More pain but for how much longer?
Just back from watching the game and felt that I needed to write this just to try and alleviate some of the pain and misery I am suffering; I feel like crying, no joke. I?ve been an Everton supporter all my life but just think enough is enough. We are currently a bad advert for football and we can no longer grind out results with the attritional stuff, so something has to give. Here are my observations, so let me know if you think I?m off the mark.
The Starting Line-up
On hearing the line-up I immediately shook my head and thought ?Neville and Osman in, where?s our fucking midfield? I won?t labour the Neville in midfield argument as it?s gone on long enough, it seems that Moyes steadfast refusal to change him there doesn?t warrant exhausting any further breath. So let?s move onto a new topic: Jagielka is not suited to midfield either so wondered why the hell he was in there. I can only assume that it was by default as there wasn?t anyone else. Surely Carsley?s experience here would have been the obvious choice though. Don?t get me wrong, I think Stubbs can do a job but Yobo and Lescott has to be the way forward and leaving Baines on the bench is just a waste. It would appear that Pienaar is a more skilful player than Osman so his absence also concerned
The First Half
I have to say that I haven?t seen such an impotent, abject showing in a long time. I didn?t have the mis/fortune to see the Kharkiv games so can?t compare but felt myself shaking my head constantly at the inability of players to just pass the ball along the deck and not keep hoofing it upfield. In fact, it started to become embarrassing just how crap Everton were at the basics
I honestly thought that Liverpool would win this game at a canter and was surprised when Voronin fluffed his lines. The penny drops for Moyes with half of the first half wasted when the diminutive Osman gets put on Maschereno to slow things up. It worked but still the inability to get the ball on the deck. Neville and co giving the ball away once more until at last a lucky break with Hyppia putting into his own net. The confidence booster needed and I thought that we could then go onto win the game if the attritional football was ditched in favour of something more progressive ala Baines, McFadden on at half time
It?s no coincidence that Yakubu and Anichibie were spectators for most of the first half given the reluctance/inability to play ball to feet and just opt for route one. The refereed started to concern me towards the end of the half and the worry became fully justified much later. I found myself asking the question: ?why is it that our only player doing anything of any effectiveness is Lescott, what the fuck is going on??
The Second Half
So the second half starts and no changes from either side. I think to myself, ?if we don?t try to do something different were playing into their hands. Surely the hopeful football will be found out and can?t secure us three points over a full 90 minutes?. The introduction of McFadden and Baines soon after the kick off would have posed the opposition new questions and put them on the back foot. But no, more punts upfield, more pressure invited in and around our box and bang a loose ball, Gerrard runs upfield clashes with Hibbert and the penalty awarded. Liverpool back in the game with a full invite to come to the table and take the three points lavishly served up on a Goodison platter
Make no bones about it this referee was fucking shit and this decision was just one of them but were you surprised when they equalised? Did you honestly believe that this brand of attritional football would be enough over the ninety? Moreover, if your going to play this style, why even bother with Yakubu, he?s plainly not suited to it
So Hibbert off, the game opens up and it seemed apparent to me that we were becoming more fluid with our passing. That would have been the time to get Baines and McFadden on straight away. One up front and play the counter given the ten men, no other choice really. But no, it rumbles on with late introduction of McFadden, kind of too little too late. When Gerrard went off, I thought that we really had a chance to go on and get the three points despite the ten men
Then disaster, the constant inviting of Liverpool to pressure us on the edge of our own box by way of no midfield or anybody who could put the foot on the ball and slow things down (Carsley anyone?) reaped the inevitable results. I think I counted 3 or 4 good Liverpool attacks on goal before they got the second pen so it didn?t really come as a surprise. We can complain about the referee until the cows come home but that for me would be hiding a more serious disease that seems to have taken a grip of this side
The Summary
I?m hurting, I?m shaking, I?m annoyed, I?m emotional, we lost a game of football, teams win and lose but there was far more too it than that. Today was about a culmination of serious issues. This was about stupidity in team selection, this was about the inability to do the footballing basics, this was about not changing things when it?s crying out for changes. This was about trying to adjust tactics to try and get three points. The only positives I can draw out of this game is that the red cards mean we don?t have to see Neville and Hibbert for a while. Maybe Moyes recent penchant for wearing suits means he is going to job interviews, I can only hope so. Everton FC are currently a fucking shambles, a rudderless ship sliding down table with no ideas, it needs to be arrested
I?m off to try and forget, down some few beers and watch the Rugby.... I hate Rugby
Reader Comments
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In case you didn’t notice: Lescott actually had a fabulous game marauding at left back (so we missed Baines?); Osman actually had a a very good game (certainly as good as Pienaar today); the strength of Yakubu and Anichebe were a real handful for the Liverpool defence; and Jags actually had a good game in midfield (I don’t think Carsley would have been any better today).
