The Mail Bag
Hoofball
Comments (19)
To stop the hoofball tactics, isn't this a common sense way to deal with it: the way I see it is there are never options from midfield for the centre-backs to pass to, so instead they hoof the ball up. Now, I suggest to have one holding midfield player staying back ALL THE TIME, always looking for the ball when the centre backs have it.
I mean, you can see it with other teams, Chelsea had Makelele now Mikel, Arsenal have Fabregas (even though not his effective position) and Man Utd have Scholes. These players always drop back to pick up the ball.
At this moment in time, I think Castillo is the answer. He is a decent passer on the ball, is always looking for the ball, and doesn't go forward too often. But why isn't he playing? He did play for the reserves though.
I know people may be thinking that Moyes should see that, but it keeps on happening, and as a huge Evertonian watching all these games, there is just absolutely nobody free for the centre backs to pass to.
Ben Jones, Posted 04/11/2008 at 18:10:26
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
A related Q, is what is the plan for Castillo. I notice that he played in the reserve game on Mon v Blackburn. We lost 2-1 and didn’t hear a mention of him in the report. No sign of AvDM in the reserve team. Anyone see the game?
Osman needs to either start taking more responsibility on the pitch or fuck off.
Aside from Manny, I mentioned months ago on here that our style had changed massively because there was nobody who was knitting the play together. Last season, it wasnt just Manny doing this it was Pienaar or Osman or Carsley all dropping back and receiving it on the turn. It gets the play moving forward on the floor at pace. Carsley and Manny are no longer there and Pienaar and Osman are simply not doing this anymore. Like the original post said, all the top teams play this way.
David Moyes should have long had the team playing the good football that he harps on about. He has been here for over six years after all and no matter what players we have had be it Andy Johnson, Beattie, Rooney, Radzinski, Yakubu up front our style of play has never changed from being one-dimensional.
When I watch Athletico Madrid against Liverpool last night, all of their players were comfortable on the ball and the movement when going forward was tremendous and every player seemed to know where a team mate was. It's the same at Spurs, we have always known Harry Redknapp likes his teams to play quick passing football and he has quickly changed Spurs lethargic season around with a serious of adventurous attacking displays.
I have a great point of the action where I sit at Goodison and the biggest thing that's evident from my behind the goal view is how narrow our play is. When someone either has the ball or is ready to take a throw-in on the left say for instance, the whole right flank is totally naked of any players, nobody spreads out and offers width to stretch the opponent's back line and its the same if the action is on the other side of the pitch, once more everyone just huddles together in the middle, its like a school playground game.
And then another is the corners that we take, ok we know Arteta doesn't beat the first man and the ball always seems to end up on the near post, so why then doesn't one of our players take a gamble and attack the near post but everyone just stands around eachother in a small area, no movement.
I know we have won a few matches and the points are the important thing but I have long since given up the idea that David Moyes will ever really turn us into a beautiful attractive football team that can play outstanding quick attacking pass-and-move football. We have to get our heads around the idea that under Moyes we will only ever be a funtional team rather than easy on the eye.
Are you suggesting the use of hoofball is the fault of out forwards?
I would have thought it was the fault of either midfielders not finding positions or the back line just hoofing it..
So now it?s the forwards fault, oh I see.....
Ciaran and my point is somebody should be dropping back to receive the ball. I watched the game on Saturday, and I feel sorry for these centre/full backs because there is no one for them to pass the ball to, so all they can do is hoof the ball up and hope the strikers can win a flick on, or pass it back to the goalkeeper. I agree with Lewis Austin, I do think Rodwell is also capable, and agree with anyone else saying that Fernandes would be perfect for that role. And blaming the forwards is ridiculous!
If not Castillo or Rodwell, we need somebody in in January.
Our passing is yards too slow and (except for the Man Utd second half) we do not score many goals or create chances by playing on the break. Under DM we scored most of our goals from set pieces, eg, Lescott from corners and the odd Arteta free kick... Just take a look at all the other teams apart from EFC and Stoke... even Hull play decent football.
If we get any sort of scrambled result DM will not change the team... so I'm afraid Rodwell, Castillo and Baines will be just onlookers apart from injuries or suspensions.
We haven?t got the quality around the pitch to take the ball down and knock it around and Moyes knows that. Arteta is about the only one that always looks like he has time on the ball, but he stolls through a game, so hoof-ball it is. It isn?t pretty, but otherwise we?d be in the bottom 3. I agree it?s shite, but it works. Like it or lump it I reckon.
Footie has lost it; I won't be renewing next year unless we get a load of cash from somewhere. It all seems fruitless for anyone other than the top 4 these days. To be honest it has got very boring.
Scholes? not more of an attacking player no? Surely Hargreaves or Carrick are the more likely to play the holding role for ManYoo?
Are you a Sun Reporter!!!!!
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 05/11/2008 at 06:21:12
Report abuse
Nail on the head stuff mate. There is hardly room to breathe in the Prem and without good intelligent movement we will never be able to shorten our game up. Osman tried to play the "Scholes role" on Saturday, but the MOTD Evertonians didn't understand, they thought Moyes had played him as a defensive midfield man.
The people who are horrified when you crticise the Yak don't seem to get this. Good forwards make intelligent runs which in turn makes a good pass possible. The world's most creative player will not be able to slide pass through to a statue. Hoofball is the product of inertia.