ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Give reserves a chance

After a great European campaign (look at the table, no one else has a postive goal difference), I wonder what everyone's thoughts are on the last game.

As were through as winners already, Moyes can give a few squad players or younger players a game.

I reckon Van Der Meyde, Vidarsson, Boyle and maybe Kissock should be given a chance. I think we need to rest as many as we can really. Anyone want to name their starting eleven for the next tie?
Trevor Tannenbaum, Haverhill Posted 06/12/2007 at 21:28:45

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Nick Veitch
1 Posted 07/12/2007 at 02:28:26

I was thinking the same, however I thought that we should really go there to get a result. A few thousand supporters have paid their hard-earned to go watch their beloved blues in Holland. Least the team could do would be to put a decent side on the pitch. Given AZ have a lot to play for, they should be at their best.
I don’t think being beaten 5-zip with our reserve side would be that valuable.
I do believe we should be giving Van Der Meyde a run out though. See what this boy is capable of.

Raid Ng
2 Posted 07/12/2007 at 05:43:16

I agree but making too much changes may disrupt the understanding of the team. I dont want Everton to be accused of ?assisting? AZ as they need something from the game. My starting 11 will be as follows:

Wessels
Baines
Yobo
Jags
Hibbert
Pienaar
Cahill
Gravesen
vd Meyde
Johnson
Anichebe

This line up will rest some of the key players like Carsley, Yak, Arteta, Neville, Howard etc....

John Lloyd
3 Posted 07/12/2007 at 08:20:07

DM is not one for making wholesale changes so I genuinly dont think that will happen. He will select from the same group of players he has been all season, with maybe Graveson, Jag, Wessels all getting a game.

On a personal note, after watching 3 reserve games this year I dont believe Kissock & boyle will ever progress to challenge the first team, Vidarsson is too similar to Osman & Pienaar yet not as good so I dont see how he will figure either. AVdM should never wear our shirt again, and as I have said on other threads should be released or sold soon as humanly possible. Problems or not, the man is a freeloader who has let his talent be wasted by being a lazy unmotivated player.

The only one who could possibly forge his way in at present is Lukas J, but with the strikers we already have vying for places I cannot see that happening any time soon.

Nick Entwistle
4 Posted 07/12/2007 at 08:53:34

Wessels

Hibbert
Jags
Stubbs
Baines

VDM
Vidarsson
De Silva (if he’s around)
McFadden

Anichebe
Vaughan

Other than the midfield, full of appearences this season and atleast the midfiels should be able to keep the ball well and play it around.

James Elworthy
5 Posted 07/12/2007 at 08:56:23

Why rest the African players they are all going in January to the ANC, why should we rest them for that tournament.
VDM will never play for us again his performance for the reserves by all accounts was shocking the other night and Moyes will dump him if someone comes along for him in January.
People are paying good money to go to Alkmaar and they dont want to see a bunch of untried teenagers get turned over, which they surely would be.

Paul Lenehan
6 Posted 07/12/2007 at 09:42:25

I think we should rest as many of our top players as possible. That would leave us fresh and ready to go to Old Trafford and have a proper go at them.

Jimmy Crack
7 Posted 07/12/2007 at 09:47:22

Wessels

Jagielka (RIGHT SIDE where he belongs)
Yobo
Stubbs (if fit)
Valente

VdM (RIGHT SIDE where he belongs)
Gravesen
Neville
Pienaar

Vaughan
McFadden

John Lloyd
8 Posted 07/12/2007 at 09:38:42

Good point James, when we get out there we dont wanna see us get stuffed when we’ve played all that dough just before Xmas, I know we are through (top, no less!!!) but I still wanna see us compete, maybe even beat them & win the group in style.

I also re-iterate what I have said above, the players mentioned don’t seem to be good enough, (da silva is at Barnsley again I think Nick.)

Dan Mckie
9 Posted 07/12/2007 at 10:16:28

I hope Moyes does change things a bit, give the likes of Arteta and Cahill the night off, the players that come in will want to win even more to show they are worthy of a chance! Decided against going to Holland what with, not gettin a ticket, being so near Xmas and a relativly meaningless game, ill defo be ready for Feb 14th tho whereever we are! COYB!

dave trudgeon
10 Posted 07/12/2007 at 10:26:21

apart from taking a slight risk in midfield he could try a completely new team thats good enough to compete with the bottom half of the prem

wessels
hibbert
valente (cos i want baines as our 1st choice left back)
rodwell
yobo
jags (i know he’s not a great holding dm but at least it would give carsley a day off)
vidarrson
mcfadden on the wing
vdm
anichebe
vaughan

its a nothing game between two important ones, its not his 1st 11 obviously but i’d pay money to watch that team cos most of them would be really up for it

James Elworthy
11 Posted 07/12/2007 at 10:33:46

With Stubbs Injured till Jan we could put out a side without risking some players Arteta, Lescott, Cahill, Vaughan, Johnson, Carsley and Baines and play the Africans because it is not Moyes concern the ANC, I still wouldnt play VDM and I dont think Moyes ever will.
Wessels
Hibbert Jagielka Yobo Valente

Osman Gravesen Neville Pienaar

Anichebe Yakubu

Subs: Ruddy, Baines, Lescott, Vaughan, McFadden, Vidarsson, Carsley

John Lloyd
12 Posted 07/12/2007 at 10:54:52

James, I think that team or thereabouts will be very close. I also agree with playing the lads involved in the ANC.

