Providing a Case for the Defence of Everton Captain Phil Jagielka
It's been a testing few months for Phil Jagielka.
Unable to contain Luis Suarez in Sao Paulo and embarrassed by Diego Costa back on home soil, the Everton captain has seen both his international and club credentials questioned by fans.
He's lost his place in Roy Hodgson's side, and with 10 goals conceded in three Premier League games, it seems many Evertonians would replicate that decision at club level.
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Anyone watching the calamitous defending during the Toffees' 6-3 loss to Chelsea will see a defender badly out of form. He may well need some time on the sidelines; however, labelling Jagielka as either "finished" or "past it" is far too much of a knee-jerk reaction.
He's clearly on a lean run of form, but such radical criticism refers to such a limited sample size.
Aside from one horror showing at Anfield—playing with a far from ideal partner in Antolin Alcaraz—Jagielka was one of Roberto Martinez's leading performers over much of last season.
He was outstanding in a memorable 1-0 win at Old Trafford (recording statistical perfection in every defensive category, per Squawka) and he was similarly imposing just a few days later at Arsenal. His positioning and anticipation in both matches was excellent and largely nullified two potent attacks.
In Martinez's bold, more expansive approach—which regularly exposes defenders to one-on-one situations—Jagielka kept the Toffees' back four in check, preserving another strong defensive record last season.
Excluding that 4-0 drubbing at Anfield, which distorts his personal return, Everton conceded just 21 goals in the 23 games he featured in up until February.
And that's where it all went wrong. Following a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, where he was once again impressive, Jagielka sustained an injury. He's barely had time to resurrect any form since then.
That injury kept him sidelined for three months, leaving him in a race against time to be fit for the World Cup.
He eventually returned with just two games of the Premier League season remaining, visibly short of fitness and only able to last 66 minutes against Manchester City. He struggled through a pair of end-of-season fixtures before jetting off to Brazil—something that was largely glossed over in the press.
After England's disappointment, he was afforded a prolonged summer layoff, and from then Jagielka was once again rushing to make the start of the season, unable to play much of a part—or find his rhythm—in Everton's summer friendlies.
While he's clearly started back in uncharacteristically poor form, given the circumstances, it's hardly surprising. Jagielka's been in a constant state of flux since February, rushed back into every line-up he's played in with little time to settle.
Such theories about a dramatic decline forget the key fact that he's only played five games in Everton colours since February, when he was once again on top of his game.
Without dusting off any cliches about class and form, five games is a ridiculously small tally to base theories of a permanent demise on—especially for a player who's maintained such a high level of consistency over many years.
He may well need a few games to recharge and take stock, but, having just turned 32, Jagielka is still relatively middle-aged among centre-backs. The defender has a lot more to offer Everton, and—should Hodgson opt for a recall—his national side, too.
While he's undoubtedly in poor form, doubting Jagielka's class is wildly premature.
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