ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Team Talk

So we we are playing WOLVES today lads. They finished high up the league last season which is why they got promoted. They are a top four club in that case so we have got to be careful. I have got a few tricks up my sleeve which I think will give us the edge.

We will play not one but TWO holding midfield players. They will struggle to score with our extra defender and they will not be expecting that as we are at home.

Continuing our element of surprise, we will play Ossie and Hibbo on the right. This combination has been our weak link for about 657 games now so they won't be expecting us to use it again.

They will also have a plan for midfield. It will not work because we will ensure that the midfield is not involved. When we get the ball at the back we will hoof it right up the pitch to Louis. Wolves will be expecting fluid football in this league and will not be expecting the tactics used by a variety of pub teams up and down the country... another masterstroke from us I think.

Louis, when the ball comes to you, all you have to do is beat the defender to the header, bring the ball under control in the same movement, and then take it around the whole back four (you will be by yourself) and whack it into the net.

Tim, you look knackered after all that travelling but you are our talisman. You will start the game and, no matter how little you are involved due to tiredness, you will stay on. You see, a team needs a talisman and the combination of a talisman and my lucky rabbit's foot is a sure winner.

We certainly will not be out-thought by a mediocre manager like Mick McCarthy!
Rob Hollis, Holmfirth Posted 17/10/2009 at 21:43:13

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Mark Ramshaw
1 Posted 18/10/2009 at 07:43:49

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I agree with a lot of what you say. To be honest, Heitinga and Rodwell could both be classed as centre-halves. I'm not an Ossie or Hibbert knocker but Ossie wide right isn't good enough. Rodwell and Fellaini should command the centre of the park, end of.

We were poor against a very poor side. Until Moyes actually changes, which aint gonna happen, we are stuck with negative tactics.

Are we a one trick pony — probably. We are blessed with having to good playmakers in Arteta and Pienaar but, with them both out, we struggle.

I know this may be harsh and he's won us lots of points over the years but Cahill playing as a central midfielder just doesnt work. Off the front away from home okay.... but not at home when we need to be attacking these teams. We will be mid-table this season as I can name quite a few teams we’ll struggle to beat.

Dave Wilson
2 Posted 18/10/2009 at 08:45:23

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Couldn't agree more, Mark, even average teams like Wolves are able to dominate when we have Cahill in midfield, he simply isn't good enough. Moyes gave him his favoured more advanced role in the first half and he missed another sitter.

You’re right, he has won us precious points down the years and he may even win us some more, but the number of points his wayward finishing has cost us this seasion is rising rapidly, I don't think we can afford to keep carrying him in the hope that he may snatch one.

He still has a huge reputation and he will always give the opposition something else to worry about when being introduced from the bench late on.

Colin Potter
3 Posted 18/10/2009 at 09:44:10

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Mark, I don’t think Moyes will ever change. Is he too stubborn or to thick? I think it is both.

How many years have people been making excuses for him, learning curve etc... Everton, playing footy on the floor are a formidable team, Moyes seems unable to see it.

All this "we are missing so and so, and the other fella" doesn’t wash anymore, because there have been matches when the team hasn’t missed them one iota. And also, like Dave says, he doesn’t seem to trust who he has on the bench.

Paul Gladwell
4 Posted 18/10/2009 at 10:05:26

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I think 30,000 blues knew what was coming when we saw that team sheet, even one of our ex-players passed a comment reading the team sheet out in the lounge we where in, so how come the man who gets paid millions to make the decisions never???

Brian Waring
5 Posted 18/10/2009 at 10:53:53

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It’s a cert that there will be someone on here telling us we have no money, injuries etc, and Moyes’s hands are tied, this always seems to happen when we get beat, or are just shite.

When we win though, them same people are on here stating that Moyes is a genius, and this is the best squad of players we have ever had.

Steven Barton
6 Posted 18/10/2009 at 11:06:33

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David Moyes, I hope you are reading this, because you really do need to buck up.

Kevin Mitchell
7 Posted 18/10/2009 at 11:28:08

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Rob, your post is spot on. David Moyes has done a great job in taking us away from being relegation foder every season, but I’ve always thought his failure to address centre-mid has held us back to actually go on and win the odd trophy and also play more atractive football.

All the top teams have very strong midfields and even teams below us seem to dominate us in the centre. I thought this would be a priority in the summer with Arteta out 'til Christmas but strangley DM seems to neglect this area once again, which IMO produces the hoofball.

Brian Waring
8 Posted 18/10/2009 at 11:45:44

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Kevin — "I always thought his failure to address centre-mid has held us back." — I thought that's why he paid €15M for Fellaini? But as usual, he gets a player, and then opts to play him out of position.

Tony Anetts
9 Posted 18/10/2009 at 12:17:25

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I must say that I was very disappointed with our approach to the game from the time I saw the team announced. At the end, we were lucky to get what we got, because only one team came to play to its potential.

It has all been said already, but why is it that we can all see it as clear as day? Yesterday, Osman or Fellaini should have played with Rodwell in the middle — to play two holding midfielders (one of whom is not really a midfielder) was not the work of a team that rates itself or its capacity to dominate or play fluent football at home.

Coupled with an isolated striker when we have millions of pounds worth of striking talent on the bench beggars belief. Last year we played 4-6-0 or 4-5-1 against everyone because we had no fit strikers and we made sure everyone knew it and felt sorry for us — not so today!!

We can do better and Moyes must set the tactical preconditions to allow us to do so.

Paul Gladwell
10 Posted 18/10/2009 at 13:28:22

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What really got me was that this was Wolves we where playing and yet they must have been buzzing their tits off when they saw how defensive-minded our team sheet was.

One other worry I see is, when Neville and Arteta are fit, you may end up seeing Arteta pushed out wide to accomodate Neville.

John Martin
11 Posted 18/10/2009 at 14:32:31

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When we tried to play a bit of football yesterday, on those few occasions we looked okay... But Moyes's team selection means the defence has nobody to pass to so they hoof it to our one man up front. We may as well sign Heskey if we continue to play this type of football. But thats the Moyes way — try and score one and then hold on for dear life.

People keep saying this is the best squad we have had for years and I’d agree... shame we have not got a manager who will get the best out of them as he is intent on strangling the attacking edge out of them.

We are beaten by the top 4 sides before we go on the pitch most of the time. I feel ashamed that I’ve seen Villa, City, Spurs and now Sunderland show no fear against top 4 sides this year and really have a go at beating them... but we all know how we will approach these games.

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