ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

Michael Kenrick

Indeed. Great stuff!

Dan Parker
1 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:10:30

Out of this world - quality stuff.

David Barks
2 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:12:25

What a fantastic 2nd half. I think the combination of losing Baines and a bit of a let down coming off of Europe had a big effect on that first half. But whatever Moyes said at half time I hope it was recorded and put on a continuous stream for every player. What a response. The football was fantastic. I don’t know where Dutch is right now but I would like to know how he feels about Yakubu now. He was all over the pitch in that second half, could of had a hat trick earlier but was unselfish and tried to set up Arteta. He held up play well, and I believe he got a natural hat trick, one with the left, the right, and a header. Great second half by our Toffees and it could of been even better if not for a couple of fine saves by the Fulham keeper. But it should also be said that Jagielka was a different player in the second half. He seemed to gain a lot of confidence and was much more sure of himself.

Joey Brown
3 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:18:33

One with the left, one with the head, one with the right, Fantastic!

Terry"marsbar"Maddock
4 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:15:47

It would be nice to actually see a bit of credit given to DM from the usual shower (you know who you are) who only have comments to make on the stadium debate or on negative results...The silence in recent weeks has been DEAFENING..

Dont get me wrong..we are far from the finished article...but the manager quite plainly is the right man for the job.

Ricardo Humphries
5 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:18:38

Our midfield are really starting to blossom. Good footwork and great vision by a few players. Keep up the great form guys.My blood in blue!

EJ Smyth
6 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:21:41

it was a great finish by Yak on the 3rd goal, but all credit to Steven Pienaar. He trot back well, won the ball back with a great tackle, spread the ball well, and was the provider for the goal..

Buy him early please Mr Moyes..

Dave Reiner
7 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:20:24

I want to preface this by saying that I’m 100% heterosexual (nothing against those who aren’t, by the way). That out of the way, I believe I may be developing some sort of man-crush on the Yak. My girlfriend was not pleased last week upon discovering that I ordered my Yak jersey from the O.S. but have yet to pick up any of her gifts. Priorities in order, I say (but only when she’s not around)!!
Up the Blues!!!!
FEED THE YAK, you know the rest!!!!

Dan Parker
8 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:29:09

Feed the yak, let him know it’s Christmas time!

kieranfitzgerald
9 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:21:05

These are the games that you are expected to be winning and it is good to see that we are. Over the last couple of seasons we weren’t and I think that it is the big difference with us this season.

The unfortunate thing at the moment is that the teams above us are all averaging two points a game and it means that the pressure is on us to maintain the successful run we are on.Still, it’s a nice complaint to have.

Seb St.Clare
10 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:29:08

Car probs stopped me getting over Pennines this afternoon but the hour I spent waiting for the AA was rewarded with three goals as I got my lift back home.Yakubu is yet another signing that Moyes has made a better player.

Frank Hutton
11 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:32:11

Excellent win! I?m thrilled for the Yak. I really do think that we are building something potentially brilliant again. Moyes has built us up from nothing when he took over and has turned us into one of the better teams in the Premier League.

Peter Eastoe
12 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:33:37

Well said ’Marsbar’.
I too am chuckling to myself at the effect the sudden upturn in fortunes has had on the doom-mongers.The silence is indeed deafening.
TM must have slit his wrists by now !!!
Apart from Mr Moyes winning plaudits after getting slagged off,, players like Yakubu ,Pienaar and Osman were derided as useless a month or so back.

Happy days......for some !

Mick Mac
13 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:34:13

Lemonade football first half; champaigne football the second. Wonderful to watch. Thought everyone played well. When was the last hatrick at Goodison? It was against leeds I think Steve Watson? As an aside, I had the Yak to score first and 2-0... not too bothered though!

Dave Reiner
14 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:35:19

An excellent point Kieran, the gap between ’haves’ & ’have nots’ certainly appears to be widening, & while this ensures fierce competition at the upper portions of the table, it certainly feels good to be part of the former, doesn’t it? The Yakubu transfer serves as an excellent example of this trend, look at Boro now without him.

Brian Waring
15 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:34:17

Great 2nd half by the lads.The difference between this season and previous seasons,is that we seem able to go up a few more gears and raise our game when we need to.Also,I’ve got to give credit where it’s due,so take a bow Davey,long may it continue.
If I can be negative about one thing.Seb,even though Moyes deserves plenty of praise,you cannot give him credit over the Yak.He was scoring goals for fun before he came to us,so lets not get to carried away.

Chad Schofield
16 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:48:08

EJ Smyth summed up my thoughts completely... and really happy for the Yak, even after Sunderland game heard people actually complaining about it being a "lucky goal"... today’s first was fortunate, but he had to be in there and reacted quickly. It’s just great to have a striker that can poach goals and, as someone else said, has visibly improoved his work rate under DM.

Thanks Dan Parker for making me properly laugh.

Game of two halfs and all that!

Ricardo Humphries
17 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:01:15

this is one the best games I’ve seen Yak played. As for Pienaar, he deserves our number 10 shirt! Arteta just looks world class when his on song.

