Coleman close to new Everton deal

Last season his crosses were poor, this season much better IMO.
He doesn't get torched defensively near as much.
I think he's not near as "head down" as he was when he started.
He's a no-nonsense, no-trouble kinda kid.
I've never seen him not give 100%.
He was a steal by Moyes and very, very cheap to acquire.

Well done Everton, well done Seamus.

I'd love to see Barkley play on the right, infront of Coleman, with the option to roam a little, I reckon that could be something worth trying while Mirallas is out.

He could develop to one of the best right backs in the league.

Anybody who thinks he could be "one of the best right backs in the league" or a "cracking right back" for the "next decade" doesn't have blue-tinted glasses -- he has mirrored sunglasses, with the white cane to go with them. As plenty of opposing left wingers can happily attest, Coleman is a ball-watching, positionally brainless defender whose future, if he has one, is at right mid.

I think he's improving in small degrees all the time and if he can just keep his natural enthusiasm and impetuousness in check he could develop into a pretty decent player for us long-term. Certainly I would want to see him in an extended run of games at right back - perhaps between now and the end of the season - before serving judgement on him there. I'm confident he'll end up surprising a few yet.

Good luck to the lad and I hope his contract talks go well.

Too early to be sure either way but I think he's improving defensively and could be a top right back for us.

He is woeful as s winger, but attacking from deep he's a genuine threat. I have to disagree with the headless chicken quote when he's at the back.

Yes he needs to improve his defensive game, and I think he'll do that over the next two years. After that I reckon we'll have a strong all round fullback for the next five years.

Everybody talks about Coleman's defensive limitations and here I agree that good old Hibbo is better, but I don't think Coleman is much worse than Baines. Baines gets away because he has a very hard-working Pienaar in front of him, whereas Coleman has usually Mirallas in front of him who goes missing with his defensive duties. (Also imagine if it had been Coleman instead of Baines who let the own goal in in the derby, he would have been slaughtered).

As Steve King says above, when he had Mirallas in front of him our right hand side was nearly as potent as our left. He is relatively young and he will learn.....unfortunately, he will learn the hard way by making mistakes, which will be picked apart by all of us "experts" on here.

Hibbert used to take all the rap from fans but when he played very few crosses ever came from his side, a lot of the goals we conceded used to be from balls in from our left side. Its got to the point where I think some fans will just criticise anyone who they don't consider a big name. Hibbert is positionally perfect, great at one on ones and can tackle, so he naturally got slaughtered for not being the best at going forward. Coleman is good at going forward, can tackle well but is a bit naive defensivley, he naturally has been slaughtered for not defending. Meanwhile Fellaini misses sitters and butts people, Mirallas doesn't defend and is greedy whilst Baines doesn't really do any defending yet not a word is said against them. Would anyone except Dani Alves playing at RB suffice for some people? Anyone playing there is obviously going to suffer in direct comparison to Baines who could lay a claim to being one of the best left backs in Europe and Everton's history.

You know the modern day fullback now, have to attack and defend. Name better right backs going forward than Coleman right now? I can only maybe think of 5 at the moment.

Yeah we all know he can't defend too well, but the last two games have proved he's capable. And he's a late bloomer, you're telling if Coleman gets as good as defending as Baines then you lot won't tell he won't be one of the best? Baines is not even a good defender!!

And Ben...'Baines is not even a good defender'...really? please name some left backs in this league who are better at defending(apart from Cashley). A bizzare statement to make.
Evra has made a serious of high profile mistakes over the last 12-18 months...Clichy was shit for his last two seasons at Arsenal, and has been good but not great for City...Enrique..well, enough said. Ekotto? Ben Davies? Risse? Gibbs? not one of them compares to Baines imo.

For all of those right backs you name, I would only class Walker as being a very good right back.

I don't rate Sagna.
Ivanovic's goal threat comes from corners. He is a centre half playing right back, a bit like when we had Lescott at left back. He can do a job, but no more.

Rafael, Johnson, Angel and Maicon I would rate as good, but funnily enough they all have doubts about their natural defensive ability/positioning etc.

I don't think Coleman is doing too bad when compared to that list...

I'm going to buy a season ticket next to the moaners next season, to learn where I'm going wrong. On second thoughts...

I'm not that interested in a list with Baines, I know people like Jordi Alba who is considered one of the best, but isn't actually that good at the defending. Baines is rated so highly for his attacking skills, not his defensive ones, everyone knows that. I'm not saying he's a bad defender, but its nowhere near his attacking prowess.

With the Coleman list, fair enough with Maicon going forward, I had forgotten about him, but Sagna and Rafael aside, Coleman's at least comparable with any other right back in the league going forward. Maybe not enough credit?

I still agree with what I said, because good full backs now have to be better attacking than defending.

