The Mail Bag
AJ - Is he good enough on his own?
Comments (12)
Yes ,I know he works tiredlessly and he runs around for 90 minutes ( generally down the flanks with nobody in the middle) but can he play the lone striker role? He has no height so cant win the ball in the air (not his fault) but his control and distribution is poor to put it mildly. I say sell now when we get silly money, a la Faddy, come on boys we can do better. Remember Nil Satis? Sadly AJ is not that.
David Pilling, Posted 23/01/2008 at 23:51:59
Comments
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Michael Kenrick
For me, contrast AJ with JC... Are they or are they not the same stature? Could you ever see AJ converting a goal like that? Not in a million years...
Scott Chester
1 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:21:57
1 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:21:57
You do not play a small weak striker up on his own when you also have a small midfield with him if your gonna play one upfront you play a big strong striker hence Anichebe or even Vaughn they do all the work that Johnson does anyway and also can win headers and have good hold up play. Johnson runs around a lot and that's it.
Scott Chester
2 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:26:39
2 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:26:39
I feel moyes only plays Johnson because he dosn't want to upset him. Anichebe and Vaughan are young so he?s not worried about upsetting them. Moyes surly knows playing Johnson up on his own doesn't work but just is scared he?ll get upset and want to go if he?s not getting games. Imagine how insulted Johnson would be if he wasn't the main striker while the Yak is away!!! But I feel Anichebe and Vaughan are a lot better than him.
Ste Birkett
3 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:34:45
3 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:34:45
To be fair, one of AJ’s shots as he pulled away from the defender was a belter but Cech was agile and tall enough to make the save. He does often scuff them and shoot tamely wide, but there are some solid strikes in his back catalogue as well.
John Smith
4 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:41:33
4 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:41:33
Its nothing to do with Johnson and Cole, its more to do with Cech and Howard!!
I think Cech would have saved Coles shot, and Johnson would have scored with ’that’ shot if it were against Howard.
Then you could argue about quality of pass they received in order to shoot. The discussion and permutations of ’what if’ go on forever. I think its fair to say they have a better all-round team? I don’t think its very fair picking on Andy Johnson.
On a seperate issue, I think Osman was awful and Valente was the best player on the pitch - by a mile, he was absolutely fantastic.
I think Cech would have saved Coles shot, and Johnson would have scored with ’that’ shot if it were against Howard.
Then you could argue about quality of pass they received in order to shoot. The discussion and permutations of ’what if’ go on forever. I think its fair to say they have a better all-round team? I don’t think its very fair picking on Andy Johnson.
On a seperate issue, I think Osman was awful and Valente was the best player on the pitch - by a mile, he was absolutely fantastic.
Louis Huglin
5 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:57:50
5 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:57:50
I am increasingly worried about AJ - he is nowhere near as good as I had hoped when he signed and scored so many goals in his first few games. He is quick, and has a good touch, but too often is muscled out of situations. He will never win anything in the air against any decent centre back (Titus Bramble excluded!). His only asset is his pace, which means he is good as a foil for a big man; Yakubu is the perfect pertner up front but Moyes seems to be reluctant to give that combo a run out for more than one game. They looked good together at Bolton on the Yak’s debut, but we haven’t seen the partnership enough in my opinion. That is because it means it would be difficult to place Tim Cahill - who I thought was shite tonight if I am honest. I digress.
Nick Toye
6 Posted 24/01/2008 at 01:20:06
6 Posted 24/01/2008 at 01:20:06
Michael, why do you bother supporting Everton? It baffled me. If you noticed AJ just after Joe Cole’s goal almost scored albeit from a similar angle. The keeper made a quality save, and did something that Howard failed to do.
Its also worth noting that Joe Cole isn’t a striker, and AJ is.
Its also worth noting that Joe Cole isn’t a striker, and AJ is.
Rob Jones
7 Posted 24/01/2008 at 03:38:54
7 Posted 24/01/2008 at 03:38:54
Nick, If he didn’t bother supporting Everton where do you think you would have posted that comment? the OS? coz it wouldn’t have been TW. And I would just like to say about the match, Moneybags really showed us how to defend tonight, one of the best Defences I’ve ever watched and thats without Terry!, lets hope we learn from them, and it left me in no doubt that Cech is now ahead of the likes of Buffon and Casiilas, and lets stay positive we still have the league and UEFA to focus on. COYB!
Chris Dottie
8 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:02:50
8 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:02:50
I agree that AJ isn’t looking brilliant at the moment, but how many strikers of his style would shine when playing up front by themself ? Michael Owen, Jermain Defoe, Tevez... none of them could do anything if they are all alone left harrying full backs. If we want to play with a lone striker we need Marcus Bent back - no technical ability but big and strong as well as fast.
I am actually more disappointed in Cahill and Arteta than AJ at the moment. Arteta isn’t finding the killer balls, and is taking longer and longer looking for them. Cahill is starting to be anonymous when he’s not scoring - if you don’t tackle like Carsley, you don’t dribble like Ossie and you don’t pass like Mikel, what do you do ?
