Matt Targett

[greydos]

1 hour ago, macphisto said:

Are you seriously quoting Liverpool who have Robertson and TAA as their regular fullbacks as an argument to keep Targett???

Yes. I’m saying Targett should be a starter for 2 seasons and then for seasons 3-5 move to the job Gomez does for Liverpool now. Fill in 20-odd games a season when your first choice fullbacks need a rest and don’t let standards slip. At the business end of the season having a deputy fullback who defends as a priority and perhaps doesn’t offer so much going forward is really valuable. Sometimes you need to churn out 1-0s to keep momentum going in between the “big” games. Gomez has helped Liverpool do that. Targett can do that job for us in 2024-2025 when we’ll be going after champions league, perhaps alongside a europa league campaign 

[greydos]

1 hour ago, SUPERTOON said:

Gomez is a centre back playing out of position at right back 

Yes, so the job he did at full back is comparable to the job I say Targett can do at full back. Who cares if Gomez is a centre back? Does that mean Klopp didn’t play him at full back today? Does it mean Gomez attacked and overlapped today? No. He played fullback, stayed defensive, held position alongside the centre backs and Liverpool won comfortably. Targett can do that job for us

[macphisto]

1 minute ago, greydos said:

Yes. I’m saying Targett should be a starter for 2 seasons and then for seasons 3-5 move to the job Gomez does for Liverpool now. Fill in 20-odd games a season when your first choice fullbacks need a rest and don’t let standards slip. At the business end of the season having a deputy fullback who defends as a priority and perhaps doesn’t offer so much going forward is really valuable. Sometimes you need to churn out 1-0s to keep momentum going in between the “big” games. Gomez has helped Liverpool do that. Targett can do that job for us in 2024-2025 when we’ll be going after champions league, perhaps alongside a europa league campaign 

How would that work when he left Villa at the first sign that he wasn't a 1st team player? 

[greydos]

2 minutes ago, macphisto said:

How would that work when he left Villa at the first sign that he wasn't a 1st team player? 

I think it works in that for 2 years he’s first choice like I said. In year 3 he can try and fight to keep the shirt. At that stage (2024-2025 season) lots will hopefully have changed: (1) he’s 29/30, so getting on; (2) we’re a big team going places in Europe with high-calibre players; (3) he’s been demoted to squad player by both us and Villa in the last few years, so he may be resigned to it/accept the fact he’s reached his ceiling; (4) he might view 20+ games as acceptable in our “Project” which will be much more visible and enticing than it is now; (5) Southgate’s told him playing for us alongside his England colleague Tripps will see him in the squad for the euros 

 

(ok so the last point is pure fantasy!)

[macphisto]

Just now, greydos said:

I think it works in that for 2 years he’s first choice like I said. In year 3 he can try and fight to keep the shirt. At that stage (2024-2025 season) lots will hopefully have changed: (1) he’s 29/30, so getting on; (2) we’re a big team going places in Europe with high-calibre players; (3) he’s been demoted to squad player by both us and Villa in the last few years, so he may be resigned to it/accept the fact he’s reached his ceiling; (4) he might view 20+ games as acceptable in our “Project” which will be much more visible and enticing than it is now; (5) Southgate’s told him playing for us alongside his England colleague Tripps will see him in the squad for the euros 

 

(ok so the last point is pure fantasy!)

That's a lot of ifs and 29/30 is not getting on, it's the peak years of his career. The issue with Targett is not his quality but style of play, he offers very little going forward. If that is what Howe wants then fine but I'm sure he'd want a fullback who is more attacking, even if it means we lose a little bit in defence. Then in two years time when we upgrade that position, if we have to, we buy the same type of player but of higher quality. 

 

I'll not comment on the last point

[Tsunami]

Thought he was good today. 

[ExiledGeordie]

He’s an excellent left back. Is he world class, no. Does he lack raw speed, yes but he’s not that slow. Real steady Eddie, solid and dependable and he’s been excellent since he arrived. Seems a no brainer to sign him but depends if they’re looking at other options. 

[Jordan]

Absolutely mental if the press are right and we have reservations over Targett but are looking to retain Dummett. 

[80]

Pretty much the last man on the pitch we should have had concerns about today.

[NWMag]

Still convinced that Howe will want to move to a 3 CB’s and wing back system in which case he probably won’t sign, and it would make more sense of the links to Renan Lodi

[huss9]

we're rebuilding the squad.

£15m for a decent LB to tie us over for a year or two is great.

we might get a pacier or more attacking full back for that much but he'll probably not be as good a defender.

 

wonder how much Mbabu would cost?

[Amir_9]

This lad is class. That clearance was unreal today

[The College Dropout]

5 hours ago, greydos said:

I don’t think Joe Gomez has a goal in his life and he’s on the verge of winning the Quad, having played 70-odd games for Liverpool. He didn’t get forward today either. I’m fairly certain Targett can do a similar job for our team/squad the next 5 years. 

