In fairness we do have some pretty key players missing right now so you would expect our form to have dipped but all the same I am disappointed that this season is looking like our last European season all over again.

I think Tony Shitbert, Leon Assman and Lee C-arse-ly have out satyed their welcome. I can't quite figure out how our strong looking backline can't keep a clean sheet or our strong looking attack can't score a goal. One problem we do have is goals from midfield.

Trevor Francis was pointing out that only Yakubu was in the box waiting for crosses today but who else would you expect to be there? Phil Neville? This is where we really miss Tiny Tim ? ohhh and of course it doesn't help that without Arteta we have no one who can put in a decent cross but at least Baines looks pretty good.

I think you have raised a great point there, one I have been trying to say for ages! Beattie, you all thought he was lazy just because he wasn’t like Johnson running around everywhere. Play to his style and we would have had great success. Sheffield United,Southampton have and did and Blackburn to some degree, and now he’s banging in goals for fun and they’re not even winning!
Now you have Yakubu, he doesn’t run around that much because he’s so use to being in the box and scoring goals not running into blind alleys and jumping in the air trying to win balls against massive defenders, that isn’t his strength.
I’m sorry but Johnson isn’t going to bag 20 goals, he isn’t that good.
Now Hibbert can’t ATTACK TO SAVE HIS LIFE HE IS AWFUL! He should be dropped to reserves and stay there, anybody can defend decently, MOVE NEVILLE THERE.
Midifeld needs to be sorted out, and when evryone is fit this should be the team Moyes plays:

Howard
Neville Yobo Lescott Baines
Arteta Jagielka Gravesen Cahill(he tucks in and gives Baines the room to bomb on and Jags to cover)
Vaughan Yakubu
Bench:
McFadden
Johnson
Pienaar/Osman
Anichebe
Jutkiewicz/Stubbs

Trevor Francis? Was the game on sky plus?

William

I don’t know what channel the game was on in England but I watched it via sopnet and Trevor Francis was one of the commentators.

just heard Moyes saying our midfield passed the ball well, it was our forwards and defenders that were at fault. Is it time to get a midfield coach at the club, because what he,s said is a load of rubbish

If what Colin says is true thats an absolute shocker of a comment. How can he say the midfield passed the ball well WHEN THE BALL NEVER STAYED IN MIDFIELD LONG ENOUGH TO PUT SOME PASSES TOGETHER (sorry for the cap attack but s/times Moyes gets me so bloody annoyed). Its the old story again: if we go 1-0 up fine: 1-0 down and we’ve screwed.
Villa are a decent team and remember Chelsea lost there too but its the manner of the defeat and the acute lack of creativity that is causing driving me nuts

I thought one of our players passed pretty well but the picture and sound quality online was so poor I couldn’t tell who it was although I could see that he was neither bald nor black if that helps. I was able to recognise the hunchbacked figure of Tony Hibbert thought who seems to have learnt how to pass .... the buck.
I saw him several times hit short passes to other heavily marked players who promptly gave up possession.

Same old bollocks.......

Out of Europe and then spiral down the league because the Everton professionals cannot motivate themselves on 20+ grand a week.

I’m not going to mention 12 mil for Yakubu and put him on bench, stinks of Koldrup to me.

Not reaaly interested in where the club is gettin its money or how it intends to pay it back, enough trouble with my own mortgage but I am concerned with what is going on or not on the pitch. I was a supporter of Moyes but as long as his naive tactics and what can only be called a lack of motivational skills I think now we are getting close to saying thanks but no more, you have taken our club as far as you can.

A foreign mananger is the way forward, they already have established european scouts as Moyes has them watching Sunday league games.

Bored of excuses, bored of crap football, the list goes on and on..............

Moyes should be given 3 more games to turn it around. Beating Sheff Wed is a must. Then we need to beat Boro. Then there’s the Uefa cup we need to turn that tie around. If we fail to win any of these 3 games then he should go. Enough is enough. Can’t watch the same shit football with Nev Hibbo and Osman in the team. It’s embarrassing. All the early season optimism has gone. I watched the Derby V Newcastle game last week even Derby can play football along the ground. Six years and the style of play hasn’t changed. The players look clueless, lost. There’s no balance in the team no width. Without Arteta we really are different team.

