The Mail Bag
Season Start
Comments (17)
On the debate on how well we have started the season the answer is clear from a playing perspective: mediocre at best with some individual strong performances, Arteta, Lescott, Yobo.
Considering all that and the fact that we have Cahill, Vaughan, Gravesen to come back then we have done ok and in my opinion on every front can only improve.
Take into consideration that on average 16 points plus from every 9 games will put you in the top 6 based on previous seasons in the Premiership, 17 plus is Champions League performance which we are capable of achieving with a full complement of players available.
My point, we have had a good start and one that we are capable of improving upon; on top of that we have the players to be more expansive and entertaining, let's take that as a bonus as long as we attain the points.
Congratulations on this site by the way, very well thought out and extremely well managed.
Paul Niklas, Posted 01/10/2007 at 20:38:04
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
Anthony Newell
1 Posted 01/10/2007 at 21:56:07
1 Posted 01/10/2007 at 21:56:07
I think it has been a very disappointing start to the season. I don’t think there has been one game that we shouldn’t and couldn’t have gone into with the serious intent of bagging three points, man u included. Yes, I know there have been injuries but the way the side has been set up on many a occasion by Moyes (with the constant and infuriating selection of Neville in midfield and Hibbert at right back) means we have kind of been playing with one hand tied behind our back. There is no reason in my mind, Moyes excepted, why we shouldn’t be sat where Man City are currently. The excuses have to stop now, we are 6 years into Moyes’ tenure with some serious dosh spent and lessons seemingly not learnt. I fear for the likes of Johnson and Yakubu I really do. Moyes is draining the life out of them like he did to Beattie and he is draining the life out of me
Anthony Jaras
2 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:21:12
2 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:21:12
I just hope that we can get our injured players back asap.
The thought of a team line up of;
Howard
Neville
Lescott
Yobo
Baines
Arteta
Graveson
Cahill
Piennar
Johnson
Yakubu/Anichebe/McFadden
Has goals, creativity, pace and power in it.
I just hope that this is the team that will be picked if/when they are all fit together.
I can see a good shape to it.
The thought of a team line up of;
Howard
Neville
Lescott
Yobo
Baines
Arteta
Graveson
Cahill
Piennar
Johnson
Yakubu/Anichebe/McFadden
Has goals, creativity, pace and power in it.
I just hope that this is the team that will be picked if/when they are all fit together.
I can see a good shape to it.
joe mcparland
3 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:43:10
3 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:43:10
Anthony, you forgot our best player, Mr.Vaughan
Anthony Jaras
4 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:47:05
4 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:47:05
Christ, I am losing it.
Young James is one of my fave players, I think it’s the fact that he is out so much kinda made him slip my mind.
Yes, you are right, I would prob have Vaughan in the starting line up, although he is a great inpact player from the bench, as is Victor, I would like to see Vaughan get a run up front.
Sorry pal!!!!
Young James is one of my fave players, I think it’s the fact that he is out so much kinda made him slip my mind.
Yes, you are right, I would prob have Vaughan in the starting line up, although he is a great inpact player from the bench, as is Victor, I would like to see Vaughan get a run up front.
Sorry pal!!!!
Brendan McLaughlin
5 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:06:31
5 Posted 01/10/2007 at 22:06:31
Sorry Michael but I just can’t see how you feel Paul’s comment about having the players to be more expansive and entertaining is supported by anything in Simon Robson’s article. In fact Robson clearly states that only Arteta & possibly Pienaar (which strikes me as a bold claim) have the necessary quality in the middle of the park.
Steve Ryan
6 Posted 01/10/2007 at 23:18:07
6 Posted 01/10/2007 at 23:18:07
Do the Moyes apologists not realise that other clubs have long injury lists too and that when Vaughan, Cahill and Graveson return, we are likely to incur other injuries? Even with a full squad of fit players what makes them think that after 5.5 years of predominantly sterile, atrocious football we are suddenly going to improve. The current injury list is being used by some to hide our glaring deficiencies in terms of the size of the squad and Moyes’s lack of tactical nouse. By the way, I mentioned previously that at the final whistle on Sunday, including the goalie, we had 8 defensive minded playes on the pitch. I was actually wrong as the figure was 9 (Peinnar and Anachebe were the exception); bloody disgraceful Moyes..NIL SATIS NISI OPTIMUM my arse!!!!
Peter Pridgeon
7 Posted 02/10/2007 at 05:57:33
7 Posted 02/10/2007 at 05:57:33
I just watched the match, replayed on sky 2 at last. It should have been live but hey its only Everton and living in a country that thinks English football is Man Utd then Man Utd and if they are not playing well lets talk about Man Utd. What a dour boring game, effectively finished in the 58th minute. Boro gave up and we wee happy to settle for two nil.
