Holgate, Your Views

Hi Everyone

I'm from Barnsley but support Everton. I run a website named ToffeeMen, which is mainly created to follow Everton U18s, U21s, Ladies and also Official News from the club.

I want to make an article based on your (Barnsley fans) opinions on Mason Holgate and post it on our homepage. I would really appreciate if you could spare a second for this by answering the following

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- There has been a lot of speculation about Mason Holgate, do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)?

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more?

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?)

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley?

Thank you in advance!

 

- do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)?

Yes, but maybe as a full back rather than centre half. Not ready yet, handle him with care as you did Stonesy.

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more?

It's undisclosed, so how can we tell, but it appears we have learnt our lesson from the JS deal.

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?)

He's not as good as Stones from what he's shown at Barnsley. It took me 1 game to realise how much better than every other player on the pitch JS was, Holgate is good, but not to that extent.

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley?

Some other kid from our Academy production line no doubt.

 

Answers in bold

 

- There has been a lot of speculation about Mason Holgate, do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)? In the future if he knuckles down. Very skillful and cool, but not yet the finished article. He made a few seasoned Pro's look very average last year, but a few did the same to him on occasion.

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more? We have grown very fond of "undisclosed" but in this instance it seems we haven't been mugged.

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?) Only if he knuckles down, but the general concensus is that he is not quite on a par with St John. Progress will be hampered if he keeps having his head turned by dodgy agent.

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley? HArry Potter. Failing that, we have a steady production line of academy talent and I am sure you will come knocking again in the near future

All the best

 

You've got a player with huge potential but he needs alot of work. He's not ready for the PL yet but if he knuckles down and is managed properly you will have a great player.

As we don't actually know the proper fee received im not too sure. If it's 2 million in total then great! But any less than that and I would be really disappointed.

No, John Stones was miles infront of Holgate. Stones looked like a 30yr old pro with 400 games on his CV, he was our stand out player. Holgate on the other hand didn't particularly stand out for me, he just looked a good league one player... When you take his age into consideration though, that's pretty impressive.

We've got another young Barnsley lad, James bree who was playing in Holgates position regularly before he sustained a back injury. Or was only when he got injured we put Holgate there. For me, Bree is a far more exciting prospect than Holgate is.

 

I'm from Barnsley but support Everton - stopped reading at that point....

 

- he's an accomplished player for his age. Think he'll need a bit of development to play in your 1st team though.

- if it's £2m in total I'd say it's about right.

- Stones is world class, Holgate isn't, but that's nowt to be ashamed of. Holgate will develop into a decent player.

- James Bree, who our academy reckon is the best we've produced. And he's looked good so far when played in 1st team (even at just 16). So see you next year when you come to buy him.

 

- There has been a lot of speculation about Mason Holgate, do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)?

Can see him breaking into the first team.in next two seasons

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more?

Hard to say as its undisclosed but we have got a better deal than we did stones

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?)

No I dont think he has the ability to be as good as stones but he may prove me wrong

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley?

A young lad named james bree a year younger than holgate but has the potential to be even better see you in a few years for him.

 

chuckle, was going to type that missen but thought it wouldn't go down well, bloody wish i had nar

 

I'm from Thorp Arch and grew up in Knaresborough, but support Barnsley. Anywhere I can go to be mocked?

 

- There has been a lot of speculation about Mason Holgate, do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)?

If Tony Hibbert is still an option at right back then yes, I think Mason stands a chance already.

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more?

We accepted your bid over Bournemouth's, rumoured to be over £1,000,000 and have a sell on clause inserted. Yes, I think I'm satisfied with that.

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?)

Impossible to say without a crystal ball, but I would suggest it's unlikely because lads like Stonesy don't come around very often. I hope he's at least half as good and we get lots of money off Everton for both lads in the next few years.

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley?

Holgate replaced James Bree (injured last season), and I think James would have been ahead of him this season too, so that's the answer to that. Most of us feel Bree is the better prospect. Perhaps you'll be back for him in a year or two?

 

join me mate

 

Can I ask how you've ended up supporting Everton? I get that loads of youngsters these days end up following Man Utd, Chelsea, Man City etc no matter the town of their birth and/or residence, but Everton's a bit left-field.

 

We've robbed you at anything over a million

It's one all mind after giving away john stones to you.

He's a decent player but not yet ready, let's face facts he was just about ok in league one

 

Same.

"Hi, I'm from Barnsley but support Real Madrid. Can you answer some questions about how you feel now my big club has taken a player for buttons from my hometown club? Hala Madrid!"

 

- There has been a lot of speculation about Mason Holgate, do you think he could an Everton first team player in the future (or even now)?
I'm not sure, he's got potential so if he works hard then he should break through. I wouldn't say he is there now though.

- Are you happy with the money you got for Holgate, or do you think Barnsley should have asked for more?
If we got 1 million+ with add ons then yeah, especially as he wanted to leave anyway.

- Does he have the potential to get to the current ability of John Stones (better/worse?)
I doubt it, Stones is possible future England captain, I wouldn't go that far at all with Holgate.

- Who will replace Holgate at Barnsley?
James Bree, who I would definitely say is better than Holgate despite being younger. Although, saying that, it was more like Holgate was replacing Bree (due to injury) than the other way around. I'd have felt much more robbed had you just bought Bree.

 

A mate of mine was going to buy his son a Reds shirt, but there was an Everton shirt in the sale, so he was a bit of a skinflint and bought him that instead, only for said son to annoyingly grow up supporting Everton, rather than the Super Reds. Dad has regretted those few saved pounds ever since. Wonder if this is the chap?

In answer to your questions though, I can't see Holgate making your first team squad this season and it may even be the season after next before you see him come through, if at all. He's a good player and with some good coaching could very well become a Premiership regular, but he's some way off Stones. This is no way a criticism of Holgate though, because Stones was clearly a special talent from his very first games in a Reds shirt. Part of the Reds crowd were getting very excited about Stones and saying he was a future England star, whilst the rest of the Reds fans were telling us not to get carried away. Gradually the former group started to far outweigh the latter! But Stones is possibly the best young England defender for decades, so it would be unfair to start comparing any young player to him.

As for the fee, who knows? A million pounds and add ons would be perfectly fair, but after the circus created by his agent I think most Reds fans simply wanted an end to the saga, so we're not too worried about the exact fee, we just want to move on, and if the fee allows us to bring in the last few players we need (a couple of full backs and a striker) then great!

As for who will replace him, it wouldn't have been guaranteed he would have been a starter if he had stayed. We're playing 5 across the back with wing backs and have three solid centre backs who are performing well. At right wing back we have our best young player, James Bree, who was injured for most of last season, hence Holgate getting his chance. If Bree stays fit and carries on improving, expect to see the vultures circling by January. Lets just hope he doesn't share an agent with Holgate!

Good luck to Everton this season though. I have a lot of time for Martinez and Everton play football the right way. They also seem to be a great community club. Of course, with Stones going there and doing well they've become a lot of Reds fans' favourite Premiership club. Can't say we'd say the same about Chelsea though, if Stones goes there.

 

Support Leeds yer *******

 

Born a stones throw from their training ground.