Vestergaard

[martyn]

47 minutes ago, Aleksz said:

Jannik’s best attribute is his passing, let’s be honest if he was more mobile and less gangly you’d be playing him in midfield. 
 

He’s a benefactor of Enzo ball as much being as he was tarnished by Brendan ball. 
 

That and we’re that good in this league that we’re not getting exposed as much defensively. In the Prem you’d start to see the cracks in Jannik’s game again I’m sure.

 

He’s the best defender in this division right now though, so just enjoy him whilst we’re here because he either leaving next summer or struggling a bit more at a higher level.

Was writing out a post then saw this and it Sums things up perfectly.

 

He is in the perfect situation now, in a side dominating the ball where he is being asked to be a distributor first. He must really be enjoying his football now, as were hiding his weaknesses just enough, and making full use of what he's good at.

 

Credit to him though as he could have downed tools, but his attitude has been right, and obviously Maresca deserves massive credit given 90% of us here, me included, would have happily bombed him out to any takers.

 

 

Edited 22 October 2023 by martyn

[1972 Fox]

40 minutes ago, brookfox said:

Looking great this season, helped massively by being played to his strengths. He’s never going to look good where he needs to use his pace or be dominant in the air. One thing Enzo has done very well is play square pegs in square holes.

Correct, as he doesn't have any. When he got caught one on one on the halfway line yesterday he looked like he was running in treacle.

 

Enzo is playing him to his strengths which gets the best out of him and he's been excellent so far this season.

[ithuriel]

1 minute ago, 1972 Fox said:

Correct, as he doesn't have any. When he got caught one on one on the halfway line yesterday he looked like he was running in treacle.

 

Enzo is playing him to his strengths which gets the best out of him and he's been excellent so far this season.

Why he has Faes next to him, one with height and can pass a bit and the other with pace.

[filbertway]

Just watched the extended highlights and there were 2 or 3 examples in that game of why I really hope we part ways in the summer. 

 

Perfect fit for us in a weaker league where we're dominating the ball. Next season our defenders are going to have to do some defending and he's really not great at that. Especially against players that can move at any kind of pace.

 

Definitely enjoying his resurgence and role in the team this season, but I really don't want him anywhere near our backline in the Prem (assuming our performance levels and squad don't drastically disappear from this point).

 

Hopefully with this season's performance he gets himself a nice cushy contract in Europe somewhere.

[Weller Wing]

Good to see us getting a bit of value out of someone we thought would never play but keep on taking his wages.

 

The current system suits him perfectly as he's got time on the ball and he can pick a pass tbf.

 

That 2nd half moment when he had a big head start on the Swansea player and that player made up the ground shows he'll be a liability in the prem,should we get back there.

 

Pleased for him and brilliant from Enzo , but I'd be amazed if he could cut it at a higher level

[David Hankey]

I always thought he was a reasonable Championship player.

[FoyleFox]

2 hours ago, surrifox said:

Rodgers hardly ever played him , wasn’t he sent  to play in the U23s? 

Yes. I went to a game he played in for them. Scored an own goal and they lost 7-0

[Jimbo]

3 hours ago, Aleksz said:

Jannik’s best attribute is his passing, let’s be honest if he was more mobile and less gangly you’d be playing him in midfield. 
 

He’s a benefactor of Enzo ball as much being as he was tarnished by Brendan ball. 
 

That and we’re that good in this league that we’re not getting exposed as much defensively. In the Prem you’d start to see the cracks in Jannik’s game again I’m sure.

 

He’s the best defender in this division right now though, so just enjoy him whilst we’re here because he either leaving next summer or struggling a bit more at a higher level.

While I think we can all agree on his up turn in fortunes with us one thing that is still up for debate is this.

 

He is no where near the best defender in this division, he's not even the best "defender" at Leicester. 

 

In his role, what he's being asked to do and the way the we are dominating teams he is undoubtedly a very good asset to have. As a defender he's still quite bad. The only reason he's a central defender is because at 15 he was probably a foot taller than anyone else and he was stuck there. His positional sense, his very apparent lack of pace, his ariel ability (for someone so tall) his physical presence are all hugely behind what you actually want from a defender when put in a pressure situation. He looks very good, and credit to him, because there haven't been many pressure situations. 

 

He's a very good footballer, that's never really been up for debate, but as a defender it's hard to make a case for him to be playing in a tier higher than we are now, or in a different system. 

 

I'm loving seeing him perform, he will end up as some sort of cult hero should he and the rest of the team carry on this rich vein of form, but he will go down in folklore with the likes of Hume, Benjamin, Kisnorbo 

[Deeg67]

If it's so hard to make a case for him playing in a higher division, why did multiple managers in higher divisions play him as a regular for many seasons before he came to us?

[HankMarvin]

10 minutes ago, Deeg67 said:

If it's so hard to make a case for him playing in a higher division, why did multiple managers in higher divisions play him as a regular for many seasons before he came to us?

Players do tend to loose pace as they get older 

[DeepSouthFOX]

 

[Deeg67]

13 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Players do tend to loose pace as they get older 

Just turned 31.  I mean, that's not that old for a defender at all. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 hour ago, filbertway said:

Just watched the extended highlights and there were 2 or 3 examples in that game of why I really hope we part ways in the summer. 

