1.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 18:39:23
Ed, I enjoy reading your articles and respect your views, but to be honest I wouldn’t swap any of your top 3 for either Konsa or Mings. Tyrone has had a few brain farts this season but his recent performances suggest he’s getting back to his best, he looked particularly solid in the last match against Leeds.
It is a very subjective talking point I know, but I think I would have Lewis Dunk in there as well.
Two of your top 3 are English but I can’t honestly see either making the euros ahead of the likes of Maguire, Stones, Mings etc.
I often agree with you, but I am struggling to do so on this occasion.

{Ed001's Note - that's ok, but I would suggest that Southgate is not someone who I would look to as a pointer, the guy is a clueless gimp in a waistcoat who knows less about football than Robbie Savage. I can understand why you like Mings, on his day he is excellent, but he is unreliable and goes through far too many games where he is poor. Lewis Dunk I like but he has not been anything like as good as a player as either Webster or White this season. However he is a very good captain for Brighton, so he would always be in their team first. Even mentioning Maguire just shows how bad the choices are by England as he is truly awful.}

2.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 19:09:02
From a purely English point of view Craig Dawson, tho not everyone's cup of tea, has been in excellent form for Wet Spam this season but obviously won't be going to the Euros.

{Ed001's Note - very good point Moose. He is a very good defender, but he took a while to break into their team. Since being in there he has looked excellent. I actually forgot about him when I was writing this! There is always one or two that I forget with these lists.} Become a Patron!

3.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 19:23:08
That’s fair enough Ed.
I’m not a fan of Southgate either, but I don’t really think if it was anybody else, that either Tompkins or Mee would be in with a shout, apart from Sean Dyche and Roy Hodgson perhaps.

{Ed001's Note - that doesn't mean they are not good defenders. Ask any Burnley fan and they will tell you Mee is their key player, far more important than Tarkowski. I feel sorry for Mee, he has, to a large extent, carried Keane and Tarkowski but they get the plaudits. The minute he was not alongside them, they were awful. It has taken Keane years to adjust since moving to Everton. He is a bit like Dunk, in that he is a leader. And Tompkins has been excellent for Palace but he is not good enough on the ball for international football (plus he does seem to get too many injuries to risk taking to a tournament).} Become a Patron!

4.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 19:31:48
How about Jordan Henderson? 🤔😂😂😂.

{Ed001's Note - you know what, he was surprisingly good in defence, but he is still midfielder playing out of position and it showed at times. It does show how bad things got that he was at the back.} Become a Patron!

5.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 19:32:31
As long as you don`t take Konsa out for him Ed 😂😂.

{Ed001's Note - I really like Konsa to be honest, I think he has everything to be a key defender for the next ten years. Villa need to make sure they hold onto him.} Become a Patron!

6.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 20:11:41
Yes Ed I've found it strange that with centre halves available, admittedly not exactly 1st choice, he's played him and Fabinho out of position, but yes, Henderson has impressed. As for Konsa, it won't be long before he's offered an improved contract 🤞.

{Ed001's Note - it is about communication. Though after seeing Rhys Williams play, I would have picked my mother over him, let alone Henderson! Konsa fully deserves a lengthy deal, at least then someone has to pay through the nose if you do lose him. Centre-backs of his quality are few and far between these days.} Become a Patron!

7.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 20:26:20
Rolls Royce of a player, reminds me of Rio Ferdinand, imperial 😁👑.

{Ed001's Note - my mother? So she always tells me, but I was thinking she just meant that she was not to be rushed.} Become a Patron!

8.) 02 Mar 2021
02 Mar 2021 20:28:25
Its nice that he's appreciated outside of the Villa circle Ed as we can obviously be a shade biased 😁 but I've a feeling he'll just keep getting better, hopefully we'll be successful and finally be able to keep our best players and really push on 🤞.

{Ed001's Note - he is very good. It is only inexperience that stopped him being higher in the list.} Become a Patron!

9.) 03 Mar 2021
03 Mar 2021 09:14:32
Gomez is the only 1 I wouldn’t agree with Ed he shouldn’t be near that top 5 this year imo.

{Ed001's Note - he was playing really well before picking up his injury with England after a rocky start to the season. If he had stayed at that level he would have been top 3, especially after last season. He is a far better player than he is ever given credit for and still only 23.}

10.) 03 Mar 2021
03 Mar 2021 11:20:13
I’ll admit I didn’t watch Liverpool much this season apart from the start of the season where he was pretty bad, especially in the game against us he was particularly horrendous, I think maybe he was subbed after about 5 goals, but even VVD was pretty bad that nite so maybe unfair to judge him. still I would switch him with stones, he’s being great this year beside Dias and scoring goals aswel, being biased I think this season konsa is miles ahead of him he has being very impressive in all but maybe 2 games and even at that he was decent in those 2 games he hasn’t had a mare this season but like u say Gomez was very good last season.

{Ed001's Note - Stones has been good alongside Dias, but as I pointed out he has two defensive midfielders protecting him and they rarely give up chances for opponents to get at him. So it is difficult to say he has suddenly become great, rather than he is just being very much shielded.

Unlike Gomez, Liverpool play a much more open style and rely on the centre-back pair to do the defending one on one with forwards. You can see what happened on an off day against you, but Gomez was targeted by every single forward whenever he was partnered with VVD and Liverpool still had an excellent defensive record. He did well.

I can see why you think Konsa is ahead of him and he may well move past him when he has more experience. However right now, I think a longer period of excellence wins out. It is just a shame Gomez has to go away with England because almost every injury he has suffered has been on international duty!

If only Dias was British, now there is a defender and a half.}

11.) 03 Mar 2021
03 Mar 2021 12:30:57
Well it certainly stirred up some debate Ed, maybe you should do the same for Goalkeepers, full backs, midfielders and strikers 👍.

{Ed001's Note - I do a different position every so often mark. I will be doing left-backs next time. If you can be bothered you will find them on ourfootball news and views site. I just leave a bit of a gap between each one of them to make sure that it is not just pretty much a repeat of the last time I did one.} Become a Patron!

12.) 03 Mar 2021
03 Mar 2021 14:10:34
Ok Ed, I’ll take a look at that. Left backs should be interesting, hopefully Matt Targett will be well up on your list mate. He’s probably the most improved player at Villa, since last season.

{Ed001's Note - he has improved a lot but I won't know until I start looking at left-backs to sort out an order. He was very highly rated as a youngster, always ahead of Luke Shaw in the pecking order until he picked up an injury just as Southampton needed to bring in a left-back to the first team. Shaw stepped in instead and the rest is history. If Targett had steered clear of injuries things could well have been very different.}