Keith Glazzard
18 Posted 08/12/2007 at 17:55:42

The ’European Hangover’ was a real possibility for today - first part of the mission accomplished. Fulham could have been the banana skin, but .....

God bless him, Davey came out to the BBC interview and said something like ’We may have been a bit overhung from Europe in the first half...’ A cup of tea and a few soft spoken words at half-time seemed to add a little to the performance. Good, aren’t they.

Gavin Ramejkis
19 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:06:59

Mick Mac never heard that phrase before but well put lemonade and champagne, the first half was poor and all I was thinking about was how this had no score draw written all over it and how the hell I was getting wet in the Park End!! Second half was like a different team, we passed the ball with great aplomb and my cousin sitting next to me wants a pint of whatever DM is dishing out at half time, SP was outstanding as was Carsley, Yak reminded me so much of Bob Latchford, maybe you can call him lazy but give him the ball and just the keeper and the net and my money is on him every time, his unselfish pass to Arteta also proved he is a team player. Great second half - the sign of a good team is when they win even when they aren’t playing great - only half true as second half we did play some great stuff. Bring on West Ham, long may this continue the team looks to be really confident and more importantly playing for each other.

Dave Reiner
20 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:39:18

And as a possible added sweetener:
67 Mins
Reading 3 - 1 The Shite
Hold on boys, let’s make this a weekend to remember (& torment the RS about).

Dave Wilson
21 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:46:27

Happy days, great to see the laughter return to GP
Ray after the little chuckle we had another thread today, I was booming it out about 10 mins to go
"Feed the Yak, Feed the Yak" . . . . .

Neil Mallender
22 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:51:15

Fuch the RS-why do some people ALWAYS have to bring them into the equation? Let’s just wallow in our own success!

Dave Reiner
23 Posted 08/12/2007 at 19:08:43

"Fuch the RS-why do some people ALWAYS have to bring them into the equation? Let?s just wallow in our own success!"
To answer your question,because they (and the Champions League) are now only 3 points (or 1 Mark Clattenberg) clear of us, & because I loathe their very existence, that’s why!!!!!! What a silly question!!

David Barks
24 Posted 08/12/2007 at 19:24:01

Lads, we are 3 points out of the 4th spot, only 4 points from 3rd !!! So in this instance, the Liverpool loss was significant because it has an effect on our placing and is worth a mention on here. I just can’t stop thinking of that second half though. The passing, the confidence, the enjoyment you could see in the players. I could get use to this, I really could. But uh oh, FM alert, what did you all think about Fulhams teenage right back. The boy is quick as hell and did reasonably well today. You have to remember that he was playing with some not so great defenders that exposed him a bit, but what about him as a potential target in the summer? He looks like he has a lot of potential.

James Elworthy
25 Posted 08/12/2007 at 19:30:48

YAK TRICK

Anthony Newell
26 Posted 08/12/2007 at 19:39:40

Brilliant result off the back of a devastating second half and pleased as punch about Yakubu’s hat-trick. He’s doing what he does best now and what he was bought for - scoring goals. Four years since a Goodison hat-trick and long overdue! No coincidence that Everton’s recent upturn in fortunes is a direct result of spraying the ball about on the turf and for that I applaud Moyes. Please continue in this vein. Sorry folks but the Reading result and in particular the penalty that wasn’t, outside the box (remnd you of anything?!) was just the icing on the cake!!!

David Barks
27 Posted 08/12/2007 at 19:50:48

Fantastic wasn’t it Anthony. That penalty did make me laugh. Carragher has been let off with about 3 solid penalties so far this season, perhaps more, and the one they call against him was outside the box. Hilarious stuff.

Anthony Newell
28 Posted 08/12/2007 at 20:05:48

Yep, great stuff and very proud to be blue. Apparently the shite were also denied a clear cut penalty in their favour for a push on Gerrard by Sonko! - even better! I was spewing after the Derby result so like i say, this was just the cherry on the cake!

Tom Brown
29 Posted 08/12/2007 at 18:53:15

RS are gonna lose against Reading. So we will be within 3 points behind at the end of today. Next 3 prem games they have Man U, Chelsea, Portsmouth. We have Hammers, Man U, Bolton.... Great opportunity to put our noses in front.

COYB!!

David Barks
30 Posted 08/12/2007 at 20:14:43

By the way Anthony, credit to you mate. I know me and you have had our little disagreements over the months, but you call it like you see it. Unlike some others you are here when we play poorly and say so, (sometimes I think the language has been a bit over the top but you’re passionate) and praise the team when we play well. I know it means nothing but your credibility has went sky high in my book. It took a little bit of time but we are playing some good football. Moyes I think has shown that he does want this type of football that you and I have wanted to see, and is capable of producing it. Now lets hope his one buy in January is that quality player we need.

Ray Robinson
31 Posted 08/12/2007 at 20:11:44

Now I don’t want to go overboard but 0-0 at half time and 3-0 at full time reminds me of the mid eighties side which could stay the pace and kill off any team in the second half. We’re not there yet but this has the makings of a very good team, for sure.

