The Mail Bag
FA Cup
Comments (18)
The team selection against Oldham didn't pay off did it. We would have had a Home tie against Huddersfield; as it is we have the weekend off. Still a lot to do to win the Uefa Cup, so clsoe but again so far. Look at Spurs quality last night. It's not ALL down to investment, Moyes still isn't learning a Plan B or formations from the players available. I'm just fed up really.
Joe McMahon, Posted 23/01/2008 at 23:59:47
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Michael Kenrick
I know how ya feel.
Tony Williams
1 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:25:10
1 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:25:10
I know how you feel too but I can guarrantee you that the Spuds will not have a game like that again this season.
And you can’t really compare out two games, they had their best XI out and Wenger was true to his word and kept the kids in. Chelsea will probably field that side again next league/cup game.
And you can’t really compare out two games, they had their best XI out and Wenger was true to his word and kept the kids in. Chelsea will probably field that side again next league/cup game.
Tim Banks
2 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:31:59
2 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:31:59
Actually, a lot of Spurs’ side is down to investment. Tot up the transfer fees of who they had out last night and who we had up this evening and they will have had considerably more to show. It’s not an excuse, but it is a riposte.
Kieran Kinsella
3 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:32:59
3 Posted 24/01/2008 at 00:32:59
It’s a bit like the rugby world cup final really. You want to win and you believe you can win but sometimes you run into teams that are just better than you. In fairness to the gold digging guttersnipe chavs they did what they had to do and unlike the RS will almost certianly win a trophy this season.
Roy Coyne
4 Posted 24/01/2008 at 01:01:32
4 Posted 24/01/2008 at 01:01:32
Just a sad fact that trailer trash Chelsea where the better team, and although I have been critical of Moyes in the past but not this time his options are limited with whats available,
Paul Foster
5 Posted 24/01/2008 at 02:24:55
5 Posted 24/01/2008 at 02:24:55
To compare Spurs, they have spent a huge amount of money and this is the same Spurs that all the pundits predicted to be pushing in to the top 4 this season but have actually spent the majority in or around the relegation zone. We are out of a couple of cups but are starting to play a football so many of us have been waiting to see and most importantly with the right spirit! COYB
Peter Bourke
6 Posted 24/01/2008 at 03:45:48
6 Posted 24/01/2008 at 03:45:48
Oh poor Joe is fed up.
What would your plan b or formation have been given the players we had available??? I think the starting line up was the strongest available and the best formation given our successes this year.
Oh well, if your fed up and had enough, just throw the towel in then.
What would your plan b or formation have been given the players we had available??? I think the starting line up was the strongest available and the best formation given our successes this year.
Oh well, if your fed up and had enough, just throw the towel in then.
Erik Dols
7 Posted 24/01/2008 at 07:12:19
7 Posted 24/01/2008 at 07:12:19
’Still a lot to do to win the Uefa cup’
I sincerely hope we do win the Uefa, but it’s plain ridiculous to EXPECT us to win it. There are still 32 teams in it, that’s as much teams as there were left in the Carling cup when we entered it. But in the Uefa, almost all smaller teams have been thrown out in the first rounds.
In the Uefa, there are 8 CL-rejects. These include:
- Marseille. Ok, maybe old glory, I think we could have them, but still: a club used to push for European history. They won a European cup more recently than we did, only to see themselves pushed out of the top spot for years and years by big-money spenders Lyon. Sounds familiar?
- Werder Bremen
- Benfica (they threw the Manure AND the RS out the CL two years ago)
- PSV (threw the arse out the CL last year). For all those three teams: they played in the quarter finals of the Champions League last year or the year before. Bremen and PSV are regulars to reach at least the last sixteen of the CL in the last years. Of course, they didn’t reach that stage this year so they could be not as good as before. But I still think these are three really great teams. We probably can have some of them on our day, but they can probably have us on their day. I wouldn’t rate us as favourites would we get a draw against any of those sides.
