Matt Targett

[David Edgar]

3 minutes ago, Lush Vlad said:

I thought he was noticeably better on the ball than Burn and was good for the opener.

 

Yeah, his passing was precise and quick.  Notably better than Burn.

 

People will remember that one incident where he got bodied and that will end up being what is focused on.

 

He did a lot right yesterday.  Wasn't a bad performance, at all.

[andyc35i]

I suspect we want a more attacking full back in, but I think we may put it on ice given the other priority areas and the spending restrictions. We have Kraft to come back in and just signed Ashby. Burn and Targett on the left side is fine for the way we play.
 

Shifting Lewis and Manquillo will most likely happen which may change things 

[Aiston]

May be his lack of game time but don't think he looked a better fit currently than Burn.

 

Would start him against Southampton though still, just to give him another go.

[jackyboy]

Thought he looked much better than Burn in the first half. He's obviously short on match fitness and that will take a few games

[Optimistic Nut]

2 hours ago, Joseph said:

He’s unbelievably average. The bench is the best thing to ever happen to him reputationally, but people seem to have it in for Burn. 

 

He's not though is he. Go back and watch him last season. We wouldn't have bought him otherwise, just got unlucky with the timing of his knocks and illness. 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Optimistic Nut

[LFEE]

2 hours ago, David Edgar said:

 

Yeah, his passing was precise and quick.  Notably better than Burn.

 

People will remember that one incident where he got bodied and that will end up being what is focused on.

 

He did a lot right yesterday.  Wasn't a bad performance, at all.

This.

 

Also what no one is mentioning is how composed he remains in these volatile atmospheres. He never visibly gets flustered and just tries to do the basics sensibly. These qualities ultimately lead to the first goal which ultimately changed the game.

[PauloGeordio]

Some Neo matrix shit going on here! 

[La Parka]

There was one point where he looked like he was running on sand. He definitely was weak, but he's not match fit. 

 

Deserves a do at sotn. 

[Joseph]

2 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

He's not though is he. Go back and watch him last season. We wouldn't have bought him otherwise, just got unlucky with the timing of his knocks and illness. 

 

 

 

He’s the absolute definition of a mid table full back. Average in attack and (generously) average in defence. He also has an infuriating habit of making incredibly lazy lunges instead of tracking his man, and was repeatedly getting skinned or giving away free kicks as a result before being hooked for Burn earlier in the season (did it again at one point last night against Iwobi). 

[Mazzy]

Hell be second choice LB next season and will get himself more appearances than this season just down to the fact we'll have more games. Iwobi is having a good season and is more than capable of bullying even the better fullbacks on his day. Targett did as well as I expected him to do in a game like that in his first start in an age. Should start Sunday no question. 

[Rich]

21 minutes ago, Joseph said:

He’s the absolute definition of a mid table full back. Average in attack and (generously) average in defence. He also has an infuriating habit of making incredibly lazy lunges instead of tracking his man, and was repeatedly getting skinned or giving away free kicks as a result before being hooked for Burn earlier in the season (did it again at one point last night against Iwobi). 

 

I don't think it's too unfair to call him a mid-table player, but Targett's been "dribbled past" 0.8 times per game this season in the league, the exact same as Burn. He's also committed 0.5 fouls per game to Burn's 0.9. I think this makes "repeatedly skinned or giving away free kicks" seem a bit dodgy as an argument.

 

Last season his numbers were 0.8 and 0.6, so he's fairly consistent with it too.

 

It's harder to pin down data for the lazy lunges and tracking runners, but he's on a 45% success rate for tackling dribblers versus Burn's 52% this season, though last season he was up at 64% so there has been a drop off. Tracking runners isn't something I've really noticed as being a major weakness of Targett, or an area where Burn is clearly better than him, but I could've just missed it.

 

Basically, if he's the definition of a mid-table full-back, I dunno what that makes Burn. Seems a very weird player to have an agenda against, and this is all ignoring how much better in possession and in general offensively better he is than Burn, as well as the extra set piece threat he provides.

 

Would still like to see us sign a top-class left-back in the summer, but last night proved to me that Targett is significantly better than Burn in the role, even when he hasn't started for seven months. Hopefully next term he's satisfied with being a backup who'll get more minutes, while Burn moves inside to provide competition/cover for Botman.

[Lotus]

Think 2 starts in 4 days will be a bit much. 

[Big River]

19 hours ago, Joseph said:

Isak not starting is a mistake. Also anticipating an Everton goal from a lazy Targett challenge #HoweOut

 

18 hours ago, Joseph said:

Classic Targett - stick a lazy leg out instead of tracking his man. 