I felt the real pluses here where Pienaar linked up well with Arteta he seemed to be the only Everton player to understand Arteta?s game , Mc Fadden also seemed to get the message for a time but faded from the game just before half time. Yakuba is all that I thought he was lazy and needs the ball serving on plate. He will score possibly fifteen goals but will do little to add to that. Unfortunately he offers little more than Anichebe a sad waste of money. The whole match showed how much we need a quality central midfielder. it will be interesting to Tommy back and for him to have an extended run with Arteta.
I felt the real pluses here where Pienaar linked up well with Arteta he seemed to be the only Everton player to understand Arteta?s game , Mc Fadden also seemed to get the message for a time but faded from the game just before half time. Yakuba is all that I thought he was lazy and needs the ball serving on plate. He will score possibly fifteen goals but will do little to add to that. Unfortunately he offers little more than Anichebe a sad waste of money. The whole match showed how much we need a quality central midfielder. it will be interesting to Tommy back and for him to have an extended run with Arteta.
Jimmy Last
8 Posted 02/10/2007 at 08:47:00
8 Posted 02/10/2007 at 08:47:00
I used to like thinking about how good we would be "if this player was back from injury" or "if only we had bought this player then our team will be unstoppable" but i am slowly coming to the sad realisation that even with all our current players fit, or even if our midfield was Arteta Fernandes Riquelme and Kevin Sheedy still Moyes would not have a clue what to do with them and we would still play pretty crap stuff.......so the thoughts of all our injured players coming back doesn’t, unfortuntely, fill me with too much excitement....as it always has been with Moyes lets hope we get luckier in more games than we are "unlucky", who knows where we will be by the end of the season....yawn
Tony Williams
9 Posted 02/10/2007 at 08:53:23
9 Posted 02/10/2007 at 08:53:23
Steve, your posts would probably have more weight if you didn’t start with your childish name calling.
You remind me of a poster on the old BBC 606 forum called ManBlue36, he used to call people Moyesettes, his posts were seen to be mostly wind ups or simply just pathetic.
In summary, if you are going to have a debate try to have a little decorum and lay off the pointless insults.
You remind me of a poster on the old BBC 606 forum called ManBlue36, he used to call people Moyesettes, his posts were seen to be mostly wind ups or simply just pathetic.
In summary, if you are going to have a debate try to have a little decorum and lay off the pointless insults.
James Elworthy
10 Posted 02/10/2007 at 09:14:02
10 Posted 02/10/2007 at 09:14:02
I don’t defend Moyes tactics very often but I can understand at 2-0 with Johnson & Vaughan injured and Yakubu ineffective, McFadden should be put in cotton wool for Thursday. He is the one likely to score the all important goal as he had done so often for Scotland.
However he should of put VDM on at the time or at least VDM on for Arteta at the end.
However he should of put VDM on at the time or at least VDM on for Arteta at the end.
Dave Trudgeon
11 Posted 02/10/2007 at 12:49:40
11 Posted 02/10/2007 at 12:49:40
alex ferguson is arguably the best manager in this league
does everyone agree?
these are his finishes in the first 5 years of his tenure at man utd
86-87 - 11
87-88 -2
88-89 - 11
89-90 - 13
90-91 - 6
moyes is working in a harder, more competitive league and his stats stand up to fergusons back then.
it takes more than 6 years to completely build a team, especially when it was as fucked up as everton when he took over
give him a break
does everyone agree?
these are his finishes in the first 5 years of his tenure at man utd
86-87 - 11
87-88 -2
88-89 - 11
89-90 - 13
90-91 - 6
moyes is working in a harder, more competitive league and his stats stand up to fergusons back then.
it takes more than 6 years to completely build a team, especially when it was as fucked up as everton when he took over
give him a break
Ernie Boyce
12 Posted 02/10/2007 at 13:00:31
12 Posted 02/10/2007 at 13:00:31
Strong perfromances from Yobo!? In my view, more often than not, he is guilty of our defensive errors. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that our first clean sheets were earned with Stubbs and Lescott at CB, who make a very solid partnership with there mix of experience and potential.
I think you’re a little unreasonable in your comments Steve Ryan. Cahill, Arteta, Grav and Piennar were all unavailable through injury a week ago - all of our ball playing attacking midfielders! That is bad luck! Other teams do have injuries but not many of them have there entire resource of a specific style of player wiped out.
I agree with a few of the posts, where fans see real promise in Pienaar - I think he performed really well on Sunday and is settling in quicker than I expected. As well as being on Artetas wavelength, I also think his ball control, movement and passing ability are of higher than average prem quality. Good workrate as well, really excited about this kid.