And from the group stages teams like Bayern Munich (semi final CL last year, and they’ve spend the better part of 50mil last summer - yeah I know, in 1985 we managed to overcome them), Atletico Madrid, Villareal, Hamburg and Galatasaray went trough. I don’t think we would easily outplay any of these. I think it would be a gigantic result if we won the Uefa, maybe more of a result (in respect with the other teams involved that is - we only would have played West Ham, Chelsea and Tottenham as serious competition) than it would have been if we won the League cup.
I think it would be a fantastic result if we would reach the last 8 in the Uefa (although I more or less expect us to do so - despite that I rank Fiorentina very highly and that we have to go to Norway in the winter, can remember Chelsea crashing out of some cup on a frozen pitch in Norway a decade ago) and if we then crash out against Bayern or so, so be it. I can live with that. If we combine that with a good run-in in the league, it still is a pretty good season.
I sincerely hope we do win the Uefa, but it’s plain ridiculous to EXPECT us to win it. There are still 32 teams in it, that’s as much teams as there were left in the Carling cup when we entered it. But in the Uefa, almost all smaller teams have been thrown out in the first rounds.
In the Uefa, there are 8 CL-rejects. These include:
- Marseille. Ok, maybe old glory, I think we could have them, but still: a club used to push for European history. They won a European cup more recently than we did, only to see themselves pushed out of the top spot for years and years by big-money spenders Lyon. Sounds familiar?
- Werder Bremen
- Benfica (they threw the Manure AND the RS out the CL two years ago)
- PSV (threw the arse out the CL last year). For all those three teams: they played in the quarter finals of the Champions League last year or the year before. Bremen and PSV are regulars to reach at least the last sixteen of the CL in the last years. Of course, they didn’t reach that stage this year so they could be not as good as before. But I still think these are three really great teams. We probably can have some of them on our day, but they can probably have us on their day. I wouldn’t rate us as favourites would we get a draw against any of those sides.
And from the group stages teams like Bayern Munich (semi final CL last year, and they’ve spend the better part of 50mil last summer - yeah I know, in 1985 we managed to overcome them), Atletico Madrid, Villareal, Hamburg and Galatasaray went trough. I don’t think we would easily outplay any of these. I think it would be a gigantic result if we won the Uefa, maybe more of a result (in respect with the other teams involved that is - we only would have played West Ham, Chelsea and Tottenham as serious competition) than it would have been if we won the League cup.
I think it would be a fantastic result if we would reach the last 8 in the Uefa (although I more or less expect us to do so - despite that I rank Fiorentina very highly and that we have to go to Norway in the winter, can remember Chelsea crashing out of some cup on a frozen pitch in Norway a decade ago) and if we then crash out against Bayern or so, so be it. I can live with that. If we combine that with a good run-in in the league, it still is a pretty good season.
Joe McMahon
8 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:03:24
8 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:03:24
Ref- Peter Burke - If I was to play one man upfront at home in a game we had to win/score I wouldn’t have chosen a lighweight headless chicken. He runs his socks off BUT he can’t and never will trap/hold a ball.
One upfront needs a big striker- he ain’t yakubu.
One upfront needs a big striker- he ain’t yakubu.
Chris Briddon
9 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:07:38
9 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:07:38
I’m sorry to be pedantic here, but to say that if we’d beaten Oldham we would have played Huddersfield in the cup is complete garbage!
Last time I looked the numbers selected were based on either alphabetical order or league position - so we wouldn’t have been the same number as Oldham were & as such would have got a completely different game.
If we didn’t play AJ as one up front - who fo you suggest. I have yet to see Anichebe as someone who can do the job by himself - especially in bigger games where he has a tendency to disappear if played from the start.
Given the options available there wasn’t much choice but to play AJ unless you play 4 in midfield which would have been a bit daft in my opinion
Last time I looked the numbers selected were based on either alphabetical order or league position - so we wouldn’t have been the same number as Oldham were & as such would have got a completely different game.
