ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

What a way to Destroy Confidence

AJ waits an age to take the penalty whilst the referee marks out the penalty area for the other players. He scores a good penalty, thinks he's put Everton 2-0 up against a poor side, only to be told that while 10 Kharkiv players were neck and neck with him when he took the pen, Anichebe had put a foot into the D. The next thing you know he's missed two pens. The mind games going on there definitely made me think he wasn't going to score, I'm surprised he got the first in.

No excuses for the rest of the team. Once again, Baines is the only decent player on the pitch. Hibbert's long passes are abysmal but I can't even blame him because WHERE THE HELL WAS OUR MIDFIELD? We played a 6-4 formation, I can only remember seeing Ossie in any kind of midfield position. The entire team looked anxious yet we defended without a care in the world, with centre-backs and fullbacks bombing on at will. Terrible. Just shows how we miss a controlling midfielder like Arteta who can dictate our pace. That, coupled with a potent finisher like Cahill and hopefully a top draw centre-mid in January and we'll be improving to another level.
Nick Harrison, Liverpool Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:29:08

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Henry West
1 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:26:50

How unlucky were we? It is sickening AJ's first pen was dissallowed, plus very harsh, especially as the ref did not give retakes for worse encroachment for AJ's two missed pens. However, we really should be putting side like this to the sword. In truth, given the absence of Arteta, I was pleasantly surprised how much we created. Another day we may have easily scored three or four goals at least.

The bottom line is that Everton are man for man better over most of the park. Accordingly, the 2nd leg is all to play for. If we can't beat them on their patch in two weeks then we've no hope anyway in my view. So, the real acid test is to come, let's put this dissapointment behind us and let's back the blue boys to show steel and resolve to crust the Metalists away. Come On You Blues!

John Audsley
2 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:35:05

Moyes looked shell-shocked... the players where shell-shocked... I'M Shell shocked!!!

Good Gawd, worst night since the last time we where in Europe. Total hoofball and who in there right minds allowed Johnson to take the last penalty.

Cant wait 4 the 2nd leg!!!! PS: Where was the FUCKIN Width Amateurs

Mark Pendleton
3 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:54:28

Given the unfortunate list of injuries if Moyes stuck with 4-4-2 we’d have had Neville, Cars & Jag in midfield. Can you imagine the stick he’d have got? As it is, given who we had available he played 4-3-3 and if we’d have won he’d have been praised. We seem cursed in Europe. Having a go at AJ is a poor showing. The guy stepped up and blasted a perfect pen only to have it wrongly disallowed.

Anthony Jaras
4 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:58:16

And what about his 2nd and 3rd pens Mark?

What about the 90 mins?

He was shit!

Neil Pearse
5 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:55:58

Henry, nice if you are right. But I don’t think you are. They were fast, are a good passing team, and have solid blocking defenders. And we are going to beat them on their pitch? I doubt it. They dominated the second half up to our first penalty (on our pitch!), and could have beaten us tonight. They surely will finish the job in the Ukraine.

jim ager
6 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:00:54

Anthony has got it dead right, AJ was poor all night, so was Yakubu.

A James
7 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:00:55

We seem to be ruinning strikers under Moyes.

I cannot believe this result and the fact that we’re likely to be out of Europe at the first Hurdle again.

Bye bye Arteta in January....

Neil Pearse
8 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:01:03

Mark, the injuries were unfortunate, but it’s easier to think of better formations.

Like playing Valente at left back and Baines (our best attacking player on the night) on the left of midfield. Osman on the right, Jagielka and Carsley in mid, Neville instead of Hibbert at right back. Yak and AJ up front, with McFadden and Anichebe to bring on fresh from the bench.

Easily better! We stay 4-4-2, get rid of Hibbert, get Neville out of the midfield, and get even better usage out of Baines. Got to work better than tonight’s dog’s breakfast.

david moore
9 Posted 20/09/2007 at 22:55:23

I amjust sitting my seat going what the heck happened. We dominated that game yet we were playing pathetic hoofball. THe first half was decent enough. Hibbert actually passed the ball and i thought ossie was controling the midfield. In that half we created numerous chances which we should’ve put away.

