The Mail Bag
Not bad... for the reserves
Comments (37)
Watched the game on ESPN last night and was thouroughly pleased with the result if not always with the display. However, a freezing rainy night in Minsk against a team that has acquitted itself fairly well in Europe was never going to see us play our most joined-up stuff, especially when you consider who we were missing.
With the exception of Tim Howard it seems to me that every department was missing at least half of what might be considered its first team components if all were fit.
In defense, we were missing Jags, Joey, Nev and Heitinga. At least two if not three of these player might be expected to make up our strongest back 4 (certainly if you consider captaincy and wages!).
In midfield we were missing arguably our 3 best midfielders in Pienaar, Arteta and Rodwell. The first two would surely be our strongest team and young Jack has certainly emerged as one of our most reliable players so far this season.
In attack we were missing our most prolific marksman this season, Saha and I feel we are still missing a fully fit Yak.
And yet we won a tricky away tie in very tough conditions. All-in-all, a good night for the reserves then and more importantly a sign perhaps that we finally have a bit more depth to our squad. I for one am excited to see what this team might achieve if (and its a big IF given our recent bad luck) we can get our preferred first 11 all fit and raring to go.
What exactly that first 11 is? Well that's another question....
Sam Hoare, Posted 02/10/2009 at 06:33:26
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HOWARD
HIBBERT, JAGIELKA, DISTIN, BAINES
RODWELL
ARTETA, CAHILL, FELLAINI, PIENAAR
SAHA
I think Cahill and Fellaini can play together in a five man midfield with Rodwell protecting the back four.
If I was playing a 4-4-2 though then I would drop Cahill and play Rodwell and Fellaini.
I don’t think Cahill and Fellaini would work in a 4-4-2.
Hmmm.......the options available with a fully fit squad !!!
Firstly, I have to disagree with you Dick. I wouldn’t have Arteta out wide. Pienaar has more pace than Mikel which is why he is quite effective there. Mikel has shown how good he is in the middle.
I also wouldn’t have Hibbert at right back. The jury is still out on Heitinga for me but Lucas Neill should be ahead of hibbo in the pecking order.
I would have:
Howard
Neill, Jagielka, Distin, Baines
Rodwell
Pienaar, Arteta, Billy
Fellaini
Saha
It’s difficult not having Cahill in the team as he is always dangerous in the supporting striker role. I see him more and more becoming a really good (on the hour) substitution. I guess it really depends on the quality of the opposition because we will now have the ability to change formations.
I think, if all were fit my team would be:
HOWARD
NEVILLE JAGS DISTIN BAINES
PIENAAR ARTETA RODWELL BILY
SAHA YAK
Pains me to leave out Timmy but I prefer 4-4-2 and what a sub to have.
I will start praying again about Mikey. that was some serious knee injury he suffered and I’m very worried about pace and his ability to cut and change speeds. But for the first time in a very long time there is sufficient cover at a good number of positions, and one injury is no longer going to make us crumble. I wish we hadn’t thrown those points away at the beginning of the year.
Hibbert....Jags...Distin....Baines
............Arteta.......Rodwell
Pienaar......Fellaini.........Bily
......................Saha
That’s my preferred line up....and the team that I think will play the most effective passing football....
I’m not sure we’ll see it as Moyes will no doubt attempt to shoe-horn Heitinga and Cahill in somewhere...
Lets just hope we don’t adopt a rotation policy just so Moyes can be liked...Look at what happened when Benitez tried it..
play your strongest team when possible and necessary...
Re Dick’s post: we were playing 4-4-2, Cahill and Fellaini both playing in midfield... both score. So therefore they played well together?
I’m, just asking the question. Perhaps the answer is we went back into 4-5-1 when the relatively ineffective Jo went off.
Really??
Such short memories you have, tchh!
The first three names on my team sheet when all are fit would be Arteta Cahill and Yakubu. Next would be Jags, then Pienaar. Fellaini would be way down my list, below Rodwell, below Billy (from the little I’ve seen) but a long long way behind Cahill who, imho, isnt far off legend status as a Blue!
What’s memory got to do with picking a team of players who compliment each other from the current bodies available..
A ridiculous comment...
This is the way I see it...Cahill and Fellaini cannot be in the same midfield if the players around them are not suitable to 1) influence Fellaini’s game (he seems inspired with better players around him) and 2) to allow Cahill the freedom to abrogate any real midfield duties...
Having Osman in a 5-man midfield does not satisfy these conditions... However against AEK (quality notwithstanding) we had Bily and Pienaar either side of Fellaini and this both inspired Fellaini to link up play and also allowed Cahill a free role almost.
Obviously this isn’t a hard and fast rule but that’s the way I see the Fellaini/Cahill situation at the moment...
With everybody back though, this conundrum wouldn’t arise because one of them would have to be dropped... and that would be Cahill...
But both are high up near the top of Moyes's ’first-pick’ list... I hope Bily gets up there soon but meanwhile, I can’t see Davey leaving either Cahill or Fellaini off the field for very long.
Heitinga Jagielka Distin Baines
Pienaar Rodwell Arteta Bily
Cahill
Yakubu
Lags captain and some strong options on the bench with Fellaini, Saha etc and Neville and Yobo fighting for a starting place.
Also nice to see Hibbert in there. I know he is not a world beater but i honestly believe he is our best right back (at least against the majority of opponents).
Also, I know it probably sounds like repeating others sound bytes but I was really impressed with him as a make shift centre half. Not sure it would work in the premiership but I honestly believe Moyes could have stumbled onto something there. I await the slew of abuse regarding his positional skills and heading abilities.