With respect to them individually: I think Sagna is a very accomplished right back, in terms of defense and attack, who has looked far worse than previous seasons because Wenger put him back in too quickly after injury. Johnson has well documented defensive issues, Rafael has positional issues and just swtiches off, and, like Maicon, is...well stereotypically Brazilian! I think Rangel is pretty competent, and whilst Ivanovic has the stature of a centre back, he has spent chunks of his career at right back, and gives a decent threat beyond purely set pieces. Interestingly several of them took a while to make the right back roles their own in the premier league, which I suppose suggests the difficulties of finding the balance between defense and attack in the full back position? as mentioned, Coleman is a special case, because whilst he has made 67 appearances for us, how many have been at right back? An extended spell now, well test to what extent he can improve, and find the defensive/offensive balance.

I think improvement is often the thing which determines the genuine class of a player...I remember a few seasons ago, Harry was about to loan Bale out to the Championship, until injuries gave him a run in the team...I suppose that illustrates that training is not necessarily always a barometer for match ability, and that some players improve very quickly, whilst offers remain relatively stagnant. Probaly the reason for so many world beaters at 16, disappearing off the map by the time they hit early twenties(Rodwell). I genuinely think though, that Coleman will be the equivalent of Osman for us. A very good, but not great player, and one who will look a snip long term given his transfer fee. And annoying for him perhaps, and indeed for Hibbert, they will always be considered in comparison to Baines, who has been one of the consistently best full backs in the league over an extended period and arguably the best full back over the last two seasons,

Gavin, its not at least half now is it? It used to be, but think of the modern day great fullbacks, how many are considered great because of their defensive ability?

People like Roberto Carlos, Lizarazu, Lahm etc were great going forward, and decent defensively (debatable with some). If people looked at defensive ability, then Hibbert would get far more credit.

And only as a full back. As a right midfield he is simply not good enough and will never be.

I hope he will develop defensively and the last few games he has been ok.

However I think he is highly overrated going forward as a full back. His passing is poor, his crossing is poor and he is constantly making the wrong decisions. In my humble opinion he has simply not got the talent or the skills to be a full back in a top 5 pl team.

I like his commitment and passion and we all just have to manage our expectations. And lastly he us 24 and not a teenager anymore.

Id say his progression has been marvellous. He also seems, and this may be one of the reasons he will go on improving, mentally incredibly strong.

Coleman has had first prolonged run in the side in a position that is relentless in terms of your errors being exposed. Learning at the sharp end and getting done, making mistakes he was beginning to struggle, needed a break and has come back refreshed.

This boneheaded, "full back should be able to defend" just doesnt take into account the development of a footballer.

Many full backs are converted midfielders or even strikers(Ashley Cole was wasnt he?) who learn to defend, improve their positional play and decision making as they get older. They've been coached and understand the game better. And, this is an important point, they have come through the system at cubs in the Prem or lower divisions here.

Rafael at Utd is improving all the time for me, cracking player. Being honest Glenn Johnson is better than he has ever been at 29 and has matured into a very good player after years of defensive issues. Although if was paying £18m for a right back I might have wanted him to get that shit out of the way before he was 29!! Similarly Andy Hinchcliffe had major defensive issues early in his career and matured into an England player in his late 20's, blossoming under a manager who understood his qualities, gave him confidence and improved him defensively.

The top full backs develop both aspects of their play earlier I suppose. And this doesnt have much to do with anything but Ive just remembered Nobby Solano used to play right back for Peru!!!

But I make the point to highlight that if you have an intelligent footballer it is probably easier to coach the defensive aspects of the game than the attacking aspects, id say. You cant really coach vision and awareness, an area Coleman struggled when playing in mid, tight situations. But in a different role, coming onto the play from deeper he is much more effective.

Now, from an attacking perspective Coleman needs to improve his decision making in the final third, no doubt. However with good coaching at domestic and international level and consistent exposure to that standard of football, I would suggest we could have a cracking full back on our hands by the time he is 26/27,and getting toward being the finished article, which he is nowhere near being yet.

He is pacey, direct, tenacious, aggressive has a cracking attitude and seems mentally strong. It is worth waiting to see if he can learn the necessary defensive aspects of the game and add a little quality in the last third.

And if he doesnt........ at 60k, 3rd season in the Prem he should be proud of himself, what he has achieved so far and continues to.

Shankly built a footballing dynasty on lads like Seamus, some flaws but worth persevering.

C'mon Seamus you wholehearted dynamo put a smile on your face, have belief and prove the critics wrong.

He is a good premiership RB and a very good right sided attacking player.

He cost pretty much nothing and would run his bollocks off for the club so i'm backing him all the way

He is nowhere near perfect but i'm happy he is one of us

On our left flank we have a combination of a left and right footed players which is very effective.
Why not get Coleman and Mirales/Oviedo practising the same on the right flank?