The Mail Bag
Phil Neville
Comments (20)
Has anyone noticed an mprovement in Phil Neville's performance in midfield? It might be just me.. but he seems to have much more confidence passing the ball now. I'm definitely not saying he should play in centre midfield and his best right position is definitely right back, but it's nice to see he's playing decent in the middle of the park for once!!
Ben Jones, Posted 09/01/2008 at 22:35:55
Comments
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Mike Cow
2 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:27:30
2 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:27:30
Hell NO!
Connor Rohrer
3 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:24:58
3 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:24:58
He payed well against Chelsea and as a stop gap he’s decent but he shouldn’t be in there week in week out.
I’ve noticed he tends to up his games against the big four. He had a good game against Arsenal in the 4-1 loss and he also played well yesterday. I remember when we drawn 1-1 against United in his first season and he was tremendous.
Its a shame he doesn’t play against the lesser teams. If he kept it simple and played a disciplined role he’d be fine but he just over elaborates. He tries these Beckham through balls that just dont work and his tackling leaves alot to be desired.
He should be in the team at right back but nowhere else.
I’ve noticed he tends to up his games against the big four. He had a good game against Arsenal in the 4-1 loss and he also played well yesterday. I remember when we drawn 1-1 against United in his first season and he was tremendous.
Its a shame he doesn’t play against the lesser teams. If he kept it simple and played a disciplined role he’d be fine but he just over elaborates. He tries these Beckham through balls that just dont work and his tackling leaves alot to be desired.
He should be in the team at right back but nowhere else.
Peter Pickles
4 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:42:52
4 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:42:52
He couldn’t pass wind!
Seamus Murphy
5 Posted 10/01/2008 at 01:16:31
5 Posted 10/01/2008 at 01:16:31
We all know he is best played at right back, but Bens point was that he has been playing better in midfield LATELY and he’s right.he did play very well in midfield last night and against Arsenal.
Still, happy days we’ve got Manny coming back in there now and he can slot back in at right back!
Still, happy days we’ve got Manny coming back in there now and he can slot back in at right back!
Neil Pearse
6 Posted 10/01/2008 at 01:27:52
6 Posted 10/01/2008 at 01:27:52
Manny yes yes yes, Neville no no no.
Class is permanent - so unfortunately is not being able to pass and giving away numerous free kicks in dangerous places.
If we need an extra couple of million to buy Manny in the summer, I have one suggestion as to where we can find it.
Class is permanent - so unfortunately is not being able to pass and giving away numerous free kicks in dangerous places.
If we need an extra couple of million to buy Manny in the summer, I have one suggestion as to where we can find it.
Dominic Duerden
7 Posted 10/01/2008 at 07:54:54
7 Posted 10/01/2008 at 07:54:54
Neville must always play at right back for the simple reason that it keeps hibbert out of the team. Hibbert is the worst right back in the premier league and yet keeps getting in the team because we are so short in midfield. All the fan?s get on Neville?s back when he plays midfield , but to be brutally honest it?s Moyes who should be blamed for playing him out of position in the first place..
Steve Lyth
8 Posted 10/01/2008 at 08:55:14
8 Posted 10/01/2008 at 08:55:14
Ha Ha Ben, you devil you !
Duncan McDine
9 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:13:05
9 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:13:05
Spot on Ben... unfortunately a huge amount of us Evertonians can’t actually see it. They have their favourites players, and they have their 2 or 3 players which they hate - no matter how well they play.
Neville has definately started to play the short, simple pass. That’s improvement for me.
Dominic - Hibbert is possibly the best man marker in the prem... sure he can’t pass / cross the bloody thing, but why do you think we play him against the big teams? - He consistently marks their left midfielders out of the game & wins every tackle.
Faddy - Gets stick every simgle game. Against Oldham he wasn’t great, but half the team were much worse. Against Chelsea, he was our best performer by a country mile. Just a shame that some gobshites will never see past their own prejudiced opinions.
Neville has definately started to play the short, simple pass. That’s improvement for me.
Dominic - Hibbert is possibly the best man marker in the prem... sure he can’t pass / cross the bloody thing, but why do you think we play him against the big teams? - He consistently marks their left midfielders out of the game & wins every tackle.
Faddy - Gets stick every simgle game. Against Oldham he wasn’t great, but half the team were much worse. Against Chelsea, he was our best performer by a country mile. Just a shame that some gobshites will never see past their own prejudiced opinions.
