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Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:14 am
by Kerryblueboy
I respect what he has done while he has been here good defender and rarely injured but my god can’t wait for him to be gone out of the place hate this hard man shit he goes on with all the time and gets away with it a lot
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:42 am
by Bluedylan1
He's been sound for us, and mostly continues to be sound for us.
We've kept 4 clean sheets out of 5, and he's started all of them and been an important part of a very solid defence. The manager will no doubt like and trust him.
In an ideal world moving forward, he'd be happy to sit there as 3rd or 4th choice CB and come in for brief periods throughout the season to cover injuries and suspensions.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:15 am
by AjaxAndy
Think Moyes will have a word with him after that tbh... At the time it looked like a yellow to me and so felt no matter what he was never going to be sent off by VAR, but watching it back now in isolation I could see them quite easily saying it's violent conduct.
On one hand these things disrupt the player targeted and it's probably pretty effective, but also we're down to the bare bones and risking a red could end up being pretty impactful on multiple games if he got sent off and banned.
I've complained for years we're too nice so I don't mind players adopting some of the darker arts but there's a limit and with this and the Gana incident it does suggest a bit of a lack of discipline within the squad.
Get in the ref's face, appeal for any potential penalty, make tactical fouls to break up a counter, etc... all things other teams do that we haven't necessarily done ourselves, but also a line needs to be drawn that players don't cross.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 10:54 am
by Bumble
Thought the replay made it look worse as the lad was moving backwards at the same time so he got a bit of whiplash which flung him to the floor. To be fair he did try and land one on Tarky just before that so a shoulder barge in the back to mark his card isn't the worst thing in the world.
He's been playing reasonably well lately and is always at the front for a ruck whenever his team mates are having some aggro, which is what you want from a captain. He is always in the ref's ear too. I don't mind it, we have been a soft touch for far too long. It'd be nice if others stood up for themselves like he does too.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 11:18 am
by Toddacelli
I’ve liked him a long time, even when he was still at Burnley. He has dropped off this season though, nowhere near the player he has been.
This on for me is a bit of a glitch. Stupid, reprehensible and could have cost us, but not the norm for the lad.
I also don’t get on with this ‘jarg hard man’ tag he gets a lot. As a big CB myself I too would always be in the mix if it went off, but purely because I felt protective of my teammates, never trying to build a reputation or whatever the jarg hard man thing is supposed to mean. And I see Tarkowski in the same way. He’s a protector. Don’t some of them call him uncle or granddad or something?
I just think he’s looking out for his teammates, most of whom are younger and/or smaller.
So it was a stupid incident, but I think the manager would have give him both barrels for it and lesson learned, move on.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 11:58 am
by blueforyou
"And you can put that red card back in your ******* pocket"
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:20 pm
by Sir Stealth
To be fair to Tark, after that incident Ndoye seemed scared to challenge for anything with him
Though a criticism would be he only does this to the slimy horrible diving players who he knows he would beat in a fight , he never tries it on anyone even remotely hard
Pick on someone your own size!
Or even better don’t put yourself at risk of a yellow or red card!
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:21 pm
by Goaljira
Its the needless involvement for me. There was no need to do this at all. There is no need for him to get into wrestling matches in the opposition box that just gives them a free kick.
Lead by example.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:23 pm
by superpull
"we're too nice as a team, we need to be tougher and dirtier. Stop being respectful"
"Not like that" as we clutch our pearls
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 3:29 pm
by Bluebridge
Sir Stealth wrote: ↑Tue Dec 09, 2025 12:20 pm
To be fair to Tark, after that incident Ndoye seemed scared to challenge for anything with him
Though a criticism would be he only does this to the slimy horrible diving players who he knows he would beat in a fight , he never tries it on anyone even remotely hard
Pick on someone your own size!
Or even better don’t put yourself at risk of a yellow or red card!
Totally agree with the Ndoye comment, he was scared shitless afterwards, and I think that was the whole idea, it was old school and was lucky to get away with it, I think the fact Ndoye was holding his face was the reason for no card. I’m old school too and brought up with that mentality, so no problems with him, but it was a bit too obvious.
As for only doing this to people he could beat, he’s gone head to head with the bigger lads too, like Van Dick etc.
what goes on in the opposition box I would say he’s more the victim half the time.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 6:04 pm
by Matt1878
How many times has he been sent off in his career?
As a forward at any level will tell you, there are certain centerbacks you look forward to playing against and ones you certainly dont. If Tarks is in the latter camp, all the better for us, imo.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:28 pm
by brap2
I would be the first to castigate him if he got sent off for it but tbh I like a side to have a bit of that about them. Especially your big ugly CB. These days some of these forwards just will not know how to handle it and tbh I think we see it fairly often. He puts someone in the air, gets away with it and the attacker fades out the game with a titty lip.
He's an excellent defender who knows his role very very well, and the edge he brings benefits him and us massively.
Will 100% call him a knob head when he inevitably gets collared for it and we lose.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 7:49 pm
by Nicco
Toddacelli wrote: ↑Tue Dec 09, 2025 11:18 am
I’ve liked him a long time, even when he was still at Burnley. He has dropped off this season though, nowhere near the player he has been.
This on for me is a bit of a glitch. Stupid, reprehensible and could have cost us, but not the norm for the lad.
I also don’t get on with this ‘jarg hard man’ tag he gets a lot. As a big CB myself I too would always be in the mix if it went off, but purely because I felt protective of my teammates, never trying to build a reputation or whatever the jarg hard man thing is supposed to mean. And I see Tarkowski in the same way. He’s a protector. Don’t some of them call him uncle or granddad or something?
I just think he’s looking out for his teammates, most of whom are younger and/or smaller.
So it was a stupid incident, but I think the manager would have give him both barrels for it and lesson learned, move on.
He told Barry he had his back after some incident just minutes before Barry got substituted.
So yeah, looking after his teammates.
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:25 pm
by 777Kidnappings
We have a weird disloyal fanbase to many of our squad. Hes the captain. 1 of the reasons we are still a premier league club. We have 4 clean sheets in 5 games. Last time he was sent of was about a decade ago and hes a yard dog and we cant wait for him to go.
I think to our fanbase half our players represent our decline and half represent where we should be and its not particularly based on what they've done here. Tarkowski will always be talked down because he came from Burnley
Re: James Tarkowski
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:52 pm
by Deano Blue Boy
777Kidnappings wrote: ↑Tue Dec 09, 2025 9:25 pm
We have a weird disloyal fanbase to many of our squad. Hes the captain. 1 of the reasons we are still a premier league club. We have 4 clean sheets in 5 games. Last time he was sent of was about a decade ago and hes a yard dog and we cant wait for him to go.
I think to our fanbase half our players represent our decline and half represent where we should be and its not particularly based on what they've done here. Tarkowski will always be talked down because he came from Burnley
Sack Tarkowski for being unloyal, disloyal. And for joining in fun in a way that excludes his employer.
I agree. Its like we have to find something to moan about. Best position we've been for ages, yet we are pulling down a player that has been very steady for us.