ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Settling for a draw

I was at the match last night and it seemed to me that Moyesie was settling for a draw in the end, even though we had the extra man. They had no attackers on the pitch by the end of the game, it was clear to me that they would have taken a 1-1 at that point. The trouble was so did Moyes.

We were absolutely hanging on at the end, when it should have been them. This tactic backfired miserably. Where were the subs? Even if he wanted to keep the same formation, why didn't he bring on some fresh legs before he brought on Anichebe in the 87th minute?

Don't get me wrong, I am firmly pro-Moyes, but I think last night we should have tried to seize our advantage. It will be harder to get an advantage over 11 men at Goodison, when they only need to play for a draw, than it could have been last night...
Danny Broderick, London Posted 09/01/2008 at 11:31:31

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Charlie Percival
1 Posted 09/01/2008 at 11:57:25

A Draw would have been worse (Hindsight)

Personally I am gutted and it still hasn?t sunk in, but that?s what we?re all feeling. I don?t know how we didn?t win let alone lose!I

If you think we had taken an away goal, drawing 1-1 and been very happy, I think we would have sat back at home and got taken apart anyway. I think we only play well, when we need a goal. Now if we push for this goal (which I am confident we can get at home) we just need to make sure that we keep it tight at the back and hit them as much as we can, then we?re in the same situation anyway! Then build on this. I think going into the game with a deficit maybe a blessing in disguise. We don?t want to protect a draw at home against a team like this.

Lets get up their arses and put these Chelsea rent boys into their place. Apparently my dad has heard we will sign Fernandes today, this will help.

Also a special mention to a few players taking stick recently that showed they can play in the big games, I thought all our players gave everything they had last night. That?s all you want from a player in a blue shirt: Hibbert Jagielka Neville

Also I watched this on TV and have to say our fans were amazing! I've been to Stamford Bridge before and its so quiet and they (Chelski fans) are all just posh cunts going for a day out (like a theatre), they don?t understand football. They?re not passionate and Chelsea fans to me are not football fans, they?re more like members of the Royal family watching football. (Don?t slate me saying that because its true)

Sky said last night they conducted a noise survey on all the premier league clubs. Everton were 5th and Man Utd near the bottom! We?re home to the best club, fans, manager, team in the world. Be optimistic because I am and it?s the best way to be.

Dave Lynch
2 Posted 09/01/2008 at 12:22:38

What gets me about the posts regards last nights game is the amount of people happy with a defeat... Why should you be happy if we were beaten? Chelsea now have the upper hand and are more that capable of coming to our place and seeing us off.

They are a better team than us and it showed last night. Grant has them well organised and they played us off the park last night. You may not like to hear it but that's the truth, even with 10 men they were more effective than us.

Those who think home advantage will count. IMHO have got it wrong. The goals and the pitch are the same size lads and Chelsea are full of good proffesionals who wont let the atmpsphere or the occasion get to them. Our only hope is that Moyes gets his tactics spot on and we get about them and rattle them.

My fear is if we try to match them at football we will get mullered. Here's hoping we can pull it off.

Paul Lenehan
3 Posted 09/01/2008 at 14:37:12

I can?t see how you can accuse us of settling for a draw. Just because we found ourselves under pressure and subsequently conceded a goal does not mean we settled for anything. The fact is we couldn?t keep the ball and Chelsea kept coming at us and put us under huge pressure. This is not because of our attitude but because of their quality and/or our lack of quality in possession.

Tommy Coleman
4 Posted 09/01/2008 at 14:21:54

I agree. In fact I would add that when we were 1-0 down he had settled for a 1-0 defeat. I didn’t like the starting line up, too defensive and I didn’t like the 4-5-1 after half time with Johnson playing right-mid. When we had the ball all the players lacked ideas and the team lacked movement. Clearly they had settled for a draw or 1-0 defeat.
Why Moyes never used his subs is beyond me, Chelsea dominated the last 10 mins because their skillful players began skiping past our tired players. I cannot fatham Moyes’ consistant policy on subs.
I feel we may have left a great chance slip by as Chelsea were there for the taking. A little more bravery and we could have been going to Goodison with a 2-1 lead instead.
I have been critical of Moyes for years. The last 6 months change in his attitude have made me think twice but last night he reared his ugly defeatist head again.
That said, I think we have a great chance at Goodison and if we go through his attitude for last nights game wont mean a thing.

Jay Campbell
5 Posted 09/01/2008 at 15:19:25

Let’s put it right in the return leg.

We need the game of these players life’s in 2 weeks. Do that and we are through!!!!

Alex Quigley
6 Posted 09/01/2008 at 15:13:09

Absolutely gutted by last night, that late goal. Chelski seem to have the endless knack to scrape draws and wins and not be beat. BUT
I too thought that the attitude was all wrong in the last ten minutes. I dont solely blame Moyes though. Every team in the prem outside of the top three (im sick of the spanish tat across the park being falsely lorded as contenders every season) appoarch Chelsea and man U and the Arse with a negativity that ensures the result is often decided before they step on the pitch. I believe that despite the russian millions that Chelsea aren’t that great, and there is a narrow gap between them and us, player for player (when we have our best eleven)....but, because our players and manager are never confident of getting a result, we invariable dont. Yes, we drew there earlier this season, but our wins against the top sides are too few and far between. I dont blame the media and sky alone for the "top four" myth, but the majority of the foreign legions who play in the league seem only too happy to concede results away at the top sides. Season after season thes teams win the trophies...granted, they have great resources and squads, but lets give them some ’dogs of war’ with some of our recently gained class and start aiming for wins and not settle for draws....a bit of bloody carpe diem in the semi-finals of the cup would be appreciated. Liverpool created an era of victories out of the myth of ’fortress anfield’, and still sides go there and sit back and concede 15 yards like we did in the last ten minutes last night. Moyes, the players and the fans need to end the myth of the ’top four’ invicinbility.

Lets start by beating the cockneys in the return leg. Moyes...stick an attacking formation on, drop mcfadden and get someone on who doesnt fake tracking back and working hard. Get anichebe and johnson running them down every yard, then unleash Vaughn on 75 mins. Seize the day....positive mental attitude, play for the badge and give some of the passion bursting from all of our chests when we watch them. COYB

john mccarthy
7 Posted 09/01/2008 at 16:07:52

take our only scoring threat (that day) and ur askin chelsea to push up with no fears. bad mistake moyes but we’ll win 1-0 at goodison.

Danny Broderick
8 Posted 09/01/2008 at 23:50:23

Paul Lenehan, you honestly don’t think we settled for a draw? Can you explain to me why we didn’t make any changes last night then even when we had an extra man? Moyes made 1 sub, which was Victor coming on for the Yak in the 87th minute - this was a like for like sub to waste time. Wake up and smell the coffee mate...