19/01/2025 9comments  |  Jump to last

Jake O'Brien has been speaking ahead of today’s game with Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park this afternoon: “I think I need to start playing more.  I knew it wouldn’t be easy to play games, but I thought I would have played a lot more than I did.

"But I suppose it’s only been half a season and there is another half of the season to go and I think I could play my part in this half the season and start getting more game time. It’s been a frustrating 6 months, but I think the next half of the season is important for me to start getting games.

“I just thought in terms of just coming here, just for the family and everything, it’s close to home. It’s just a great club. I know there’s a lack of game time, but I don’t regret coming here. There’s still a lot of time to show what I’m about.”

There was a small sign from David Moyes last week that O'Brien could see more game time than he did under Sean Dyche, who overlooked the young Irish giant in favour of his established defenders — even when they were struggling with their fitness. 

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Under Dyche, O'Brien spent every single Premier League game in the first half of the season on the substitutes bench – except for short spells on the field in the second half of games at Aston Villa in September, and Man Utd in December. Moyes at least brought him on in his first game last week. 

“I've played for a lot of managers and they have all been different and they have looked for different things in players, so I hope David Moyes will see what kind of player I am, and hopefully it is the player he wants to play.

“I think a lot of people just see my size and think, ‘he is just a no-nonsense centre half’. It is probably the opposite, I like to play good football and I like to play possession football, to start attacks from the back, but then chipping in and scoring – defending as well, which is the main part of my game.

“It’s been very positive [the arrival of Moyes]. I think he just wants to start playing more, get a bit more possession. It’s all been positive and there’s not been a whole lot of change because he’s only been here a week, but you can see his ideas in training that he’s trying to implement.

“I just can’t see us going down. Last season we were in this kind of situation, but I think it’s more about us looking up the table and knowing we have the squad to get points. I think we’re better than a lot of teams around us, so I think it’s just about getting a few points on the board and pushing up.”

Quotes sourced from Liverpool Echo

Reader Comments (9)

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Si Pulford
1 Posted 19/01/2025 at 10:57:21
I think he’s got every chance of getting minutes. Branthwaite and Tarks have not been as solid as last year and the inevitable injuries haven’t kicked in at CB yet. Dyche obviously didn’t fancy a few players (Lindstrom, Obrien, Beto, Patterson..) which made a small squad seem even more constrained. Hopefully changes start today with Lindstrom and Patterson in.
Colin Glassar
2 Posted 19/01/2025 at 10:59:45
I’d use him in a back three with Tarkowski and Branthwaite. He looks comfortable on the ball. Patto and myko as wing-backs.
John Atkinson
3 Posted 19/01/2025 at 11:18:07
Completely agree with Colin
Si Pulford
4 Posted 19/01/2025 at 12:31:24
Good shout Colin. We’ve got to try something and if we’re persisting with Calvert Lewin we need to get balls into the box and men around DCL. Wing backs isn’t ideal but it suits the players we have better than flat back four with two defensive midfielders at home and no support for the striker.

Although Myko would need to start some extra practice sessions on crossing. He did her a few in at the end vs Villa.

Only problem is we wouldn’t want it to be a flat back five!

Michael Kenrick
5 Posted 19/01/2025 at 12:58:42
And finally he gets to start a Premier League game.

Just criminal negligence to my mind... but there we are.

Si Pulford
6 Posted 19/01/2025 at 13:04:14
Lindstrom as a right-wingback?

Another manager who doesn't rate Patterson by the looks.

Olalekan Taofik
7 Posted 19/01/2025 at 13:35:18
The guy is ready to start and play well.
Thankfully,he's starting today's game, ready to show stuffs.
Simon Harrison
8 Posted 19/01/2025 at 13:47:30
I agree Michael, whatever the reason for buying him, we have Keane leaving us in the summer, and a visibly declining Tarks this season, surely he could have been slowly introduced as the season progressed.

Not to shore up lost causes, but when we're 0-1 down and lumping long balls forward..? Or even to rest tiring legs in our classic 0-0s.

Mike Dolan
9 Posted 19/01/2025 at 14:08:00
I think Lindstrom can be a very good player for us. I was also glad to read that Moyes would like Dom to get into the six yard box a lot more and that the entire team are now spending training time practicing attacking drills.
Moysie loves Harrison Armstrong. O’Brien gets a start. All of a sudden I am hearing lots of good things.
Leadership will make the difference.

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