The Mail Bag
An Alternative Theory on Our Poor Start
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When the fixture list of this season first appeared, most were expressing delight at the prospect of an easy start with the possibility of securing 12 or more points before the derby. However, it hasn?t turned out like that and I can?t say our total of 3 from 9 surprises me greatly. The reasons debated have been the lack of transfers, Moyes?s man-management and even luck ? but in my book, it is down to the injury woes of Tim Cahill.
Last season, we played 18 league games with Cahill in the team, winning 12 and drawing 4, losing only to Man Utd (a) and Arsenal (h). If we had kept accumulating points at that rate over a 38 game campaign, we?d have got 84 points and have finished 4th comfortably.
Without Tim, we played 20 games, winning 7, drawing 4, and losing 9, to the likes of Fulham, Reading and Newcastle as well as the usual Big 4 suspects. If we?d kept that going for the whole season, we?d have finished behind West Ham!
The lack of a tactical or personnel-related Plan B for Tim?s absences, which are likely to become more frequent, was in my book the most pressing issue of this transfer window ? and unless a Moutinho-sized miracle arrives, it looks unlike to be addressed. What this is down to ? Moyes? inflexibility, the players? limitations, Kenwright?s poverty ? is a question for another day. But come 12:01am tomorrow morning, someone is going to have to grasp this issue or we look set for a season of struggle.
David Gregory, Posted 01/09/2008 at 14:34:38
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Any returning or new first team player - especially the likes of Cahill - will have an enormous weight of expectation placed upon them which just cannot be healthy.
It takes more than just one player to make a team, and it takes time for them to bed in. However if any of them do hit a poor run of form then sadly they will still get picked as there’s no-one competing for the shirt, and thats not good for the team or the player.
Summer 2009 should be interesting. Watch that space....
Just about sums up Everton FC. I’ve given up now, its all too depressing.
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1 Posted 01/09/2008 at 15:26:55
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