ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

Ray Robinson
1 Posted 08/01/2008 at 21:45:33

It's probably not a good time to reflect immediately after the last minute cockup tonight but if ever a match demonstrated the certain players' general inability to hold onto the ball and keep possession, it was tonight's. We basically kept shooting ourselves in the foot by giving the ball away - no need for a witchhunt, everyone knows the usual offenders.

Having said that I want to praise Yobo, Lescott and Jagielka who were magnificent. I still think that we can go through at a packed Goodison.

COYB!

Erik Dols
2 Posted 08/01/2008 at 21:52:21

To give away a great result - let's be fair, 1-1 away at Chelsea in a two-legged knock-out system is quite a result - in such a horrible way...

I had tears in my eyes of sheer pain when that ball went in. Crap. I'm going to bed early tonight.

Phil Yates
3 Posted 08/01/2008 at 21:58:34

Do away goals count double in the Carling Cup?

Michael Kenrick
4 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:04:16

Only if scores are level after extra time in the second leg...

Tom Campbell
5 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:03:47

I see What your saying, we had 1 minute to keep the ball against chelsea.....worst feeling ive had in a long time as an everton fan

Ray Robinson
6 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:04:40

I think they do but only after extra time. Someone correct me.

Danny Militwitch
7 Posted 08/01/2008 at 21:42:09

After another so-near-yet-so-far game for us, and a mis-judgement of comical proportions, the question has to be asked: How many more costly individual errors are we going to see this season? I refuse to be negative about individuals in our team this evening, everyone battled bravely, I also refuse to have a dig at the performance this evening , I wont even go down the route of our key missing players. What really gets on my nerves is that the worst enemy of Everton FC is Everton FC!

The concentration levels that the players have shown in vital games this season has let us down badly-especially in moments during the game when their concentration SHOULD be at their optimum. I only have to name recent examples: Metallist(h), Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea.

We competed yet again this evening against the multi million pound empire of Chelsea, with our own modestly assembled side, yet we compteted very well considering the circumstances. I do sincerely beleive that we are still well and truly in this tie, but the simple fact is that until we stop pressing the self destruct button we will not achieve anything.

On a positive note, Chelsea do not look infallible and I believe that if we get the famous Goodison roar going for the return, we can rattle them even more than we did after an hour tonight. I truly believe that we should be optimistic about what we have in terms of quality, let's just stop doing the Basil Fawlty impressions at the back and we will begin to progress.

Paul Coleman
8 Posted 08/01/2008 at 21:46:19

Well we still have the condition known as topfouritis. We still give the Sky four teams too much respect.

At 80 minutes I screamed, "FFS are we playing twelve players or ten??" At the end I asked myself why did we panic and retreat during the final stages of the game??

My assesment of today is...

We are mentally weak and quite literally shit ourselves when we are in a position of strength against a one of the Sky four teams.
Tim Cahill can only play in a five-man midfield.
David Moyes needs to pull his finger out and sign some midfield players who are comfortable on the ball.
Someone needs to create a football channel that does not have an unhealthy obsession with
Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal
I need to drink less wine on a matchday.

Rant over.....

Colin Malone
9 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:08:26

It doesn't help when the Manager takes off our only goal threat, instead of the Scottish Rooney, who did nothing again.

Steve Guy
10 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:07:18

Gutted at the end having taken great heart from what I predicted would need to be a gutsy solid peformance and it as just that!

Arteta will be back to add some guile and Jags did enough to make you feel we shouldn't miss Yobo too much. The important thing will be who rises to the challenge up front. It might also help if Moyes buys well this month in midfield. I'm beginning to hope Fernandes has arrived by the time the second leg arrives.

It's only half time, people!

Stuart Duncan
11 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:09:46

I can’t help feeling that Moyes (much as I am a fan of his) should have taken Yakubu off earlier. We ended up with 10 against 10 as he was doing less and less. At least Vic would have tied up some of their defenders by running around.

Can’t help but feel that we missed the chance of the season.

Martin Barron
12 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:15:30

I am as gutted as everybody else here - what an opportunity wasted.

On the other hand if we had drawn tonight what mental state would we have been in for the 2nd leg...

Now we know we have to go out and win the game - I think this might actually help us -

If Chelsea sign Anelka he can play against us in the 2nd leg .... this does not seem fair but these are the rules.