I am actually more disappointed in Cahill and Arteta than AJ at the moment. Arteta isn’t finding the killer balls, and is taking longer and longer looking for them. Cahill is starting to be anonymous when he’s not scoring - if you don’t tackle like Carsley, you don’t dribble like Ossie and you don’t pass like Mikel, what do you do ?
Gavin Ramejkis
9 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:15:24
9 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:15:24
John Smith where was Valente for Cole’s goal? Wasn’t he supposed to be left back last night? If so how did he not intercept or block a cross field pass into his defensive zone? One great block didnt make him man of the match mate
Nelly Blythe
10 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:27:51
10 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:27:51
Totally agree Gavin...Valente was horribly at fault for the goal as he was totally the wrong side of Cole. Had he been the other side (as he should have been ) he would have been able to provide proper cover for the ball over the top and clear it up. For a player of his experience to get caught out like that is ,for me, totally unacceptable.
Let?s be honest three BASIC defensive mistakes have cost us this tie...mistakes which HAVE to be cut out if we are to progress onto that ?higher level?....I know we played with a lot of effort and determination but as has been proved against the top sides this season, sometimes effort and determination are just not enough. In the end, by Moysies own admission, we just haven?t got that little bit extra required against this type of oppostion and now he?s identified this I sincerely hope he goes out and gets it.
Oh and by the way why people are blaming Howard for not saving Cole?s goal is beyond me...I was right behind the Park End goal last night and no keeper - Cech or otherwise - would have saved it...great touch, class finish...BAD DEFENDING !!
Let?s be honest three BASIC defensive mistakes have cost us this tie...mistakes which HAVE to be cut out if we are to progress onto that ?higher level?....I know we played with a lot of effort and determination but as has been proved against the top sides this season, sometimes effort and determination are just not enough. In the end, by Moysies own admission, we just haven?t got that little bit extra required against this type of oppostion and now he?s identified this I sincerely hope he goes out and gets it.
Oh and by the way why people are blaming Howard for not saving Cole?s goal is beyond me...I was right behind the Park End goal last night and no keeper - Cech or otherwise - would have saved it...great touch, class finish...BAD DEFENDING !!
Oliver McAdam
11 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:50:33
11 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:50:33
Valente was the worst player on the pitch.
Every time he controlled (attempted to control) the ball it went 5 yards in front of him, his passing awry and was always out of position. Ans he was at fault for Coles goal, however it was an exellent goal, the pass, control and finish.
Osman too was poor, he simply didn’t get in the game, but he is a central midfield player and is not effective out wide as we have seen in last 2 seasons.
Cahill was annonymous.
AJ not good enough.
Manny gave glimpes of brilliance but overall his distribution was poor and could have cost us a couple of goals giving it away. However, you could see that he will improve the team.
Howards distribution was poor.
However, Chelsea played an effective game. 3 quick attackers and 7 players who could defend, counter attack. It was the type of game that needed Anichebe and Vaughan upfront instead of AJ.
But lets think of it as a learning curve in the development of a very good everton team.
We missed 3 of our best players, along with our best left back. We dont have a squad of internationals happy not play most the time but make 80k a week (sidwell earns 80k a week, that is when a club is a joke).
Besides, who wants the Carling Cup anyway, would have been a game in the way. Bring on the UEFA cup.
COYB
Best Performer of the Night: 40,000 evertonians.
Every time he controlled (attempted to control) the ball it went 5 yards in front of him, his passing awry and was always out of position. Ans he was at fault for Coles goal, however it was an exellent goal, the pass, control and finish.
Osman too was poor, he simply didn’t get in the game, but he is a central midfield player and is not effective out wide as we have seen in last 2 seasons.
Cahill was annonymous.
AJ not good enough.
Manny gave glimpes of brilliance but overall his distribution was poor and could have cost us a couple of goals giving it away. However, you could see that he will improve the team.
Howards distribution was poor.
However, Chelsea played an effective game. 3 quick attackers and 7 players who could defend, counter attack. It was the type of game that needed Anichebe and Vaughan upfront instead of AJ.
But lets think of it as a learning curve in the development of a very good everton team.
We missed 3 of our best players, along with our best left back. We dont have a squad of internationals happy not play most the time but make 80k a week (sidwell earns 80k a week, that is when a club is a joke).
Besides, who wants the Carling Cup anyway, would have been a game in the way. Bring on the UEFA cup.
COYB
Best Performer of the Night: 40,000 evertonians.
Stuart Mann
12 Posted 24/01/2008 at 17:12:13
12 Posted 24/01/2008 at 17:12:13
I wish we would stop looking for scapegoats.
It surely is’nt a question as to if AJ is good enough. I know he is. The question is should we have played with AJ up front on his own against a deep Chelsea team not needing to score and knowing we did? I think in hindsight Moyesey will know it was a bit of a mistake, so we roll on and continue to make progress and us fans should show the team ethos that Lescott showed last night instead of hurling abuse at someone or another! COYB.
It surely is’nt a question as to if AJ is good enough. I know he is. The question is should we have played with AJ up front on his own against a deep Chelsea team not needing to score and knowing we did? I think in hindsight Moyesey will know it was a bit of a mistake, so we roll on and continue to make progress and us fans should show the team ethos that Lescott showed last night instead of hurling abuse at someone or another! COYB.
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