ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

One-dimensional

After another dismal performance last night which exposed what has been seen for most of the season its time Davey was brave and tried something different.

Clearly at the moment he's trying to accomodate as many of our big players as possible although at the moment this is leading to a complete lack of blend within the team. We currently have no power in the middle and have no width and its no wonder the forwards are looking a little lost and the defence are lumping things forward.

It seems teams have worked us out now with our one dimensional play and were finding it increasingly difficult to break teams down. Surely its time we worked out who is the best pairing in the middle and then played some proper width. Is there nothing in the reserves as playing Cahil / Osman / Arteta wide is making us narrow, congested and easily defended
Mat Asbo, Liverpool Posted 25/11/2008 at 10:34:48

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Mike Handley
1 Posted 25/11/2008 at 10:06:30

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The defeat at Wigan on a freezing cold night emphasised our lack of genuine wingers. We have nobody to get quickly behind the oppposition's back four; therefore our attacks are built up too slowly and we cross the ball into a crowded penalty area. We use ovelapping full backs in attack which has the additional disadvantage of exposing us to quick counterattacks.

Simon Jones
2 Posted 25/11/2008 at 10:17:55

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Just a quick thought about a new Job for Lescott? In recent years we have done well playing a 4-1-4-1 formation, but since Carsley's departure have lacked a player to fill that slot. Why not try Lescott in that role and put Baines back in defence. Sounds like the goal at Wigan was caused by Lescott being out of position (this was also pointed out recently on MOTD) as he likes to get forward. He would have a different role by being a holding midfielder, which might give him the opportunity to get forward on set pieces etc, without having to sprint back 70 yards umpteen times in a game.

Jerome Esterhazy
3 Posted 25/11/2008 at 10:48:59

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I wrote into the mailbag a while back noting the poor form of our midfielders and the lack of any quality replacements. I felt that since the season was destined to finish in mid-table mediocrity, I could sit back and not stress over missed chances and poor tactics... I WAS WRONG.

No matter how poorly we play we are still a few good performances from fifth. I was ready to throw my remote at Yakubu's fat head, scream at Arteta to not bother getting on the ball if he's going to pass it backwards, rip my hair out as Cahill misses chance after chance over the last few games and save my best fucking expletives for David Moyes who really has no idea.

With midfielders that are all starting to resemble eachother in playing style (neat passing, ineffectual and above all have no confidence), we have become even more frustrating than relegation candidates. A TEAM WITH TALENT BUT WITHOUT A CLUE. Who's still waiting for one decent 90 minutes of football from Everton this season?

Gareth Mercer
4 Posted 25/11/2008 at 11:21:30

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Rightly so there have been a flurry of comments about what is arguably our worst performance many of us can remember. I, like many of you, felt real pain watching it. As a true supporter who lives and breathes Everton, I had no choice but to put myself through it, but that pain is still with me now, and will almost certainly be compounded further come Sunday's match.

It's true something must be wrong on the training field because, despite certain comments, we do not have a squad full of rubbish players. Yet, would any of you make major changes to the starting eleven, thinking this would help. Let me see, a really dramatic change would be something like this:

GK - Howard
RB - Neville
CB - Yobo
CB - Jagielka
LB - Baines
RM - Gosling
CM - Pienaar
CM - Rodwell
CM - Castillo
LM - Kissock
CF - Anichebe

Is that dramatic enough? Perhaps we would still lose and play poorly, but is that any different to Moyes's eleven? Isn't it time to take a risk? I don't know, and I appreciate that what I have put forward is seriously untested, but I need to see real change before that pain I refer to gets so unbearable that I do the unthinkable and move to Bridgend.

Ric Carey
5 Posted 26/11/2008 at 18:35:26

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From what I saw on Monday, I was not impressed! I think we only had one shot on target which was Saha. This isn't acceptable against lower opposition such as Wigan, the match was a joke!

I'm not impressed with Yakubu, now don't say "Oh look what happens when a player goes out of form, you all jump on him." Well no because I was never impressed; I did not like the fact we bought him.

Johnson never brought in 20 goals for us but at least he closed down and never stopped running. Moyes needs to drop the Yak and start Vaughany ? the worst thing is, now he's injured. Great.

Philip Rodgers
6 Posted 26/11/2008 at 20:10:29

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After witnessing the debacle on Monday, it concerns me that a team apparently on a very tight budget can afford to buy a player who is 'one for the future'. This is our record signing. It seems as if everything has been said before but for that price we really should be getting an instant impact.

Arteta is another one. His body language has been a disgrace in recent weeks. If he doesn't care he should leave. I am really finding it hard to find anything positive about Everton at the moment. With the worlds economic climate as it is I find it hard to believe the players can look at themselves in the mirror after showing such a lack of effort. I thinks a clearout is required.

Dean Peamum
7 Posted 27/11/2008 at 13:42:08

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I was going to write in about the season so far but then I thought, if the players can't be arsed, why should I? Also, my computer is out of position, just like Lescott.