But you’ve already decided you wanted to slam Moyes, even when Everton outplayed Liverpool in a Derby and would have probably won without the ref. Or maybe you didn’t see the game?
I agree the better team lost, we will pay worse and win.
Positives Yak looks fitter, Cahill is fit and lets face it the shite reallly are shite bets is they get a kicking mid week
however, after 15 mins he shuffled us around and tactically got it spot on...
we would have gone on to comfortably win that game, had the fucking clueless retarded hibbert not given away a goal and a man advantage...
he got played for a kipper by gerrard...
cheers tony hibbert for fuck all... shame on you... pack yer bags lad as i will never ever forgive you for this.... one shit performance too many ....
best team all over the park lost but there is a massive improvement pending
Moyse was spot on after 15 mins give him a break
You guys are like the boy who always cried wolf. If you criticise Moyes all the time, even when he gets some things right and we play well, it just makes you look like you’ve made your minds up before you’ve even seen the game. Is it really too hard for you to believe that Moyes sometimes gets some things right?
Hating Moyes his fine. And we are all upset about this one. But it would be nice if your comments had some basis in what actually happened on the pitch.
As for Phil Hamer, your views that we showed "directness and incisiveness" made me chuckle. But a more appropriate way of saying it meaning the same thing would be "we are definately going to launch it long onto Hyppias head.... again".
I used to be a big Moyse fan, but these last few games have been a joke. Yes the ref was shit, but we only have ourselves to blame, they were there for the taking but Moyses negativity and our inability to string 3 passes together on a regular basis let us down badly.
Lescott spent most of the game in and around Liverpool’s box (where he was loitering when Gerrard broke away for the goal). And for once we didn’t pull all our men behind the ball and settle for the draw with twenty minutes to go and ten men on the pitch. In fact Moyes sent McFadden not Carsley on for Yakubu with fifteeen minutes left (to be negative right?).
Who knows, maybe being more positive this time is why we lost? I’m actually not against doing what Moyes did today. But I am against you rolling out the same old criticisms of Moyes even when on this occasion they don’t fit.
"So Moyes should not have played two defensive midfielders in a home derby ?? So who exactly should he have played in there, Kieran Agard, Jon Paul Kissock, Bjarni Vidarsson !!???"
Errr.... you seem to be forgetting that we had Pienaar on the bench. Why not play him with Mikky in the middle? Failing that, surely Carsley should have been in, a DMF by trade, not a make shift like Nev or Jags, never let us down in a derby before, even won one for us, anything, ANYTHING but Neville AND Jagielka. It just amazes me that Moyse hasn’t realised that those two together doesn’t work.
Anyways, to lighten the mood, heres what a Chelsea fan on another site thought of the refs performance
"I doubt the ref sent him off because Gerrard asked... It was a red, refs wear ear-pieces - it may look like he took consultation from SG but in all liklihood it was Alan Hansen from the studio."
I know hindsight is a wonderful thing, and I know we have injuries in midfield, but I would like to have seen Osman and Pineaar out wide, Carsley holding, and Arteta in the middle pulling the strings (rather than going missing out on the wings that im afraid to say i thought he done today). If anything it would have shown a bit of intent. Also, if u were at the game u may not know but they interviewed Cahill before KO and he said that he was fit and made himself available but wasnt picked. Surely he would have been worth a gamble to have on the bench for 20 mins to go! Oh well, hopefully next week we will have him and Mad Dog back!
We have just paid £5m quid for Baines and he cannot get a game. We have Hibbert who has clearly lost all confidence but keeps getting selected. We have Pienaar who is just getting used to the pace of the Premier League but Osman is selected instead. We also have Jagielka who looks like he has not the faintest idea what he is supposed to be doing.
What the hell is going on ?
As soon as I saw the line up for todays game I knew we would struggle. No Carsley and nobody other than Arteta who can pass the ball to a blue shirt.