90 minutes left - still hope

Ben Brown
13 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:19:40

Talking of psychoanalysis, as a centre back myself,
I absolutely cannot believe Timmy didn’t come for that ball. If ever a defender needed bailing out by his keeper, it was then.

Not really sure how that relates to psycholanalysis, but there you go.

George Stuart
14 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:19:06

To Paul Coleman, exactly what I was wondering. Why did we retreat? Because Moyes told them to. Simple as that.

Stuart to has a great point. Anichebe would have run them raggard. Yak is not a chaser. 88 minute substitution? Does Moyes see the only tactical use of a substitute as being to waste 1 minute in the countdown?

And the Scottish Rooney once again was enigmatic. Loveky dribbles and nowt at the end of it. A signature moment under pressure, neat drag-back a flip and then a sky swing when he?d created the space. A swing so high he actually fell over. The Chelsea fans loved that.

Oh and Everton?s 6,000 supporters. Yeah right. Along the side, away from the away supporters, a throw in went against us and about 1 in 10 of the spectators jumped up waving their arms in dispair.

That would put our scattered contingent at around 10,000.

At least the fans are great.

Iain Thomson
15 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:22:07

What a sickener, Howard at fault as much as Lescott ..Looping ball in 6 yard box has to be the keepers.

Colin, to say MacFadden did nothing is harsh, He took the set piece that led to the goal, He worked an unlikely opening and played the ball past the keeper along the goaline was unlucky not to score, and equally unlucky a teammate wasn?t busting a gut to bundle the ball in before it reached the back post. He also played Lescott through in the dying seconds for a great chance.

Richie Murphy
16 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:28:45

Ben - re Howard...I agree...I do think Howard is a decent keeper but he never ever comes off his line and it deffo causes uncertainty at the back ie Arsenal tonight etc. However its a weird one, cos I would of took 2-1 before the game but I just have a gutting feeling at the moment (last min winners have that effect) and I just wonder if our best chance has gone!..

Russ Camenco
17 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:25:48

I really think that moyes should have made some subs and tied the game up for a positive 2nd leg. He still had two to make and the fresh legs should have seen the game out.

Alan Doyle
18 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:16:27

Paul,

Re your points:
We are mentally weak / shit it v the Sky four teams.
Certainly looks that way on the basis of tonight, Old Trafford and home v Liverpool this season. Suggests we need one or two players who have "been there, done that" to the squad. One or two more Pips?s would do...
Tim Cahill can only play in a five-man midfield.
Was ineffective tonight and better opponents seem to have cottoned on to his short fuse... can see a red card coming his way shortly unless his agressive streaks are tempered.
David Moyes needs to pull his finger out and sign some midfield players who are comfortable on the ball.
2 from Fernandes, Hunt, Bentley, SWP, Cole would do??
Someone needs to create a football channel that does not have an unhealthy obsession with
Chelsea, Man U, Liverpool and Arsenal
Already a work in progress. Setanta seem to be displaying an admirably refreshing approach to their presentation of the PL and lack the slavering pandering which Keyes, Gray and co exhibit week after week. Word here in Dublin is that ESPN will buy Setanta in Summer 08 and that folks, hopefully, will be the end of Sky?s current domination and associated subdivision of the PL into their perceived min-leagues.
Indeed witness Sky?s current televised games - this Grand Sham Sunday to feature a double header from Sunderland and Bolton. Yippee.
I need to drink less wine on a matchday.
I hope it was a nice bottle. May I suggest a nice Sardinian white by the name Torbato for the second leg. A slow start with a fizzy exciting and enjoyable end - an omen for the second leg I hope.
P.S. Mc Fadden squandered possession so many times tonight it was painful, please sell him in the window.

Mick Simo
19 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:18:33

I thought Lescott was outstanding tonight and he is a born leader, driving the team on while others stood still. The goal was Howards fault, the ball came down with snow on, edge of the 6 yard box it?s keepers ball. We was poor the first half but improved the second and I thought we had them, but we fell asleep again. It?s a strange game, a few weeks ago we scored loads of goals in the last minute of the game now we seem to be conceeding late ones by stupid mistakes. I am gutted but still feel we can still get a result, but thats my heart telling me that

Danny Militwitch
20 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:31:31

Slightly off topic but check out the official Sky Sports News take on the game, in particular Jon Obi Mikels tackle on Phil Neville:

What a pompous piece of shit journalism!

