Javi Garcia

[NorCalBlue]

He makes very few tackles and interceptions with his feet and the long ball game is the exception rather than the standard in English football now.

He averages less completed tackles per game (0.6) than Navas, Nasri, Silva, Kolarov and Yaya (yes, the guy who apparently can't defend manages more tackles than the player who supposedly can ONLY defend and play a simple pass) to name a few. And less completed interceptions (0.9) than Navas, Kolarov, Clichy, Demichelis and others. These are exceptionally poor stats for a pure defensive midfielder who has few other features to his game.

So he isn't really a great midfield destroyer at all. His main attribute is his size and ability to head the ball, but you need much more to be a top defensive midfielder. He's slow and not tenacious at all. Players breeze past him, when it should be him suffocating them with pressing and tackling. One of Palace's players - I forget his name - just waltzed past him with the most ridiculous ease today, not even facing a challenge from Garcia, and that led to a chance.

Also, fewer top clubs are using the Makelele/De Jong type now, with the Fernandinho/Vidal/Busquets type midfielder more effective - those with more versatility and contribution to the team. So to be an old school defensive midfielder you have to do it really well to be worth it. Garcia doesn't do it really well or even close to it.

There are so many midfielders who I think would suit us better, of various profiles. That's for the transfer forum, though.

It's up to Pellegrini. He has to ask himself: "If Fernandinho breaks his leg tomorrow, can we still win the league with Yaya and Garcia as our midfield pair?" (since he appears to favour Garcia over Rodwell). If he answers "Yes", even I, a huge Pellegrini fan, will question his sanity. :)

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/8UL5bt7.gif[/bigimg]

It's like he has cement in his boots

Speed clearly isn't his thing, but I'm glad that once the guy got past him he didn't give away a stupid free kick, and also, one of the center-backs (probably Kompany) should have been closing him down a lot faster instead of letting him shoot.

 

[pudge]

He makes very few tackles and interceptions with his feet and the long ball game is the exception rather than the standard in English football now.

He averages less completed tackles per game (0.6) than Navas, Nasri, Silva, Kolarov and Yaya (yes, the guy who apparently can't defend manages more tackles than the player who supposedly can ONLY defend and play a simple pass) to name a few. And less completed interceptions (0.9) than Navas, Kolarov, Clichy, Demichelis and others. These are exceptionally poor stats for a pure defensive midfielder who has few other features to his game.

So he isn't really a great midfield destroyer at all. His main attribute is his size and ability to head the ball, but you need much more to be a top defensive midfielder. He's slow and not tenacious at all. Players breeze past him, when it should be him suffocating them with pressing and tackling. One of Palace's players - I forget his name - just waltzed past him with the most ridiculous ease today, not even facing a challenge from Garcia, and that led to a chance.

Also, fewer top clubs are using the Makelele/De Jong type now, with the Fernandinho/Vidal/Busquets type midfielder more effective - those with more versatility and contribution to the team. So to be an old school defensive midfielder you have to do it really well to be worth it. Garcia doesn't do it really well or even close to it.

There are so many midfielders who I think would suit us better, of various profiles. That's for the transfer forum, though.

It's up to Pellegrini. He has to ask himself: "If Fernandinho breaks his leg tomorrow, can we still win the league with Yaya and Garcia as our midfield pair?" (since he appears to favour Garcia over Rodwell). If he answers "Yes", even I, a huge Pellegrini fan, will question his sanity. :)

[bigimg]http://i.imgur.com/8UL5bt7.gif[/bigimg]

It's like he has cement in his boots

Speed clearly isn't his thing, but I'm glad that once the guy got past him he didn't give away a stupid free kick, and also, one of the center-backs (probably Kompany) should have been closing him down a lot faster instead of letting him shoot.

He'd have needed to have gotten close to him to have even had the chance.

Try as he might he couldn't even pull him back.

 

[NPBlue]

Won 12 aerial duels yesterday apparently.

Thought he was OK myself, did the job he was asked to do. No more, no less.

Suspect some had him down as having a bad game before 3pm yesterday.

He's dominant in the air.

Little gets past him.

Like you, I thought he did a job, and if we are honest, he was probably one of our better players.

Jeez, I have a right load sitting around me who even criticised the half time goal line 'entertainment' participants who were wankers, they call Aguero useless, and as for Yaya...........

It takes all sorts.

 

[Ban-jani]

Not even close to being good enough. At least dzeko does a strikers job and scores, whilst looking lazy and incompetent throughout.

Garcia is just pure shite though and wouldnt start in any top ten side.

 

[berniethebusman]

I can't remember a more bland player.

 

[Indian Cityzen]

So so scary to watch this player.

Need a massive upgrade on Garcia... Hopefully in January?

 

[NorCalBlue]

Speed clearly isn't his thing, but I'm glad that once the guy got past him he didn't give away a stupid free kick, and also, one of the center-backs (probably Kompany) should have been closing him down a lot faster instead of letting him shoot.

He'd have needed to have gotten close to him to have even had the chance.

Try as he might he couldn't even pull him back.

I think he could have made a rash sliding challenge as the Palace guy slowed down to take the shot. It might have worked, but more likely would have given them a dangerous free-kick.

 

[pudge]

Speed clearly isn't his thing, but I'm glad that once the guy got past him he didn't give away a stupid free kick, and also, one of the center-backs (probably Kompany) should have been closing him down a lot faster instead of letting him shoot.

He'd have needed to have gotten close to him to have even had the chance.

Try as he might he couldn't even pull him back.

I think he could have made a rash sliding challenge as the Palace guy slowed down to take the shot. It might have worked, but more likely would have given them a dangerous free-kick.

I think he could have put in a decent attempted tackle in the first place instead of doing is training cone impression, it might have worked too.

Horrendous defensive play like that is why he had no tackles on the day not because Palace dared not go near him with the ball on the ground like another poster said.

 

[Hart of the Matter]

I have never been openly critical of our players, even though I may have thought it. Have lost the nervousness about Garcia being brought on towards the end of a match. Yesterday however I was left speechless by his lack of impact on the game. What was he there for? Loads of short passes back to the player he had just recieved it from, no decisive passes and no tackles/ interceptions of note. Worst of all he slowed us right down to snails pace. Was like watching a typical game from last season.
Managers seem to prefer him to other options we have and have had. At least lots of appearances may make his transfer value hold.

 

[FantasyIreland]

I'm not sure any other club challenging for the league has a player with such limited attributes as Garcia,especially one that sits in the engine room.

Probably my biggest(and maybe only...) gripe with the new regimes footballing decisions is how they saw fit to let Barry leave the club while they kept this bloke,i can only think they had no choice as it makes zero sense.

He is so bad that I doubt be would even make a Prem top 15,maybe 20,of similar type players.WTF some goon was thinking when they scouted this lad is mindboggling,however,to then give 16m for his services is bordering on insanity.