The Mail Bag
A tough week made tougher
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As if playing 3 away games in a week later this month at Benfica, Bolton and Spurs was not going to be hard enough, it seems a bit unfair on us that we will only have 2 days between the Bolton and Spurs games.
Benfica - Thursday evening
Bolton - Sunday lunchtime
Spurs - Tuesday evening.
Whilst the games come thick and fast these days, 3 games in 5 days, all away from home, will stretch us to the limit. I can't see why the Spurs game could not have been played on the Wednesday, with Arsenal and Liverpool meeting on the Tuesday.
Karl Masters, Posted 06/10/2009 at 17:09:54
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Spurs in the Carling Cup is the game were I expect players to be rested. Neill, Yak, Jo, Bily etc should all start.
The Bolton game is the most important and we must be at full strength for that one.
Benfica — Thursday evening: 2-1 win
Bolton — Sunday lunchtime: 2-0 win
Spurs — Tuesday evening: 2-1 win
Don't be negitive, none of them will like playing us either, will take them all. Let's all start talking positive!!
COYB
Bolton — Sunday lunchtime: 2-0 win
Spurs — Tuesday evening: 2-1 win
Don't be negitive, none of them will like playing us either, will take them all. Let's all start talking positive!!
COYB
Don’t think we can really complain as the start of this season has been fairly kind given that we’ve only played one of the Sky Four up to this point.
It’s just a pity we’ve failed to take advantage of it.
It’s just a pity we’ve failed to take advantage of it.
I think we will maybe rest a couple of key players (but no more) for the Benfica clash, then as strong as possible away at Bolton. Depending on the condition of various players, I think we should treat the Carling Cup tie at Spurs our 3rd priority (resting certain players for the important Villa match).
At least we now have some options, i’d rest Ossie for Bolton and Spurs and play him central against Benfica, using Bily wide left for those 3 games. Cahill and Feli swap.
Heitinga and Neill in defence and Jo , Saha and the Yak up top.
Options ! great to have them,
Heitinga and Neill in defence and Jo , Saha and the Yak up top.
Options ! great to have them,
Thinking on when everybodys back.
GK= Howard, Nash
RB= Neill , Neville , Hibbert , Heitinga , Gosling
LB= Baines, Distin
CB= Jags, Distin, Yobo, Heitinga, Neill, Neville, Hibbert, Rodwell
RM= Bily, Ossie,Pienaar, Arteta, Gosling
LM= Bily, Pienaar , Anichebe
CM= Arteta , Rodwell, Ossie , Pienaar, Neville , Cahill , Felliani ,Bily
Sk= Saha, Yak , Jo , Anichebe.
I’m sure i’ve missed a few positions but that to me looks a decent squad, maybe light at LB and GK but enough to see us through the League and Cups. Also gives Moyes choices for runs of games with little break in between.
We also have 3 and a half playmakers in the side for joined up football.
Any news on Pienaar ?
GK= Howard, Nash
RB= Neill , Neville , Hibbert , Heitinga , Gosling
LB= Baines, Distin
CB= Jags, Distin, Yobo, Heitinga, Neill, Neville, Hibbert, Rodwell
RM= Bily, Ossie,Pienaar, Arteta, Gosling
LM= Bily, Pienaar , Anichebe
CM= Arteta , Rodwell, Ossie , Pienaar, Neville , Cahill , Felliani ,Bily
Sk= Saha, Yak , Jo , Anichebe.
I’m sure i’ve missed a few positions but that to me looks a decent squad, maybe light at LB and GK but enough to see us through the League and Cups. Also gives Moyes choices for runs of games with little break in between.
We also have 3 and a half playmakers in the side for joined up football.
Any news on Pienaar ?
We rarely seem to rest a lot of players like some other sides do -- IIRC (I may not be) we played a couple of first-choicers last year when we’d already qualified from the group stages of Europe. Likely a squad depth issue of course. Still too early to rest that many against Benfica though.