 

 

 

Joe Gomez is a centreback. 

[greydos]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

Joe Gomez is a centreback. 

Yes, as I acknowledged above. The point stands though. Klopp can rely on a player playing right back who has never scored a goal, in one of the most difficult and legendary end of season run-ins of all time. If this Liverpool team can play a non-scoring player at fullback to get results against mid-table teams and succeed, so can we. 
 

 

[Outre]

5 hours ago, Amir_9 said:

This lad is class. That clearance was unreal today

That’s one second in a 90 minute match? A single data point. 
 

I don’t think there is any excuse or rationale for signing a bottom 10 premier league left back when ambitions surely have to be top 8. 

[Kanj]

You’d sooner spend the money on the midfield and attack than splashing on a fullback. Sign him and focus elsewhere if there are budgetary concerns for ffp. 

[Conjo]

I think he is decent going forward. Maybe not the most technically gifted, but he can carry the ball well enough, makes some smart runs when the opportunity presents itself, got a nice pass & cross in him as well. Defensively very solid, rarely lets anyone past him, decent in the air. He is better than a bottom 10 PL left back in my eyes. Seem to be a nice guy and humble guy as well. A character we need in the dressing room.

 

Of the current left backs in the PL (excluding wing backs like Doherty, Alonso etc), I'd rate Robertson, Zinchenko and Chillwell as clearly better than him. Tavares, Castagne, Telles, Shaw, Digne, Cucurella are of similar quality to him. Difficult to say who is better than the other due to the different qualities each of them has, but I've really liked what I've seen of Targett on and off the pitch so would prefer him over the others listed.

 

There's obviously better left backs out there in the world, and we may be able to attract one here, but I'd sign Targett asap so we don't have to worry about that position and can focus all the attention on improving more critical areas in the squad.

[Wilson]

Solid. As. Fuck. 

 

Keep him. 

[Stottie]

Not a problem. Get him signed.

[Pata]

I think TAA, Robertson and Cancelo are making other fullbacks look worse than they are with their ridiculous offensive contributions. Targett's basic goals+assists stats from the past 4 seasons aren't that different from Kyle Walker or Luke Shaw. He's decent enough going forward but having ASM ahead of him limits him right now. Felt like he was getting forward more when ASM was out for that little spell.

[Outre]

1 hour ago, Pata said:

I think TAA, Robertson and Cancelo are making other fullbacks look worse than they are with their ridiculous offensive contributions. Targett's basic goals+assists stats from the past 4 seasons aren't that different from Kyle Walker or Luke Shaw. He's decent enough going forward but having ASM ahead of him limits him right now. Felt like he was getting forward more when ASM was out for that little spell.

We are a more fluid, better side in possession with ASM off the pitch. Simply put we control games better without him. Sad but true.

[ExiledGeordie]

6 hours ago, Outre said:

That’s one second in a 90 minute match? A single data point. 
 

I don’t think there is any excuse or rationale for signing a bottom 10 premier league left back when ambitions surely have to be top 8. 

An excuse or rationale? ? I think some people are getting a bit ahead of themselves with the squad here. The lad has come in and contributed to forming an exceptional defensive unit which has been ridiculously good and basically kept us up. He’s exactly what we need right now. You can’t replace all the positions in the summer and the attack takes priority. Signings don’t always work too see Lucas Digne. Targett is a proper left back whose performed well. On the flip side if we do sign him and then upgrade again the season after next or before he gives us a second option at left back if someone better comes in.

 

 

[Kid Icarus]

7 hours ago, Outre said:

That’s one second in a 90 minute match? A single data point. 
 

I don’t think there is any excuse or rationale for signing a bottom 10 premier league left back when ambitions surely have to be top 8. 

 

What a ridiculously simplistic way of looking at things. With that mindset, the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Jonathan Woodgate, Gini Wijnaldum, Jermaine Defoe, Michael Carrick, or indeed Lucas Digne, Coutinho, Ward-Prowse, Kalvin Phillips would never have been good enough for teams fighting at the top of the table. Targett is absolutely a top 8 left back, easily.

[Guest]

I know he has zero assists, but the awareness in injury-time v Leicester to not just let the ball go for a goal-kick, or to hoof it and instead play the ball to Willock, is as good as one. Or the corner for Dan Burn’s knock down to Bruno at Southampton.

 

Once we start improving I reckon his pure assists count will improve too. 

[Sean]

Targett's been solid as fuck as pointed out and I wouldn't be worried in the slightest if he was first choice next season. But if Howe wants a more attacking fullback then great. He still surely has to sign Targett for competition in that case, and I'd trust him to sell the proposition to the player too.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by Sean