COLUMNIST JOHN HOLMES
The time is now
By
John Holmes : 04/10/2007 :
Comments (9) :
If Everton fail to get the desired result tonight there can be no excuses. It won't cost Moyes his job tomorrow (and shouldn't, just about), but if it is coupled with an average league campaign and disappointing runs in the domestic cups then the pressure will be on come the start of next season.
Everton isn't just Moyes, though, and this game matters for our pride. The opposition are eminently beatable. In the shame of our Goodison performance it wasn't noted much just how little advantage they took of our shambolic tactics or the fact that despite them we should have won the game once through our remaining superiority and twice through their ill-discipline in the penalty area. The fact we failed to do so was shameful but it at least suggests that, with two defenders banned, they should not be difficult to break down further in tonight's game.
Moyes and his troops need to show the solidity and patience on which their success has been built. The calmer build up play we've witnessed in the first halves of recent games needs to be repeated and the defensive ranks need to be tight.
If we make it through to the next round, the week including the Goodison leg can be written off as a bad job and our season move on with an extremely positive grounding and possibly just one more game before we get a proper central midfield. Things would start to look extremely bright.
If we fail to progress the whole thing could implode as the fans turn on the manager and the players look at the wreckage of what they spent all last season working for being turned into a humiliation... again.
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There’s a saying, "individuals score points but teams win matches.." and tonight - that’s what we need. Inspirational individual displays and a few goals coupled with an outstanding team performance to see us through.
I for one would be disappointed with anything but a win, and a comprehensive one at that!!! C’mon you Blues.....
At least we have these sort of games to look forward to rather than playing in the 2nd round of the carling cup..
Moyes got us here and he also had to keep us here..
Its a big night for him and we have to succeed, you can sense the fans will turn on him if we dont win tonight...
We desperately need more european experience at this level and a platform of the group stages of the uefa is worth its weight in gold..
Not to panic !!!
That has to be the message to the players tonight. If we play our correct game we will score, and then they need to chase us. I would opt for a 4-5-1 formation and keep it tight, we wouldnt give them a sniff, we would utilise our players better and we would be very likely to get a goal. Dont forget they are missing 2 of their 1st team as they were red carded at Goodison.
Nothing but a win would be acceptable tonight, and whilst I wouldnt call Moyes, as I do think hes done a great job, I would accuse him of totally wrong tactics in the 1st leg.
Blues Forever !!!!!!
come on everton,forget the dire performance against them a couple of weeks ago,a lot of players let themselves down that night and im sure they will be keen to put that right tonight and put on a performance to make us all proud.in moyes we trust.lets all believe in the team and tune in and roar them to victory.best wishes.
OF COURSE IT WONT BE EASY OVER THERE. A REPEAT OF THE CAPITULATION IN BUCHAREST SEEMS UNLIKELY EVEN IF WE ARE BACK IN THE SAME AREA OF EUROPE. WE KNOW THE OPPOSTION BETTER AFTER THE FIRST GAME AND DESPITE THEM PROVING THEY ARE NO PUSHOVERS I AM CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN GET SOMETHING OVER THERE. ONCE THAT OBJECTIVE IS DONE ITS INTO THE GROUP STAGES AND WHO KNOWS? IN THE EVENT THAT I SHOULD RETURN IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND MY, YOUR, THIS CLUB HAS BEEN ELIMINATED FROM EUROPE THEN I WILL ACCEPT IT. WONT BE PLEASED OF COURSE BECAUSE THAT ONLY LEAVES THE LEAGUE (CUP) AND FA CUP. IF WE CAN (AND SHOULD) GET THROUGH TONIGHT I BELIEVE WE CAN DO SOMETHING THIS SEASON. I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER BEING AT THE OLD OXFORD STADIUM IN EARLY 1984. THEN ADRIAN SCORES, WE WIN THE REPLAY AND THE NEXT THREE YEARS WERE HISTORY. (QUITE LITERALLY) . LETS HOPE TONIGHTS FARE ON CHANNEL FIVE TURNS OUT BETTER THAN TWO WEEKS AGO. I DONT THINK I COULD GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN.
If ever a game needed to be played on the floor(and not hoofball)it’s tonight.Can we do this?Well on this season’s football,the answer would have to be no.Maybe they will suprise us with silky,fast,one touch football.Hang on a mo,thought I just saw a pig fly past the window.Agree with you Chris,if it’s for this one game only,we all need to get behind the lads and Moyes.
1-0 Metalist, could have been more. This looks oh so promising.
Is it me, or has Jagielka had his legs tied together ?????
We should play 3 at the back in the second half, Jags Stubbs and Yobo, with Lescott and Neville as wing backs so we can have more of the ball in midfield.
Moyes MUST change the tactics this half or we’re effed.
DEPRESSING !!!!
Half-time. Obvious Moyes mistakes so far: Jagielka for Carsley (Carsley the best holding midfielder we have); Stubbs playing (we have to play too deep); Baines not on (no outlet from defence); Osman, Pienaar and Arteta (obviously too light in midfield). Maybe we can rescue this, but we are being completely outplayed.
Got out of jail!!! Too light in midfield. Give big Vic a run of games,he wears the blue shirt with pride
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1 Posted 04/10/2007 at 15:51:28
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I for one would be disappointed with anything but a win, and a comprehensive one at that!!! C’mon you Blues.....