The Mail Bag
Realistic Expectations
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The disastrous pr-season, the endless contract saga, the multiple errors, the battered confidence, that shameful derby performance, etc etc...
We've hardly hit the ground running this season, the mood throughout Evertonia has reflected the shambles both on and off the park... but take a look at the league table? A win against Villa on Sunday will put us right into contention for a CL place.
I know it's barely a week since we stunk the JJB out, but since the Man Utd game we have taken 3 or 4 steps forward and only one back. Despite all the moaning, we were very good against the Mancs, half-decent against Boro, terrific for the last half hour at West Ham ? not just the 4 minutes the whiners would have you believe ? and we played a resurgent Spurs team off the park.
Everton are improving guys... keep those passports handy.
Dave Wilson, Posted 04/12/2008 at 03:41:33
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And none of the other managers ever do this? Even SAF does this with Man Utd but it?s less obvious due to the quality of the players.
The biggest complaint is Everton are losing games they should win and playing with no style and limited passion. Things are changing ? whether we want to acknowledge it or not!! Everton are, remarkably, still in a very strong position to retain a European place ? but then so are two-thirds of the table!!!
I really hope we defeat Villa. I always feel we do ok in December and January, just to lose pace in the months thereafter. Two good months and we?ll be in the top 4. Two bad months and we?ll be 15th or so. And I have absolutely no clue to which side our season will go.
Moyes just can?t win... he?s damned if he does and damned if he doesn?t.
Most of all I hope we keep the same midfield. I want to see Arteta, Fellaini and Cahill in there and let them develop as a partnership. That’s the key for me, it actually looks like a very decent midfield partnership.
Arteta pulling the strings and Fellaini and Cahill getting up and down the pitch. Ossie outwide isn’t great but he’ll have to do a job until we buy/loan a better and more natural winger.
The transfer window is important, and being out of 2 cups will help the push... Moyes back in for Fernandes? Shandy Andy to be our saviour? Football Manager?s database brings up a £20,000 30-goal hero from Kuala Lumpa?
Yeh, we played well at Tottenham but we didn?t play ?em of the park, and we certainly wasn?t terrific for the last half hour of the West Ham game. Last ten or so maybe... and vs. Boro we was shite for most parts of the game! The one good thing of late, with the exception of Wigan, is we're getting results whilst we're definitely not at our best; the Spurs game was a big improvement and hopefully a sign that we're about to turn the corner performance wise!
Aas for formations, I don't mind us using 4-5-1 away from home or against the top four but vs the lesser teams in the league at home, go 4-4-2 and take the game to ?em! In the case of playing 4-5-1 with Arteta in the middle, I?d much rather have him along side Fellaini with an holding midfielder behind them two than Arteta holding and Cahill and Fellaini in front of him!
Cahill and Fellaini are too similar but for me Fellaini is the better footballer and against Spurs I thought he played well, driving on from midfield and getting forward and with Arteta in between him and an holding midfielder pulling the strings and playmaking we?d have a very good centre of midfield. All we?d need then would be a quality wide player to compliment Peanuts, Eljero Elia from FC Twente would be a good buy, we?ve already been linked with him and he showed vs Man City what a good player he is, pacey, got a trick or two and as an eye for goal, and as for the holding midfielder role.
I hope Moyesy goes back in for M?Bia in the summer because he is quality, I've seen him a few times on Setanta now and he?s been brilliant every time I've seen him play and I really do wish we?d of got him instead of Fellaini, even though I do think Fellaini will become a top player for us but M?Bia would of been the perfect replacement for Carsley, because let's be honest we haven?t replaced him at all really, have we? And I think that has contributed to our poor defensive performances!
Doddy, have you changed your name?
Arteta played in front of the back four, Osman played wide, Saha played alone up front - ok injury forced this but he was soooo much better at it than the Yak - and Fellaini AND Cahill - not one or the other - were given a freedom to drive forward.
Now you guys may have been screaming at your computers for this, but how come nobody ever posted these opinions here?
You dont have to show me dozens of examples, but if you could point me in the direction of one single post calling for these changes . . . .
Spurs were due a fall and their MF without Modric is nothing to write home about apart from Lennon.Bentley has been crap since he went there and they were playing 4 against our 5.
Villa will be a much better test and if we do well then we can say it’s working.
I still have my doubts about Fellaini’s pace even though he appears to have a good engine.
You never heard anyone saying that Cahill can?t play in a 4 man midfield?
Are you sure? I even sent a letter to your cat about it!
p.s before you start your usual ?I?m Dave, king of all things Everton? rant... take a couple of seconds out... and read my post again... note the word ?formation?... sit down, scratch your head, then go ask your cat about it!
Sorry but you very clearly state
"the same CHANGES"
Now Moyes has sent out a 4-5-1 formation in 95% of the games Cahill has played in his time at Everton. I?m just wondering what changes ? or formations for that matter ? you and the rest of the uninformed have been screaming at your home entertaiment sets for?
Changing from a 4-4-2 to a 4-5-1 takes more than a single change. The biggest problem we had lately was Cahill in a 4 man midfield... I?ve made that quite clear. To rectify that, in the way that Moyes did on Sunday required ?CHANGES?
Capiche?
Playing Cahill in a five-man midfield was hardly stumbling on a formation that works. He has tried something different, it hasn?t worked. He has returned to a 4-5-1 formation that his players are more comfortable with.
From reading posts on this site, most people have been shouting for the team to play 4-4-2 and groan when we play 4-5-1 at home. Shows what they know.
A 4-4-2 with players who can play effectively in that formation... we didn?t get it.
The change ? if one was made ? was the briefly experimenting with a 4-4-2, going 4-5-1 at Spurs was merely reverting to the tried and trusted. It had nothing to do with the formation but everything to do with which player played where; DM deserves credit for that.
I understand that... Ciaran does too, but he likes an argument.
Ciaran
If that's the sum total of what you and the rest of the MOTD gang can come up with, it's probably just as well no-one can hear you, screaming at your radios.
10 minutes against Liege would?ve been pretty conclusive in that little experiment.
Dave, you really need to work on the insults mate.
What was the version like before Kenwright got hold of it?
Besides, work commitments mean I cant get to the Villa game so I?ll be joining all you cranks who scream at their telly/pc/radio.
I?ll be a fountain of knowledge on Monday...
Talking of which, that list . . you know the list of changes you and the rest of the clueless have been screaming at your pc?s for?
Can you run it by me, coz you?ve come up with absolutely nothing yet... again.
He sometimes jumps into a debate too early, making claims he can't substantiate, this thread being a classic case.
There's no doubt he can hold his own in an argument about most things to do with Everton, he certainly doesn't need any endorsment from me.
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1 Posted 04/12/2008 at 13:09:04
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it’s also a bit worrying that its the same changes that apparently ’uninformed’ armchair fans have been screaming at televsions/computers/pitches.. for months.