ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Note to Moyes / Irvine

Let me start by saying I?m not anti-Moyes and I?m not pro-Moyes, I?m pro-Everton. I want success and if that meant Ian Rush had to manage us I?d consider growing a moustache in tribute to him. But I am getting mighty fucking sick of the crap that comes out of Moyes?s and Irvine?s mouths. They share one collective mind so the names are interchangeable.

Irvine?s comments re Van der Meyde - ?We all want to see the player who played for Ajax and went to Inter.? If that was so, then it would be accepted that he can be difficult and has no interest in tracking back but he is capable of doing something magic that will change a game for you. Following on, Irvine said - ?Sadly for a number of reasons we haven?t seen that. I?m sure it?s been very difficult for him but he brought it on himself and I?m sure he accepts that.?

The reason we haven?t seen that (aside from his well documented problems) is that he couldn?t be bothered to track back and lump the ball aimlessly forward for our midget forward line to chase. I imagine it has been difficult for him to be asked to play a style that is alien to him and the very antithesis of what he learned at Ajax. He probably does accept that he brought it on himself by joining a club that could be bothered to play actual pass-and-move football.

The same can be said of Yakubu ? Moyes dropped a proven goalscorer because he wasn?t working hard enough. Anyone who has seen Yakubu play knows he is as lazy as they come but give him a sniff of goal and he sticks the ball in the back of the net. That?s what he does, it?s his trade. Little note for Moyes and Irvine ? defenders defend, forwards (usually) score goals.

I understand and admire the concept of an ?all for one, one for all? mindset in the camp. Players who will give everything for their team-mates is fine in theory but you need forwards up front and you need midfielders supplying them. Having ten players in your own half tracking back won?t win games. I?m aware this isn?t rocket science but it appears to have eluded Moyes / Irvine.

Every team has had a frustrating player who does fuck all work but can do something brilliant. Look at how many times Henry pulled something out of nowhere for Arsenal. Gerrard for Liverpool, Lampard for Chelsea, look at Paul Scholes ? he doesn?t even know how to tackle but does anyone think SAF would drop him???

My long winded point to Moyes? Just indulge one or two lazy players, particularly when they are match winners?
Declan Critchley, Dublin, Ireland Posted 26/09/2007 at 11:02:10

back Return to the Mail Bag

Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

Dick Fearon
1 Posted 26/09/2007 at 04:47:20

If Yakubu is not the finished article and already in need of a Moyes makeover, why did we pay an all time club record for him?

Allan Hobbs
2 Posted 26/09/2007 at 14:33:06

Jesus, people on here need to get a grip. A few bad results and we have a shit team. Rubbish, they’ll come good and I’d bet money on it.

Yakubu will score goals, so will AJ and we’ll do well this year.

John Holmes
3 Posted 26/09/2007 at 14:43:18

Erm, I was under the impression VDM hadn’t showed the form of his early career due to injuries, alcoholism, family issues, unprofessional behaviour, suspensions and failure to show anything of note on the pitch.

Clearly though everything wrong at Everton is because David Moyes plays a defensive brand of football.

John Holmes
4 Posted 26/09/2007 at 14:44:42

Ok just reread the second half of your post. What a load of rubbish. Sorry but suggesting that Gerrard, Scholes and Henry are lazy is absurd. The fact Scholes can’t tackle is neither here nor there (although the fact that he still tries to is relevant). Those players are three good examples of players who no matter how the team is playing get involve and do their share of the donkey work. Henry is far closer to Johnson than Yakubu given that they both spend a large amount of time drifting out wide. Scholes is at the heart of United’s creativity and is always getting involved, he doesn’t just hang around the 20 yard mark waiting for something to volley.

I’m beginning to wonder if some people on here actually watch Everton and football in general. Yes, Moyes plays unattractive football, yes, we’ve had a bad spell, but for Christ’s sake Moyes and Irvine (yes they say the same things, obviously it’d be far better to have a management team who gave out contradictory messages) are not the devil incarnate.

"Defenders defends fowards score goals" Yes well spotted. However, I thought the issue with Hibbert was that was no use going forward and passing the ball, sounds like defenders are expected to do more than defend to me. Similarly I thought the problem was creativity so surely those in the forwad line should be doing something about that not wandering aimlessly. Incidentally you may have noticed it wasn’t just Moyes who was upset at Yakubu, even Baines, a junior teammate whose only just signed, was bollocking him for his lack of effort.

Ernie Boyce
5 Posted 26/09/2007 at 16:50:51

Allan, where exactly has Declan said that we have a rubbish team?

I feel his points are that we don’t play a pass and move game that would be suited to Van, and that all strikers don’t necessarily have to run themselves silly for the team.

Seamus Murphy
6 Posted 26/09/2007 at 19:07:01

I agree with Declan’s points summarised by Ernie.
Christ have we not got enough people working their butts off for the team i.e. Carsley, Neville etc. Beattie used to work his socks off for the team instead of just doing what he was bought to do - SCORE GOALS!! He scored before and after Everton and i just hope the same is not going to happen to AJ and Yak.

Just let the boys do what we bought them for rather than try to change their game (ultimately for the worse it seems)

Brendan McLaughlin
7 Posted 26/09/2007 at 23:00:29

"Defenders defend, forwards score"

Are you still watching MOTD in black & white?

Ste
8 Posted 27/09/2007 at 00:31:04

Whilst I don’t entirely agree the Van Der Meyde point (reckon a large proportion of this is his own doing), the rest is spot on.

When we bought Yak, all I wanted of him was to hover around the penalty area/just outside, sniffing out goals. Be lazy, but score doing it. AJ is willing and can buzz around the wings all he wants, be we need someone to connect in the centre when it matters. Already this season we’ve seen Yak chasing down into the channels with AJ overlapping him.......what for?!? Who’s in the box to finish the damn hard work....definitely not Nev or Cars.

As long as he scores, the team won’t give a shite about carrying a little more of his defensive work. Having 11 behind the ball certainly hasn’t help us keep a clean sheet in the Prem yet, has it?