If we didn’t play AJ as one up front - who fo you suggest. I have yet to see Anichebe as someone who can do the job by himself - especially in bigger games where he has a tendency to disappear if played from the start.
Given the options available there wasn’t much choice but to play AJ unless you play 4 in midfield which would have been a bit daft in my opinion
Brian Richardson
10 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:11:35
10 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:11:35
Not all down to investment? How much money do you think Spurs have spent in the last 3 years?
£125 million, for your information.
£125 million, for your information.
Tony Part
11 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:22:47
11 Posted 24/01/2008 at 09:22:47
Am I the only one who would not really call this season a success or improvement on last season unless we now do one of the following...Win the UEFA cup..or..Finish fourth?. I know we have had such a really good season up to now and its difficult to complain but last season we finished 6th..Yes if we finish 5th this season that is a good position but at the end of the day its still only for a UEFA cup slot and there is limited funds available in that competition..All I am saying is if we are going to move on to the next level either this season or next we must achieve something that we can look back on with a sense of pride.Winning the Carling cup and finishing 7th or 8th I would have taken because we would have had some silverwear once again..No matter what Moyes says about how high we finish in the League, make no mistake he must be desperate to win a trophy,he really must be..I think you could see leading up to the Chelsea game he really believed it was close..He will know himself that he has turned Everton around in terms of relegation candidates each year into a team competing for Europe but after six years here he must be so so hungry to have something to show for it in terms of the old silver as at the end of the day thats what every club wants isnt it?. Last nights game for me was not as dissapointing as the match at Chelsea in the first leg and I know that may sound strange but I got that sinking feeling after losing 2-1 there that our chance was gone..My heart told me we could do it but my head told me no Yakubu no Pienaar no Yobo and when do Chelsea ever lose to us?. I thought we had an absoloutely great chance in the first leg when Yak had made it 1-1..McFadden went through and as usual in his Everton career wasted it..They are the type of chances that either win you cup ties or lose you them and if we had gone on to score that I am convinced we would have won at Stamford Bridge and we would be going to Wembley now..Thats the difference of very fine lines of success and failure and even last night Davie Moyes admitted that to break through that line it will most likely take money..
Jimmy Hoffa
12 Posted 24/01/2008 at 08:46:26
12 Posted 24/01/2008 at 08:46:26
After what we?ve faced with Chelski last night, I feel we can beat anyone now.
Everton will have to win the UEFA cup, they owe it to the fans...
Everton will have to win the UEFA cup, they owe it to the fans...
Alex May
13 Posted 24/01/2008 at 10:39:01
13 Posted 24/01/2008 at 10:39:01
Chris Briddon,
You have a number based on alphabetical position in the 3rd round, then it goes on tie numbers so we would’ve had Huddersfield.
Moyes has paid for his team selection against Oldham and more so when going on the defensive in the last 10 minutes at Stamford Bridge. We had the chance to take the advantage in the tie and didn’t have the balls to do it.
You have a number based on alphabetical position in the 3rd round, then it goes on tie numbers so we would’ve had Huddersfield.
Moyes has paid for his team selection against Oldham and more so when going on the defensive in the last 10 minutes at Stamford Bridge. We had the chance to take the advantage in the tie and didn’t have the balls to do it.
Greg Murphy
14 Posted 24/01/2008 at 10:44:49
14 Posted 24/01/2008 at 10:44:49
Chris Briddon - it is true that we would have played Huddersfield. The numbers are based on ties and the order in which they emerge from the hat.
For example, in the draw for the fourth round Southend v Barnsley was Number 7. As that tie was the first one out of the hat for Round 4 (link below - see the numbers on the left hand side) the winners will then carry Number 1 into the 5th Round.
This has been FA practice for over 100 years.
It is, therefore, an irrefutable fact that had we beaten Oldham we would have played Huddersfield.
http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/Fixtures/
For example, in the draw for the fourth round Southend v Barnsley was Number 7. As that tie was the first one out of the hat for Round 4 (link below - see the numbers on the left hand side) the winners will then carry Number 1 into the 5th Round.
