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Player Review 12/13 Jose Fonte
Player Review 12/13 Jose Fonte
Monday, 3rd Jun 2013 09:34

Im sorry if there is a feeling of deja vu in this latest player review of season 12/13, as we look at Jose Fonte.

The sad truth of this latest review is that I could quite easily have cut and pasted the reviews of both Yoshida and Hooiveld into this one and indeed could have interchanged any of the individual reviews to any of the other two central defenders.

That says something about the season, given that only four teams conceded more than us and that most would claim we have two of the best full backs in the league, the blame for this has to be squarely in one area, thats perhaps why I dont blame any individual, but collectively Jose Fonte, Jos Hooiveld and Yoshida were not up to the standards required in the Premier League, their problems were almost identical, at times they would be strong, but then they would lose concentration and concede sloppy goals, stick a pin at random into the fixture list and the chances are that a sloppy goal was conceded somewhere along the line, not always our central three, but more often than not.

In terms of how well he performed Jose Fonte was probably the middle ground of the three centre halves, like most of the defence he started badly, getting caught in the final minute of the 2nd game of the season against Wigan, but he did improve, probably more than the other two he was suited to the Premier League, although like them those lapses of concentration were evident.

As Xmas approached and turned into the new year it looked like we might have turned a corner defensively, Jose was forming a partnership of sorts with Yoshida and the emergence of Boruc seemed to bode well, but then disaster struck and Jose suffered an injury in the FA Cup tie against Chelsea, this would keep him out for two months, although he would return later in the season, but in the closing games Pochettino seemed unsure of his best partnership in the centre and a look at the team lists shows a bit of mix and match at the back in the final games, with Yoshida possibly with a knock being an unused sub in the final three games, perhaps the manager was trying to decide which of Fonte and Hooiveld would be staying next season ?

If Saints are to push on they need changes in the central area, they need quality and ideally would bring in two central defenders of the calibre needed, that being the case I would see Yoshida as the immediate back up and perhaps one of Fonte & Hooiveld as fourth choice, that is of course assuming that Forren isnt that mythical collossus kept in wraps that has been suggested in some quarters.

If Saints bring in only one central defender then Fonte could get a look in, if they bring in two then I fear that his chances will be limited and that Hooiveld will be loaned out, some will say this is unfair, but if we are to not only retain our Premierhsip place but consolidate it and look for that top ten finish or higher, then their is no room for sentiment Im afraid and we have to move on.

6/10 for Jose Fonte, I would have liked to have given him more, but the reality is that when you look at the contribution Artur Boruc made, add to that the promise of Clyne and Shaw, then there has to be a weak link somewhere at the back and its in the centre.    

     

Photo: Action Images



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arthurfane added 10:27 - Jun 3
Not a mention of Fulham? 2 crucial goals from his secured a point!!! Agree otherwise though, was pretty suspect :p
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slynch added 10:35 - Jun 3
Fonte's a good centreback which is why when he wasn't injured the new management put him back in the side and the defence got better.
How much would you need to spend to get someone better. 10 million? Clyne, Fonte, Hooi, Shaw are a good unit under Pochettino, but there's little cover, just Yosh really (Forrent?!?). Do Saints need better players? Well always, I suppose. Are the best on the way to Saints…ummmm? Not yet? No, I think Saints need, and could get, better reserves.
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Jesus_02 added 10:48 - Jun 3
I think Fonte is the most likely to be moved on this summer. He (like the whole team) took a while to adjust but he in fairness he did, and for that reason he is still saleable. Anyone paying out for Jos would be taking a big gamble (credibility wise) because of the own goals he scored this season. Forren is probably on a good wage so would be unlikely to go abroad and I can’t see a domestic club taking a chance on someone who hasn’t played (although a loan may be an option). Yoshida is our best CB and in my opinion is yet to peak.

I have little doubt that we will strengthen in defense but I can’t see there being wholesale changes. I can see our defence being made up of Yoshida, Jos, Forren and whoever we buy in
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SaintNick added 10:52 - Jun 3
If we play the same players next season we will get the same results, that will probably be good enough for 14th again, but no higher.

