ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Remember Cahill's Header ? Portsmouth (H) last season?

2 wins in a row. 2 clean sheets. No midfielder with any chance of being taken off, no matter how poor they play. Moyes would rather bring on a striker for a midfielder than risk playing any of; Castillo Van der Meyde Gosling Kissock Wallace & Rodwell...

I'm shaking my head wondering can I really blame him? Our first team midfielders are in poor form. The second half of the MU game was an exception to the rule. Our strikers are not even missing any chances ? they're barely getting any!

We've got little option but to sit through matches like the last two, watching few chances and being left to hope for moments of quality like Osman's assist to Saha. So here's to hoping for more flashes of execution & brilliance because i certainly am not expecting it.

About the title - I can't fucking wait until Tim Cahill scores at Goodison again!
Jerome Esterhazy, Adelaide, Australia Posted 02/11/2008 at 09:27:00

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Connor Rohrer
1 Posted 02/11/2008 at 14:11:07

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It?s all Yakubu?s fault, I?d get rid. We need a headless chicken up there, that?d keep the fans happy. Get AJ back!

Arteta, Lescott, Pienaar, Cahill, Osman etc need to go as well. Championship standard players.

John Pulman
2 Posted 02/11/2008 at 15:03:58

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Connor are you really saying Arteta, Pienaar and Lescott are only Championship standard! Get a grip lad, sure they?re out of form and I don't think anyone would disagree with that but when back on form all 3 are class acts. As for Cahill and Osman, ok they may not be world class and like the other 3 they?re not showing true form at the moment but how many times last year were we all singing their praises. You included.
COYB

John Pulman
3 Posted 02/11/2008 at 15:08:25

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On second read of your post, Connor, I realise you may just be taking the piss. Please be taking the piss. lol

Dave Wilson
4 Posted 02/11/2008 at 15:10:46

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Sound like someone on MOTD has announced what makes Evertonians happy

Lyndon Lloyd
Editorial Team
5 Posted 02/11/2008 at 15:23:08

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Now that the team has settled down and got some confidence to go with the points the board, I would really like to see Castillo given a go if Moyes insists on 4-5-1.

He settled faster than Fellaini and while we?re still bemoaning the loss of Carsley, the man Moyes signed to replace him (admittedly not his first choice, but that?s another tired story) can?t get a look in.

Of course, the obvious question then is, who would he replace? Osman is erratic but showed yesterday that he can play a crucial role when he gets it together. Likewise Arteta, Fellaini and Pienaar... and Cahill for that matter. It?s just that the sum of those parts has not been enough to create goals so far this season.

Si Kirwan
6 Posted 02/11/2008 at 16:30:30

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Form is temporary... class is permanent. The team evidently lacks confidence and self belief, they're in a vicious cycle that is hard to break. They will get it together soon; sadly our season's probably over.

Ped Pearl
7 Posted 02/11/2008 at 16:52:13

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Castillo? Does anybody know why now when he is fit he can't even make the bench? And perhaps I will be shot down for this... but yestereday we were crying out for VDM to whip some crosses in. One final point... what a pathetic crowd... the silent treatment never works you know!

Erik Dols
8 Posted 02/11/2008 at 16:49:56

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"Sadly our seasons probably over"? What? Again, what? It is only the 2nd of November, we are 7th in the league (8th if Man City win their match in hand).

Our season has been sub-standard compared with the last two years or so; we?re out of Europe and the League Cup and I do regret that. But the FA Cup still has to kick off for us and I repeat: we?re 7th in the league. 7th. While playing below-par. We already had three of the ?big four? teams. We had a clean sheet last two games and won both.

I do not know if we are going to accomplish anything this season. So far we?re looking very average and will be involved in the big mid-table struggle and if we keep continuing this way, we?ll probably finish anywhere between 8th and 15th. I?m not singing about happy times or that we will finish at a top-6 spot for sure.

I just want to point out that even with this below-par performances, we?re 7th in the league. If the last two ugly wins are the launch of a streak and we do play some great football the way we did last year we have everything to play for. The league is open (at least the lower 16 spots are) and we don?t have the midweek distractions some other teams have. I don?t know if the level of play will improve, but all this doom mongering of people who act like we?re in a relegation fight is really far-fetched.

Am I happy with the level of play shown so far? No, far from. But is the season over? My ass! We?ve got everything to play for. Moyes?s tenure is known for it?s streaks. We will get a streak of good play and wins somewhere in the season like we get every season. Currently we?re 7th (did I mention that yet? ;) ). If we get that streak right now we?ll be in the top-4 before Christmas or at least be close to it. Just as well we could hit a bad streak and be 17th at Christmas. But the thing is, IT HASN?T HAPPENED YET and everything?s still open.

End of rant.

Tom Bowers
9 Posted 02/11/2008 at 21:53:49

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Completely agree about the poor midfield. As I have said many times, if Arteta is ordinary then Everton struggle. Pienaar?s good running is spoilt by too many sloppy passes. Osman disappears for long periods and should have been substituted long before he got in the game winning cross. The usual too many long balls to Yaks that he doesn?t control well. The end result is that too many teams have far too much possession which then puts extra pressure on our already shaky back four. Castillo should come back in for the hammers game. Yes we have gotten points over the last few games but we are still dodging too many bullets.

Andy Crooks
10 Posted 03/11/2008 at 00:13:10

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Ped Pearl,how true. If Davey likes you you?ll play no matter how shit you are. Offend him and ...well. If I were Baines Vaughan, Gosling, Turner, Anichebe I?d be looking for a new club.

Brian Garside
11 Posted 03/11/2008 at 11:39:35

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Eric.
We are seventh having produced a standard of "football" bemoaned by so many. What does this say about the quality of the rest of the PL. Europe! Playing like this! Please spare me.