 

18 hours ago, Joseph said:

Targett will always take the option that requires the least amount of physical exertion. He saw Botman was probably on to cover him so was happy to jog. 

 

17 hours ago, Joseph said:

Burn would've been able to at least foul competently. 

 

5 hours ago, Joseph said:

He’s unbelievably average. The bench is the best thing to ever happen to him reputationally, but people seem to have it in for Burn. 

 

43 minutes ago, Joseph said:

He’s the absolute definition of a mid table full back. Average in attack and (generously) average in defence. He also has an infuriating habit of making incredibly lazy lunges instead of tracking his man, and was repeatedly getting skinned or giving away free kicks as a result before being hooked for Burn earlier in the season (did it again at one point last night against Iwobi). 

 

and you reckon people have it in for Burn... 

 

Tiggs boffing your Mam or something?

[Rich]

[Mountain]

1 hour ago, Mazzy said:

Hell be second choice LB next season and will get himself more appearances than this season just down to the fact we'll have more games. Iwobi is having a good season and is more than capable of bullying even the better fullbacks on his day. Targett did as well as I expected him to do in a game like that in his first start in an age. Should start Sunday no question. 

 

Let's not heap too much praise on Iwobi, he was rubbish last night as he usually is.

[Conjo]

Joelinton is the gold standard. Iwobi is the cheap Taiwanese knock off.

[80]

8 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

I'd keep him in too with view to him starting the Arsenal game the week after bearing in mind what Saka did to Burn down there. 

Agreed if Howe is genuinely open to starting him against Arsenal. Otherwise, I'd guess I'd rather just cut to the chase and do whatever is best for keeping Burn sharp for the rest of this season...

7 hours ago, Joseph said:

He’s unbelievably average. The bench is the best thing to ever happen to him reputationally, but people seem to have it in for Burn. 

I would say something but looks like I've been well and truly beaten to it by everyone else.

[ponsaelius]

His distribution is better than Burn's and he will at least potentially put a cross in now and again from open play. He also offers a left foot set piece option which mixes things up.

 

I do think there's things Burn offers that he doesn't IE aerially defensively and in terms of character/aggression for certain occasions. But personally I prefer Targett as a footballer.

 

There's no doubt both are probably midtable players though.

[huss9]

did no one see this lad play last season?

we were all desperate to get him signed up.

he needs a couple of games to get into his stride.

[Optimistic Nut]

I don't think we lose anything defensively by playing Targett. We were rock solid last season when we signed him (City and Spurs apart) and his aerial stats last season weren't that far off Burn's this season.

 

Ideal world next season though, Burn is Botman's back up and Targett is cover for a new LB. 

[Ace]

I’m generally a fan of Targett, think he should get game time and I think he was more rusty than bad but Howay he was given a torrid time on Thursday and we looked so much more solid when he was hooked and we brought Burn on and to say otherwise is just revisionism. 

[Rich]

You can't say Targett had a "torrid time" and then accuse other people of revisionism, howay . Are you just letting that one moment with Iwobi cloud your judgement?

[cubaricho]

5 minutes ago, Rich said:

You can't say Targett had a "torrid time" and then accuse other people of revisionism, howay . Are you just letting that one moment with Iwobi cloud your judgement?

 Right?

 

He got merked. That’s a fact. 
 

But he’s 100x the LB that Dan Burn is. 

[Aiston]

23 hours ago, David Edgar said:

 

Yeah, his passing was precise and quick.  Notably better than Burn.

 

People will remember that one incident where he got bodied and that will end up being what is focused on.

 

He did a lot right yesterday.  Wasn't a bad performance, at all.

 

Forgot about him getting bodied.

 

There was 2-3 times he was absolutely nowhere near the attackers down his wing as well. One of them luckily it was offside. Burn would have been absolutely shit on for those.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Aiston

[Joseph]

It's mad how differently people can perceive football. Dan Burn has been an ever present at left back in the best defence in the league this season, but Matty Targett is "100x" the left back he is? If that's true then Howe must be a bit of a clown. Utterly mental. 

 

edit - fucking hell, just reading back and saw one of you claim the first goal doesn't happen with Burn because he wouldn't have made the utterly unremarkable first time pass that Targett did. When literally two of our four goals involved (also unremarkable) first time passes from Burn. Very odd stuff. 

 

Not an issue though as Howe knows the score and Targett will never be a regular starter over a fit Burn.

 

 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Joseph