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Best team, always
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In these days of mass media, micro-scrutiny of football matches, there has (and only ever will be) one way of best management practice of a football team ? that simply being to pick your best players in the right positions!
This may be a simpleton's guide to football management in today's era of player power, with egos inflated to the size of Buster's nads, but the best team in Europe in the 80s played in Royal Blue! We knew their names and what positions they played in.
Alan Harper and Kevin Richardson, when called upon, never let anyone down... at times putting in Man of the Match performances, they knew and we knew that Kendall would drop the axe the minute the player they were covering for was back from injury or suspension ? that's the way it was and it made for a winning machine.
Today's squad is the best since that time; the best eleven may not pick itself at the moment, but in my opinion the best players at the club should start every game. I'll stick my neck out here and say who I think should start (4-4-1-1):
Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin / Heitinga, Baines; Rodwell, Fellaini, Arteta, Pienaar; Cahill; Saha / Beckford.
So that has Distin & Heitinga fighting for centre-back, Saha & Beckford fighting for centre-forward. Change the system to suit the game, but put your best players on the pitch always.
Rodwell may become the best centre mid in the country one day; at the moment, let's see him on the pitch, likewise Coleman!! Get them on the pitch playing regularly. No favourites, no players for certain games, just the best players on the pitch for all the important games ? ALWAYS!
Barry Hughes, Posted 26/08/2010 at 17:34:45
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Having said that, you have picked 13, Barry. The first thing a manager should do is get the numbers right, and avoid doing a 'Stuart Pearce'.
please............W.T.F
'Please' yourself; it's only my opinion.
I think Brendan's point is that, despite the OP claiming the best approach is to pick your best 11 & stick with them, Barry hasn't actually done that ? even though he claims that he will "stick his neck out" and say who he thinks "should start (4-4-1-1)".
Howard
Coleman
Heitinga
Distin
Baines
Fellaini
Rodwell
Arteta
Pienaar
Cahill
Saha
How do you pick a midfield 4 from: Heitinga, Rodwell, Fellaini, Arteta, Pienaar, Bily, Osman and get width on both sides?
To me, you cannot play Heitinga, Rodwell, Fellaini and Arteta together ? only two of them ? and at the moment mine would be Fellaini and Arteta. Rodwell cannot play wide.
So team:- Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Bily, Fellaini, Arteta, Pienaar; Cahill; Saha.
You never actually stuck your neck out there, Barry ? you dodged the CB issue and the forwards issue.
My team with everyone fit would be:
Howard
Coleman Jagielka Heitinga Baines
Arteta
Rodwell Fellaini
Anichebe Pienaar
Yakubu
Not like the winning sides of the 80's when they picked themselves.
We don't have stand-out stars in every position. (Although it's true that great sides often have the journeymen who just fit in well and complement the system).
So we have this wonderful conundrum when picking the next team. And it's not surprising that supporters disagree.
I'm not sure who I would pick for Sunday, especially if all are fit and lively in training. But I would definitely have Coleman and Rodwell on the team sheet as starters. Beckford would also get my nod for the 1st half with Saha ready to go in the 2nd.
We might not see Yak until there are injuries and I hope he keeps his spirits up (and gets mad enough to prove himself) in the meantime.
The 5 goals has given me some hope but its in the PL that we need to produce.
The manager sees the pitfalls and the supporters, by-and-large see the possibilities of brave, attacking play. We are ready to take the risks and will support Moyes if he tries to be more positive.
I hope he reads these posts and takes note. We don't get paid 3mil a year to pick the team, but we are Everton, and I want to hear, "Here we go, here we go, here we go!", again, ringing round the Old Lady.
For me he is an impact player, and ticks most of Moyes's boxes ? though not always for 90 mins. He has pace, strength, gets behind the opposition's defensive line, is direct and has a goal threat. Moyes himself said before the Blackburn game that 'Vic's the only one who'll miss out, which is a shame as we could do with him'.
It's a pity about the injury history (which the Nigeria squad controversy highlighted); otherwise he could have nailed down a place.
I would be more inclined to go with something like Stephen (#9) says, although I'd swap Arteta with the big Fella and I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Yak to get fit! I'd be keeping the faith in Beckford for the time being.
Coleman Jags Heitinga Baines
Fellaini
Arteta Rodwell Pienaar
Cahill Saha
As the season goes on, Coleman could be our Gareth Bale for the right, Gueye could be de Guy for the left. So who supports Beckford or Saha? If it's Cahill or Bily, then it's two from the above mentioned: Four in midfield. Or can Rodwell be our Gerrard and support a striker?
At the start we felt we had never had it so good since the 80s, now we seem to have more questions than answers. So here goes:
Howard
Neville
Jags
Heitinga
Baines
Coleman
Arteta
Fellaini
Gueye
Rodwell
Beckford.
4-5-1 set up, just have a feeling the leash will be off and Moyes attacks.
Your best team for one opponent might not be the best team for a different opponent. Certain players or tactics are more or less effective depending on who you're playing.
Simply changing the team for the sake of it can keep things fresh and affect the mental approach of the players, not to mention the people coming in wanting to prove something and stay in the team.
Players not being sure of their place avoids complacency and should ensure they play at a high level consistently in order to maintain their position.
Over a long season, 20 players playing 40-45 games will be able to play at a higher level by the end than 15 players playing 55-60 games. You may not have much sympathy given the money they earn, but tiredness, both mentally and physically, plays a part.
Your post is either completely wrong, for the five reasons listed above, or it is completely pointless amounting to 'you should pick your best team'. Well, duh!
