ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Injury Crisis

Everton are pathetic at the moment. Players are injured, our pride (if we have any left) is injured as well. Why so many injuries? I think I have the solution to the problem.

Rather than spending all of the game bashing into opponents or being tackled we could start by keeping the ball. This means no long punts to the strikers and lots of crisp short passes.

To achieve this players need to make themselves available to receive a pass but this sort of running requires far less bodily contact.

We will also spend less time chasing the ball to no avail, simply by keeping it ourselves.

I noticed the hammering Peinaar takes because he often has nobody available to pass to quickly and he also does lots of tackling to clear up the mess made by his team mates.

KEEPING THE BALL - The stress free method of playing that is pleasant for the spectators and reduces wear and tear on your players.

I wish we would bloody well try it.
Rob Hollis, Holmfirth Posted 28/10/2009 at 09:54:51

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Trevor Lynes
1 Posted 28/10/2009 at 15:45:29

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I really am at a loss to explain our injury crisis and I tend to think that in a successful, football playing side, players tend not to get injured so often and perhaps ’WANT’ to play in every game.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that Arteta has spent almost all his time out in Spain and that to me is not a good sign. We do not have the squad to be able to carry injuries and we have virtually no cover for some positions.
Anyone who wants to play can do so without competition and that is a really BAD situation for any club to be in.

Scott Robinson
2 Posted 28/10/2009 at 17:25:51

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I was at the game last night and to my surprise, we did manage to pass the ball about quite crisply but unfortunately with no penetration in the final third.. Having said that, some Spurs fans (who are actually quite educated for football supporters) commented that this was a shadow of the Everton side of last year. With all the injuries, that is no surprise.

On the bright side, Rodwell looked like class... it's whether he will be wearing the Everton shirt for many years to come is another question.

Jonathan Field
3 Posted 28/10/2009 at 18:11:33

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Can someone tell me why there is absolutely no cover at left back?

So stupid it’s untrue.

Anthony Doran
4 Posted 28/10/2009 at 18:54:45

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Another anti-hoof thread? What's wrong with you people!

Keith Glazzard
5 Posted 28/10/2009 at 21:36:58

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Rob - I’m not quite sure where you have been watching football involving less bodily contact. Certainly not in the PL. If EFC under Moyes has a failing, stragely enough that is that we don’t dish it out as much as we get from the opposition. And that includes any ’cultured’ side you care to mention. When was the last time we seriously injured an opponent?

Jonathan - couldn’t agree more. We left-footers make up about 20% of the population, but much worse, at a very early stage we are cast aside as ’one-footed players’ (as opposed to them that merely use their left foot to stand on). A definite failing.

Anthony - the term ’hoof ball’ was invented by someone who had never seen or appreciated an accurate long pass. Whoever that was, his cult is alive and kicking (but only for two or three metres) on TW.

Alan Clarke
6 Posted 28/10/2009 at 22:56:41

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For those that went to the game, what was the reaction of our fans to that result? In general, what did the fans at the game make of it?

Rob Hollis
7 Posted 28/10/2009 at 23:29:15

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Keith, I could not disagree more. Of course you have to dish it out as well (Arsenal are very good at that) but our ’style’ turns the into a scrap for the ball far more often than is good for players with the stature of our side.

Do not tell me that receiving an accurate pass is as physically demanding as scrapping with the opposition for the ball. That is except for Jo who needs a ten-yard exclusion zone in order to control it.

Kieran Kinsella
8 Posted 29/10/2009 at 00:02:12

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I’m just waiting for January to come around and Phil Neville to say "it’s like having 12 new signings"

Iain Love
9 Posted 29/10/2009 at 02:43:38

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Quote "His second touch is always a tackle" — how many of our players could you say that about?

Totally agree Rob from Holmfirth. what you didn’t mention is that, if we have the ball, the opposition haven’t.

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