Philip Kolvin
10 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:31:58
10 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:31:58
I think that Phil Neville, committed professional as he is, lacks some basic skills to play in midfield. His vision is not great, he rarely picks out quality forward passes, his crossing is poor, and he rarely takes a man on and beats him. I am largely comfortable with him at right back, but he should not be regarded as more than cover in a defensive midfield role, if that. I thought, for example, that things only started to improve for us at Stamford Bridge when we started playing up the left channel, through Joleon and Jimmy.
Which brings me onto Jimmy. The guy is not a midfielder and must be fed up with playing there. Having said that, I thought he was responsible for a number of really imaginative pieces of play, including all of our goal-scoring opportunities. On the other hand, my impression is that he lacks speed and agility, and to me he looked like a chasing lower league veteran when trying to track back and break up the opposition?s play. If he is to stay (and to me it remains a big if), his proper role is up front, where he has the ability to find a bit of space in / near the box and come up with the unexpected.
On a personal note, I know I will be pilloried for this, but I was uncomfortable with what looked like a dive from Phil Neville against Arsenal. Then, after the Chelsea game, I asked some of their supporters why he was getting booed around the ground after the red card, and they said because it was bleeding obvious he hadn?t been touched, but was behaving like he had a broken shin. I couldn?t believe that at the time - the tackle looked (and was) disgraceful. However, I have now watched it several times on Everton TV and honestly can?t see the contact. If it was playacting, I know it goes on and it was a huge game and all that, but as a life-long Evertonian it would just make me a bit sad.
Finally, so this post is not all negative, we fought like martyrs, Joleon, Yobo and Lee were magnificent, and if, with our midfield restored and Goodison in tumult, we put that self-satisfied mob out in the second leg it will be one of the happiest nights of my life. COYB.
Which brings me onto Jimmy. The guy is not a midfielder and must be fed up with playing there. Having said that, I thought he was responsible for a number of really imaginative pieces of play, including all of our goal-scoring opportunities. On the other hand, my impression is that he lacks speed and agility, and to me he looked like a chasing lower league veteran when trying to track back and break up the opposition?s play. If he is to stay (and to me it remains a big if), his proper role is up front, where he has the ability to find a bit of space in / near the box and come up with the unexpected.
On a personal note, I know I will be pilloried for this, but I was uncomfortable with what looked like a dive from Phil Neville against Arsenal. Then, after the Chelsea game, I asked some of their supporters why he was getting booed around the ground after the red card, and they said because it was bleeding obvious he hadn?t been touched, but was behaving like he had a broken shin. I couldn?t believe that at the time - the tackle looked (and was) disgraceful. However, I have now watched it several times on Everton TV and honestly can?t see the contact. If it was playacting, I know it goes on and it was a huge game and all that, but as a life-long Evertonian it would just make me a bit sad.
Finally, so this post is not all negative, we fought like martyrs, Joleon, Yobo and Lee were magnificent, and if, with our midfield restored and Goodison in tumult, we put that self-satisfied mob out in the second leg it will be one of the happiest nights of my life. COYB.
Mark Wilson
11 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:46:04
11 Posted 10/01/2008 at 09:46:04
Duncan - well done - some one who appears to be objective. Hibbert is a solid right back and man marker and Faddy worked his socks off against Chelsea. Caused the free kick that led to the goal chased all over the show, pity the Yak didn’t, we played with 10 men due to his lack of effort. Love to see Faddy play in the ’Scottish’ position and being fed the stuff Yak gets.
Trevor Rowe
12 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:00:34
12 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:00:34
Haha, go to the official Chealsea website and read what ?Giles Smiths Mid week Review?. It rips the shit out of Phil Neville, quite funny, and mostly true. The rest of it just slags Everton off, they're just jealous they havent got Yak and Jimmy Mac.
The Yak's backheel to the hootsman was awesome, and he did well to get through on goal. Clearly the best move of the game from either side.
To be fair, Phil Neville is poor, and brings the cheating in from Man Utd. He didn't learn it from us.
Keep him at right back... please please please.
The Yak's backheel to the hootsman was awesome, and he did well to get through on goal. Clearly the best move of the game from either side.
To be fair, Phil Neville is poor, and brings the cheating in from Man Utd. He didn't learn it from us.
Keep him at right back... please please please.
Dominic Duerden
13 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:09:51
13 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:09:51
Duncan - yes Hibbert can tackle.