Which, incidentally, your 11/13 isn't. It looks like you've shunted Arteta out wide, a crazy waste of our best and most influential player, and you seem to consider Beckford to be ahead of Yakubu.
Thanks. That's exactly what I meant. I wasn't inferring that Barry couldn't count, just that he said he was 'sticking his neck out', and then... erm, didn't.
Beckford.
As for Bily, I was dead excited when we signed him, saw him on his debut and was thrilled by his ability to throw a great cross in from the left or a corner.... then a ball was played in front of him to chase and it was like watching Playdoh going uphill.
"Oh, Fuck." I thought.
He's got a great touch but he ain't no winger. Play him in the "1" behind the striker or get rid quick, I just don't think he's got the stomach for the PL.
Coleman ? awesome last night within reason ? but playing him RB against Ashley Young on Sunday,,,,? You must be more pissed than me...!
And why not? He's a fucking legend!
Howard
Hibbo Jonny Distin Bains
Fellaini Rodwell
Coleman Arteta Guaye
Saha
Howard and Mucha both in goal, which will mean we will only need 3 in midfield.
Baines, Distin, Jags, My Dad (he's sixty four, but still pretty good at bombing forward)
Arteta, Fellaini, Gueye (this will tick the diversity box)
Saha and Ferguson (not seen Duncan lately, but I'm sure he's still on the books)
Truth is, Arteta is the only CM we have that is actually quite good on the wing. This allows us to have a Rodders & Fellaini mid and Pienaar & Arteta quality on the wings... actually doesn't sound too bad does it? Better than the alternatives...
Unless of course Moyes drops Tim and sticks Arteta or Rodwell behind the striker... but I don't see that as their best positions. Bily makes more sense for me.
So, even though I don't want him out there, Arteta on the wing provides the best balance this side could have.
Turner
Hibbert
Yobo
Distin
Neville
Billy
Osman
Goslings knee (it's still in the treatment room)
Anichebe
Vaughan
Yak
A team to strike fear into the hearts of every.......erm.....Evertonian?
--------------
Ashley Young's been playing a more central role this season...
And as I said before...what's the difference between Neville's defensive lapses and Coleman's?
There's no point in moving Arteta out wide, he's without doubt a key player for us in the middle and he needs to be there to pull the strings and get the passing moves flowing. Also those who are saying to leave Fellaini out I think are badly underestimating just how good he can be this season. I think he'll be our main man this year.
So, Rodwell on the right looks to be the best option to get him in the side. I know he was tried there once last season and it didn't really work. But I also remember that run down the right against Man City at Eastlands where he set up Arteta's goal. He definitely looked like he could do that regularly to me and surely it's worth a go as a way of getting our best players on the pitch?
And it shows how hard it will be for Moyes, just hope that he gives some of the younger element a run.
The selection for the Villa match will be interesting, with Villa suffering two defeats on the bounce, I hope he is not too cauttious, and goes for it?
Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines; Fellaini; Pienaar, Arteta, Bily; Rodwell; Beckford.
Come on down, the price is right.
I am in entire agreement with your post about playing Arteta on the left while we don't have a specific player for that position. He is the most adaptable player in our team. It does not mean we need to stick rigidly to a wingers system ? it means the midfield three of Arteta, Billy and Pienaar can float around and overlap in front on Fellaini and Rodwell ? with the full backs providing the width when needed... but that Arteta primarily plays in from the left.
Unfortunately this also means playing Coleman ? which won't happen, because Moyes is a big stick-in-the-mud.
Distin has been our best defender this season, he doesn't panic in possession and has the pace to get out of trouble. He is good in one-on-one situations as he has the pace and strength to defend properly. His distribution could be improved although he is good at running the ball out of defence.
Heitinga has to play week-in, week-out. His use of the ball improves the way we play 100%. On Wednesday night, Mucha passed every goal kick to Heitinga and this allowed us to build from the back. Everyone comments on his lack of size, however, this is countered by having Fellaini in front of the back 4 ? he wins almost every header. Heitinga's reading of the game is good as is his ability to get stuck in.
I willingly admit that Jagielka is a good defender although to say he is our best centre-back is lame. I've lost track of the number of home games that I've sat through were he constantly lumps the ball out to the left wing; although to nobody in particular. The reason he finds himself in these last-ditch situations making last-ditch tackles is because he often puts himself there with a bad pass or decision.
Playing Heitinga and Distin together provides balance with the left/right combination. They are both comfortable in possesion and this makes Arteta and Fellaini more comfortable. People often moan that they don't give Jags an option so he lumps it. That is becasue they don't trust his passing and realise that it's "safer" to just get rid. Whereas the other two will always show for the ball when Distin and Heitinga play as they have and trust in each others ability to use and retain the ball.
Here's my team to start at Villa. It sounds defensive on paper but I'm taking into account the physical strengths of Heskey, Carew, Agbonlahor etc
(4-2-3-1)
GK Howard
RB Coleman
LB Baines
CD Jagielka
CD Distin
HCM Heitinga
HCM Fellaini
M Arteta
M Cahill
M Pienaar
CF Saha
Subs: Mucha, Beckford, Rodwell, Yakubu, Osman, Bily and Hibbert
The difference is, Neville gets slaughtered on here over his whilst Coleman's get ignored.
And then there's Phil Neville, old and exceedingly wise: he's been around a while and should certainly know better, so get s held quite rightly to a much higher standard of consistency.
Of course you knew this, didn't you?
OK Michael, I'll give you 'generous'.
But 'positive'? Come on.
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1 Posted 26/08/2010 at 20:05:27
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Coleman
Jagielka
Heitinga
Baines
Arteta
Rodwell
Fellaini
Pienaar
Bily
Saha