Brian Waring
21 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:29:42

I don’t know if I heard it wrong,but did anyone hear the commentator say that we had turned a bid down for McFadden from Birmingham today?

DaveLynch
22 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:31:43

Bottom line is.
We were under the cosh for most of the game. Even down to 10 men they looked the better side.
I and others warned the optimists that we are not as good as we think we are.
mcfadden useless, Cahill missing for virtually the whole game, we where 2nd best on the night and the ref did us a lot of favours to boot.
Got what we deserved in my opinion on the balance of play.

Iain Thomson
23 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:38:12

MacFadden was inches from scoring a possible winner at Chelsea..if he had would he be being slated again..

Nobody is slating AJ, and rightly so, but what did he do ?..or Cahilll in terms of threatening the chelsea goal.

Inches from brilliance and hes getting pelters again, i really dont get it.

Glen Strachan
24 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:34:06

If Howard had been able, in earlier times, to handle situations like that, Sir Alex would never have binned him.

We must accept that he has two major weaknesses in his game that seem beyond repair but the rest of his keeping is sound enough and his recovery from a dreadful illness suggests he is a man of considerable character.

If he had been a great keeper, he would never have left Old Trafford.

We had a real chance there tonight after being played off the pitch in the first half but I think we blew it in stoppage time.

Hope I am wrong but doubt it in this case .

Great to see that the Yakubu haters have disappeared and Hibbert must be pleased that so many of the contributors to this site have adopted McFadden as their new whipping boy.

Was he not the only Everton player able to carry the ball tonight and if we were looking for a substitution late in the game surely the out of sorts Andy Johnson was the one ?

Was Faddy not rather unlucky to hit the post in the second half after dribbling through the Chelsea defence ?

Did Faddy not set up a possible redemption for Lescott laying on an open goal for the big defender after Joleon had headed into his own net seconds earlier ?

Did y?all blink and miss these or is this simply another Evertonian witch hunt ?

Anyway, domestic cups out of the way for the time being and back to Davie?s first love: The Premier with a run of winnable games ? although I did put Oldham in that category just a few days ago.

Robbie Skinley
25 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:40:12

Brian

Rumour is they put in £2.5m bid today. If true think its out of order on day of such big game.

As for tonight, starting to worry me how we keep throwing it away stupidly against the so-called ’big 4’. Every time we’ve played one of them teams this season we’ve gifted them goals.

Gavin Alexander
26 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:47:59

To be fair Chelsea were the better team on the day but we still could of drawn the game. I believe this tie is still there for the taking, we just need to be more positive when we play them at Goodison Park.
If they field the same team in two weeks I believe we will be the one?s celebrating, the only worry i have is if they sign Nickolas Anelka he will be able to play for them as he is not cup tied.
Come on Moysie ? time to get the cheque book out!!!!

Colin Malone
27 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:36:40

To say Anichibie would have run them raggard, what planet are you on? The Yak was the only dangerous player we had considering he was fighting a lone battle. In a nutshell we have an inferioty clomplex when playing the so called top sides, WHY? I cannot answer that.

Ashley Hartley
28 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:48:32

I think we now have a better chance of reaching the final than if result had finished 1-1
We will now go all out for win, instead of trying to contain them ,then sneak a goal.
Its only half time and were still right in it, so there,s nothing to feel shit about yet!

Ben Brown
29 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:00:31

Something no-one’s mentioned yet; was that not a clear penalty on AJ? Hardly any fuss was made, but I swear that was the kind of situation that the word penalty was made for.

Colin Smith
30 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:49:13

I feel I've got to support the McFadden camp here. He's always going to pick the wrong option a few times in a match, that simply isn't going to change, but he was the only Everton player who looked like offering any sort of threat the ball at his feet. I thought Johnson was poor tonight, in fact he's poor the last few times I've watched him, his 1st touch is terrible & he never looks like beating anybody.

Note to David Moyes: tell Howard to stop thumping the ball up to Yakubu, he can't jump, I understand his reluctance to give the ball to Hibbert, but there's got be a different way of getting the thing up front.