Unfortunately he can?t head a ball and his positional sense is crap for a defender. In possesion of the ball he is a joke.
The reason he plays against big teams is because Moyes tries to shore up the midfield with Carsley and Hibbert in the centre.
He is not a solid right back , but yes I agree he can tackle.
Unfortunately he can?t head a ball and his positional sense is crap for a defender. In possesion of the ball he is a joke.
The reason he plays against big teams is because Moyes tries to shore up the midfield with Carsley and Hibbert in the centre.
He is not a solid right back , but yes I agree he can tackle.
John Lloyd
14 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:09:13
14 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:09:13
Some good poiints in this discussion, but the people who are backslapping each other about Hibbo’s man-marking ability have got me in stitches here!!
He throws a few challenges in through a game but is often, I repeat, OFTEN beaten by the left mid/winger he is up against. Notably Sheff wed winger in earlier round was walking past him routinely and if the lad could cross or picka pass we may have been in shit that game, Blackburn at home we had the forward pulling left because of the success they were getting out there and there are others just including this season which I will look back for if you genuinley want to debate this. If you couple that with his lack of football ability (first touch, passing, crossing) then you have a player who will & should only ever get near the first team if Phil Neville is out or is needed in midfield, I’d even blood a youngster (possibly Gosling) over him.
He throws a few challenges in through a game but is often, I repeat, OFTEN beaten by the left mid/winger he is up against. Notably Sheff wed winger in earlier round was walking past him routinely and if the lad could cross or picka pass we may have been in shit that game, Blackburn at home we had the forward pulling left because of the success they were getting out there and there are others just including this season which I will look back for if you genuinley want to debate this. If you couple that with his lack of football ability (first touch, passing, crossing) then you have a player who will & should only ever get near the first team if Phil Neville is out or is needed in midfield, I’d even blood a youngster (possibly Gosling) over him.
Mark Pendleton
15 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:26:07
15 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:26:07
It is just you.
John Hughes
16 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:24:55
16 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:24:55
Mark Wilson - Yakubu is paid to score goals. 1 chance 1 goal. You can’t get any better than that. His work rate is improving but he had AJ and Cahill supporting him on Tuesday. When they have to drop deep there’s not much he can do aginst 4 very good chelsea defenders. Take you mind back to Marcus Bent....tiresome, one of the best work rates from a striker I have seen in years. But couldn’t score a goal to save his life. needed 6 or 7 chances to get one goal.....who would you rather have?????
John Lloyd
17 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:42:36
17 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:42:36
Was just about to write a very similar comment to the one above (weirdly quoting Marcus Bent as exaple also??? spooky shit)
But instead I’ll just agree with John Hughes comment, hear hear.
But instead I’ll just agree with John Hughes comment, hear hear.
Allan Hobbs
18 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:55:54
18 Posted 10/01/2008 at 10:55:54
Before you all lay into Phil Neville for not being able to pass, I would like to point something out to you - his stats against Chelsea on Tuesday were amazing; he didnt put 1 single pass astray, every one to a team mate.
Couldnt pass wind?? I think not. Great leader, great bloke, great player to have in your team.
Couldnt pass wind?? I think not. Great leader, great bloke, great player to have in your team.
John Lloyd
19 Posted 10/01/2008 at 11:10:26
19 Posted 10/01/2008 at 11:10:26
Allan, I think the general consensous is that Phil Neville had one of his better performances in midfield on tuesday.
I think that is down to doing what Carsley seems to have cottoned onto, as in just winning ball and offloading to teammate within a 5/10 yard radius, a job which is not to be sniffed at when you look at the plaudits that Makalele used to get or Deschamps for France, Dunga for Brazil also used to get.
Just wish Phil would cut out the silly fouls in & around the box, very frustrating
I think that is down to doing what Carsley seems to have cottoned onto, as in just winning ball and offloading to teammate within a 5/10 yard radius, a job which is not to be sniffed at when you look at the plaudits that Makalele used to get or Deschamps for France, Dunga for Brazil also used to get.
Just wish Phil would cut out the silly fouls in & around the box, very frustrating
Ben Brown
20 Posted 10/01/2008 at 12:52:20
20 Posted 10/01/2008 at 12:52:20
Lots of the fouls Neville makes are deliberate and I like that. In the sense that it’s good tactical decision making, not because I love fouls. Obviously he gives away rubbish ones as well.
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1 Posted 10/01/2008 at 00:15:34