The Mail Bag
Lack of Respect
Comments (30)
Yakubu, what a fool. He?s shown no respect for David Moyes, and stuck his fingers up at us fans. Just when we thought the African Nations effect had passed, it returns to spoil our fun. Just when we began to cheer Nigeria and South Africa?s early exit, we find that, Joseph Yobo apart, we are no better off.
Yobo was with him in Ghana, and would have warned Yakubu against going to Lagos. But Yakubu clearly weighed up his priorities and decided he would risk incurring Davie?s wrath.
Yakubu was always going to struggle to win over the fans due to his casual manner on the football pitch. But there is no doubt that he is an excellent goalscorer, and could well be the difference between Champions League and UEFA cup qualification.
What makes my blood boil about this is that Yakubu knew he would be late, and would miss all the training prior to the Reading game. So he is effectively stating that he didn?t want to play for us on Saturday. Is this the kind of person we want to pull on the Royal blue shirt? How difficult will it be for the fans to get behind him and cheer him after such a public snub?
The bottom line is that Everton pay his wages, and thus should be his priority. Cahill went to the far side of the world during midweek and still tried to make it back on time. Yakubu has had all week to travel home and couldn?t be bothered rushing.
Now we all know how stubborn David Moyes can be, so is there any way that this situation ends well? If Moyes allows him back in the team, at the expense of Andy Johnson or James Vaughan, who have both been thoroughly professional, attending training and making themselves available, how annoyed would they be? I?d be bloody furious.
But we have been desperately short of goals without Yakubu. Desperately. No goals in three games. We?ve been playing good football, but not had the class up front to put them away. If only we had someone like Yakubu who WANTED to play football for us.
So does Moyes send him straight back into the team for Brann Bergen and risk losing the respect of the other players who HAVE shown respect, or does he exclude him at the possible detriment to our chances of progressing in Europe? Either way, I?m really hacked off with Yakubu. Grrr....
Joe Wightman, Posted 08/02/2008 at 15:59:10
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2 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:05:05
3 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:04:57
But seriously, this is strictly down to Moyes to deal with.....I have 100% confidence that he will handle the situation well, as he has already shown by dropping him for tomorrow’s game...and rightly so.
This is NOT a situation where the media is going to know the full story and EFC haven’t elaborated -- which is fine -- they should indeed handle it internally, quietly and without fuss...in other words NOT the RS way of doing things!
I’m sure he had his reasons for doing what he did, even though to us it looks like bad-decision making on his part....hopefully Moyes can sort the lad out so it doesn’t happen again.
All that said....once he starts playing again we should be behind The Yak 100%...he’ll be wearing the blue shirt, that’s good enough for me!
Everton 3 v Reading 0 (Johnson hat-trick????)
COYB!!!
4 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:11:08
5 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:19:04
I’ve been a big supporter of signing Yak & even argued with people who criticised him when he first arrived as I thought he’d had no pre-season & needed time to settle in.
But to do this when Joseph & Tim have managed to drag their arses back quickly just smacks of a bad attitude & no regard for the manager, other players or fans & I worry what effect this could have on squad morale if he plays ahead of other players who have been more professional.
Either way he owes us big over this one
6 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:30:23
Bench for the Brann game to come on fresh as a daisy and score a second half hattrick.
Nurse, I think these pills are working
7 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:58:39
I think everyone will be fine with it personally. Shandy springs to mind. Despite having 5/6 warnings Andy Van Der Meyde still gets an applause every time he’s on the bench. Considering Van’s never actually done fuck all for the club I’d expect Yak’s reception to be fine.
He doesn’t deserve to play on Saturday and he should be fined for what he has done but that is it. Hopefully he learns and gets his arse into gear. Everyone makes mistakes in every day of life and Footballers are no different.
In my opinion, we should set Vaughan onto Reading.
8 Posted 08/02/2008 at 20:12:41
the answer is yes.
50k a week says that.
9 Posted 08/02/2008 at 20:11:04
Think how we would feel if it were the other way round. YOu’re playing for Lagos and are dropping in to [poor old Britain for the Euro Nations Cup, held every two years to the condemnation of the African big bosses. You go out unexpectedly and you getr a chance to visit the folks back home. OK you’re on a million rand a dayand the supporters don’t care about your family. What would you do?
If Moyesy is wise he will have a sharp word, remind him how to use his mobile, tell him he’s not ready for tomorrow and that he owes us one. Or two or three.
10 Posted 08/02/2008 at 20:28:47
But a post going on about respect to us and you put.
"Just when we began to cheer Nigeria and South Africa?s early exit, we find that, Joseph Yobo apart, we are no better off."
Isn’t that showing a lack of respect to the players somewhat?
I wasn’t happy they were going but I wished them the best while they were there, and yes I am happy they are back, but I wouldn’t say I was cheering their early exit.
And was staying an extra day such a big deal to be going as overboard as some of the reaction has been?? He is back, he has been fined and lost his game this weekend (though I liked the idea of letting him play and telling him he gets his money back with a hat-trick!).
He has stepped out of line and recieved his punishment from the club, what interests me is how that affects him when he does come back. I hope he just gets on with it and starts scoring, then it can all be forgotton.