Iain, I see on the offical site the Pienaar will be back for theWolves game... along with Yobo.
http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/yobo-and-pienaar-in-wolves-return.html?utm_source=rss_everton&utm_medium=rss_feed&utm_term=Yobo+And+Pienaar+Recover
http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/yobo-and-pienaar-in-wolves-return.html?utm_source=rss_everton&utm_medium=rss_feed&utm_term=Yobo+And+Pienaar+Recover
We don't have a big enough squad to compete on four fronts not even three... so, like I have said in the past, we should swerve one or two of them. The Carling Cup game at Hull should've been the chance to blood loads of kids and get knocked out. I don't care much for the Europa Cup but if we are to make a go of it we need to bow out elsewhere.
You don't think O'Neill, Hughes or Rednapp where thinking "Shit, we are not in the Europa at the group stages... I wish we where popping over to Belarus on Thursday, playing matches at a lose and then playing Sunday with no time to prepare."? That's what some of our fans cry out for by the way.
The Premier League money is the main thing to secure, after that, it's take your pick out of 3 cups. Not even Man Utd or Chelsea can kep it up in all competitions so how can we?
Oh yes, Karl, stop whinging lad, it was you having a go at me previously for wanting us to get knocked out of crappy tournaments.
You don't think O'Neill, Hughes or Rednapp where thinking "Shit, we are not in the Europa at the group stages... I wish we where popping over to Belarus on Thursday, playing matches at a lose and then playing Sunday with no time to prepare."? That's what some of our fans cry out for by the way.
The Premier League money is the main thing to secure, after that, it's take your pick out of 3 cups. Not even Man Utd or Chelsea can kep it up in all competitions so how can we?
Oh yes, Karl, stop whinging lad, it was you having a go at me previously for wanting us to get knocked out of crappy tournaments.
There’s always one that getsya!
IIRC????
Mr Kenrick et al, can I suggest you create a section in TW listing all acronyms used by Evertonians?
Thanks - COYB, IMWT, WTF?
IIRC????
Mr Kenrick et al, can I suggest you create a section in TW listing all acronyms used by Evertonians?
Thanks - COYB, IMWT, WTF?
The Blues lack a real player who has both speed and skill on offense which really was evident against Stoke. Except when Bainsey gets into gear on occasions the only other player who looks dangerous has been Peanuts. He was sadly missed against Stoke and I for one hope he is back against Wolves although Wolves are very weak at the back.
Sorry Gerry ... "If I Recall Correctly."
It’s laughable to me that a football supporter such as Mr Tony Marsh would suggest a professional football club should not compete to the best of their ability in all the competitions for which they are entered.
And the thing you sadly ignore, Tony, with this "squad not big enough" rubbish is that winning becomes a habit... which starts to fall apart the minute you stop approaching games in the belief that you have fielded your best team and you do intend to do your utmost to win the game.
In our case, squad size is absolutely no justification for the capitulation you suggest, we actually have a larger squad this season than for some considerable time.
And the thing you sadly ignore, Tony, with this "squad not big enough" rubbish is that winning becomes a habit... which starts to fall apart the minute you stop approaching games in the belief that you have fielded your best team and you do intend to do your utmost to win the game.
In our case, squad size is absolutely no justification for the capitulation you suggest, we actually have a larger squad this season than for some considerable time.
I want to see Moyes fielding a strong line-up in every comepetition, and doing his best to win all the games, while using the sizeable 7-man bench to give him plenty of options for getting the young ’uns on the field when games are won.
Tony Marsh:
In case it has escaped your attention we have not won anything for close on 15 years. The whole point of competing is to win trophies, not come second, qualify for the CL or win prize money. Nobody remembers the losers, right?
Therefore, I, and just about every Evertonian bar you it seems, would be more than happy with the Carling Cup or the Europa League this season.
For a man who comes on here every week demanding the best from Moyes and the Team and ranting on never-endingly about how poor we are to watch, tactics, blah, blah, blah, it seems very odd that you would want to see us lose any game. If we had been knocked out at Hull or lost at home to Athens you’d have been on here quicker than a Redshite phoning 606 to tell us all how the world was coming to an end!
In case it has escaped your attention we have not won anything for close on 15 years. The whole point of competing is to win trophies, not come second, qualify for the CL or win prize money. Nobody remembers the losers, right?
Therefore, I, and just about every Evertonian bar you it seems, would be more than happy with the Carling Cup or the Europa League this season.
