The Mail Bag
How's It Looking
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Last night at the MLS game, we started in a 4-4-1-1 formation, with Fellaini supporting Saha, Cahill played wide right, with Rodwell and Neville as the centre pairing. It's fair to say that once again the Fellaini/Saha link didn’t work and Cahill went missing wide right. Just to compound the problems, Rodwell and Neville both probably had the worst games in Everton shirts. There was zero creativity (our goal was Saha latching onto a back-pass), loosing both Arteta and Pienaar is a major blow, with both we look good, only one available and we get by just. Ossie tried his best at wide left but after 20 minutes he faded.
A number of questions that need answering:–
(i) Where does Fellaini fit? — this truly is the $64k question.
(ii) Has he given up with a true front-two pairing (from Jo, Saha, Yakubu)? I think Vaughan is only going to be used as a late impact player. If it's only one up front... who?
(iii) Is Cahill going to preferred to Fellaini as the front support player if Moyes keeps his favoured lone front forward?
(iv) Rodwell or Neville as the holding player, or can Fellaini do it? (v) Has Moyes’s any idea of his best 11 for 15 August?
At this stage, I suspect he’s aiming for Arsenal with a 4-4-1-1 , with his preferred 11 as: Howard; Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Baines; Osman, Neville, Cahill, Pienaar; Fellaini; Jo.
Only on the basis that he’s determined to give Fellaini every chance... he can’t do without Cahill and Jo seems to work better with Fellaini than Saha. As soon as the Yak is match fit he’ll become in the lone forward.
The Fellaini question will be sorted when Arteta returns, he’ll go two up front once we’re on a winning streak, and Rodwell will be the most used substitute in the Premier League.
Mike Oates, Posted 30/07/2009 at 13:48:52
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I think you answered your own questions at the end of your article.
Firstly, it is a squad game now. Long gone are the days of having a favourite starting XI. Now injuries, suspensions, form and opposition play even more an important part.
However, I can only see Cahill or Fellaini playing as the supporting striker and Neville or Rodwell playing as the defensive midfielder. I hope that Moyes has learnt to play Arteta in the centre which makes a central midfield of Neville, Arteta & Cahill. Pienaar will be on the left wing which leaves Osman as the square peg in the round hole on the right wing with possibly Baxter challenging. Yakubu or Saha or Jo fighting for one place up front.
Therefore, purely hypothetical of course:
Howard
Hibbert, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines
Osman, Arteta, Neville, Cahill, Pienaar
Yakubu
Subs: Nash, Yobo, Rodwell, Fellaini, Baxter, Saha, Jo
Howard
Hibbert Yobo- Lescott Baines
Neville Rodwell
Cahill Pienaar
Fellaini
Jo
I can’t see any new signings starting against Arsenal unless JL goes to City and we get a replacement in time. I do think we’ll sign 3 or 4 players but probably last minute.com.
When Jags is back he will replace yobo.
When Mikel is back he wil play where nev and Rodwell are with Jack dropping to the bench, or Nev right back and Hibbo on bench.
Yak will replace Jo.
I think there will be times at home when we go 4 4 2 and Cahill or Fellaini will get dropped.
Hopefully we will play a lot of games, due to good cup runs so extra numbers are needed, particularly a wide man. Our best form coincided with Mikel in the middle and I hope he plays there again when fit as we need creativity in the middle.
This leaves Pienaar, Ossie, Gosling, wallace and baxter to play out wide. I want to see the youngsters given a chance but we lack a naturally left footed wide man. Baines and pienarr linked up well, especially in the second half of the season but if Pienaar gets injured, we need quality cover like the teams we’re trying to catch.
Moyes seems to prefer Fellaini behind the striker with Cahill deeper. I think we have struggled to find a balance and we will see what happens as the season progresses. Maybe at times it will be a case of one or the other as opposed to trying to fit them both in?
I don’t think we’re far off anyway, but we need to start taking points off the Sky 4 if we’re going to leapfrog any of them, especially at home.
Excuses: it was just a friendly and a fitness exercise, some players still missing, weather very hot and what about the altitude?
Criticisms: our midfield players are slow except for Pienaar when he plays. There may be no improvement to expect from Fellaini, Osman or Neville. Rodwell should have been tried at the back for at least a half given that we have little cover there if Lescott goes.
The passing in the middle of the park is sloppy and all too often sets up danger to the back four as the midfielders lack of pace never get them in a position to recover their mistakes. We will be hard pressed to finish 5th again in the Prem.
The lad is only 18 and we need to be patient with him and only play him in certain games.
Also bear in mind Arteta will not be ready for a couple of months yet and as highlighted by recent games our MF has no balance to it whatsoever particularly with Pienaar out.
The other point I want to make is that Bainsey seems to also be in a poor run of form highlighted by the fact Hibbo has looked the better fullback so far. Lets hope he comes right before the season starts.
On a positive note it was good to see Saha and Jo putting a good shift in and Baxter and Wallace both looked useful when they came on.
----Howard----
Lescott--Yobo--Jags--Baines
Arteta--Neville--Pienaar
--Fellaini--
Saha------Yakubu
Subs:
Rodwell, Jo, Vaughan, Hibbert, Nash
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1 Posted 31/07/2009 at 03:29:02
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Regarding this dilemma. Cahill playing wing is something that was forced, and not a setup I’m sure Moyesy is planning on sticking with.
If anything comes from our transfer season it needs to be a winger capable of playing both sides.
Strangely enough, last season, Andy VDM played well in pre-season and looked the goods finally, but yeah, that time has passed.
If anything. If we’re to play with Fellaini and Cahill the line up needs to look like the below
But with one holding midfielder can Everton really pull it off?
----------------- Howard ----------------
(new blood)-Yobo--Lescott--Baines
Arteta------(Nev or Rod)-----Pienaar
--------Cahill------------Fellaini--------
--------- (Yak or Saha or Jo) ----------
I dunno if Everton can play in such.. they do seem to fall into it now and then.
But we need the cover for both Peanuts and Arteta.