Why all the doom and gloom? With the late summer signings, injuries to key players, change in formation and playing style its going to take the side time to click and really perfrom well this season. We have the best squad we’ve ever had in the prem.
I think you’re a little unreasonable in your comments Steve Ryan. Cahill, Arteta, Grav and Piennar were all unavailable through injury a week ago - all of our ball playing attacking midfielders! That is bad luck! Other teams do have injuries but not many of them have there entire resource of a specific style of player wiped out.
I agree with a few of the posts, where fans see real promise in Pienaar - I think he performed really well on Sunday and is settling in quicker than I expected. As well as being on Artetas wavelength, I also think his ball control, movement and passing ability are of higher than average prem quality. Good workrate as well, really excited about this kid.
Why all the doom and gloom? With the late summer signings, injuries to key players, change in formation and playing style its going to take the side time to click and really perfrom well this season. We have the best squad we’ve ever had in the prem.
Peter Keating
13 Posted 02/10/2007 at 13:51:05
13 Posted 02/10/2007 at 13:51:05
Do people not think that had James Vaughan had not got as badly injured as he did Moyes would not have spent £11.5 million on Yakubu and saved it for a decent centre midfielder? I certainly think so. I don’t think the Yak has done enough to convince me
Stephen Ryan
14 Posted 03/10/2007 at 06:31:28
14 Posted 03/10/2007 at 06:31:28
TONY WILLIAMS what a patronising and hypocritical response from you. If you had bothered to read my comments you will have noticed that they were not directed at Moyes pertsonally as I was referring to the disgraceful, negative tactics adopted by him. If expressing my displeasure at such dross makes me childish and pathetic in your eyes then it says a lot about the man you are. So you were happy to finish the game with 9 defensive minded players on the pitch (including Howard) against a poor Middlesborough team were you? Dont the Moyes apologists, in his defence, always refer to the dark days of Walter Smith? What was the excuse this week? preparing for Europe...or was it injuries, the oppositions tactics, Moyes’s inexperience, our inadequate, budget, players out of position, bedding in new signings, the weather???? Its nearly 6 six years of dreadful , disjointed, defensive football we have had to endure here so when are people like you going to wake up and realise that we will never progress to the next level while adopting these sterile tactics? Are you seriously happy with the standard of football that’s been produced during his tenure? If the answer is yes then we will have to agree to disagree as my father raised me to appreciate cohesive, classy, expansive football played on the deck; hence our clubs motto.
Tony Williams
15 Posted 03/10/2007 at 08:56:50
15 Posted 03/10/2007 at 08:56:50
Stephen, Stephen, Stephen, I would suggest that you re-read my post, as you seem to have totally missed my point.
You seem to want to attack my character, when you have no idea what kind of "person I am".
I suggest that your opinions would be better received if you stayed away from the daft name called, I never said anything about the content of your post only that a little decorum would be amiss.
You then rant again about Moyes’s tactic of having 9 defennsive players on the pitch on Sunday. What should he have done, gone all out for a 3rd? Great strategy that, lets go gung ho and hope they don’t score to make it a nervous last 20....
Back to the point, once again your posts would be better presented if you refrain from the daft name calling.
You seem to want to attack my character, when you have no idea what kind of "person I am".
I suggest that your opinions would be better received if you stayed away from the daft name called, I never said anything about the content of your post only that a little decorum would be amiss.
You then rant again about Moyes’s tactic of having 9 defennsive players on the pitch on Sunday. What should he have done, gone all out for a 3rd? Great strategy that, lets go gung ho and hope they don’t score to make it a nervous last 20....
Back to the point, once again your posts would be better presented if you refrain from the daft name calling.
Steve Ryan
16 Posted 03/10/2007 at 12:48:10
16 Posted 03/10/2007 at 12:48:10
Are you as patronising in real life? In answer to your question; not only a third; I would have expected us to go for 5 goals.......scary thing this attacking football.
Tony Williams
17 Posted 03/10/2007 at 16:41:30
17 Posted 03/10/2007 at 16:41:30
I suppose if you think I am patronising then so be it but my point remains the same.
Wouldn’t you agree agree that a sensible debate and well structured posts would be better received than one starting off with a bit of name calling? Or are you the type to think the longer and louder you shout the more your point becomes valid?
Wouldn’t you agree agree that a sensible debate and well structured posts would be better received than one starting off with a bit of name calling? Or are you the type to think the longer and louder you shout the more your point becomes valid?
© ToffeeWeb
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
And thanks for those words of appreciation. With the more open format, it really is down to the contributors to keep this, one of the main areas of the website, flowing and maintaining a good level of discussion. And thanks especially to those who post letters to the mailbag as well the fans articles as these are the prime catalyst for the diverse and often lively discussion generated. Keep it coming!