ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Mr Motivator

Now is the time for Moyes's motivational skills to come to the fore. In truth after Saturday, the players should need no motivating, but the loss of all creativity from the side (with the news that Pienaar will be missing) means that it will, to my mind, need a battling display from the 11 who start.

Everyone (in the media) seems to be trying to make out Chelski are beatable tomorrow, that this is a "good" time to be playing them, but I'm having none of that. They're are a very good side and will be very difficult to break down. A draw will do fine, get them back to Goodison and with crowd backing, turn them over then. COYB.
Steve Guy, Harrogate Posted 07/01/2008 at 19:08:25

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Mick Simo
1 Posted 07/01/2008 at 20:44:01

Our patched up midfield is worrying me big time, no Arteta, Ossie, Pienar and not sure if Yobo is fit. I cant see where any creatitvity is comming from, who will supply the forward line? I am trying to be postive about this game but loosing one of these players is bad but to loose all three for such an important game is a disaster. Neville and Carsley, will battle all day but can you see them two getting a grip in the middle, Cahill will get caught between going forward and sitting back, leaving holes all over the pitch, seen it before, playing players out of position. We will be very lucky to come away with a point, but if we do you have got to fancy us at home. We are going into some important games and the sqaud is lacking quality, anyone heard anymore about Vogel or Fernandes?

Stuart Mitchell
2 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:01:03

Everton: Howard, Wessels, Hibbert, Neville, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Stubbs, Baines, Valente, Carsley, Pienaar, Gravesen, McFadden, Johnson, Yakubu, Vaughan, Anichebe

Thats the squad list from the Offical Site.

I guess you can scratch Pienaar from that.

Bit worried that Cahill was not on the list!

Charlie Skinley
3 Posted 07/01/2008 at 20:59:28

Steve, think your right fella. They are a good team with real depth in their squad. Us not having any quality creative midfielders is a worry but I think and hope that Moyes might go for a win. This mainly being that Chelski will be a lot stronger in the return leg with Terry & co back.

But as you say a draw would be a great result coming to Goodison Park

Stuart Mitchell
4 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:02:05

Fernandes is caught up in spain for the next 2 weeks while they investigate the incident he was involved in.

Charlie Skinley
5 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:02:58

Stuart - no Cahill..... oh I hope thats a typo by the club (that wouldnt really surprise me either). With Pienaar, Osam and Mikey missing that would be a disaster

Stuart Mitchell
6 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:16:57

Maybe he is not on the list as he is a doubt!

Like a late fitness check!

I hope so anyway!

Other wise thats just Carsley left from our normal starting midfield line up.

Charlie Skinley
7 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:26:34

just looked at the efc site and your rite fella.. although the team is on the same page as the article saying we are hoping to welcome him, howard and Yobo back. So fingers crossed its a typo

Gareth Hughes
8 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:47:29

It says everything about the luck we suffer that we have lost ALL our creative midfielders for what is, in my opinion, our biggest game in 10 years. It also highlights the huge error that Moyes made in the transfer market in the summer when he left us short in the midfield department. We have enough good defenders and strikers, but have no midfield cover. That is the managers fault. I fully expect us to lose by 3 goals minimum tomorrow. The midfield will be bereft of quality and the second leg risks being a non - event. Pessimistic yes, but who can really disagree and offer any hope to us?

Allan Hobbs
9 Posted 07/01/2008 at 21:57:43

We won’t lose by 3 goals tomorrow, I’ll have 20 quid on that with you right now Gareth!

We may well lose but I reckon we’ll sneak a goal of our own.

John Martin
10 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:06:09

The midfield is a huge concern but the Chelsea team is also a lot weaker without Drogba, Lampard and Terry.
But realistically a draw would be a great result.
As long as its not all over before the 2nd leg

Charlie Skinley
11 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:05:56

Gareth - you are so right, Moyes should have realised we would get to the semi finals for the 1st time in 20 years, loose Pienaar to a pig headed South Africa FA, Artetta would get harsly suspended and Cahill possibly injured. Wow Gareth if you knew all that maybe you should be manager! Offer hope.... fortunately we are not all as negative as you

Gareth Hughes
12 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:16:45

Gee real Charlie, its a squad game these days. Moyes supposedly knew he would lose Piennar in January irrespective of whether we were in the Carling semi final but no allowances were made, and injuries, suspensions etc are inevitable; that is why you need a SQUAD that can cope. As for Moyes not knowing that we would make a cup semi final, well you should plan for playing as many games as possible. The European games alone were always going to place extra strain on the squad. Oh hang on, we can play Andy van de Meyde can’t we? Maybe thats why another midfielder was’nt signed in the summer....

Charlie Skinley
13 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:27:26

Well gareth, I’m off to bed and I’m going looking forward to tomorrow and not going to let people like you ruin the match before we even kick off. You can get ya self off to bed thinking the worst. Yes I know its a SQUAD (I’ll put it in captials as well) game but the fact of the matter is we don’t have the money to have a squad the size of many others..... maybe thats whay another midfielder wasn’t signed in the summer...

