ToffeeWeb Mail Bag

Are ALL Goalkeepers mad?

14/03/2010 00:31:06

Some of our younger fans will not have heard ths but there used to be a theme running along the lines that all Goalies were crackers.

From Gordon West with his handbag to Big Nev staging a halftime sit in against the post in protest at how poor we were that day.

Well, I saw it first hand today...

The Yak, Big Vic and Tiger Tim all go off and Tim Howard starts hoofing the ball up the pitch... To who?... FFS How much is he on?? Professional? Footballer?

You couldn't make it up.

But to make matters worse then Jags starts it.

I would like to know who the imaginary "Peter Crouch" was that they were hoofing it to!!

A match we should have won in a canter and didn't because we've lost our MoJo.

We CANNOT keep clean sheets because we keep inviting pressure!!

IMO, Howard has a lot to do with this because he's a "panic" merchant and lives on his nerves.

Excellent shot stopper, very good reactions (usually!!) but does not keep a defence calm and certainly does not command his area.

The first two positions on my list for Summer shopping are goalkeeper and centre-forward (and yes, Crouch would be good). (Jay Harris)

Two up and cruising...

14/03/2010 00:31:06

I can't put into words how gutted I am with that result.

Two up, we were cruising. We looked fucking awesome. And we end up taking what can only be considered a deserved point out of the game.

We threw it away due to playing the ball backwards, and going route one. The whole midfield needs a good bollocking there, they undid all their good football by losing concentration in the second half.

Brum had much more fight than us, and ended up getting a point nobody could argue with. Very very disappointed. (Dan Brierley)

The Line-Up v Brum

14/03/2010 00:31:06

Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Bowyer, Fahey, Jerome, Benitez.

Subs: Taylor, Larsson, Phillips, McFadden, Michel, Queudrue, Tainio.

Everton: Howard, Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Anichebe, Heitinga, Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill, Yakubu.

Subs: Nash, Hibbert, Yobo, Bilyaletdinov, Donovan, Gosling, Rodwell.

Referee: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) (Gerry Quinn)

Come On You Bellew

14/03/2010 00:31:06

Good luck to Tony Bellew who fights later tonight for the Commonwealth light-heavy title at the Echo arena. Tony (who apparently will be led into the ring tonight by John Conteh) is a fanatical Evertonian who dreams of fighting for the world title inside a packed Goodison Park. I couldn't make tonight but would love to see him fight at Goodison. (Eugene Ruane)

Which Everton will show up tomorrow?

14/03/2010 00:31:06

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's game. But I am wondering which Everton will show up. Our season has been consistently inconsistent as we'll turn in a cracking performance / result and follow it with a woeful one. Notably away from in recent weeks.

Hull gave us the freedom of Goodison last weekend and we picked them off. Teams like Chelsea, Arsenal (away) and Man U arguably gave us sufficient space to play and we got good results. However, what I have noted is that, when teams press up on us and harry us, we look far less effective. <:P>Birmingham have done it twice this season, Liverpool kicked us around Anfield and even Sporting Lisbon got in amongst us and won the midfield battle in Lisbon...

So, will we have enough to see off Birmingham, or will we be ground down in a dour battle? (Andy Morden)

Is it just me.......

14/03/2010 00:31:06

....or does anyone else find it a little embarrassing that every time we win a big game, Everton release a DVD of it?

Why are the wins over Chelsea and Man Utd granted this status? It's bad enough it happens after every derby win.

Whatever next... relive the magic of the Burnley home win? It makes Everton look very small time in my opinion. (Chris Williams)

Vaughan on loan

14/03/2010 00:31:06

Suprised to see JV going out on loan at this stage in the season, even if its only for one month.

With Donovan playing his last game at the weekend and Yakubu and Anchiebe looking out of sorts at the moment, plus Cahill's injury and Saha's fragility, I would have thought that ironically this would be the time that Vaughan would be essential to either start games or be on the bench as an impact substitute if required. Just don't understand the rationale about sending him out on loan now... (Alun Jones)

Are you Superstitious......?

14/03/2010 00:31:06

I was pondering Brendan O'Doherty's post the other night on Francis Porters "The tide is Turning...." mailbag thread...

"David, could be just the Chardonnay,but 1891,1915,1939,1963,1987.......2011." and it got me thinking....

Was Brendan alluding to the fact that if you add a 4 onto the last digit of each consecutive title winning season then you'd get the next?

If so this would be misleading - so I must be wrong about that - as 3 of the title winning years are ommited, the real sequence is as we know is....

1891, 1915, 1928, 1932, 1939, 1963, 1970, 1985 and 1987...

So, if I've got this right, the real sequence is 4, 3, 4, 7, 4, 7, 5, 2 or in real terms 24, 13, 4, 7, 24, 7, 15 and 2 - so no real correlation.

Or is there....

We have never gone more than 24 years — if I'm right — and not won a league title. This has nearly happened twice but was averted in 1915 and 1963.

If we don't win the title next season we will have gone more the 24 years without a championship title — for the very first time in our history.

However... wait for it... wait for it.....

There was 48 years between the two seasons when we last broke the 24-year hoodoo, 1915 and 1963....

Add another 48 years on to find the next time we will break the ..... oh my God..... OH MY GOD!?!?

24-year hoodoo...

It's 2011!!!!

Put your house on it lads! The trophy's coming home.....!!!!! (Mike Green)

Billionaire needed! So look at today's news, Bill

14/03/2010 00:31:06

Bill and his mates are apparently looking hard for a billionaire. Well here is a list of people for you to contact courtesy of the latest Forbes magazine Billionaire list:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8560731.stm (Craig Taylor)

Jermaine Beckford

14/03/2010 00:31:06

I guess that this is probably more suited to the Rumour Mill, but here goes...

A close work colleague of mine is very good friends with the goalkeeping coach at a Championship club nearby to where we work in Sheffield. He just happened to mention this morning that his mate had told him that we have definitely signed Beckford from Leeds and he will join us during the close season.

Apparently it's common knowledge in football circles. Kind of fits in with the Vaughan to Leicester rumours as well? (Mike Southworth)