 

Perfect fit for us in a weaker league where we're dominating the ball. Next season our defenders are going to have to do some defending and he's really not great at that. Especially against players that can move at any kind of pace.

 

Definitely enjoying his resurgence and role in the team this season, but I really don't want him anywhere near our backline in the Prem (assuming our performance levels and squad don't drastically disappear from this point).

 

Hopefully with this season's performance he gets himself a nice cushy contract in Europe somewhere.

Yeah this sums it up pretty perfectly. Happy for him that he's turned it around recently but we should shake hands and part ways in the summer regardless.

[RoboFox]

Proper redemption arc this. Good on him.

[Beachyboy]

2 hours ago, filbertway said:

Just watched the extended highlights and there were 2 or 3 examples in that game of why I really hope we part ways in the summer. 

 

Perfect fit for us in a weaker league where we're dominating the ball. Next season our defenders are going to have to do some defending and he's really not great at that. Especially against players that can move at any kind of pace.

 

Definitely enjoying his resurgence and role in the team this season, but I really don't want him anywhere near our backline in the Prem (assuming our performance levels and squad don't drastically disappear from this point).

 

Hopefully with this season's performance he gets himself a nice cushy contract in Europe somewhere.

Surely we either buy new defenders or adapt our style in the premiership to hide the current defences weaknesses?

Edited 22 October 2023 by Beachyboy

[SouthStandUpperTier]

I've always liked Vestergaard and never understood the vitriol aimed towards him . But I also realise that he only works well in this league because we are dominating possession and the amount of defending he has to do is kept to a minimum. I have absolutely no doubt that he will get consistently rinsed in the PL (as he has before).

[Jattdogg]

He is perfect for our current squad, in this league 100%.

 

He has shown his abilities well and it's a feel good redemption story. A great  time to put himself back in that shop window.  This year seems to be a perfect mutual beneficial situation. Not sure he is a long term fix for us in the EPL (if we get there).

 

Perhaps, that's  brendan trauma speaking and i will admit that.

 

 

Edited 22 October 2023 by Jattdogg

[HankMarvin]

1 hour ago, Deeg67 said:

Just turned 31.  I mean, that's not that old for a defender at all. 

He will be 32 by next season, and if you don’t have pace to start with a small drop off is noticeable against better players. 
Depends if we intend on playing a high line next season I guess 

[Dames]

58 minutes ago, Beachyboy said:

Surely we either buy new defenders or adapt our style in the premiership to hide the current defences weaknesses?

We’ll no doubt get some CBs of a similar profile that are a bit quicker. Its a shame about Cags because he would have been extremely good in this set up. 

[Foxy DK]

6 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

If it's so hard to make a case for him playing in a higher division, why did multiple managers in higher divisions play him as a regular for many seasons before he came to us?

This. You need a better answer than “he’s gotten older and slower” if you want to look credible when claiming he is a bad defender. Else you’ll just look like one big cognitive dissonance.

[coolhandfox]

At his best in a back 3 and was play in a 2, we did the same with Souttar and wondered why they struggled.

 

Some players suit a system, with his lack of mobility and pace he was always going to be exposed in a pair, especially in a side that was defending a high line.

 

[Deeg67]

6 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

At his best in a back 3 and was play in a 2, we did the same with Souttar and wondered why they struggled.

 

Some players suit a system, with his lack of mobility and pace he was always going to be exposed in a pair, especially in a side that was defending a high line.

 

Ipswich and especially Leeds will be an interesting test for him.  Leeds basically has 6 PL-quality attackers and a manager who likes to commit bodies forward even at the risk of being exposed on the counter.

[iancognito]

15 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

If it's so hard to make a case for him playing in a higher division, why did multiple managers in higher divisions play him as a regular for many seasons before he came to us?

Multiple managers stretches it a bit far.

He was signed by Mark Hughes who was sacked 3 months later with Saints in the bottom 3.

 

Hassenhuttl came in and he only played 19 games the following season.

 

It'll end up like the Cags situation, wishing him well as he departs on a free (cue Rudkin handing out a 5 year extension on Tuesday morning)

[Aus Fox]

3 hours ago, Deeg67 said:

Ipswich and especially Leeds will be an interesting test for him.  Leeds basically has 6 PL-quality attackers and a manager who likes to commit bodies forward even at the risk of being exposed on the counter.

I think those games is where we use the squad, Coady is the better defender and I would play him over Vestergaard.

Vestergaard would be the preferred starter against teams where they will sit back and we will have a lot of the ball, but Coady and even Souttar will be better options against the top teams.

 

This season we have two players for each position and we have to be careful to use each player in a role and against the opponent that they are most suited.

[Nod.E]

It's way too harsh (and inaccurate) to state he's bad at defending. He's bad in any scenario that involves him running back to goal, yes, but bad at defending full stop? No, not having that.

 

There have been countless occasions this season that he's demonstrated great anticipation, stood strong and made good tackles, won headers. Who'd have seen that one coming?

 

Would he be a wise selection for us in the Premier League? I'm not sure either way. Better teams are more likely to get in behind us more often, so maybe not. It's nowhere near as clear cut as a lot of you are making out, though.