For a man who comes on here every week demanding the best from Moyes and the Team and ranting on never-endingly about how poor we are to watch, tactics, blah, blah, blah, it seems very odd that you would want to see us lose any game. If we had been knocked out at Hull or lost at home to Athens you’d have been on here quicker than a Redshite phoning 606 to tell us all how the world was coming to an end!
We need the "Devils Advocate" Tony Marsh on these forums otherwise they might become boring.
I can see where he is coming from but would say the cups are more important now than before as within our league our rivals for those european places have improved dramaticaly.
Man City= £200m spent !!!!!
Spurs= £100m mark [ including last Jan ]
I love us being in Europe and so do the players, remember what happened to us last time we had a decent side and Europe was a no go.?
I can see where he is coming from but would say the cups are more important now than before as within our league our rivals for those european places have improved dramaticaly.
Man City= £200m spent !!!!!
Spurs= £100m mark [ including last Jan ]
I love us being in Europe and so do the players, remember what happened to us last time we had a decent side and Europe was a no go.?
Tony, isn’t it all Hibbert and Osman’s fault somehow???
Exactly, Michael, one only has to look at Villa last year. They were flying and looking good for the top 4 spot then they go and field a reserve side in the Uefa Cup and they go on a terrible losing streak and end up even losing 5th place to us.
Granted it might have coincided with teams getting wise to O’Neil’s one dimensional play, either attack on the break or hoof it to Carew, but their terrible run started with the European loss.
Look at us after losing to Fiorentina a few seasons back, it took us about 10 games to get over it, exactly the same after the Bucharest fiasco.
Granted it might have coincided with teams getting wise to O’Neil’s one dimensional play, either attack on the break or hoof it to Carew, but their terrible run started with the European loss.
Look at us after losing to Fiorentina a few seasons back, it took us about 10 games to get over it, exactly the same after the Bucharest fiasco.
Funny that Tony.
If we did get knocked out of the Carling or UEFA Cup you’d be the first one on here kicking off.
If we did get knocked out of the Carling or UEFA Cup you’d be the first one on here kicking off.
Completely concur with everyone from Michael down.
What’s the point of finishing high up the league (if not going to win it) if it’s not for the chance to compete at higher level in more trophies.
If it really is just all about the money, then why not put desks on the pitch and turn the fucking place into a hedge fund, we’d at least get the investment.
Surely what we ALL want to see as fans are great games against big teams and the chance of winning some silverware (which I think we genuinely deserve to be honest). Until we get a trophy for finishing 5th, then it’s only going to be the Europa, FA Cup or Carling Cup isn’t it?
I for one really enjoyed the Uefa Cup run a couple of years back and was heartbroken by the shootout (only thing that saved the night was Spurs going out as well) and I’d love another run at it.
What’s the point of finishing high up the league (if not going to win it) if it’s not for the chance to compete at higher level in more trophies.
If it really is just all about the money, then why not put desks on the pitch and turn the fucking place into a hedge fund, we’d at least get the investment.
Surely what we ALL want to see as fans are great games against big teams and the chance of winning some silverware (which I think we genuinely deserve to be honest). Until we get a trophy for finishing 5th, then it’s only going to be the Europa, FA Cup or Carling Cup isn’t it?
I for one really enjoyed the Uefa Cup run a couple of years back and was heartbroken by the shootout (only thing that saved the night was Spurs going out as well) and I’d love another run at it.
I’d also like a return to Wembley be it FA or Carling if that could be engineered and if a genuine shot at a trophy came at the expense of a couple of league positions I’d take it every time. For me the top 4 will be more competitive than it’s been for years this time round and although I do think we have a shot, I would be happier with top 7 and a cup final than top 5 and nothing more.
I agree that being in Europe is great and I hope we play are strongest team in the Europa. Chris I too was shattered after the penalty shootout in the Uefa Cup though the only thing that saved me that night was the club I found selling double vodka and Red Bull for £2.
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1 Posted 06/10/2009 at 21:27:42
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I would argue that the Bolton game is the most important. We are in great shape to qualify from the Europa group so Benfica doesn’t really matter all that much. You might find Moyes try a few new faces in that one.
Spurs away will be incredibly difficult and even though we have done well there in last few years, I suspect anything we get from that game will be a bonus. Moyes will probably target the Bolton game where he’ll look for at least a point.