Moving Target

Moving Target – Jonny Evans

Leicester City have bolstered their defensive ranks with the £3.5m signing of Jonny Evans from West Bromwich Albion.

The Foxes activated the relegation release clause in the Northern Ireland centre-half’s contract and were able to secure Evans’ signature for a fraction of the £20m+ fees that Manchester City and Arsenal offered the Baggies last season.

The former Manchester United defender has signed a three-year deal with City, who have moved swiftly to address their defensive fragilities of last season: only four clubs conceded more Premier League goals than the Foxes (60) in 2017/18.

Leicester were also short in the centre-back department, with Robert Huth leaving the club and Aleksandar Dragovic, a loan signing from Bayer Leverkusen last season, unlikely to make his move to the King Power Stadium permanent. Club captain Wes Morgan, meanwhile, turns 35 midway through the coming campaign.

Evans himself is the wrong side of 30 but, with over a decade of Premier League experience at Sunderland, United and West Brom, would seem to be a good foil to the all-action Harry Maguire at the heart of the Leicester defence – on paper at least.

Upon Evans’ arrival at Leicester, manager Claude Puel said:

Jonny is a player of great experience in the Premier League and to have him as part of our squad is fantastic news for the football club. He knows exactly what it takes, he is a winner and a leader. He will bring a great deal to our squad and I’m delighted to welcome him to Leicester City.

The History

After loan spells with Royal Antwerp in Belgium and Sunderland in the Championship, Evans’ first taste of Premier League action came in a second short-term spell with the Black Cats. Joining the newly promoted north-east club in the second half of the 2007/08 season, Evans made 15 first-team appearances and helped the Wearsiders stave off relegation back to the Football League.

Seven seasons in the top flight with parent club Manchester United followed, with Evans making 131 league appearances for the Red Devils and scoring on four occasions. The Northern Irish international was never able to consolidate a first-team place at Old Trafford, however: Evans largely played second fiddle to Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the United defence, with the 28 starts Evans made in Vidic’s injury-hit 2011/12 season the most he managed in a single campaign for the Reds.

A move to Albion in August 2015 at last brought about the prospect of guaranteed first-team football and Evans went on to make 89 league appearances for the Baggies in three years, helping the West Midlands club to 10th and 14th-placed finishes before their relegation from the Premier League last season.

Evans at West Brom
SeasonStartsGoals concededClean sheetsGoals scoredAssists
2015/163034811
2016/173039421
2017/182638622

The Prospects

Barring any further activity in the summer transfer window, Evans will surely line up alongside Maguire at the heart of the Leicester defence next season.

Without Dragovic (or Huth, who barely featured in 2017/18 anyway) to call upon next season, and with Morgan’s best days behind him, Puel badly needed reinforcements in the centre-half position.

Only three sides kept fewer clean sheets than Leicester (nine) last season; indeed, relegated West Brom bettered that total (ten) and conceded fewer goals (56, compared to City’s 60) than the Foxes in 2017/18.

The two sides’ defences were markedly similar in some departments: both clubs had an expected goals conceded (xGC) of 48.5 and allowed the opposition the same number of shots inside their box (286).

Where Albion and Evans excelled was in errors leading to goals: the Throstles only conceded one goal following a slip-up by one of their players, which represented a low among all 20 Premier League clubs (Leicester conceded five).

West Brom also allowed the opposition fewer big chances than City (60 and 66 respectively).

Evans’ Key Performance Indicators (KPI) are a mixed bag compared to his likely central-defensive partner next season: Maguire’s minutes per block, recovery, tackle and successful tackle averages are better than those of Evans, although the Ulsterman trumps the England international in minutes per interception and clearance.

Although Evans managed as many goals as Maguire last season (two), the former’s comparatively conservative approach to defending dents his appeal on the Bonus Points System (BPS).

Evans made fewer key passes than Maguire, Ben Chilwell and Christian Fuchs, while Maguire made more dribbles and created more big chances than Evans last season. Maguire’s BPS pass completion was also superior to his new defensive colleague.

Maguire’s minutes-per-baseline BPS (BBPS), unsurprisingly, was better than any of his fellow Leicester defenders and indeed Evans. Chilwell and Fuchs also had better minutes-per-BBPS means than their new team-mate.

It is regrettable for Evans’ Fantasy prospects, perhaps, that he finds himself lining up alongside a centre-half who packs such a punch in attack. Maguire had 84 penalty box touches last season (Evans had 19) and was presented with five big chances (Evans only had two). Evans’ total number of goal attempts (ten) was a third of Maguire’s (30), meanwhile.

Add Ricardo Pereira into the mix and there are undoubtedly more appealing routes into the Leicester backline next season for those Fantasy managers who like their defenders to carry a goal threat.

