ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

The passing game

When you sit down and watch us playing, preferably after the match and on the telly because I find I get too agitated at the game itself to be rational about what I see, it becomes oh so clear what our main problem is. Okay, so I'm stating the obvious here but how many of our players can pass the ball? I mean, REALLY pass the ball to another in a Blue shirt? We all know what Neville's skills are (not) in the passing game but, to be fair, can you say, hand on heart, that any of the other guys are really THAT good at it?

Most of them are better than Phil or Hibbo no doubt but passing the ball never seems to be a key feature of our game. Is it lack of confidence or skill or just training methods? Who knows... Arteta of course, can pass but even he will seldom try a cross-field pass to change the direction of play and, more to the point, no-one else seems to want to attempt that type of pass in order to bring Mikkey into it either.

Occasionally we are blessed with that defence-splitting pass (from Piennar to AJ against Bolton for example) that really does make things happen but most of the time it's the square pass across the park that gives defenders time to regroup and organise while AJ ends up chasing balls that never come.

Like I said, stating the obvious perhaps but if we can't string more than two passes together then we're going to struggle to play football, the beautiful game is made all the more stunning to watch when the build-up is graced with imaginative play rather than the one-two's that prevail. Eventually we get caught out and lose posession without having made any real attempt at goal.

I dunno... maybe I just expect too much. Route one hoofball has never been my favourite viewing fodder but I would love to see a bit of the really good stuff now and again. Perhaps they shouldn't wear yellow or green bibs in training - just BLUE ones!

Can't wait for Thursday, can't wait, can't wait. Come on you Blues.
Lue Glover, Buckley Posted 18/09/2007 at 16:56:19

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Roy Coyne
1 Posted 18/09/2007 at 23:23:04

Lue when I point this out to my mates I always get the "your an old arse, football's changed since your day" But I agree with you at the game I?m wound up like a spring but when we do play football as opposed to hoofball not only is it better to watch , The players not normally passers do try trouble is its not very often if I needed Hibbet or Neville to pass to our side to save my life I would be writing my will out. I really thought Manny and Arteta would be the springboard to our improvement in this area so i was gutted when the deal fell through people are taking pops at AJ now for not scoring ignoring the fact that nearly every ball for him is fired over his head to chase.

Kevin Fowkes
2 Posted 19/09/2007 at 00:41:00

Hoof, hoof and more hoof. Been the same for years and will continue to be the same for many more!

I play local Saturday league football every week and my manager knows more about passing than Moyes does!

Its a simple game...pass and move...pass and move!

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Martin Wallace
3 Posted 19/09/2007 at 07:25:13

I think a combination of a dozen or so years buzzing around the arse of the table, along with DM’s generally cautious character are the reason why the blues dont pass as much as they COULD do. Add to that the fact that certain players (at least) dont have the quality and it’s easy to see how they dont trust each other to pass and move - it becomes a risk rather than a means of attack.

It’s the hallmark of a team on the back foot.

That said, as we’re now gravitating towards the top half of the table and quality in the team is generally improving, I think things can only get better... presuming DM can get beyond his own cautious approach and encourage a bit more flair/risk from everyone. You have to remember - sometimes it works!

If we’re going to progress at all in eufa then this is a must.

Wayne Smyth
4 Posted 19/09/2007 at 11:31:13

In order to pass the ball, there needs to be someone to pass to. Therefore, I think the more fundamental problem is that our players are usually congregated well behind the ball. Leaving the only low-risk out-ball, a hoof to one of the forwards.

Very rarely do we get enough numbers forward sufficiently quickly to give the player on the ball the opportunity of a pass.

These defensive tactics must have been instilled by the manager.

We can only hope that Moyes will adjust his tactics & coaching now that the squad contains better players.

One only has to look at the football teams such as blackburn are able to play, which under Mark Hughes has been far more watchable than what we seem to be able to produce.

Tony Marsh
5 Posted 19/09/2007 at 13:42:09

Really glad you cant wait for Thursday Lue.This game all though only a Mickey Mouse European tie in a Mickey Mouse tournament will tell us a great deal about where we are headed under Moyes.I hope I am wrong but I can see this average Ukaraine side giving us a hard time.Firstly because we cant retain possesion for more than 3 seconds and secondly because we are so small all over the park.Kharkiv will think they are playing our under 16s side.Piennar/>makes Osman look a giant.Why the fuck we signed hinm I dont know.What is it with Moyes and all these midget players?As I have said before we are going now where with a squad of players who cant see over the counter at the Chippy.Get some beef in Moyes FFS.

patty blue
6 Posted 19/09/2007 at 15:16:47

Tony ... don’t you ever give up??
and to think Michael Kenrick put me nicely in my place for slagging you off!!

Lue Glover
7 Posted 20/09/2007 at 07:27:58

George, you’re right mate, I’ve never played football other than a few charity games when I was in my twenties. Girls were never allowed to play, we had to play netball, lacrosse and hockey but I have watched the game either at Goodison or closer to home in north wales for the past 52 years and I know that stringing more than two passes together is what makes this game good to watch. I didnt say that it was the way to go for us, I just said it lifts the spirits when we get a few passes put together capped with a defence splitter that creates a chance on goal. Nothing more than that. By the way George and others Lue is short for Lucy and with a name like that you can see why it’s been Lue since I could talk!