used to score.

Their defensive tactical nous infront of Traff gives him the confidence to do what he does best.

[Enola Gay]

Tarkowski and Mee did it for us for years at a higher level. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

[jdrobbo]

…and yet CJ is into the last six months of his contract!!!

[Pickles]

Estéve is just so cool. Could be in a burning building and he'd make himself a glass of water and saunter out. Glides over the grass. Been a few occasions where he's been faced with two players and he seems to have all bases covered.

Egan-Riley plays like a veteran. His reading of the game is phenomenal. Has a defensive instinct you can't teach and his passing is that of a playmaker.

[RVclaret]

…and yet CJ is into the last six months of his contract!!!

Do we know this 100%?

This BBC report says 4 year deal.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/62009389

Club reported 3 but there’s perhaps the option of an extension in there.

[TheFamilyCat]

Much as I loved Tarks and Ben, we have a far better pairing ... the only thing missing is the goals from corners free kicks that Tarky and Ben used to score.

Their defensive tactical nous infront of Traff gives him the confidence to do what he does best.

Ben Mee scored 12 goals in 10 years.

[Bosscat]

Ben Mee scored 12 goals in 10 years.

Didn't he get 4 or 5 in the 1st few months of one season and was joint top scorer at the time ...

[ClaretAL]

We need CJ to sign up. Amazing talent.

[claret10]

Didn't he get 4 or 5 in the 1st few months of one season and was joint top scorer at the time ...

Could be wrong but wasn't that Michael Keane the year we finished 2nd to Leicester?

[Newcastleclaret93]

I genuinely believe CJ might be go the furthest of any CB we have had in the last ten years.

He’s improving every single week.

Reads the game so well, his passing range is unreal. So impressed with him. He’s gone from being a 5th-6th choice Cb to arguably one of the hottest young CBs in English football in the space of a few months

[hoskinsgoalatswansea]

Could be wrong but wasn't that Michael Keane the year we finished 2nd to Leicester?

Right player, but 15/16 champions season

[bobinho]

Mee and Tarks were excellent in the division above where Esteve and CJ are playing now.

No doubt at this level they are immense, but a few seasons of doing the same week in, week out at PL level is what will see them rightly compared to Mee and Tarks. Until then, let’s just enjoy them for what they are - excellent championship defenders.

[fatboy47]

Thankfully Parker has realised very quickly that CJ really isn't a right back...it took far too long for Dyche to twig that Mee's position was central.

The potential is there for these two lads...but they're never more than one slip away from a serious injury that wrecks their plans...or one unwise agent-advised move away from a couple of seasons bench-warming at a Prem club.

The skillsets of these lads seem to be way beyond those of Tarks and Mee...and they're a much better watch...but in terms of effectiveness we cant judge a Parker defence until they've had half a season in the big time.

[Anonymous Claret]

Does anyone on here know if we have the option of an extra year for CJ?

The usual messageboard stuff of some posters thinking that we have the option and others thinking his contract expires at the end of the season.

[Stayingup]

These two CB's are young and really good. Didn't Parker let on this 'partnership' because of unavailability of CB's due to injury? Whatever its working. Mee and Tarks were brilliant for us and resposible with Pope for keeping us in the EPL for years. Can these do the same or will they be sold as per the American model?

[Hipper]

These two CB's are young and really good. Didn't Parker let on this 'partnership' because of unavailability of CB's due to injury? Whatever its working. Mee and Tarks were brilliant for us and resposible with Pope for keeping us in the EPL for years. Can these do the same or will they be sold as per the American model?

He only started at Sunderland because of the mass exodus, then Parker bought in Worrall to partner Esteve. E-R got a game at full back but it was Worrall's injury that got him back at centre back away at Oxford and he hasn't looked back. Presumably even Parker didn't expect this.

I'm not getting carried away with these two. They are of course very good but they both have limitations at the moment. For E-R it's his aerial ability, although I thought he was mostly strong in that area yesterday. Esteve's range of passing is limited but improving. As discussed before though, they both read the game very well, have good pace, and generally look good footballers. Neither dominate like Soutar and have so far offered little attacking threat.

They are both very much works in progress. It would be nice to see the pair continue to develop and have a go, with us, in The Premier League.

[gtclaret]

When Tarky/Mee partnership formed it began a 23 unbeaten game run,I don't know how many goals we conceded,but I'm sure it was a lot more than nine.
If you look at that defence
Heaton. Lowton, Tarky,Mee and Ward,with Joey in front of them. It's difficult to say that this current defence is better.What I do think is that the quality of the opposition is much worse

[boatshed bill]

Does anyone on here know if we have the option of an extra year for CJ?

The usual messageboard stuff of some posters thinking that we have the option and others thinking his contract expires at the end of the season.

From the club's site

" Versatile defender Egan-Riley joined the Clarets from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 on a three-year deal."

[RVclaret]

From the club's site

" Versatile defender Egan-Riley joined the Clarets from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 on a three-year deal."

From the clubs tweet

‘We're thrilled to announce the signing of CJ Egan-Riley on a four-year deal from Manchester City’

Not like them to have mixed messaging is it

[Spijed]

What I do think is that the quality of the opposition is much worse

I can't imagine teams in the championship being much better then than they are now.

Edit: I'd actually say with more overseas players in the PL, the drip feed of better English talent will have found its way into the Championship, improving the standard from several years ago.

[IanMcL]

Tarkowski and Mee did it for us for years at a higher level. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

Precisely.

[IanMcL]

From the clubs tweet

‘We're thrilled to announce the signing of CJ Egan-Riley on a four-year deal from Manchester City’

Not like them to have mixed messaging is it

Someone will appear on here and say...3 year contract with year option.

(I don't know, so don't count me!)