The Mail Bag
A Little Time
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For a while now, following the Mailbag threads, all I've been reading is how Beckford is out of his league and, well, "shit" is the term generally being thrown about.
The more sensible posters on here have pointed out he's been here all of five minutes, has often either played up front on his own or had 10/15 minutes on the pitch to make an impact, and that he's stepped up from a much lower level of football. Now, after that stunning goal right at the death, can people perhaps stop being idiots and give the lad a chance to adapt? He won't do that every week, but he's capable of it. Given our poor choice of strikers at the moment, we should be cheering on a young lad who cost us nothing and is costing us peanuts in wages.
Everton generally are playing fantastic football with no killer instinct in front of goal. Whilst Beckford may not be the complete answer to this problem, I find it unbelievably harsh that he's dismissed as a joke after about an hours worth of football as part of a front two partnership in the Everton shirt!
Lee Kidd, Posted 10/11/2010 at 21:57:16
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My fuss is with Moyes for continuously playing 4-5-1 and trying to accommodate his favourite MF players. Well done, Beckford.
I don't think you'll find many who disagree it was a good goal, but I think in reality most Evertonians still think he's shit. One of the best goals in recent times at Goodison was James McFadden's (Vs Charlton?). He too doesn't do it every week, but he's capable of it.
Fantastic!
Remember Lukas Jutkiewicz? Here's a goal he scored for Motherwell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byK2oBB_ucQ
http://www.footytube.com/video/everton-bolton-wanderers-nov10-63833.
Bily looks too shagged to celebrate!
A few years ago now we signed a couple of strikers Peter Eastoe and Brian Kidd - in March 1979. Well whilst Kidd scored goals at a decent rate Peter Eastoe didn't - at first that is, because after a move to midfield he was reverted back to striker. We were certainly very thankful of his goals back in 1980-81 as without them we would certainly have been relegated. Eastoe had a poor start to his Everton career as a striker, but persistence paid off and he proved a sucess and one of the few players worth watching in a poor team.
Beckford has only been at Goodison a few months. Give the bloke a chance. I hardly think the 4-5-1 system we play ,with very little service other than Arteta ,does him any favours. David Moyes doesn't know how to get the best out of his strikers - if he had been in charge in Lineker's time he would have played him as a wide midfielder and we would have seen him score around 15 goals.
It's all very well blaming the strikers try looking at the defensive safety first tactics of Mr Moyes. Try some variety in your tactics David - you are too predictable.
I think it is about confidence. The goal demonstrated he clearly has the technique & instinct, hopefully he can kick-on.
Unless you're Seamus Coleman, Goodison can be a difficult & complex crowd to win over, as Bily is finding out, and as Fellaini, who, despite an imperious game, was getting dogs abuse (for the red card) by the Lower Gwladys, while The Paddock were applauding him!!
Only on ToffeeWeb could you find criticism of a player who comes on as a sub and saves a point.
Unbelievable criticism for the lad when he deserves all the plaudits.
These are the stats from the Bolton game:
26 Total Shots 11
6 Shots on Target 3
10 Fouls 12
15 Corner Kicks 10
2 Offsides 2
64% Possession 36%
0 Yellow Cards 2
1 Red Cards 0
2 Saves 5
To me they suggest we bossed it and that Moyes's changes were not totally unsuccessful. With regard to them, I prefer to think that he recognised our issue of bossing games and not scoring enough and changed it round ? ok, it didn't work in as much as the trend continued but at least he tried to change it!!
On another thread, a poster suggested that if Saha pulled on the shirt again he'd return his season ticket... did Saha not force 2 goal line clearances? (I admit to only seeing highlights.)
When other teams struggle for goals but get points regardless it's seen as a gritty performance, why with us do our own support insist on seeing the same as a cause to shout for the manager to be sacked?!?!!?
Seems to be far too much criticism and not enough support within our fanbase.
The problem that raises is how to accomodate hime, which in turn reignites the whole 4-4-2, 4-5-1 debate. I'd still see him as an impact sub for the foreseeable future while he builds PL nouse and confidence.
Keith (8) - Bily wasn't on the pitch when he scored... you probably mean Coleman looked too shagged to celebrate - but would you have written it if you knew it wasn't actually one of the players we can all have a go at? (lBeckford, Bily, Ossie, Hibbo, Neville etc!). I doubt it.
I agree we should give Becks a bit more time, but cameo roles is all I see him playing. Great goal though.
What was the general feeling about Bily's performance? He seemed to have a lot of chances, but couldn't stick anything away.
Keith (8) - Bily wasn't on the pitch when he scored... you probably mean Coleman looked too shagged to celebrate - but would you have written it if you knew it wasn't actually one of the players we can all have a go at? (lBeckford, Bily, Ossie, Hibbo, Neville etc!). I doubt it.
I agree we should give Becks a bit more time, but cameo roles is all I see him playing. Great goal though.
What was the general feeling about Bily's performance? He seemed to have a lot of chances, but couldn't stick anything away.
My bigger concern is what is up with Arteta. He would be expected to be the provider of decent service to the front man (whoever is playing). I would seriously consider dropping Arteta and giving Rodwell a run in centre-mid. Arteta is becoming predictable in his movement and passing range. His execution of free kicks and corners is dreadful.
