ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Keep Ball not Hoof Ball

From my perspective, there was only going to be one winner on Saturday once we'd got off the mark. However, as ever, the last quarter of an hour did seem to drag on for an age as we nearly contrived to blow it.

Reading the Guardian report today, I was surprised to see that we only had 38% possession whereas Wigan had 61% (yes, I know it's missing a percent!).

This is Moyes's biggest challenge if we are to move to the next level — improving possession. I appreciate it's what you do with the ball that counts but it's a sobering thought that without a scuffed goal from Anichebe, we'd have thrown valuable points away.

It's acceptable to have less possession away from home (eg, Newcastle at Bolton: 39%) as sides play on the break, but 38% at home is really not acceptable. I'm afraid that if we want to improve (especially in relation to the top 4 and European sides), the first team future of players such as Hibbert and Carsley has to be limited, despite their attributes.

Still Manuel Fernandes would be a good start!
Ray Robinson, Warrington Posted 13/08/2007 at 19:24:55

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David Barks
1 Posted 13/08/2007 at 20:29:35

I don’t know where that possession statistic came from, but on the match statistics on soccernet.com, the possession is listed as Everton having 52% of the possession to Wigan’s 48%. I watched the game and there is no way that Wigan had the ball as much as you say. We also had 8 shots on goal to their 4, 6 corners to their 2, and Victor’s goal was not a lucky scuffed goal, it was a great delivery by AJ and put in by Victor in front of a defender holding the line. If he would have just powered a shot the defender was standing right in front of it and most likely would have blocked it, which is what stopped Osman from getting a second goal.

Marty B
2 Posted 13/08/2007 at 20:49:36

Ray what game were you watching mate!
Maybe not the silkiest of wins but against a team of bruisers you’re not going to get that.
Expect 4-5-1 at Spurs with the Jag making his debut.
What’s all this on Sky about Manny and Adriano having Medicals at Bellfield tomorrow.

Ray Robinson
3 Posted 13/08/2007 at 20:59:57

David, I too am surprised at the stats but that’s what the paper said (sorry it was the Telegraph, not the Guardian). I couldn’t believe it either, but I was using the stats to illustrate that we always give the opposition a chance by not hanging onto the ball long enough. I would say that Wigan had far too much of the ball than Everton in the second half. Also, I can’t believe that Vic didn’t miscue that goal - clinical it did not look.

And Marty, we will play better tomorrow - we’ll have to!

peter
4 Posted 13/08/2007 at 21:12:16

I went to the game from Oxfordshire, it was crap, I had a bad neck from watching the ball so high in the sky, it was like watching Wimbledon. We are short of skillfull players. Though we won, it was not good watch.
Without Arteta we are crap, it's very sad to see. And the next step???

David Barks
5 Posted 13/08/2007 at 21:17:50

Come on Ray, we had a 2-0 lead and were in total control of the game, then had one defensive lapse. Osman had a shot blocked off the line that could have made it 3-0. The Victor goal wasn’t clinical, but he was right in front of goal and had it not went off of the defenders shoulder, who was on the goal line, the ball would have went into the top of the back of the net, and looked a lot better. Now had that been Beattie, I’m sure he would have found a way to put it over the bar.

peter
6 Posted 13/08/2007 at 21:25:20

Sorry David you must have watched a different game? We were not in control we looked very nervous in the last 10 minutes or so.
We had endless high balls in the air, and on top of that we looked clueless in midfeild. Maybe you know something I don’t??

Gavin Ramejkis
7 Posted 13/08/2007 at 21:40:35

David B I have to agree with the other posters regards hoofball and bad possession, Wigan made several pinpoint crossfield passes that were a pleasure to watch, other than poor final third and the fact they have the worst defender in the league in Titus Bramble, they were a much better passing side.

Ray Robinson
8 Posted 13/08/2007 at 21:36:04

I stand by my initial point that although we were the better side we gave the opposition a chance by not retaining possession.

We’ll get murdered by some teams if we play like that. Arteta, Osman, (at first sight)Pienaar and hopefully Fernandes look comfortable on the ball.

Hibbert, Carsley, Neville and even Yobo do not. Stubbs looks comfortable but then is forced to hoof long because he is liable to get caught in possession.

Moyes’s challenge is to blood players who are comfortable with the ball and can do something with it.

nick harris
9 Posted 13/08/2007 at 22:18:07

a win is a win is a win...as the saying goes.

regardless of the place , the opposition and the level of performance , 3 points in the bag is all thats important.

but if i could be judgmental....
the goals were a bit dodgy , without arteta there wasnt much to shout about in our team ,
we grounded out a result rather than played well for it ,
a team i tipped for relegation looked good against us ,
there will be a lot more tougher opponents than wigan.

but balls to all that ,a home win , 3 points in the bag , 100 %success rate . also a chance of moving 6 points clear of spurs if we beat them next.things are good,

but sure , there is room for improovement still.

Peter Laing
10 Posted 13/08/2007 at 22:37:58

Spot on comments Ray and I was thinking exactly the same during play when I commented to a mate about the amount of posession afforded to Wigan. However I’m sure Moyes is aware of this and with the hope of him upsetting the apple cart in playing Jagielka at right back, Baines at leftback, Lescott in the Centre of Defence, Neville as a midfield spoiler and Manny Fernandes in a creative role we should hopefully see a more competitive and ball retaining Everton in the weeks to come. Moyes is fashioning a technically better side, strength and youth in defence, skill in midfield and a forward line with pace. Without getting carried away we are probably a forward short of becoming a real threat to the teams around us.

Brian Finnigan
11 Posted 13/08/2007 at 23:44:18

Marty B......I hope you are wrong about Adriano. He admits to having a drinking problem (brought on by the early death of his father). Apparently he is fifth in the Inter striker’s pecking order and although talented, the asking price quoted to Valencia was 25million Euros. Even for a Club like Everton that was described recently as awash with money, that price is too steep for a player with equal amounts of talent and baggage.

Steve Brown
12 Posted 14/08/2007 at 00:11:26

A midfield of Pienaar Arteta Fernandes Cahill/Osman Jagielka with just AJ upfront excites me. Previously 451 has been boring to watch but I believe these players can interchange and therfore be hard to mark. All have an eye for goal and are very mobile. I used to be 442 but this is the way to go for me.

Brian Waring
13 Posted 14/08/2007 at 09:31:18

It’s funny how fans see games differently.I thought out of the two teams,overall,Wigan played the better football.We seemed to revert back to the old habits of last season.Hoofball,sitting to deep and giving the ball away to cheaply(Hibbert,Neville the main culprits)I was a bit confused by Moyes comments, about our display deserving a bigger score line.But,3pts is what mattered.Thing is, I don’t think I could sit through another season,playing the football we played for most of last season.Ltes hope this was a one-off.

Andy Baker
14 Posted 14/08/2007 at 09:43:44

If we are ever going to keep possesion the NEVILLE and HIBBERT are gonna have to learn that their team mates play in blue! Im sorry but these two players in particular are a fuckin liabilty to give to ball to.....its only goin one place, in the air and down the pitch. We need better quality than hibbo and nevill eshould know better to be honest