11 Posted 08/02/2008 at 20:35:06
I don’t accept the whole "oh, just fine him, whatever, and he’ll get back to scoring." What does this say to the other players? I’d like to see Moyes bend him over the fire for a while, break this indifferent spirit of his. It may not be a big deal to him, but it’s a big deal to us. What if we were playing the Shite this weekend? No, I personally don’t think he gets it, he’s never gottenit. He’s a wonderful player, and he’s probably a lovely bloke in person, but he treats this wonderful rpiviledge he has to play in the greatest league in the world, in one of the greatest and most traditional teams in the world (he’s playing on the same pitch as Dixie, people!), getting paid God knows how much, and he wants three extra days at mom’s house? ON 40,000 POUNDS A WEEK HE OUGHT TO FLY HER ASS OVER TO THE UK!!!!!!!!!
Maybe this will get his attention, and Ireally hope it does. But you can’t be a footballer forever, so go visit your fam when you’re done, dude. You have the offseason. It’s a bitch to be away from family, I know, I lived in a boarding house for years, but life isn’t perfect. But at 40,000 pounds a week, you cope, ya know?!
12 Posted 08/02/2008 at 21:26:53
Yakubu is a very good player but his attitude sucks and that’s one of the reason’s I had doubts about signing him.
If Tony Hibbert had done this sort of thing everyone would be screaming for Moyes to get rid of him. I don’t see why Yakubu should be let off the hook.
13 Posted 08/02/2008 at 21:29:49
Sack the Yak, no.
Back the Yak, not yet.
Crack the Yak......Over to you Davie.
14 Posted 08/02/2008 at 21:23:26
1. He will have to do exceptionally well over a long period to redeem himself.
2. Why was the clubs OS and the Echo silent when the rest of the world news was blaring it from the roof tops.
3. Can we expect a public explanation or at least an appology from him or his agent?
4. Provided it is not with a gentle slap on the wrist, David Moyes has my complete support on how he deals with him.
5. Lets not hear any more bullshit when Cahill next plays for Australia.
15 Posted 08/02/2008 at 21:35:44
May be Yobo has family and girlfriend over here.
16 Posted 08/02/2008 at 21:49:29
As a high profile person its harder to do, but really its the same as us doing a bunk off work, but he’s actions affect a heck of alot more people than us doing it.
17 Posted 08/02/2008 at 23:17:02
Yak was supposed to report for training on Wednesday and didnt.
Although we will miss his goal threat and link up play it is more important to keep team discipline and respect.
He needs to eat humble pie something he apparently is not good at.
THERE ARE NO EXCUSES for failure.
18 Posted 08/02/2008 at 23:31:47
Maybe the Yak thought they would go further and ’ gifted ’ himself a little brucie bonus from the ’ unused ’ days, use them or lose them, ’ mental health days ’.
His Family is so near and Goodison so far away, Who hasn’t threw in the odd sickie now and again, ’ let he who is without sin cast the first stone ’.
Look at it another way, I don’t know which headline is worse...
YAKUBU SNUBS FAMILY....
Or,
CLUB FORCES PLAYER TO SNUB FAMILY
A headline I’d like to see....
CLUB FINE DONATED TO NIGERIAN CHARITY
Now thats proper PR.
In week were the PL want to Whore themselves around the Far East, (all fur coat and no knickers if ever there was)
Fudging a couple of days off to see your family is well down the list.
19 Posted 08/02/2008 at 23:52:37
Hopefully this will give JV a wonderful opportunity to parade his talents in front of an adoring public for 90min.
Cos if I turn on the widescreen at 7a.m. tomorrow and see 4-5-1 (AJ being the one) i’m gonna shit my fucking pants.
20 Posted 09/02/2008 at 00:00:52
21 Posted 09/02/2008 at 00:28:26
Ooh, is that the FA and FIFA I see, getting together to discuss this important critique of policy.
Really, it’s too bad Rooney and Rio weren’t hurt on Wednesday. That undoubtedly would’ve put paid to these stupid fucking mid-season friendlies tout suite.
22 Posted 09/02/2008 at 01:15:39
23 Posted 09/02/2008 at 01:39:33
24 Posted 09/02/2008 at 01:28:26
25 Posted 09/02/2008 at 08:27:21
Yes, he has behaved in a disrepectful way to the club, to Moyes, the the other players and to the fans, but the best way he can repay us is by going out and banging plenty of goals in between now and the end of the season.
I’m sure people will soon forget then?????
26 Posted 09/02/2008 at 08:53:19
him in a different light as we did. The Yak is a lazy sod and will play only when it suits him. The Boro players were glad to get rid of him, they approached the chairman and asked him to sell Yakubu as when he played they only had 10 players on the pitch. You will be glad to get rid of him next season
27 Posted 09/02/2008 at 09:36:23
The guy is on £40k A WEEK!
It takes me a darn sight longer to earn that in a year - I don’t see Bill or Bully paying my petrol to get to the game!
If Yak wanted to play at the AFCoN he should have paid his own way.
It is unbelievable how pamper premiership players are. In particular a player who clearly cares not what colour shirt he wears as long as he gets his fat paycheck and monsterous signing on fee (£1.12m this time!).
Yak is going to have to make a lot of effort to get the Goodison faithful behind him.
28 Posted 09/02/2008 at 10:04:06
29 Posted 09/02/2008 at 14:28:49
I still dont think the Yak gets what it means to play for this club his attitude and effort when he first arrived summed him up. Ok since then hes shaped up but this is abig let down to the manager, his team matyes and us the fans.
Just hope we dont go a goal down on Sat and Reading decide to shut up shop as we may need somone of teh Yaks ability to dig us out of a hole.
lets face it hes let us down and a week in the dog house should see him right but lets not crucify him. I also hope Phil Neville gives him both barrels from the team as well.
30 Posted 10/02/2008 at 14:42:27


1 Posted 08/02/2008 at 19:00:28