How much longer is Moyes going to continue with his policy of sticking Neville and Jagielka in midfield ? Neither are midfielders and it is starting to get very embarrassing. Neither seem capable of even the simplest of passes.
Neville should be playing at right back. It is plain for all to see except our wonderful manager. At right back he is a totally different player.
The way things are going at present I can see certain players wanting out and I suspect these players will be some of the more decent players we have managed to persuade to come to Goodison.
Taxi for Moyes ?
We started slowly. One or two looked a bit overawed, namely Jagielka and Victor, although both made up for that more and more once we got that first 15 out the way. It was no classic, but from there on until Hibbert’s brainstorm on halfway I’ve rarely felt so comfortable in a Derby, in terms of not losing at least. I questioned the starting line up as well, although if i am gonna criticise Moyes it would be the delay in making changes in the second half more than anything..
I’ll admit that when Gerrard went down I thought "oh fuck". From what i’ve heard since (and from reds as well as blues) I need to see it again. Point is - if the tit in black was so certain of a pen and hibbo was last man then a red card wouldn’t be an issue. But typical of him he seemed to go for yellow, then the ref’s assistant in red had a word (like he did for a few minutes before the second half kicked off - notice that?) and all of a sudden out comes the red card. The pen was then converted by Dirt (no typo) Kunt. How was he on the pitch, in contravention of any refereeing directive you care to mention? Carragher’s constant whining, Voronin’s constant elbow - they knew they were fireproof.
I’m not going to reel off every incident - Christmas is comin - but Clottenberg is either a cheat or an utter incompetent. Make your own mind up, but either way, he is not fit to run a kid’s game on the park after that display.
Have you seen the waiter’s comments after the game? I don’t know whether to laugh or put a contract out on him. David Moyes, whatever else anyone thinks about tactics, selection, etc, played a blinder with his remarks. Without giving the powers that be any grounds to pull him up, he said it all and said it right.
Whatever anyone thinks of him, and I’m reserving judgement until we see what he does with a full squad, he has two things in spades that Max will never have - honesty and integrity. Maybe Davey has gone as far as he can with us, maybe he hasn’t. But there’s one prick I would rather slash my wrists than see at our club. The gutless, dishonest tosser across the park.
Stick your broom-handled Mauser up yer arse.
Let’s make Larissa wish they’d never been born
Lets make sure we wipe their noses in it at Anfield. I don’t think DM has to say anything in that match to hype the boys up !
Next three matches include games against Sunderland, Derby and Birmingham. Let’s start getting some feffin points and climbing back into the top six !
Yes, there were 30 second spurts here and there with one creating the own goal but on a whole the team tried to play the ball in the air and rather than along the ground.
Team selection was NOT right although I do understand the lack of midfielders however Baines SHOULD have been playing and Pienaar SHOULD have been playing.
Lescott did do a great job but as we already have a quality left back in Baines, why not use him? Or are we saying that Stubbs is better than Lescott at centre back and Lescott is now a left back? Lets think about this one!!
For the team Moyes put out, they did very well and their only undoing was the ref.
I honestly thought that the Fat Spanish Waiter was going to play The Giraffe so I expect did Moyes and he went for height across the back 4 (3 out of 4 aint bad)
Team selection was right for the game and he changed the formation after a dodgy first 15 and we then got into the game.
They did not realistically look like scoring until they had the daft breakaway from our corner, I honestly think Hibbo should have put Gerrard into the stands and received a yellow for his troubles but he let the ball bounce and we know the rest.
Lescott was our best player by far yesterday so I cannot have a go at Moyes for that decision, he looked the only threat we had.
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1 Posted 20/10/2007 at 18:36:08
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When I saw the team lineup today I was absolutely shocked. Osman, Jagielka and Neville in midfield with Anichebe up front - had Moyes forgetten it was the derby?
Of all the players that are fit surely Pienaar should have been on for Osman, McFadden for Anichebe or Yakubu and ANYONE else for Jagielka who has only play about three games for Everton this season? Then there’s the left back slot. Sorry Lescott but Baines SHOULD have been playing there and a decision between Stubbs and Lescott called.
Tactics: The team has none. 5 minutes into the game and I was rhetorically asking my mate (who happens to be a Liverpool fan) Why aren’t don’t they get it down and play it on the ground? It was almost like all the players thought the ball had an allergy to grass.
In my opinion this game rates on the same level as the Tottenham game last season and as such I am FAR from happy. So the yoyo seasons will continue...