James Garner

[Audrey Horne]

I don’t get what he is?

Is he an attacking midfielder? Or a DM??

[brap2]

For me I think he's a box to box player. He covers ground and he puts his foot in, he can deliver a ball and he can run all day and press.

I wouldn't want him sat dictating play, think the early Carrick comparisons weren't good for him. I wouldn't want him getting too many touches in the final third edge of the box, wasting everyones time with daft shots etc.

Just do what he's doing basically, run around put your foot in cover passing lanes, keep the ball rolling if it comes near you.

[Cantoffee]

Squad player. Drop him for Gana in a heartbeat.

[Big Nevs Vaz]

He's probably most suited to play right fullback. He did a job there at the end of last season for a few games.
He's not a bomb forward down the wing at any opportunity type player but he's fine in our deep defensive set up.

[Kerryblueboy]

Echo gave him 8/10 for Fulham I think he is a dyche type midfielder who runs around a lot looks busy and produces very little he is disciplined though and follows instructions which is what the coach needs

[Shogun]

Echo gave him 8/10

Wow

[UnsyisaRhino]

Live passes that result in a shot - lowest of our CMs
Progressive distance (passing) - 3rd of CMS, Doucoure lower with a higher success %
Progressive passes per 90 - same story here, fewer attempts than Onana and Gueye by a long shot. Fewer than Ashley Young. Fewer than Nathan Patterson.
Passes into final 3rd - behind Onana and Gueye again, but ahead of Doucs who we know is not really a build.up guy (playing as a striker)
Dribbles - 3rd, this time just beating Gueye who has a better success rate
Progressive distance (carries), is he driving with the ball? - last of CMs, worse than Michael Keane
Touches in the middle third, is he getting on the ball? - a million miles behind Gueye and Onana again.
He is playing passes into the penalty area more than the others! But this is likely inflated by set pieces, which is not a bad skill to have.
His defensive numbers will be good.

So he's not really trying anything more than anyone else, infact less in most cases. You are right though it isn't coming off when he does try it.

I saw a different set of stats on twitter a while back that compared him to Onana and Gueye. They showed that he was making more key pass attempts, and was successful more often, more crosses, and again more of those were 'completed' (which I'm assuming means one of our players made contact with the ball), and the same was true for touches in the box along side passes into the box. He also had more dribble attempts and more successful dribbles than both.

There's zero chance I'll find that tweet now but I don't mind being proven wrong.

[brap2]

I saw a different set of stats on twitter a while back that compared him to Onana and Gueye. They showed that he was making more key pass attempts, and was successful more often, more crosses, and again more of those were 'completed' (which I'm assuming means one of our players made contact with the ball), and the same was true for touches in the box along side passes into the box. He also had more dribble attempts and more successful dribbles than both.

There's zero chance I'll find that tweet now but I don't mind being proven wrong.

I am cherry picking of course, tried to remove anything that would have been influenced by set pieces, and I think stuff like passes into box, key passes, shot creating actions (without filtering for live) will be.

For live passes per 90 mins that result in a shot, he's worse than Ashley young, Beto, Gueye, maupay, Harrison, nevermind doucs or Gueye.

Touches in the op box p90, less than all CMS but not much in it (other than Doucs who is a striker this year).

Successful take ons that result in a shot he is actually top out of them cms, but nothing in it again really. None of them come out well.

Dribble attempts and successful dribbles he's not top of either again, towards bottom of CMS for both.

He just doesn't stand out on the ball in the numbers or to the eye as far as I can tell. Take away set pieces and hes just a grafter. Which is fine.

[brap2]

Looked at his fbref Vs midfielders in Europe, plenty of good there especially in defence, but possession and passing are poor.

In the bottom 8 percentile of midfielders in Europe for his pass completion. In the bottom 2 percentile for long pass completion. Bottom 17 percentile for prog passes.

Top 80 percentile for interceptions and tackles + int, 90 percentile tackles in attack third.

Suppose it's just - this is what it looks like when a midfielder plays in this system to some extent. But it doesn't back up the argument he's doing anything the other midfielders in our side are not.

[Shogun]

Very different reaction to him if he was wearing some alternative fashion in New York every now and then imo.

[Goaljira]

I don’t get what he is?

Is he an attacking midfielder? Or a DM??

He's the what you get when you order Connor Gallagher off wish.

[777Kidnappings]

He's just a plodder. Honestly it shows how shockingly shit some of our players have been on occasions when we are happy to have someone who just produces a regular 6 out of 10. For years we've had players who couldn't be trusted not to be inept half the time.

He's okay but really that's it. We probably got slightly more than what we paid for

[Bluedylan1]

I can't wait to get Gana, Doucoure and Onana back available at some point.

I know Garner will still play but his lack of impact and his ineffectiveness will be less noticeable and bothersome.

[The Doc]

I know it's a forum and the purpose is debate, but strange to focus on Garner so much when he's OK, he's our only option and our real problem at the moment is wasting good chances to score.

[MmmBlueBranthwaite]

He one of the last things in a long line of things that are shit for Everton at the moment.

I still think there's plenty of room for improvement which we'll eventually see.