Anyway sweat dreams... or in your case you probably want nighmares

Tony Part
14 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:42:19

If Cahill misses out we aint got a cat in hells chance of coming away with a result..The midfield is going to be scary and its going to be a waste of time having any strikers up top tomorrow as they wont get much in the way of service..Hopefully hang on for a dour goal-less draw and keep the second leg at Goodison at least a match worth going to..We cant afford anything worse than 1-0 in my opinion as dont forget come the second leg we wont have Yakubu or Yobo available to add to the loss of Pienaar..

Roy Coyne
15 Posted 07/01/2008 at 22:57:56

Come on boys I hope the team have more hope than you lot its a semi final its anyones game. Ok I admit they have the better players but we are capable of getting a draw then its down to us with a fresh Arteta to join the fray

Stuart Mitchell
16 Posted 07/01/2008 at 23:24:46

Not much left to choose from but here goes.

We are going damage limitation and bring them back to Goodison for the 2nd Leg with there still being a chance of winning

Howard

Neville, Yobo, Jags, Lescott

Mcfadden,Gravesen,Carsley,Cahill, Baines

Yakubu

Subs: AJ, Anichebe, Vaughan, Hibbert, Wessells

Kevin Horn
17 Posted 07/01/2008 at 23:54:40

Help! 3 of us have got tickets for the chelsea game but got no way of getting there any one know of a coach, minibus etc. that has three spaces avaliable. If anyone can help phone 07510924969. Cheers.

Kieran Kinsella
18 Posted 07/01/2008 at 23:52:29

Stuart Mitchell I almost agree with your line up except for Gravesen and McFadden. Grav reminds me a bit of Gazza when he played for us. He still has the skill to take corners etc but otherwise he is off the pace and just not very good any more. Then there is McF. We use him in midfield because he likes to dribble and isn?t the best snap shot finisher but hello!!!

What about AJ ? He is a better dribbler and a better finisher. I would deploy AJ wide right with the expectation (hope ?) that he could get past the wide defenders and put some balls across the middle to Cahill and Yakubu. I would deploy Neville in the center of midfield and hope he plays as well there as he did when covering for Keane in his Utd days.

I would use Hibbert at right back because his gritty/100%/tough tackling style always seems to work better against good teams (e.g. Chelsea) than crap ones (e.g.Oldham). I think it is because against good teams Hibb is aware of his limitations and keeps it simple whereas against shit teams he feels like he should be good enough to get fancy ... even though he is not. I agree with you about Baines out left because I remember how he bamboozled Ronaldo with his fancy footwork in our first game against Utd this season and I think between him and Lescott on the left we should have a half decent chance of creating a little whilst keeping things tight defensively.

I hope we do well but all things considered we are up against it and I doubt Moyes will think the way we do. he will probably go with: Howard,
Hibbert, Stubbs, Yobo, Lescott
Neville, Gravesen, Cahill, Carsley
Yakubu, Johnson.

I don?t think 4-4-2 will work because with such a weak midfield pool to pick from I think our two frontmen would never see the ball but with AJ and Baines as auxilliary wingers we may ..... may....have a chance.

Stuart Mitchell
19 Posted 08/01/2008 at 00:08:12

I have been swaying between AJ and Mcfadden wide all day!! and not really wanting to play Gravesen either

But we are kinda short of midfield options, playing Baines Left Midfield means he can move back to LB when Lescotts moves into the centre to support Jags and Yobo.

At the end of the day we are short on quality back up in midfield as we all know.

Fingers crossed that tomorrow does not get to embarrising for us.

Kieran Kinsella
20 Posted 08/01/2008 at 00:14:35

Just checked out the Chelsea team news and even though they pissed me off by saying none of our major players are missing through suspension (Arteta !!!!!) they did offer me some hope.
Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Shevchenko, Malouda, Cudicini, Essien and Kalou are unavailable and Cech only has an "outside" chance of being involved.

Their probable line up is: Hilario, Ben Haim, A Cole, Alex, Belletti, Obi, J Cole, Cadamarteri ....sorry I meant Wright-Phillips, Ballack, Pizarro, Sidwell.
Beatable ? In theory yes.

Roy Coyne
21 Posted 08/01/2008 at 01:22:02

We can't play Tommy Grav, his legs have gone and to be honest Tommy Grav first time was only good when his contract was due. Send him back to Celtic

Dave Wilson
22 Posted 08/01/2008 at 04:59:41

Knocking off in a few minutes, then I?ll pace the floor till my lift comes, I dont want to hear another Evertonian making out this isn't a top trophy, history is littered with improving teams using this cup as a stepping stone to even more glory and I want us to be the latest.
As for the doom mongers who say we have no chance, well they said that last time we played in a semi, didn't they, I believe our boys will deliver ...