Evans’ allure could be his price. The Northern Ireland international started last season at £5.0m, some £0.5m cheaper than his new central defensive partner. Maguire’s underlying attacking statistics in 2017/18 suggests that gap will at the very least stay the same, possibly even increase. Fantasy managers won’t have to wait long for the release of the Fantasy Premier League price list to find out just how farther their budget could go with Evans, rather than Maguire or Pereira, in their squads.

The Foxes’ mixed start, in which they have home matches against Huddersfield and Wolves as well as encounters with Liverpool and Manchester United in their first six fixtures, may deter Fantasy managers from spending heavily on a Leicester defender that they plan to rotate. Evans could, therefore, be the solution to this quandary.

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577 Comments Post a Comment
  1. The Tinkerman
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Twist on Suarez(C)? 5pts

    Have Isco > Neymar/Kaku > Lingard as other options

    1. MDK
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Defo

    2. JohnCarewCarew
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Twist. Liking Isco for a bit of a haul. Yolo

      1. Belli2007
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Thinking this.

        Have Costa, Isco and Modric and think Spain will get a few today. Isco has been looking a threat although Costa may well test the Russian defence

    3. Totalfootball
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Twist

  2. 420king
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    1. Don't pick up the phone

    1. Fishy-o
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      2. You know he’s only calling coz he’s drunk and alone

      1. Optimus.
        • 13 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        lol

  3. Totalfootball
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Please choose -

    CAPTAIN -

    A) Costa
    B) Isco

    1. Midlands Saint73
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Same dilemma but with added Modric. Leaning towards Costa right now.

  4. 1630
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    Stupid question: Do I have to do anything after activating the maximum captain chip? It doesn't look any different as it did with bb (and I can still change captains).

    1. G-Whizz
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • Has Moderation Rights
      • 6 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      It will end up on your highest scorer at the end of the round...

  5. A.T
    • 13 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    My wife has left me because I'm too insecure...

    No, wait she's back...

    She was just making a cup of tea.

    1. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Mine left me because of my FF addiction..

      In my defense though I have Carvajal, Stones, Granqvist, Godin and Lovren

      1. Paddy Gooner
        • 8 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        I thought you weren't even playing Optimus ???

  6. QuintonFortune25
    • 7 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    I'm chasing a lead in my cash mini league and just seen that he's put Isco as captain for today. I also have Isco captain for today but could change to Modric, Subasic or Carvajal (of which he has none of), what do you reckon? Worth noting my back up captain options are Lukaku and Kane but my rival also has them.

    1. Fishy-o
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      How many points are you behind?

      1. QuintonFortune25
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        14

        1. Fishy-o
          • 7 Years
          5 years, 9 months ago

          I’d go with Isco. Plenty of games to catch him and if Isco bags a few you could be even further behind

          1. QuintonFortune25
            • 7 Years
            5 years, 9 months ago

            Cheers for your help

    2. Kun Tozser
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Go Modric

      Chances are you’ll both go Lukaku then Kane so at least try a diff

      1. QuintonFortune25
        • 7 Years
        5 years, 9 months ago

        Yeah good point thanks

  7. Tubayyeb
    • 12 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    1. Pavard (C) - 12
    2. Isco
    3. Lukaku
    4. Kane

    Leading my mini money league by 30 points... Stick or Twist?

    1. QuintonFortune25
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Twist, one of those surely to get more than just 1 goal

    2. It’s gonna Ben Mee
      • 10 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Stick

    3. Paddy Gooner
      • 8 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Stick. Money League, ahead by 30 ... sounds like a nobrainer.

    4. Camzy
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Twist. 6 points isn't really stick material. 8+

    5. doublyG
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 11 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      I'd stick. I think I've had good picks through the tournament and my highest pointer each round has been 10, 9, 7. Games are now harder. Not THAT much to gain on safe 6 for a big added risk

  8. Where dahoud at
    • 6 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    pick 1

    a. jesus
    b. neymar
    c. suarez
    d. mbappe
    e. griezeman

    1. Flying Nugget
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Neymar, getting sharper with each game

    2. QuintonFortune25
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      For what? Next round?

  9. Paddy Gooner
    • 8 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    d.

    1. Optimus.
      • 13 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Still haven't found that reply button? 😉

    2. Syd.
      • 14 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      Sounds like my school exam grades

    3. Fishy-o
      • 7 Years
      5 years, 9 months ago

      For dopey?

  10. Abusement Park
    • 9 Years
    5 years, 9 months ago

    1. sub in schmiechel for muslera?

    2. Captain Costa, Isco, Carvajal or Mordric