Anthony. I also agree with Jags as Captain and believe this appointment only a matter of time.
Howard
Neill.........Distin ......Jagielka ....Baines
.........Pienaar... Rodwell.... Arteta
......................Bilyaletdinov
................Saha...............Yakubu
I would be interested to know why you left out Heitinga and Bily from your team. I think I am more with Sam and Nick on this one. I would definitely go with Saha & Yakubu up front, assuming full fitness for every selection of course!!
Fellaini for me, as a deeper midfielder, but moving up front when free kicks, corners come along.
Is Heitinga crap, as some contributors already seem to have decided, or are they being too judgmental too soon? Have we paid £6 mill or whatever it was, for someone who cant displace Hibbert at right back? Early days, but Bily for me looks class. He will come into his own when Arteta returns and Pienaar is switched to the right.
No Rodwell, so how do you shuffle Cahill, Osman, Fellaini and Bily? As Moyes realised about 20 minutes into the second half — not like that. He pulled Jo back to left MF, sent Bily to work at right MF and sent Cahill up to support Yak. Two goals later the game — with a few scares — was won.
This isn’t our game plan for the rest of the season, but I hope Moyes has the self-confidence based on games such as this to switch things about to suit the circumstances in future.
ps: Hibbert for the Carsley role?
Now that would be tangible progress.
.............................HOWARD
HIBBERT..JAGIELKA...DISTIN..BAINES
...................RODWELL
ARTETA..CAHILL..FELLAINI..PIENAAR
............................SAHA
Someone asked why I would leave out Heitinga and Bilyaletdinov, well its simple, at this present moment neither of them have shown anything to justify a place in the team.
Heitinga has looked pretty awful in the games I have seen so far. Hibbert is tried and tested. Heitinga might well improve but if the most important game in Everton’s history was tomorrow I would play Hibbert ahead of him.
Bilyaletdinov has shown moments of class but he’s also disappeared from games. Bilyaletdinov hasn’t shown enough to get in the midfield which I believe is pretty great. That might change in time but not today.
The only players I feel guilty about leaving out are Yakubu and Neville. I wouldn’t mind seeing a fully fit Yakubu up front or Neville instead of Hibbert or Rodwell but the above is my strongest team at this moment.
It was me who questioned you about Bily and Heitinga. Are you seriously suggesting that Hibbert is a better right back than a Dutch international with 47 caps? If that is the case, then we need to ask serious questions about our scouts!!!
You also placed Pienaar up front with Saha — are you serious?? Pienaar is a tremendous player for us, but he is not a forward. I would play Yakubu with Saha (I am getting fed up with Jo and I regret saying that!!) and put Bily at left midfield/left wing. Cahill and Fellaini can come up for corners etc but let Fellaini drop back to defensive midfield when he feels the need to (as he does for his country).
Howard
Heitinga Jagielka Distin Baines
Pienaar Arteta Fellaini Bilyaletdinov
Cahill
Saha
I’m putting Hibbert in ahead of Heitina because so far I’ve witnessed nothing from Heitinga to suggest he’s better then Hibbert.
Heitinga may well be a Dutch International but in the two or three games I’ve seen him play for Everton I think he’s been awful. In time that may change but at this moment its Hibbert.
Pienaar wasn’t up front, that's a computer error.
Howard
Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines
Rodwell (protecting back four)
Arteta, Cahill, Fellaini, Pienaar
Saha (lone striker).
Saha on his own, even at home?? We need to be rather more adventurous when playing at home and we have the players to do it, viz Saha, Yakubu, Bily, Cahill, etc.
In a spirit of friendliness, I am sorry to say that Jo doesn't appear to cut it, I really wanted him to make an impact with us, but so far, it just hasnt happened!!! No way is this guy worth £19 million!!
Perhaps we should buy back Lescott and let them have Jo for 50 quid???
Hibbert
Yobo Distin
Gosling Baines
Arteta Cahill Bily
Pienaar
Saha
I mentioned this on another thread but as everyone is playing FM I’ll repeat myself. After last night it occurred to me that Hibbo would be great behind the defence as an old fashioned sweeper. This would free up the fullbacks to attack more freely and we would have an awesome attacking threat with Arteta, Piennar and Bily being interchangeable throughout the match they would be pretty much unremarkable. Not to mention the options we’d have in reserve with people like Rodwell, Fellaini, Heitinga.
I know it's regarded as an old fashioned line-up but I think it suits our squad.
(?) Jagielka Distin Baines
Rodwell
Bilyaletdinov Arteta Pienaar
Cahill
Saha
Not comfortable with Gosling, Hibbert, Neville, Hetinga at RB so whichever of these is on "form" I guess. Yak/Saha/Cahill switching Gosling coming on for Bily etc .. Rodders / Arteta swap could be good.
Because I think Cahill on his day and in form and played correctly is better than Fellaini??
I mentioned short memories because, without Cahill last season we struggled whilst with him, specially against the shite, we overcame. I’ll eat humble pie if/when Fellaini offers more than Cahill but I look forward to watching others chew on their words when Cahill proves you all wrong again! Its not that long since he was great (hence "short memories" and it wont be long 'til he’s back!
Neill Jagielka Distin Baines
Arteta Rodwell
Pienaar Bily
Cahill
Yakubu
I can’t see past that personally if everybody is fit of course. I don’t like the 5 man midfield so Cahill would be used as a second striker. One up front is too negative. Saha runs Yakubu close but a fully fit on song Yakubu pips it for me.
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1 Posted 02/10/2009 at 14:40:39
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Sorry but I think only one would make it. If I had to name Everton’s strongest defence today I would say the following.
Baines, Jagielka, Distin & Hibbert.