I’m still at a loss for two reasons:-
a) Why do people still consider AVdM part of squad & WANT to see him included?? His behaviour since he’s been here has been shocking & if you have seen him in the reserves you would see that the sooner we get him off the books the better!!

b) Also, although we have had some success in Europe, we are not exactly regulars (hopefully we will be now) and yes we have won the group but what makes you think that putting people like Kissock, Vidarrsson, Rodwell into the side is a good idea?? They are not ready/good enough and it wll only set them & the club back if we get tonked in Europe against a decent side, such as AZ Alkmaar.

Dont mind a game of champ myself from time to time but a bit of realism when posting lads & lasses.

Nelly Blythe
13 Posted 07/12/2007 at 11:15:00

Having watched the rezzies get spanked by the RS the other night on what I saw none of the Players mentioned in the original post are of the quality rquired for the first team...not on that performance anyway, Van der Meyde being possibly the worst player on the pitch.
Stick to the players in the current 1st team squad ( excluding McShitten) and give them more european experience. Unfortunately I?m one of the old school who believes you should play your strongest team at all times and try to win EVERY game...old fashioned I know but I just cant help it.

James Elworthy
14 Posted 07/12/2007 at 11:13:23

I agree John, why people want VDM to play is beyond me. He has not exactly set the place on fire when he has played.
I agree with an odd youngster or two being blooded in when the time is right and I have faith that Moyes will do that in the future but not on a European stage. Perhaps he may take one with him for the experience.

dave trudgeon
15 Posted 07/12/2007 at 11:18:23

john, whats worse for confidence?
sending out your best players to play a half hearted game they will probably lose or sending out young/fringe players to experience europe?
let the squad players earn their wages!

by the way, im not being negative and i in no way think they have a better first 11 than us, but they are fighting to go through at home, we are playing away in a game that we don’t need a result in

Andy Callan
16 Posted 07/12/2007 at 12:03:34

I would play a full team, stuck it up the Dutch and keep are great run going. When we finished 4th we had a great run as success breeds success. If we play a load of reserves and get stuffed it will have a detrimental effect on the rest of the season. I reckon our first team need as much experience of playing in Europe as they can get; going on recent performances anyway.

Keep winning and the rest will obviously sort itself out.

Lee Spargo
17 Posted 07/12/2007 at 12:57:44

Certainly, I think DM should change it round a bit, but none of those players in the original post are worth a start in a European tie away from home. Regardless of the fact we’ve already won the group, I think it’s important that we try to keep our unbeaten run going.

John Lloyd
18 Posted 07/12/2007 at 12:53:42

I see your point Dave, but I never said we should play our ’best players’ as such. I do think that the likes of Cahill, Howard & Arteta should be rested, maybe even Joleon but with Jag & Yobo playing centre half due to Stubbsy being out.

I just think Moyes should continue to pick from the 1st team squad he has been instead of throwing young reserve players in, as I dont think that will do anyone any good. I think the team that James Elworthy posts above is ideal.

I stand by saying that, from what I’ve seen the current crop of youngsters are not good enough or not ready as we do have quite a young reserve side. So putting these lads in would not be a good idea, as we would have no chance of winning, risk getting heavily beat & make a cunt of all the fans who are going over there. With James’s side we could at least make a fist of it & give one or two of them players a chance to say "we should be in 1st team!"

Tony Fleming
19 Posted 07/12/2007 at 13:43:29

Pick VDM, with the rest of the reserve team, its a meaningless game now, so give the reserves a little European experience, you never know with the fixture list piling up we may need back up if we pick up some injuries to important players. And you never know VDM may shine for once in front of his countrymen, so we could offload him to them in the January transfer window.

Nick Whitham
20 Posted 07/12/2007 at 14:58:07

Think you can only play those who are registered to play in Europe - so the likes of Rodwell and Kissock would not be eligble to play.

Tim Lowe
21 Posted 07/12/2007 at 15:39:45

Would rest yobo as he has 2 yellows. No point in risking a 3rd as he would be suspended for the next round

Richard Porter
22 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:29:34

I think players not registrered in the UEFA squad can be picked, provided they’re under a certain age (might be 19 or 20)