I think it is about time we went back to 4-4-1-1. Moyes’s style of play doesnt suit our players. We play a very pressing style, lots of workrate but no physical presence. 4-4-2 without any creativity, width or presence is never going to work.

This would be my team when all fit:

GK: HOWARD
RB: NEVILLE
CB: YOBO
CB: STUBBS
LB: LESCOTT
RM: ARTETA
CM: GRAVESEN
CM: JAGIELKA
LM: BAINES
AM: CAHILL
CF: VAUGHAN

I think that is the team that will compliment Moyes tactics.

Defense:

Stubbs is needed because he is organised, a leader and actually communicates with his fellow defenders. Until Lescott or Yobo step up and boss the back four we will keep conceding goals. Having Lescott at left back also gives us more physical presence in both boxes which is badly needed in our elf like team. Neville is obviously undroppable so moving him to fullback makes him less of a liability

Midfield:

I like everyone else would rather have Baines at left back because he is quality but he could easily move to the wing. He used to be a winger and would give us natural width on the left side. Gravesen is immense in the 5 man midfield as he has attacking players to supply aswell as a holding midfielder protecting him. Jagielka’s energy and tackling ability would compliment Tommy and it is obvious for everyone to see is better than Carsley and Neville.

Attack:

Vaughan with Cahill would be my favourites to start in attack. We are a long ball team and both are good in the air and aggressive. Vaughan has showed he can play upfront on his own against the likes of Man utd and Chelsea last season as he can occupy both centre halfs aerially and on the deck whereas Cahill revels just behind the striker and looks more of a goalscorer than Johnson and when he plays we look amuch different team.

Thats my opinion anyway. Many may disagree but when the full squad is fit I think it is the best combination.

when did we go out of europe ralph?

look were really struggling at the moment, the midfield is looking somewhat threadbare and having arteta, gravesen and cahill out is affecting us more than we would like, getting these three back is an absolute must because without them we look very average and the football is very poor.

Just saw a report that Moyes may be about to sign a new 5 year deal so that he can create a dynasty at Everton. Please God don't let it happen; he is tactically a joke, doesn't get on well with skill or pace and has a reverse Midas touch when it comes to very expensive strikers. He is out of his depth and as long as he remains we will be subjected to favoured crap players,bizarre team selections,naive tactics and kick and rush hoofball mixed with the occasional good performace which will have the apologists thinking he's a genius thats finally turned the corner thus extending his excruciatingly painful, miserable existence at our club. Until he goes there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

Moyes’s hands are tied, he just doesn’t have much options in midfield. You do what you got to do with what you have, but on evidence gathered here and elsewhere prior, it’s not good enough, not for a bloody mile. He’s relied his tactics on the weight of Arteta, but it’s dangerous and foolish to assume it’s going to work all the time. Now Arteta’s not in the team, what else should you do? Where’s your Plan B, C, D and E? How about variance? Different approaches? Personnel? What about width? What about utilizing your main frontline’s strength? Pass and move? Keep the ball? Awareness?

Like I said all along, we are NOT as good a team as the majority of fans think we are. Sure, we’re long banished from those relegation fodder days, yes we’re steps above, but not as much as we think. I believe in this league we are one of the most tactically-deprived teams. Visit any football website and you can read the various terms collated about us: full of running, hard graft, work ethic, workrate, industry etc but never the following: creativity, movement, quickness, passing, intricacy, flair etc.

I’m not suggesting that we become the new Arsenal but we need variety, we need brightness in our general play, more fluency in attacking and definitely more width. You got one problem ready to be rectified at any moment: Baines looks to be a natural wing player, adept at taking on the opposite man, and can whip in good crosses. He’s also a good long-range shooter. So USE THIS to our advantage! Let him bomb forward. Give him support. Give him service.

Leon Osman is one of the few players we have that is unafraid of keeping the ball and looking for a good pass forward, he’s sharp going forward and one of his underrated skills is his off-the-ball movement. So USE THAT! Let him make those short runs off defenders, don’t shackle him in the center of midfield and tell him to win those balls. He’s not a winger, he hasn’t got pace and he’s not physically matched so DON’T USE him on the wings.

