ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

We need to play like Tottenham did

I'm sure David Moyes watched the Arsenal and Tottenham game today, since it decided his would-be opponent in the cup final. That being so, I hope he got some inspiration out of Tottenham's performance. What I saw was a team playing their best players and playing their game. And that is what we need to do tomorrow.

We should play our best formation, 4-5-1. Our best skilled players should play, Manny and Osman should play, with Neville slotting in at right back. If we can play the slick game we have played in Europe then we can beat Chelsea and have it be a performance we can be proud of. This is what I hope for tomorrow. I want to win pretty.
Joey Brown, Athens, GA, UGA Posted 22/01/2008 at 21:45:35

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Kieran Kinsella
1 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:25:04

We will definately lose. Probably 3-1. I say this because somehow I just can’t envisage an Everton v Tottenham final. There are certain combinations of teams that tend to crop up in these finals and somehow I just can’t picture an Everton v Spurs game therefore I know we will lose tomorrow.

Cal Norton
2 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:30:46

Joey is absolutely right.Play our best available team in a 4-1-4-1 formation.I’d go with Neville at right back and Anichebe up front to start.Have a real go at them.Will Moyes do that? Will he hell! He’ll fuck up big time like he’s done all his career in ’one-offs’!

Kieran Fitzgerald
3 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:29:07

I agree with you about wanting to win pretty Joey. With the nice confident style of football that we have developed this season I would really like to see it in a cup semi final against a team like Chelsea, really make a game of it.

The thing is, with it being a semi final it can sometimes be the more sensible option to be cagey about things and see where you stand with twenty minutes left. With a team like Chelsea you can?t afford to do that either though so to be honest I would?nt like to be the manager making the decision.

Ange Stamos
4 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:26:27

Dont rule us out yet Kieran. I?m sure Spurs werent too optimistic not having beaten the gooners for a while as well. It goes to show that anything is possible in cup games, and hopefully our boys are inspired by that (spurs) performance and do the same to Chelsea. I?m sure the boys will be up to it. Good luck to them. COYB !!!!!!!!!!!!!

David Felgate
5 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:38:45

Kieran
24 hours before our biiggest game for a while and you come out with that.

It won?t be easy, it won?t be pretty and it certainly won?t be enjoyable (until the final whistle that is).

Anyone remember the supposed ?dream final of 1995??
Spurs and Man Utd, we beat them both!

It?s all about something that Spurs had tonight, it?s called CONFIDENCEbr />
So COYB BELIEVE!

If you?ve got a ticket for tomorrow, make some fucking noise!

Peter Bourke
6 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:43:11

I don?t care if it?s pretty or ugly....any win would be great.
With the players we have unavailable it makes choosing the team a difficult decision.
I agree Cal, with your comment regarding Neville but you are NOT the manager for good reason. Victor has not been any where near as effective when he has started games. I think AJ to start and bring Vic or JV on with 20 to go. Both these players have been at their best when impacting off the bench against weary opposition.
Good to see you are confident and have so much faith in Moysey.

Andrew Oxton
7 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:50:29

David, Spot on. COME ON!!!!!

Rob Jones
8 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:50:58

God we get some tossers on here FFS! On the article, pretty much agree but I can’t see us dropping Hibbo after the way hes been playing.

And on a funnier note I saw in the star, we have the 12th and 17th ugliest players in the world apparently! Lescott 12th, Neville 17th, take a guess which ex ’blue’ heads the list lol

David Barks
9 Posted 23/01/2008 at 00:01:45

I don’t care how we win, I don’t care if every single pundit comes away from the game saying that it was the worst game they have ever witnessed. All I care about is that at the end they have to say it will be Everton going on to face Spurs in the final in Wembley. The atmosphere and performance that Spurs put on today was great, we should be able to surpass that at Goodison. Maybe not the performance and final score, but the atmosphere should be something special. We can win this thing. And all you pathetic individuals saying the match is over before it starts and we have no chance should just..........

Stuart Reid
10 Posted 22/01/2008 at 23:51:11

Please Mr Moyes:
Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Valente; Arteta, Fernandes, Carsley, Cahill, Osman; Anichebe.

What we’ll get:
Howard; Hibbert, Jagielka, Stubbs, Lescott; Arteta, Neville, Carsley, Cahill, Osman; Johnson.

Result being that instead of players getting forward from midfield we’ll have Carsley and Neville hanging back and getting in each other’s way, and we’ll keep losing the ball. Instead of Anichebe unsettling Alex and Carvalho (who is very quick but not the strongest) with his physical presence we’ll get Johnson’s aimless running, and rather than balls in to Big Vic’s feet which he can hold up and bring others in we’ll get Hibbert-esque hoofs for AJ to chase.

Oh well, just have to hope that Lescott heads in a few set-pieces (at their end!)

Stuart Reid
11 Posted 23/01/2008 at 00:08:00

I should add that nobody will be happier than me if Hibbo has a stormer and AJ scores a screamer or two. It’s time for Moyes to show us how good he is, and I really hope that tomorrow night I look like a total arse for doubting him.

Come on lads!!

John Murphy
12 Posted 23/01/2008 at 00:24:26

Cal,
We are having our best season yet under Moyes, we are about to go into our biggest game of the season and potentially reach our first final in 18 years, and still we have people like you coming on here and criticise Moyes like you just have. Makes me laugh to think that you will be singing his praises thursday morining if we beat them tomorrow.
COYB!!!!!!!!!!!