Second half was poor. instead of passing the ball around the brick wall and finding cracks we played into it and it kept rebounding. Yakubu shouldn’t have been taken off!!!!! He was playing so much better than AJ. Why didn’t Pienaar come on??? We could’ve used his pace. and the penalties speak for themselves

All in all a poor result but not from lack of opportunites. If i were manager my team in Kharkiv would be

Howard

Neville Yobo Lescott Baines
Arteta tommy G Jags and carsley

Yak and Mcfadden

paul skelhorn
10 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:04:14

We are cursed, especially when we are on national TV, coupled with the ticket upset, tonight is a night to forget...I am gonna get so many wind ups in work tomorrow, as we all are I am sure!

I watched Kevin O Connor do exactly the same as AJ a few weeks back...even I would have had the common sense to let someone else take the 3rd pen tonight.

At the end of it all though, we only have ourselves to blame.

I love being an Evertonian!

John Andrews
11 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:08:36

I suppose the only bonus was how well McFadden played.

Tony Miller
12 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:08:54

Just back from the match and have got to say what a shit night.

European adventure my arse.

Should have know tickets had not arrived despite ordering them on the 14th set of early arrive to find the biggest fucking que for the box office I have ever seen.

Stand in the cue for nearly two fucking hours listening to the tannoy girl sayin thanks for being patient, will all those with tickets go straight in. still outside with waell over a thousand when they open the upper bullens as I am now at the front of the que decide to get tickets for the Main stand that I had paid for. As I was getting them tannoy announcment states anyone with proof of purchase make to yor turnstyle why the fuck wait all this time to make that decision.

Finally got in 20 mins into match. i am sure many will give opinions. Here are mine Shite tatics shite play, fucking shoot Hibbert and save a few fucking bullet fors Neville Yakubu AJ and Faddy to name a few. Fucking only one who deserves a mention in dispatches is Victor.

No fucking excuses we were shite deserved fuck all Shit tonight both on and off the field.
Apologies if spelling etc poor but too pissed of to care

Richard Murray
13 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:18:06

Christ, if the only bonus is Faddy’s performance, we really are doomed.

p.s. good shot near the end though

Jim Ager
14 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:14:32

One of the worst things is now having to read the club official website and have the likes of Neville telling us that the team will try really hard in the away leg. Im sick of reading that sort of shit and not having them come through for all the fans, particularly those poor bastards who actually had to que up to get their tickets replaced tonight.

Nick Harrison
15 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:35:28

Despite my original comments, I DO think we’ll go through to the next round.

wes
16 Posted 20/09/2007 at 23:19:47

i dont even know where to start, could write an essay on tonights goings on, so will keep it short, we were wank, they played well, we had to rely on pens which an england international could only score 1 out of 3, about right and then could not score past 9 men!! Yakubu looks the pile of shite that I always thought he was, Nugent could have done that job for about 5 mill cheaper. Baines, lescott and yobo are class, mcfadden only plays for scotland. big vic has potential, neville and hibbert would find it hard to pass wind and wessels looks like a steady keeper who will be good competition for howard, so off to snowy Ukraine for a good old fashioned nail biter and hope to God those part timers dont knock us out, I aint holding my breath! for all u blue noses facing the red shites at work tomorrow, good luck its going to be a long day!!

Brian Wolf
17 Posted 21/09/2007 at 07:22:55

AJ shouldn’t have taken the third pen, he was stupid to do so.

joe
18 Posted 21/09/2007 at 12:18:44

everyone sayin bout aj playin poor he did play fuckin poor but he is a gd player think wat he dun for us last season and once he gets goin he will do it again (wish he could of got goin a bit earlier) hopefully we will go there with arteta and AJ in the team and kick the fuckin arse
and for the referee he was a fuckin twat i have never been to a game with a referee as shit as that (there physio was a fat cunt tho he got a fuckin hot dog threw at him and he got aload of abuse that was fuckin funny