Andrew Johnson has got pace to burn. His workrate is second to none. He will never shirk from reaching a pass. However, he is not 6-foot tall. He is not going to win you balls in the air. He is not going to outjump defenders. So DON’T DO THAT! This is the most easily remedied malady in the team’s approach. Just STOP those long passes over his head. Watch those Youtube videos when he was with Palace. Watch those runs. Watch the service he got, those sharp arrowed passes, from an advanced midfield position. Triggered off by a midfielder on the throes forward and slipping in a great one.

Moyes has got to see what is going on. He’s got to change. Not to improve on tried methods, but change. Change strategy. Play to your strengths. Change tactics. Change personnel. Change the backroom staff if need be. You watched all those videos of the players you bought, and you know them more intimately than I do. But why aren’t you doing more?

Arteta is our main creative outlet. Great and fine, but why stop at one? Midfield is where transition between defence and attack go, so why TWO holding midfielders practically side-by-side? Why allow yourself the trap if Arteta’s not around? And when he is around, why just the wings? Left and right? Why not the middle? Why not in tandem with the holding midfielder?

Moyes is at fault for allowing himself to be straightjacketed. Limited tactical variance due to heavy emphasis on industry, hard running, chasing after every ball, that we’ve mastered the art of STOPPING and rarely reached the heights of PLAYING. Oh sure, pick a pass or two if you can, a brilliant Arteta delivery here and there, but SUSTAINED passing and movement on all areas of the pitch? Never seen it since those old-school videos of the victorious Eighties team, and I am too young to even appreciate nostalgia.

Moyes, your hands are tied with injuries and I will let this one go. This Villa result, I will balm it away to the odd niggle instead of throbbing pain. But things have to change. Things have to change now. Let’s see next week, when hopefully most players bar Cahill and Vaughn and van der Meyde return, and I will see what you can do. When the onus is ON US to attack, I want to see what you can do with the personnel you got.

Everton 4 Life.9

Mikhail, He does have options in midfield. he plays the bloke that he paid £4m for, Jagielka !
I, unlike yourself, am not prepared to let this one go. It is as plain as the nose on your face that Hibbert is having a bad time at the moment. The remedy is to stick Neville at right back and play Jagielka. The amount of people that come on here and suggest this is getting beyond a joke as Moyes cannot seem to fathom this out.
Sadly as long as Kenwright stays then so will Moyes. The article in the NOTW has just about finished me off for the day. Create a dynasty ? This will only be a dynasty of crap football led by a man with the tactical nous of a hub cap !

The difference between Villa and Everton ? everything that we dont have,they have a very good midfield with Barry/Coker in the engine room, and two exciting wing players with pace,well organised and know their jobs, Evertons, well it changes everygame, whose playing today and where, theres no balance, no settled team sheet, no understanding. I dont think Moyes has a clue at the moment what to do. Felt sorry for AJ, he needed help not substitution, Vics going to be a good player but AJ is tutoring him during games, in any other circumstancs Vic would be out on loan to learn composure and finishing at a lower level with less pressure, and i sympathise with him. One bright spot ? i thought Pienaar got better as the game wore on, never shirked a tackle and genuinly wanted the ball to try and create

But John, Jagielka is yet ANOTHER holding midfielder. If you want to slot him in the center, fine but then you got to leave Carsley out. TWO defensive-minded midfielders in the center side-by-side is just asking for more mundaneness.

It’s obvious Neville should play right-back. Real question is, how to solve the creative midfield conundrum when Arteta’s not around.

And yes, the article is frightening my eyebrows off.

Connor, if I recall you have a bit of a candle burning for Moyes and yet you leave his biggest buy out of your starting 11 ?
Face facts, Moyes is talentless and clueless and he aint going to get any better. Cahill and Vaughan may get him out of the shit but its just papering over poor plaster work.

