ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

A post I could have submitted

The ongoing debate about Tony Hibbert (and the equally important debate about the terminology employed in the criticisms of him) got me thinking about players in the past who were baited by Evertonians to the point of abuse. There are many of them!

I thought it might at least be interesting (and maybe even informative) to see if there is anybody who can guess who I am referring to in this post that I COULD have posted in the sixties if ToffeeWeb had existed then. Some of you will get it straight away, especially if you are as old as I am; others may be able to deduce who I am talking about from the little clues along the way.

I have not just made this up, I have constructed this post (40 years retrospectively!) from the thoughts I remember having myself at the time and from comments I heard on the terraces. Here goes...

'Who is this guy? I can't imagine why Shankly and Revie wanted him. He can't pass to a blue shirt and his response to everything, if he gets the ball, is to lift it over the top for the forwards to chase. I am f**king sick when I think of the money we have wasted on this prick. He is constantly being shouted at by **** and ****** and one day ****** ******** will give him a smack for wasting possession. He is always going on at him. OK, so he may have been the youngest player to appear in a cup final but that doesn't mean he is any f**king use! To think that Jimmy Gabriel had to sit back to allow this waster onto the pitch!

I am f**king sick of this Catterick and those dickheads Moores and Sharp on the Board. Can't they see what is happening at this club? We are finally making progress after winning only the league and the Cup in the past 5 years [slight pause for breath here while I recover from the shock of remembering that!] and we go and sign a dickhead like this. For f**k's sake Everton what is going on? This lad is SHIT... I HATE him!'

This is not a particularly accurate analogy of the Hibbert situation, but it does show how a bad spell (in this case right at the start of an Everton career) can raise the hackles of even the fairest-minded supporters!

In case there is anybody who hasn't worked it out, the player I am referring to is.....

HOWARD KENDALL!

Key:
**** =Ball
****** =Harvey
****** ******** = Johnny Morrissey
Dave Roberts, Runcorn Posted 28/09/2007 at 15:17:25

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Comments

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Mike Newhouse
1 Posted 28/09/2007 at 23:43:18

Dave,
I see your point and although I’m not old enough to remember the halcyon days of the Holy Trinity first hand I’m fully aware that that the honourable Mr. Kendall improved and became a magnificent player.
The problem is Hibbert didn’t start of rubbish he in fact started off excellently for a young right back, one that was tipped to make it to the England squad as he improved, the problem is he has not improved quite the contrary over the past 2 seasons I believe he has actually become worse he CAN tackle and if that?s all he had to do he would be great but its not.
Where Kendall improved into the monumental legend he was Hibbo is just getting worse!

Gavin Ramejkis
2 Posted 29/09/2007 at 08:39:03

The same could be said of Thierry Henry who when he first signed for Arsenal couldn?t hit the side of a barn, something somewhere clicked for him methinks it was Wenger?s coaching skills, the rest is history. As per Mike, Hibbert?s ability has declined rather than improved and whatever coaching he is getting hasn?t addressed his passing game despite years of it.

Peter Singer
3 Posted 29/09/2007 at 10:11:01

Hibbo definitely looked more promising in the past, deteriorating steadily.

The analogy fits Arteta, however.

Roy coyne
4 Posted 29/09/2007 at 19:33:01

Dave I remember when Howard made his debut and that first match a mid week goodison game I think was indeed a poor start but I dont recall any abuse by me in street end and all so he played a lot better in his second game and never looked back

Roy coyne
5 Posted 29/09/2007 at 19:38:02

I meant by those around me as I have never abused any one in our team I am not a fan of Hibbo but dont see the point of those who cant wait to start getting on his back as this never improves anyone

Gavin Ramejkis
6 Posted 29/09/2007 at 21:38:07

The screams from the Park End around me about Hibbert are for Moyes to swap him with Neville as we have all seen Neville as a better right back, better positional awareness and far greater passing from that position going forward, in the games where he has been moved there to replace Hibbert we have always improved. The same levels of disscontent from the fans seem to have affected DM after last season’s Tottenham game so I’d say they were certainly worth it.

Derek Thomas
7 Posted 01/10/2007 at 07:21:46

As you said Dave, It’s nothing new. I have always said that if you ’beamed me down’ blind folded, that I could tell you where I was, to within a few yards, by who was getting the stick. I don’t know, but we seem to have our full quota of loud mouthed gobshites and you can’t blame it on just being a modern thing, I was hearing it about Albert Dunlop and Mick Meagan.