We're not out of this tie yet; but we'll be playing against 11 men in 2 weeks time & Chelsea comprehensively outplayed us with 10; a huge improvement is needed.

Conor Feeney
31 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:13:18

I must speak up in support of Jimmy Mc. He is a frustrating player, but I thought he did as well as or better than expected today, away to Chelski. He took the wrong options a few times with passes but he also made a few good passes (to Neville in first half and lescott at the end) and he was very unlucky with shot that hit post. Indeed, both Cahill & AJ were hovering and any rebound outward and we?d all be celebrating a famous victory. He was our most dangerous player breaking forward today.

As for the result, remember we had a threadbare midfield and they haven?t been beaten there in 54 matches !

I?d have taken that at the start, and while I think the chance was there for a famous victory, and the last goal was really sickening, we are still potentially 90mins from Wembley, at home, with a packed Goodision.

COYB.

Simon Temme
32 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:03:22

Dave Lynch, I am inclined to agree with you that we got what we deserved, however, i think you might be a bit harsh overall. Chelsea would have spent many millions on Lescott if, they would have had a manager you could have identified him before another who had, in comparison peanuts. I like most Evertonians are gutted by individual games, long term however IMWT.

Brian Waring
33 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:09:23

Joseph I agree with you that McFadden had a decent game.The problem is that in all the time he has been at the club,he has never been consistant enough when he has been playing.He has scored the odd good goal,but most of the time he just has you pulling your hair out.I reckon we should cash in,and put the money towards a quality centre -mid.

Andrew Brophy
34 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:07:16

The almost unanimous view where I watched it was that we got what the manager deserved. A bit harsh perhaps. Personally I think that we had the chance at 1-1 and a man advantage to turn the whole thing in our favour, but just didn’t believe enough - either on the pitch or in the dugout. That amazing support deserved better.

Don’t think we can really complain, however gutting that last minute was. But this is not over. We know what we are up against - a quality squad, but one full of players who will fall over as soon as looked at and surround the ref at every opportunity. Don’t look to the officials in a fortnight. We’ll probably get Clottenberg. It is up to the players to believe, and us to turn Goodison into a bear pit. We know how to do that don’t we.

Colin Malone
35 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:21:26

Is this right? every time Phil Neville has played in midfield, we have never won?

Tony Williams
36 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:24:43

Colin we beat Boro 2-0 with Pip in midfield

Tony Williams
37 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:25:58

Andrew I agree to an extent but I cannot blame Moyes for the professional footballers in the team being unable to complete a simple 10 yard pass or even control a ball that is passed to him.

I actually though Moyes had it spot on onight by not bringing on the subs but unfortunately it is the Everton mentality to move further back toward our own goal the longer the game goes on, this is what needs to be addressed, this is the reason we are conceeding late goals.

I actually thought that Moyes should have taken AJ off and brought Vaughan on, as he is always a handfull and would have probably won a few flick ons for the Yak, I think the premise of playing along the floor went out the window after about 75 mins

Brian Waring
38 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:18:47

Andrew, I don?t if you are criticizing the officials at tonights game? We had plenty of decisions go our way. Neville should have been sent off for a second bookable offence. Carsley could have easily gone as well, when he runs up and grabs the ref, for which he only got a yellow. I thought the Chelsea sending off was a terrible decision.In my opinion there was no malice in the tackle, but for some reason, refs are going a bit over the top now, when any player shows his studs.

Also,if you look at the challenge on Belletti by Lescott, were he swipes out with his arm across Belletti?s face in the penalty box(wasn?t that why Arteta was sent off against Arsenal?) I?m not saying you are putting some of the blame on the ref for tonight?s defeat, but this is one of those times were we can?t hold the ref accountable.

Tony Williams
39 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:33:46

I thought the ref had not too bad a game, we could have easily been down to 8 men if it would have been Old Mother Riley or Bennett reffing that game.

It would be nice to have a "homer" in two weeks though

Roy Coyne
40 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:19:19

Most of us would have took 2-1 during the first half and get of Faddys back I accept hes not the best but there where other players producing less and I was dissapointed with Tim he should have made that ball his.and its still winnable

Andrew Brophy
41 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:33:17

Brian - no not having a go at the officials tonight. Mikel was unlucky although I thought Sidwell was a very lucky boy. Just thinking of the number of times in the past when they have let us down at the key moments and the antics we have seen Chelsea get up to in the past. But it is up to us to make anything like that irrelevant in a fortnight.

