ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

270 minutes and counting

Rather than getting so irate at Gordon Brown's silly, off-hand, unnecessary and poorly timed but broadly accurate remark (we actually haven't lived up to that motto for years...), I'd be more worried about the fact that we have all the bite up-front of a new-born lamb. It's now 270 minutes without a goal and that has cost us what could prove to be four very valuable points and a place in a Wembley final.

We need to play two strikers, not one ineffective lone striker ? who plays too deep or too wide most of the time anyway. I'm not sure if it's Johnson or the way he is used that's the problem but there is a problem. I suspect that he is not going to be the solution to our lack of power up front any time soon. Even Yakubu's imminent return isn't filling me with confidence.
Peter Fearon, Liverpool Posted 02/02/2008 at 17:36:22

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Michael Kenrick

Someone recently was commenting on here about the lack of goals... look's like he may actually have been right!

Yes, we wuz robbed but, since Moyes has also been robbed of his day in court to challenge the isuue of bad/biased decisons, the only way to legislate against these things is to score at least a couple more goals than you need.

What I still can't figure out is why it's okay to play with two strikers for the last 15 minutes of the game and watch our chances of scoring increase as a result... why not then play that way for the last 30, or 45? Surely we would create more chances ? just look at the way Vaughan plays...

Kieran Kinsella
1 Posted 02/02/2008 at 20:44:07

A few months ago you had Jutkiewicz and Agard scoring for the reserves, and McFadden working wonders for Scotland whilst pushing for an Everton spots. With Agard not doing so well of late, Jutkiewicz on loan and McFadden gone I am wondering if the lack of competition for places has had a negative effect on our goalscorers. Likewise in midfield with Pienaar, the occasional wideman McFadden and the supposed threat of Graveson we had a nice little fire lit under the arses of Arteta, Cahill and Osman. Without it they don’t seem to be doing so well.

Alex Pat
2 Posted 02/02/2008 at 20:55:11

I don?t hink there?s anything to debate hear is there? Our main goalscorng threat is not available and he was bought because what we had were not good enough..
It?s not rocket science is it?

Conor Feeney
3 Posted 02/02/2008 at 20:55:26

We scored a good goal today, hit the post, Fernandes missed an excellent chance - we had one cleared off the line alright - it shouldn’t really have gone in.

On Weds night, we were the goalie’s bum cheek away from the ball going in. Wednesday was a bit toohless alright but today I thought we were excellent at what is a tough place to go.

Really good performance and I thought Andy Johnson was very good, and the finish for the goal that was disallowed was fantastic (after great work by James Vaughan).

The general point is valid, we’re less of a threat without the Yak, but today I thought we did as well as we could away without winning.

Absolutely sick about the linesman’s decision - it could be so costly.

Dave Lawley
4 Posted 02/02/2008 at 21:07:45

We scored a perfectly legit goal today, in the 86th minute, so that's only 266 minutes without a goal... Ha, take that!.

Art Greeth
5 Posted 02/02/2008 at 21:30:02

Oopps, Peter Fearon and MK...270 minutes with a lone striker...?

Didn’t we start the game against Spurs with two up front, Victor and AJ followed by JV and AJ...?

Gosh! I’m such a pedant, aren’t I...?

Brendan George
6 Posted 02/02/2008 at 21:39:43

Put it this way, if we don?t score against Reading at Goodison next week, then, Houston, we have a problem...

Ric Wallace
7 Posted 02/02/2008 at 21:53:21

Put it this way Brendan.

When we score against Reading next week, the doom mongers will have a problem.

Kieran Fitzgerald
8 Posted 02/02/2008 at 21:59:18

Didn?t see the game but from reading Conor?s post it does seem that it was one of those days. The disallowed goal aside, it sounds like the ball just wasn?t going to go into the net, regardless of how well we played or how many chances we had.

Two things stand out though from the last two performances. Firstly, we have played very well, despite being short of some of our best players. It also never looked like we were going to concede a goal in either game. Secondly, other results have gone our way. True we haven?t taken full advantage to open a bigger gap but we haven?t fallen back that far either.

The four five one formation has provided goals, and with a full squad back, it should do so again. Whether or not Moyes will see the value of changing it more often than he has is a worry though.

David Barks
9 Posted 02/02/2008 at 22:18:07

The thing is, we played some pretty good football today and scored a legitimate goal. There is nothing we can do about an incompetent linesman. Fernandes improved as the game went on, getting much more involved in the second half. And it is not a case of going 4-5-1 or 4-4-2. We went with 2 strikers the entire game against Spurs and failed to score. And it’s easy enough to say "the only way to legislate against these things is to score at least a couple more goals than you need" but it’s a little bit more difficult to just go out and score 2-3 goals every single game. We hit the post, had a penalty denied, and had a perfectly good goal disallowed. I’m starting to feel for AJ, he can’t get a break. He should have had a penalty against Spurs, should have had one today and had a goal disallowed.

Stefan Tosev
10 Posted 02/02/2008 at 22:26:06

I cant agree once again with some of the comments being made - we scored today and had very good game overall.

And for the remarks that we need to score at least a couple a goals - what are the odds of them being disallowed; which are the teams averaging 2 goals per game?

Colin Hughes
11 Posted 03/02/2008 at 00:45:01

270 minutes amounts to 3 full games(Chelsea, Spurs and Blackburn) but actually in the game previous to that ? Wigan away, both our goals came in the first half so you can add another 45mins to that before taking into account stoppage time. Next up is Reading at home who have lost 6 on the bounce and only kept three clean sheets all season. Now I will be worried if we don't score in (and win) that one .

Sean Condon
12 Posted 03/02/2008 at 00:59:15

For chrissakes, only four teams have scored more goals than us. And unlike a few clubs, we haven?t spent on strikers what the New American Fascist Party has spent trying to colonize Iraq.

Sean Condon
13 Posted 03/02/2008 at 01:15:25

By my count that?s TEN times we?ve gone away in the league this season and been the better team.

Sean Condon
14 Posted 03/02/2008 at 01:16:35

...not to mention the SIX victories on the road in other competitions.

Jay Marigold
15 Posted 03/02/2008 at 01:47:05

We were magic today, it will happen, we play like that with Yak supporting AJ and we're laughing. Vaughen and Anchibe as back-up, no problems. In Moyes We Trust.

Martin Cutler
16 Posted 03/02/2008 at 03:17:55

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...........once we have our full team back we’ll be flying again.
I watched the Spurs and Man City game (on the tele) and I was impressed (they can do better but they did alright).....Spurs we probably should have won....it clearly sounds like we should have done today too....defensively we’re doing well.....Manny is obviously improving (as expected).......it’s only the lack of goals that’s hurting us...I know that’s an understatement but once we’re at full strength the goals will start flowing.
Let’s also not forget that although we probably should have beat Spurs....they are really flying and held Manyoo to a tie today...........point being that for us to tie wasn’t a bad result against Spurs.
UEFA Final here we come!

Paul Hennessey
17 Posted 03/02/2008 at 17:16:34

We scored a perfectly good goal against Chelsea, had a perfectly good penalty turned down against Spurs, and both of the above happened yesterday, as well as the chances we have created in the game.

We can?t play 4-4-2 with the likes of Cahill and Carsley in the midfield, too often to big a gap is created between defence and attack, hence our troubles with that formation (admittedly without Cahill) earlier this season.