John Jones
23 Posted 08/01/2008 at 10:23:47

A point i’d like to make

Although we are missing our 3 creative midfielders, we still find ourselves with (potentially) 8 of our choice starting 11 available for selection. That is more than Chelsea have, although admittedly they have a strong squad waiting to step in. We were without Arteta when we earned that point at Stamford Bridge thanks to Cahills acrobatics, were we not?

COYB!!

Allan Hobbs
24 Posted 08/01/2008 at 10:48:01

Whatever you’ve done to the site, can you change it back please; thats twice its eaten my text this morning.

If you write something, then click out & back into the box, it deletes everything - it never used to do this, very annoying fellas!

Seamus Murphy
25 Posted 08/01/2008 at 11:00:57

The midfield really is a dilemma for Moyes tonight but we have an abundance of defenders. Why not play 5-3-2 with two wing backs who can reenforce midfield and attack when we go forward and give us 5 at the back when defending with three centre halves. I would play:

Howard,

Neville,Jags, Yobo, Lescott, Baines

Cahill, Carsley, Gravesen,

Yakubu, Johnson.

Either that or 5-4-1 with Johnson on the right of midfield. I dont think with 3 midfielders missing we should even contemplate persisting with 5 in midfield.

Chris Masey
26 Posted 08/01/2008 at 12:43:40

The butterflies are already developing in my stomach. We need to be still in the tie when we get back to goodison. I would take 0-0 anyday of the week.

However, the Chelsea team are there for the taking. They are severely depleted. If we were full-strength, I’d be confident we would win, but its going to be tight.

WE CAN DO IT. BELIEVE and please don’t read that shameful article ’old doubts return’

Paul Lenehan
27 Posted 08/01/2008 at 12:36:51

Howard
Hibbert Lescott Yobo Valente
AJ Cahill Nev Carsley Faddy
Yak

John Lloyd
28 Posted 08/01/2008 at 12:51:39

I’m with you (Chris Masey) I’ve also got butterflies, nervous but excited an I’m not even going!!!!
We have to believe we can do this, remember elland road 95. Klinsman an his spurs will do us, well fuck them an fuck Chelsea. We need 11 players out there who are gonna battle, scrap for everyball, show the quality we have and get a result against a team which is, as rightfully stated, their for the taking IMO!!

We want it more than them, surely?? Its our time, starting tonight.....all we need is a result to take back to goodison & hopefully we can finish it there. Fingers crossed, voodoo dance done, rabbits foot in pocket, shit stood on, virgin sacrificed etc etc
COYB

Andy Lee
29 Posted 08/01/2008 at 13:28:38

I think a 5 man midfield with Neville, Carsley holding, Cahill further up and Gravesen and Baines on the flanks will be about the best we can muster. I think McFadden is too risky away vs Chelsea, he loses the ball too often and we dont want to be giving Wright Phillips and Ballack easy ball. Or AJ on the right and boot Gravesen out?

Then back four of Valente, Lescott, Yobo and Hibbert.

Yak up front. COYB

Allan Hobbs
30 Posted 08/01/2008 at 13:39:17

In a sense we probably do want it more than them, but then it is a semi final and they’ve won this comp 3 out of the last 4 years. Lets also not forget they’re defending an unbeaten run of 54 games at home in all competitions.

1-1 last two games at their place with us so I’d happily take a score draw.

Mike Blackburn
31 Posted 08/01/2008 at 13:34:31

I reckon the team that Paul Lenehan picked looks a good bet..hoping that twinkle toes McFaddy and AJ get closer to the net this time around as they were both awful against Oldham. I’m hoping for Yak to rattle them with a goal as a send off before his holiday...Soz African Nations Cup endeavour. COYB

Allan Hobbs
32 Posted 08/01/2008 at 14:02:18

Everton are in the gym across the road from my office - just seen Arteta & Jagielka going in. Someone I work with says he saw Arteta, and some guy with dreadlocks in there about 10 minutes ago. Who do we have with dreads other than Pienaar? Not Manny surely? I showed him Manny on the internet and he says he’s not sure. The twat.

fowkesvargen
33 Posted 08/01/2008 at 14:39:10

Now I’m not a religious man but why am i looking to the heavens and mumbling words like "Please not Neville in Midfield", Please not Hibbert at right back", Please not Graveson".

In the immortal words of Han Solo..."I have a bad feeling about this"

Mark Griffiths
34 Posted 08/01/2008 at 16:04:25

I think we have to go 4-5-1 with:-

Howard

Hibbert Yobo Lescott Baines

Carsley

Johnson Neville Mcfadden

Cahill

Yakubu

They don?t have much up front at the moment but they still have a very good midfield so we need to try and match them.

I think they will have to go 4-5-1 also.

A draw will be great result and we never win there so lets get a score draw.

Does anyone know whether away goals count in the CC semi?s???

Lets believe we can do this and get some sort of result.

COYB!!!!!!

Allan Hobbs
35 Posted 08/01/2008 at 16:54:00

I had this conversation earlier about away goals, and from what i read on t’internet they do count.

Mark Griffiths
36 Posted 08/01/2008 at 17:02:15

Thanks Allan!