I cant beleive we are still talking about our midfield Moyes has failed to address the problem for 2 years, no pace and not enough craft what does he do today replace the front 2 when he should be looking at how we can create some chances. He is starting to seriously piss me off one rumour in todays paper is that he is to be offered a new 5 year deal i hope this is not true

Connor why are you so obsessed with moving Baines hes are best LB for years I dont think your team is far off but would prefer to bring in replacements for neville,a left midfielder and of course Lescott in centre instead of Stubbs and Cahill and Vaughan as strikers (I know you mean Cahill to attack from mid field) but feel together would be to light weight

Why is Moyes persisting in playing Hibbert when he is AWFUL! Neville could do a much better job at right back, and then he could replace Neville (who is awful in midfield) with Jagielka who surely is at least at the same level as Phil if not better?

Osman and Pienaar cannot play together as they are way too similar, and WHY didn't Mcfadden play? He is the most on-form player in our side and he's left on the bench. It's clear our side is lacking confidence and he is the most confident player. Yes, he hasn't done it for Everton in the past but surely he deserves another crack?

Even if I was blind, tioday's team sheet would STINK of a lack of creativity and long balls from Neville. It's an ineffective line-up, and Moyes really should have reverted back to the very successful 4-5-1 formation rather than get beaten by a very ordinary Villa side 2-0, and easily!

For the record, here is the midfield I would have played;

Luis Gonzales
Manuel Fernandes
Johann Vogel
Jason Koumas

Just one of those players would have offered the guile by which to dispatch Metallist and would have enabled us to give Villa a game ....

In fairness the side is dreadfully depleted with Arteta, Gravesen and Cahill missing... it is obvious that Pienaar is not ready to play the role he was signed for yet.... it is also evident that none of Osman, Neville, Carsley and Jagielka bring the requisite quality to the table in terms of the side being able to turn defence into attack, to keep the ball moving and provide the width.

Steve, I have always said Moyes is tactically inept but at this moment in time he is our manager and probably will be for a long time with Kenwright’s blind faith in him.

Roy, this is the first time I have mentioned moving Baines to left midfield. The fact of the matter is Stubbs is needed at this moment in time. Both Yobo and Lescott are very talented centre halfs but neither are leaders. Baines would be my choice as he is brilliant going forward and wouldgive us some natural width on the left hand side. We all know Lescott is brilliant at left back so he is more than capable of playing there.

Roy, how are Cahill and Vaughan lightweight. Vaughan is very strong and good in the air for his size whereas Cahill is no weakling and very good in the air. Both are agressive and both are winners something we lack in our team.

For me that is the best team we can play when the full team is fit. It offers pace from Lescott, Yobo, Jagielka, Vaughan and Baines. Creativity from Arteta, Gravesen and Baines. Aerial ability from Stubbs, Vaughan, Lescott, Yobo, Jagielka, Cahill and Vaughan. Good deliveries from Arteta and Baines from wide areas aswell. Everything compliments eachother.

Why do I leave out Yak? Well no one seems to be taking to him so and whilst I rate him on his day his workrate has to improve. Money means fuck all. Yes we bought him for 11.25 million but I would rather have James Vaughan an academy graduate over him and Johnson anyday. He offers so much more than both of them. He can play the target man role, he can use his pace and he holds the ball up decent aswell.

Agree 100% Connor, but Stubbs "turns slower than Queen Mary", i am reliably informed. To think, i didn?t even know she played football!

I am 14 years of age and even I can pick out how crap the team selection is. 4-3-3 in Europe? which we never play... and starting Johnson against Aston Villa. Not good after playing that crap and don't get me started about Carsley and Phil Nev ? is all they can do pass it back? Get a grip, Moyes.

Before Beeatie came he had a good goalscoring record..Johnson for two consecutive seasons scored 20+ goals in a less than mediocre side which was subsequently relegated....Yakubu’s premier league goalscoring record is second only to Henry.Come to Everton and what happens ???...Beattie couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo and Johnson & Yakubu don’t look like they could score in a brothel. Beattie leaves (no longer subject to Moyes’ hoofball & chase tactics) and hey presto he’s suddenly starts scoring again...any coincidence ??
NO...MOYES’ TACTICS ARE TO BLAME !!
No width, no craft no guile no penetration = NO GOALS...end of !!