And while I’m on, will the woman who sat behind me at Portsmouth last week constantly hurling irrational and hate-laden vitriol at the Yak please publicly apologise? I’ve never heard such apoplectic, obscene and unwarranted abuse given to a player in blue. The Yak had the final argument today.

Neil Pearse
32 Posted 08/12/2007 at 20:33:52

This is the first Everton team since the mid eighties that BELIEVES that it is going to win. This is huge. My main worry is that we don’t realise how dependent we are on Cahill and especially Carsley. Buy in January please Davie!

Mick Simo
33 Posted 08/12/2007 at 21:03:09

8 wins out of 10... what can I say, fantastic form from the Blues and the first hat trick from a Blue in 4 years. Ray I was at a game a few months ago when the Yak was still finding his feet and the team was playing shite, the abuse the yak and the club captain was getting from loads of fans was bad news, the thing is they don?t stop to think for one second that the Yak was a new player, playing with complete strangers and asked to do a job he had never done, chase every ball up blind alleys, and fair play to the lad he has proved the boo boys wrong, well done Yak, it must be great feeling to silence these people who judged you after 5 minutes, I hope you go on to become a true hero of Everton and help the blues to win some silver ware

Alex Baker
34 Posted 08/12/2007 at 21:38:50

I never feel more like singing the blues when Everton win and Liverpool lose...

Dave Roberts
35 Posted 08/12/2007 at 21:47:28

What impresses me most about this present Everton side is that they can dig out results in all kinds of different ways. Whether it is exquisite football (Larissa and Sunderland) Sheer bloody doggedness and perserverance (Chelsea and Portsmouth) or by changing the game midway (Nurenburg and today) That is exactly what a successful team has to be able to do. That was the essence of the 80’s sides. I have not been so confident about an Everton side for 20 years. I really do feel that we are going places and with the correct addition(s) to the squad in January I am confident we can challenge once again for a top four place.

Davey Moyes has surprised me over the last two years. I thought I knew exactly what his intentions and football standards were and I was disappointed. But I am happy to say I was wrong and that the blossoming team we have now was,clearly, always his intention. His signing on loan of Pienaar which was a complete surprise (at least to me!) has been a blessing and we no longer need to depend entirely on Mikkey’s contribution. He didn’t play too well today and he did look tired but once we sorted ourselves out in the second half we were nevertheless creative without his best contribution. When many of us were concerned about Carsley’s effectiveness, Moyes has stuck with him and once again today he was one of the best players on the pitch. I think Davey is a better Manager than many of us have given him credit for over the past few years and I for one am happy to admit that maybe I was not clever enough to see what he was aiming at. Well done Davey and well done Blues. There is a way yet to go but we are certainly gathering pace in the right direction.

Santosh Benjamin
36 Posted 08/12/2007 at 23:44:57

Its great to see the comments in here...thanks Neil,Dave,Marsbar,Anthony..i cant describe the sense of joy im feeling these days with the way we are playing.
I really think we need to appreciate what Moyes is doing with the team and give him our support (yes that does include constructive criticism where its due!) as we make progress on so many fronts.
We need to strengthen our midfield and defence in Jan to make us a real threat consistently.
And hearing that the RS lost does make me happy..sadistic?... yes...but when it comes to them...i dont care!

David Moore
37 Posted 09/12/2007 at 08:48:35

I have to take credit for the everton win today. I live in Australia and forgot to get up for the 2am start but woke up at 3 and watched the second half. I missed the shite half and made us play good for the rest of the game!

And if your wondering, I am superstitious about anything sport related.

Anthony Newell
38 Posted 09/12/2007 at 14:06:06

No probs Barksy. Any prior frustratons/angst are purely borne out of my desire to want the team to do wellI as you do. Sometimes I get the feeling with Moyes that he his either slow on the uptake or just purely bloody stubborn! The recent penchant for putting Neville at RB, playing the ball along the ground and use of Carsley could have been done a lot earlier as the angry mob would testify to. We went through a phase were this just wasn’t happening despite the fact it was blindingly obvious what was needed. We wasted the opportunity to pick up points earlier in the season as a result of this. However, it seems that the penny has now dropped and we are on a much better footing with our record signing gainfully employed. The way Yak took his 3rd just shows you the class that we have bought and the ’unneccessary-ness’ of having the bugger tracking back constantly (in fact his first goal was Lineker’esque in the sense of being in the poacher’s right place at right time) . I was just getting bloody angry seeing the ball sailing over his head constantly. I would love us to step up to the next level by means of signing a quality midfielder so we can unlock sides like Portsmouth/Reading away - just to give us that extra dimension. I’d be happy to see McFadden sacrificed to this end. Positive times and fingers crossed for doing West Ham over twice in the space of a week. Lets hope we come out of the festive period just as happy as we are now!

Dave Roberts
39 Posted 09/12/2007 at 15:05:34

David Moore,

Just make sure you take a sleeping pill before our next game! Not too many mind you!