Tony - couldn’t agree more regarding the passing. There is nothing more infuriating than seeing players wearing that shirt seemingly incapable of doing the basics. Even more so when we have seen them master the basics to increasingly good effect as the season has gone on. Maybe people have a point about us having a bit of a mental block still when we come up against the "big four". But there will never be a better time to put all of that right, and wipe the smug smile off the media’s faces.

We know what we have to do, on and off the pitch and we know we can do it. It won’t be easy but it might just be our time. Nobody should be throwing in the towel mon this site.

David Barks
42 Posted 09/01/2008 at 00:08:02

McFadden had one of the best games I can remember him having in an Everton shirt tonight. I hope he plays the same way with Arteta back. But I really don’t know what to say about tonights result. Just shocking. But we are still in the tie, a 1-0 at home gets us through to the next round. That is not a massive mountain, it is very achievable and after tonights game the players should believe they are capable as long as they don’t make horrendous school boy errors.

Hugo Kondratiuk
43 Posted 08/01/2008 at 23:50:49

This season we have conceded a goal in the last minute, or as near as makes no difference, against every single one of the so called Big Four. And in all those games except the Arsenal one, it cost us a draw.

There has to be a psychological reason for that. It’s as though, as soon as the man comes on the tannoy to announce the extra minutes, the team stop concentrating and start praying for the final whistle.

I don’t know how the team can start believing - really believing - that they’re good enough to trade blows equally with those teams. But if there is a way, now would be as good a time as any to find it.

Lee Rogers
44 Posted 09/01/2008 at 00:18:53

Hugo, I?ve got the answer your not singing loud enough.

Hugo Kondratiuk
45 Posted 09/01/2008 at 00:30:35

Lee, I was in Row 14 singing my little heart out tonight. Can’t get up to Goodison for the second leg though, so it’s all down to you.

Kieran Kinsella
46 Posted 08/01/2008 at 22:46:34

If you look at the two midfields tonight, there couldn't be a greater contrast. Chelsea had two regular starters from the England team, the captain of Germany, Africa's best young midfielder and France's best winger. We had a right back, a mediocre striker, an aged journeyman ball winner and a midget crossbreed between Paul Scholes and Robbie Savage. We were even lamenting the absence of Osman who far from being an England regular has never even been in the England reckoning.

Sadly we now must do without Yakubu and Yobo for the second leg with at best Arteta and Osman coming into the side. Chelsea lose Obi Mikel but could welcome back Cech, Lampard, A Cole, Shevchenko, Terry etc etc. Our best chance probably came with getting a result tonight but if our luck against the big four finally changes then Yakubu's "away goal" may prove to be more valuable than Chelsea's late winner.

Brian Noble
47 Posted 09/01/2008 at 01:35:31

Back from the game and feeling right sick. I took a pounding this morning for saying my doubts are back but luck or not that?s four defeats in last six matches.
Moyes did nothing to improve our effectiveness ? even against ten men ? and I continue to believe he is at best a nearly man!

Tim Murphy
48 Posted 09/01/2008 at 02:18:53

Our players feel inferior to the ’Sky Three’
I won’t include the sh*te!. Once we equalised, we should have gone for the win, because even a draw may not have been good enough. We were afraid, and in a strange way, a one goal deficit means we will have to go for it (IIN THE SECOND HALF). Goodison will be rocking, and we’re still in it. Hands up all those who would have taken a 2-1 defeat after 30 mins, because I’d have bitten your hand off!

Patty Beesley
49 Posted 09/01/2008 at 10:41:50

The fact that Mikel got a straight red and has a 3 match ban instrigues me - can someone confirm how this will be implemented. Does his 3 game ban get cancelled out because he is not here to play for Chelsea, or does it come into operation on his return to the UK and Premier League games?

Brian Waring
50 Posted 09/01/2008 at 13:06:06

Patty, I was thinking the same. I get the impression that the ban will be for Chelseas next 3 games, and whether he is here or not, he will have served his suspension. It stinks really, because he should be made to miss the 3 games when he comes back from international duty.