The Mail Bag
Four of the best...
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Firstly, I have to acknowledge a great victory today ? especially after last weekend's finale. In our last two games we have improved greatly performance-wise. Our good run after the Man Utd draw (bar Wigan), was more based on luck and sheer graft rather than good play. However, now we appear to be coming close to what our fans expect after our peak performances last season.
Overall, consistency of play has improved throughout the 90 mins in the last two games. Yes, this was quite noticeable even though we didn't get a result against Villa ? better passing, better link-up play, and less hoofball. Fellaini is central to this, as is putting Arteta back in central midfield, as well as the return of Pienaar.
As a goalkeeper, I have to acknowledge how good Tim Howard actually is and has been for us since he signed, his crucial saves often keeping us in games ? some fans easily forget! So I'll praise him while he is playing well, but I would never lose faith even with the odd rare blip (the nature of goalkeeping ? hero or zero!). And I thought I'd never say this, but Phil Neville has been very solid all season at RB, so credit where credit is due.
To conclude, if we maintain these levels of performance, we will be there or there abouts come the end of the season (ie 4th-6th place). Not good enough true, but good... considering....
Mick McManus, Posted 13/12/2008 at 14:23:18
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Just a shame we can’t sell in January now and buy someone who makes the slightest hint of effort.
I'm made up. I thought for once, considering all the options, Moyes got it spot on. Coming home with a draw I would have took. See the players and Moyes at the end they were really made up.
Please everyone let's stop being over-critical ? Mr Kenrick, you're included ? we did brilliant today with our resources. Credit to ALL the team and Moyes. They want the best as we do.
The decision Moyes has to make now is Cahill or Fellaini when the forwards are available; I'll go with the tried and trusted Cahill. I'm not saying Fellaini is not doing well, it's about balance.
Alex Surrey, tut tut tut. Feed the Yak and he will score.
While the effort and workrate (I fricking hate that term) is now better, the quality is still lacking in many areas, and on the whole it became another frustrating game, especially in the second half, as we cunningly lulled them (and me!) to sleep before executing that most excellent coup de grace.
We’re getting better... but I still think there is a lot more that these players can do ? we are still capable of better individual and team performances. I hope we see them.
And then he added "£8M on Zab, £10M SWP, £8M VK, £19M Jo, £32M Robinho ? that is nearly £80M and apart from Jo they are good players, but the tactics are shocking." So money spent puts things into perspective.
I still demand more from this current Everton side though as they are far better than DM thinks they are. I hate to say this but MH has lost the plot and needs to go, we could not trust him with the transfer window money as even if he got good players there would be no plan. We could be in big trouble, next 3 games huge, sorry to moan.
The spaniard is back to his best!!!!
The only pundit I have time for is surprisingly Phil Thomson, despite being a red he always has something good to say about Everton. The others are typical Sky pundits who are paid to give censored opinions. By the way, this isn't a rant but merely a way of highlighting this issue!
Moyes had a terrible summer, and has to take some of the blame for Everton?s dip in form and confidence in the early part of the season. It?s not easy to turn those things around. But Moyes has done it ? and his team have produced three very decent performances on the spin ? against three clubs with a lot more spending power than Everton. Today, Moyes made the difficult call to start with Cahill up front instead of giving a first start to an apprentice striker as many fans, myself included, would have wanted. He also showed faith in the starting line-up by not bringing on any subs. The players repaid this faith, and it looks like he got the tactical decisions spot on.
We played a piss poor City side... no subs to bring on... a chimp would have selected Cahill to play upfront (who didn't really play that well, like most of this season)...
Let's not get carried away lads... we are light years behind the top 4... It don't take a genius to pick the starting 11... we only got 14 to fuckin pick from!!!
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1 Posted 13/12/2008 at 16:01:15
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Today, each and every one of our players battled for each and every ball and at the end Tim, who could not have run much more for the cause, scored from Leon's corner.
Joy for the massed vocal support and well worthy of the 3 points. Great day, we all have favourites, and maybe those we are quick to whinge about, but today, none of it, a real team performance without exception and if only we could reproduce it consistently then how life would be so much calmer.