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slynch added 11:38 - Jun 3
SaintNick: Not as they are now managed/trained better and then have better cover when they are injured?
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SaintNick added 11:42 - Jun 3
Well the side that was managed/trained better couldn't manage a win in the last six games, better manager and fitter yet cant win a game leaves only one reason left as to why and that is the players aren't good enough in certain positions, as I said same players and same results
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slynch added 13:12 - Jun 3
SaintNick: The defence let in 1 goal a game in that period, more like 3 a game before that with other players and managers. Doesn't that point the finger at certain other positions?
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SaintNick added 13:26 - Jun 3
Actually it was 1.16 goals a game in that last 6, in Adkins last 16 games it was 22 goals at 1.37 per game and under Pochettinos 16 games its been 20 goals at 1.25 per game, so the actual stats aren't that much different are they.

If you honestly believe our defence is as good as any other outside of the top 7 in the premiership, then that's your opinion, I wouldn't think it was many others though
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slynch added 14:12 - Jun 3
3 of the goals in the last 6 came from a different lineup (WBA?). Ta for the stats they seem to agree with what I am saying, (even though you have been a bit picky about the games) which is a little different to what you say I am and that is that the clyne, fonte, hooi and shaw are good enough, it is their cover that isn't and that's where I think money needs to be spent, so when they are injured they are not replaced by league 1 players and they don't leak 3 goals a game which they did when that 4 didn't play together.

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SaintNick added 15:41 - Jun 3
So let me get this right, behind the centre of defence we have a decent keeper, to each side of them we have the next England full backs and in front of them we have the player of the season plus Jack cork, if it isn't the two central defenders at fault just whose fault is it, how many own goals did hooiveld get again ? was it four
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ExiledSupporter added 15:57 - Jun 3
Dear Slynch continues in his iconoclastic ways as ever (this may of course just be a way of saying he is quite 'bonkers')

As it happens I like Hooiveld as a decent guy and an enthusiastic player, but he has no pace and you cannot train people to be fast when they are painfully slow. He does compete for the ball in the air more successfully than the other two, but he turns very slowly and is easily beaten by a fast forward pushing the ball past him on the turn; he also loses players a little in the area and so fails to mark them consistently. Fonte is a little quicker, but not sufficiently, and Yoshida's main quality seems to lie in his versatility.

None of this will improve by getting in some better reserves than we currently have... what sort of bizarre solution is that. If we think that the current crop of central defenders are 2nd class standard, how on earth will bringing in some third class defenders or even some more 2nd class players make things better.

Bear in mind that for most of the first half of the season you thought Schneiderlein and Cork were not worth their places...this does not breed confidence in the rigour of your thinking!
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SaintNick added 16:37 - Jun 3
I never sais Schneiderlin and Cork weren't worth their places, in fact the opposite with Cork especially, I thought his return changed the season round and I also said before Xmas I thought Cork would be the most likely player in this team to get an England cap first
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Jesus_02 added 16:43 - Jun 3
Stats are Stats, they don’t necessarily represent the truth. In my view the team where in cruise mode after they achieved 39 points. Equally they didn’t adjust until well into the season.

It was always a question as to whether we could adjust to the Premier League. In my view the players have now improved, and will continue to do so. Jos and Jose both have enough talent to help Saints stay in the premier league, there is no reason that they should not continue to improve over the next couple of seasons (they have a couple of years in them).

That said Cortese will always look to evolve. They are both around 30. If we can get a fee for either of them and make room in the wage structure we will. Veggard Forren and Yoshida are relatively new signings and are both in their mid 20’s. I can’t see either leaving unless we get a daft offer for Forren AND he has been determined surplus to requirements.
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slynch added 18:31 - Jun 3
It doesn't really matter if mere observation shows Hooi is painfully slow and can't turn or even if he's rubbish at gardening, it's difficult to argue against success. Every time Clyne, Fonte, Hooi and Shaw have played together and Pochettino has been telling them where to stand and what to do, other teams seem to have the greatest difficulty in scoring just one. And as soon as any one of them is replaced they let 3 in! I'm not making this up I got it from the goal scoring record. If I've got that wrong then I apologize. If I've got that right then I've learnt something new - that mere observation that flies in the face of statistics is a much more reliable method of determining the truth of a matter than just sticking to the facts.
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ExiledSupporter added 10:01 - Jun 4
Saint Nick, my comment yesterday about Schneiderlein and Cork was not directed at you but rather at slynch's early season views on these players as a comment upon that correspendent's judgement. No problem about what you were saying, sorry if this wasn't clear
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