Martin Cutler
13 Posted 23/01/2008 at 00:30:27

Wow, to put it mildly there are some rather negative comments on here aren’t there?
On the eve of the most important game we have played for a long time and some resort to "shock comments".
Well, I for one, will be happy no matter why formation Moyes goes out with...he’s the boss...he got us here and he deserves all the praise in the fucking world if we win...............FFS, get behind the team!
If he screws up with a sub or playing too defensively or whatever you have every right to bitch afterwards but not beforehand!
I will be glued to the EFC radio broadcast and I hope the lads can do it......they deserve it....if only for being less "in the public" than certain players and coaches we could mention....if only because they don’t earn mega money like some players we could mention........if only because they are EVERTON !!
I’m 200% behind the lads and Moyes...............

Everton 2 Chelsea 0

COYB!!!!

Ian Tunny
14 Posted 23/01/2008 at 01:17:32

To be fair Spurs had virtually their strongest team available and Arsenal had virtually their 3rd team out because of injuries and the African Nations so in that sense they were very lucky as well as a couple of lucky goals. Although Chelsea?s team is depleted it still hosts a number of internationals and players that would get in any team and we too have 4 of our best players missing, so I dont think its fair to expect us replicate today's result or play like Spurs.

Stuart Mann
15 Posted 23/01/2008 at 01:15:06

I will be there tonight and we will be screaming the Blues to a win. Moyes can do this, WE can do this.

2 - 0 EFC Well said, COME ON YOU BLUES!!

Ben Brown
16 Posted 23/01/2008 at 01:46:45

Every Chelsea fan I’ve spoken to is already talking about playing Spurs in the final. I really do hope we stuff ’em.

COME ONNN

Michael Hunt
17 Posted 23/01/2008 at 02:52:03

100 percent POSITIVE attitude and CONFIDENCE is needed in the STANDS and on the PITCH. We CAN do this and we WILL do this. With BELIEF and FOCUS, we’re on our way to WEMBLEY. Fucking COYB!

Sean Condon
18 Posted 23/01/2008 at 03:16:39

Who gives a flying fuck how we play tomorrow night ? WE WILL WIN! God how I wish I was there, instead of being stuck in a warehouse run by bible thumpers 7000 miles away. But I?ll stay away from the computer and wait until I get home to watch the tape. Be assured, if yer there, that there are untold numbers around the globe who?ll be there with you in spirit. So make some fuckin noise for us!!!!!!COYB!!!!

Sean Condon
19 Posted 23/01/2008 at 03:26:18

The only thing I envy about Chelski and their fradulent success is that the world?s foremost writer on film, David Thomson, is a fan. On the plus side, though, so is shitty director Richard Attenborough.

Jason Lam
20 Posted 23/01/2008 at 06:36:00

If statistics mean anything to you, well they don’t look too pretty. We’ll definately need to do a Totteham!

http://www.chelseafc.com/page/NewsHomePage/0,,10268~1222566,00.html

"Chelsea are the only Premier League club that David Moyes has yet to defeat as a manager.."

COYB!

Sid Snot
21 Posted 23/01/2008 at 07:34:26

"Chelsea are the only Premier League club that David Moyes has yet to defeat as a manager.."

Every time we’ve played Chelsea, that first win has come closer.......could be tonight!

Paul Turner
22 Posted 23/01/2008 at 09:45:28

Sat in the pub last night watching with a Spurs fan, who was naturally overjoyed with the result, BUT - he commented that Spurs’ performances have been less than consistent all season and this was a one-off.

Although Arsenal fielded an under-strength team, he did admit that Spurs had "played out of their skins" last night, and his great worry is that they will not reach those heights again this season.

We have played at those levels more than once this season & have been performing consistently better than Spurs, so the incentive is clear - beat Chelsea this evening and we have nothing to fear at Wembley (which does not mean it’ll be a picnic, btw...)

Those of you able to go to Goodison tonight - please raise the roof for those of us who can’t get there.

COYB!

Andy Birch
23 Posted 23/01/2008 at 08:43:52

I hate to say this but what a fantastic performance from Spurs last night to cement a place in the Carling Cup final at Wembley!

They emphatically beat Arsenal at their Own Game in true style; high tempo interchanging football, excellent movement of the ball, cute 1-2's, and counter-attacking play..... coupled with the Arsenal of yesteryear's solid defence!

That's how to beat the goooners... We'll see you in the final Mr Ramos!

Mike Allison
24 Posted 23/01/2008 at 17:34:52

Here's one that puzzles me, and without busting a gut I haven't been able to find the answer.

In European competition, if one team is ahead on away goals after 90mins of the 2nd leg the tie is over and that team have won.

This is NOT true of the Carling Cup. If we are 1-0 up after 90mins, in Europe we would have won, but tonight we will have to play another 30mins.

What happens if both sides score in extra time? Are we then level on away goals (Both legs being 2-1)?

Even worse, what if full time is 2-1 to us, and both sides score in extra time, do we lose on away goals?

I fear that we would, despite the obvious unfairness of Chelsea having played away for longer, and so had more time in which to score away goals. Does anybody know how this rule will work tonight?

Call me a pessimist but I sense us getting shafted by a bizarre and unfair rule being on the cards.

Robert Holden
25 Posted 23/01/2008 at 13:54:09

I know that this is a bit like writing to the Editor of the Times to let the world know that you have just heard the first cuckoo of spring but...

As of today, Wednesday 23 Jan, only three teams can win the Carling Cup: Us, Spurs or Chelsea. If either of the two London sides were to win it how would that affect our European position?

You would need to factor in the relevant positions of, realistically, Us and Spurs.