The Mail Bag
David Moyes: Chapter Five
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In the recent weeks 1 thing has occurred to me about the team and Moyes. First chapter: David Moyes started his managerial reign in 2002 and he largely got rid of his useless players by 2003 bar Stubbs, Duncan Ferguson, and Tomasz Radzinski.
Chapter 2: from 2003 to 2006, players such as Thomas Gravesen, Marcus Bent, Kevin Kilbane were essential parts of our team that finished 4th in the league. That team performed brilliantly, but Moyes quite rightly realised that these players were not good enough for Everton to progress.
Chapter Three: In the summer of 2006, Moyes made three terrific signings: Joleon Lescott, Tim Howard and Andy Johnson. This team was made even better when Jagielka, Baines, Yakubu, Pienaar came along with two young strikers in Vaughan and Anichebe. In my opinion, that team, strengthened with Manual Fernandes, was the best Everton team since the 1980s.
Chapter Four: In the summer of 2008 we made an awful decision in my eyes by selling Andy Johnson, one of our most vital players. Our team has been a successful family and work force all working hard for each other. Nobody was bigger than the team unlike clubs such as Liverpool. I think we destroyed that chapter when we sold Johnson. If we’d bought in a few players such as Bentley I think we could have finished in 3rd place last season.
Chapter Five: I always knew though that another club would come in for Arteta, Cahill, Baines, or Lescott. This season we have gone from being top 4 contenders to relegation candidates. We have the old guard and the new guard... the old one that essentially worked hard are clashing with the newer lazier players in our team; you can make your own decisions about who I’m talking about. We need to accept that chapter of success has gone and need to make numerous changes so we can become top 4 contenders again, such as Spurs have done.
I do think we need Moyes but we need a new owner and new players more importantly. People have said look at the differences from last season. We’ll be missing four players in January and February. I cannot see us getting rid of the underperforming players to make finances for new ones so I think it will be a difficult season.
No longer do I go to games excited or believing we can win. Kenwright is not the devil incarnate, he’s just easier to blame than Moyes. There are many people to blame... nobody’s blameless for our demise.
Chris Butler, Posted 01/12/2009 at 12:45:36
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Let’s hope we don’t get to Chapter 11.
Simple passing, making space and moving around does wonders and the football is easy on the eyes.
My god we are lightening years behind the Mancs! Reality really hurts.
He was a good player... but not as good as he initially looked.
My particular favourite is
"We made an awful decision in my eyes by selling Andy Johnson, one of our most vital players. ... If we’d bought in a few players such as Bentley I think we could have finished in 3rd place last season."
Have you watched either of these players recently? As a hint, look where Andy Johnson went when he left Everton — Fulham, hardly an indication of a top quality player.
Everton moved on from AJ who did a lot of running around with a limited end product.
As for Bentley, even Spurs think he’s a waste fo space at the moment!
And can people stop going on about what a great player Fernandes was, he scored a good goal against Man Utd, and did some fancy tricks against Arsenal, but he was one of the laziest, most temperamental football players we’ve had. If you think he is the solution to our midfield then you are sadly mistaken!
Yes, he was lazy at times, but I’d rather have a bunch of lazy cunts playing great football, than have a bunch of workhorses who couldn’t string two passes together.
Ok, if you want us to be Newcastle Utd then fine, I will be happy with a side that plays ok and wins more often than not, than with a temporamental bunch who turn up as and when they feel like it for the odd game on a nice day when theres a big crowd!
Give me players like Cahill and Jagielka any day. A team can cope with 1 or 2 players like Manny, but bearing in mind some of the critiicism our palyers get for not working hard enough, Manny would have no chance.
Notice how much Manny has set the world alight at Valencia!
You say you'd rather have the likes of Cahill in your team, well we have and he has done fuck all this year. If Tim doesn't score, he does nothing else.
In my view, Cahill is the biggest over-hyped player in the league, runs hard, tries hard and gets a few goals... hardly a superstar. And as for Newcastle, the last time they had lazy flair players they nearly won the league with Ginola and Co.
Yes we have suffered more than any club due to injuries - however we all knew back at the end of last season that Arteta,Anichebe,Jagielka and Yakubu would struggle to play in any matches until just before Christmas. Yes the Yak is back but he was out for the best part of a year and clearly needs time to get back to full match fitness.
I believe that it was a matter of great urgency that we strengthened the squad BEFORE the season started. But just as in 2008, Moyes wasted the time. The Lescott matter didn’t help - but you can’t have it both ways. We had 2 choices - 1) sell him early get less money - but have more time to draft in a replacement or 2) let things drag, get more money but have less time to bring in a replacement. Moyes went for option 2 but then moaned that we didn’t have time to buy a central defender.
We needed to bring in either loan players or permanent signings to cover for the absence of the injured players. The fact is we didn’t and we are reaping the results of Moyes summer of non transfer activity. Brilliant stroke of genius that too sign Lucas Neil and Heitinga - two experienced players - pity they were signed TOO LATE to play any part in the Eurpa Cup group matches.
There where player out there we could and should have gone for, instead of leaving the transfer business till the last minute - which seems to be how we do things. Players from European big names like Real Madrid and Barcalona that we could have taken on loan. And before yoy say anything - was Fernandes a household name when we signed him on loan?Patrick Viera was an Inter Milan Reserve when Wenger signed him. Our own Steven Pienaar - arrived initially on loan after a bad time at Dortmund. There are players out there - come on Mr Moyes yes the team need to up their game- but so do you. Start showing some leadership - it’s what you’re paid for.
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1 Posted 01/12/2009 at 16:04:49
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In my opnion the boy had everything, so strong on the ball, quick feet, vision, vicious strike, with slick passing and control, not to mention he is only 22!!
At the minute we are crying out for a "Manny" style of player in the middle of the park, a dictator. Manny just didn't pass the ball and say "well that's my job done" — he would fizz the ball to a blue shirt then move and go look about the return... I miss him so much, what I would like to call a proper midfielder!
Imagine a midfield of Bily, Pienaar, Arteta, Manny and Fellaini?? You could wave goodbye too hoofball!!
So please, Bill, do somthing right and bring this lad to his HOME!