Everton teammate James Tarkowski a ‘fantastic player’ Conor Coady
Conor Coady has termed his Everton teammate James Tarkowski a “fantastic player” and claims it is one of the primary reasons for their success as a centre-back pair.
The duo has been influential for the Toffees in the early phase of the season where the side have managed to secure seven points from as many matches.
Coady, while talking to Sportsmail, heaped praise on Tarkowski and stated that it is a “pleasure” to play alongside the former Burnley defender.
“He [Tarkowski] is a fantastic player,’ he said. “He is someone I have known throughout my time in football.
“We are similar in age; I have played against him a lot when he was at Burnley. I knew before going to Everton how good a defender he was.
“But I also learned what a fantastic person he is, someone who is outstanding for the dressing room and the club. He is a real pleasure to be around.
“I enjoy playing with him and spending time with him every day. He is a fantastic footballer as well. We keep on pushing each other as much as we possibly can.”
Crucial
Everton had a horrid campaign last time around where they had to fight it out to stay in the top-flight football for another season.
One of the reasons for the Toffees’ struggle last year was the lack of defensive solidity as they conceded 66 goals, fifth-most out of all the 20 teams in the league competition.
It was therefore pivotal for Frank Lampard to find a solution for that problem and that’s exactly what he did as he signed two of the most underrated centre-backs in the league in Coady and Tarkowski.
The duo has been phenomenal at the back and that’s something that has been extremely beneficial for the side, at least in the early phase of the campaign where they are definitely much harder to beat than the 2021-22 season.
The fans will be hoping that the star duo will be able to continue performing in a similar manner and help the side, not only in avoiding the drop but also in finishing in the top half of the table.