At least towards the end of the game it seemed that the penny had finally dropped and Baines was taking the corners. Don't get me wrong: Arteta is still quality I think he may just need a wake up call and I think Rodwell deserves a run in the first team.
The reason why so many have been critical of Beckford (myself included) is that he doesn't appear to be good enough to play in the Premier League. I sincerely hope I am wrong. We are not doom-mongers who enjoy sniping at our own players (well, most of us!) we simply want to watch a strong Everton line-up who will challenge for honours. And for me, that doesn't include Beckford.
The fact is, the lad HAS had plenty of chances already and he hasn't impressed. This is the Premier League, we can't afford to wait for him to come good all bloody season.
Still, each to their own.
I feel that he is too predictable. But I must point out that he is not alone. If you remember, the corner & free kicks taken by especially Taylor for Bolton caused us all sorts of problems.
Defensively we have performed well despite a couple of gaffs by Howard but if our scoring ratio or shots on target ratio doesn't improve then we will stay mid-table and struggle to win games...
Sure Becks,Yaks and Saha will score occasionally but not enough to see us win any games convincingly. Midfield contribution needs to improve greatly.
HA!
Saha on his day can be as good as Drogba/Torres, but his injury record is continuing here to no surprise, and he is becoming a passenger.
Yakubu in his last two seasons for Middlesborough and the 20-goal season for us was a real class striker and I feel that, regardless of the injury or not, he has lost that extra yard of pace that allowed him to beat defenders and finish.
Beckford is untried and unproven, but you simply can't throw a player of his experience into a Premier League match, so in my opinion, at the moment, he's not up to it.
Elsewhere, we have the two young lads in Anichebe and Gueye, but again they are unproven and need time to develop in the Reserves/Carling Cup games.
Seriously I believe we would be better off playing Cahill as the striker with Bily behind him, as at the moment Cahill is the only one who can find the net on a regular basis.
Moyes seriously needs to look for the funds to bring in a top-class 20- goal-a-season striker who has a minimal injury record and a hunger for goals.
So 20 attempts on goal is your way of suggesting we are trying to sneak a 1-0 win? How does that work then?
My problem lies with the team choice... BILLY IS SHITE, hate him... unload in January, he doesn't look interested; Fellaini back in for Jonny ? who hasn't been playing badly? Also Yak, who is starting to find some form, dropped?? Explain that...
I am still sitting firmly on my fence in respect to Beckford, but one thing I will point out is that he is hardly "a young lad". Jermaine Beckford is 26 years old and turns 27 next month so should be hitting prime any time soon ? Fingers crossed.
On MOTD it looked like he celebrated on his own though. Is he not popular with the rest of the team or did the BBC edit out the piley on?
the guy who seems to be generally unrecognised is Baines.
He was brilliant and there was no goal without him.
Sorry.....was almost positive there about one of our players.
Will try and stop that.
" Is he not popular with the rest of the team " I'm sure it was probably to do with the fact everyone was knackered and couldn't chase him at that stage of the game.
I would like to see Vaughan back, to have him in a partnership with beckford up front a sort of Cole / Yorke thing that Utd exploited so well back along.
And if our midfield could not supply these lads then get a midfield that could.
One thing about Arteta. If you remember a few seasons ago we were having a go at him for his woefull dead ball kicks and it turned out that he'd had a groin problem. I'm only hoping that this is not re-occuring.
Count me in.
We are not playing fantastic football.If we were, we could be a lot more dangerous against these other ''mid-table teams''
The plan is always the same -hope to get a high ball to Cahill or Fellaini to create something and no plan ''B' after that.
Most of the lads on here do believe some-one will get a hiding, the problem lies with the players who don't share that belief. Respect to Beckford for having a go, could have played it safe with a cross into the 6 yard box but risked a Row Z effort and a complete slagging off, went for it with a blinder.
Great attitude from Baines, never gave up, but Jags, yet another individual error for the goal. Fellani was excellent, he'll learn and now it's Rodwell's chance against Wilshere and Arteta v Fabregas... Now that will be a measure of our two.
I have just posted on Kens report. I thought i was the only one.
Big teams or the rough boys and where does senor 75 grand go?
I noticed that Beckford ran along the touchline to the box the players have hired and celebrated with others but not the players-hmmmm.
Last night i understood Yak was sore form saturday Coleman has played alot lately. not dropped.
To refer back to the thread, Baines was excellent last night, in the second half even Arteta motioned for him to take the corners.
He created the goal from hard work in the last of 93 minutes. He ran mile and him and the man we must sign are a real problem for other teams.
Only sad/down side is i think he is too small and if Bayern want him and the numbers (£12m) are right then we may have an issue. If i waere Bayern i would pay it and more for Baines and Pienaar as they are both eligable for CL and solve the left side of any teams problems. Good luck to them both, great players. fanatstic work rate (both) great skills and just a nightmare to defend against.
The boy's a proven goalscorer, he's ours and it's up to the management to get the best out of him.
I had a shit day yesterday and until about 10pm I thought that fucking tops it off. Then JB turned the whole thing around ? in style
Top Man ? has my complete support
Mikey John ? you're bob on, Bily's a mare, get rid.
Whatever that "Fitness" program is, he amazingly won the Golden Boot in the toughest league to do so at AGE 32!
God bless him.
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1 Posted 11/11/2010 at 01:08:42
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