This has been FA practice for over 100 years.
It is, therefore, an irrefutable fact that had we beaten Oldham we would have played Huddersfield.
http://www.thefa.com/TheFACup/TheFACup/Fixtures/
Ian Tunny
15 Posted 24/01/2008 at 11:53:23
15 Posted 24/01/2008 at 11:53:23
@ Alex, How did Moyes go on the deffensive? I thought he brought 2 forwards on to replace a defensive and holding midfielder. Is that not attacking?
Paul Lenehan
16 Posted 24/01/2008 at 11:58:48
16 Posted 24/01/2008 at 11:58:48
I was more fed up when we weren’t playing in Europe and fighting relegation. Spurs have spent millions and played against a team whose centre half was a teenaged right back, who had a young unporven keeper and who had a teenaged left back. Not to mention the rest of the team. I don’t think you can compare what Spurs did to us and the Chelsea team we faced.
Im gutted after last night and really believed we would go through. Now im looking to the Spurs game. I see progress and it may be slow but unless someone puts serious money into the squad thats how it is going to have to be.
I thought Moyes maybe could have added Vic or Vaughan a little earlier, but would that have made any difference? By the end we had Vic Vaughan AJ and Lescott up front and still couldn’t break them down.
So lets but it to bed as an experience and look to the Spurs game and our assault on 4th. Also the UEFA Cup will be coming up soon. We may not win it and there is no doubting the quality remaining, but Boro and Celtic have both reached finals and with all due respect to them they didn’t have the players we have now. So lets stay positive and see what this season brings. We can do the post mortems in June.
Im gutted after last night and really believed we would go through. Now im looking to the Spurs game. I see progress and it may be slow but unless someone puts serious money into the squad thats how it is going to have to be.
I thought Moyes maybe could have added Vic or Vaughan a little earlier, but would that have made any difference? By the end we had Vic Vaughan AJ and Lescott up front and still couldn’t break them down.
So lets but it to bed as an experience and look to the Spurs game and our assault on 4th. Also the UEFA Cup will be coming up soon. We may not win it and there is no doubting the quality remaining, but Boro and Celtic have both reached finals and with all due respect to them they didn’t have the players we have now. So lets stay positive and see what this season brings. We can do the post mortems in June.
Erik Dols
17 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:44:49
17 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:44:49
Paul, sorry for being a smartass, but Boro DID have a player we have now - Yakubu ;-)
I agree that every year seemingly not-so-good teams get really far in the Uefa, and it will surely happen again this year. But the competition seems stronger than last year or the year before, so it will take more luck than before. Boro played Steaua Buchresti (or whatever) and FC Basel in the semis and quarter finals. They did, however defeat AS Roma (although they didn’t field their best team) in the round of 16.
I think the year Boro reached the finals, they were quite lucky with the draws and with some teams not taking the Uefa really serious. Bayern Munich for starters declared on separate occasions the Uefa one of their main targets for the season. I am sure that if we want to reach the final this year, we’ll face stiffer competition than boro did two years ago.
I agree that every year seemingly not-so-good teams get really far in the Uefa, and it will surely happen again this year. But the competition seems stronger than last year or the year before, so it will take more luck than before. Boro played Steaua Buchresti (or whatever) and FC Basel in the semis and quarter finals. They did, however defeat AS Roma (although they didn’t field their best team) in the round of 16.
I think the year Boro reached the finals, they were quite lucky with the draws and with some teams not taking the Uefa really serious. Bayern Munich for starters declared on separate occasions the Uefa one of their main targets for the season. I am sure that if we want to reach the final this year, we’ll face stiffer competition than boro did two years ago.
Paul Lenehan
18 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:57:09
18 Posted 24/01/2008 at 12:57:09
I know what your saying Erik. I just think we shouldn’t be writing our season off or our UEFA Cup chances off just yet. Im not saying we are definitely going to win it or get to a final, all im saying is there is still a lot to play for this season.
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