ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Poor excuse for a striker ? Victor Anichebe

In all my years of watching and playing football, particularly in the striker's role, I am utterly appalled by the total incompetence and heartless substitute contribution of Victor Anichebe today against Birmingham City. Absolutely rubbish. In fact it would be an insult to rubbish to associate this piece of waste to it.

With fading hopes of Champions League football and much needed points on the board, this pathetic excuse for a striker wasted a full personnel slot in our team. Worse than being a passenger, it was like he needed babysitting. He looked completely lost, couldn't hold up or fight for the ball. No coordination with the team and his own two feet. Like a 12-year-old boy playing footie in the school playground waiting for his mum to pick him up. The left-foot 'shot' which he skewed to almost a throw-in shows EVERYTHING WRONG with shooting. With no idea where the goal is, he lazily whacks the ball without any composure or conviction.

He's afraid to mix it up with the opponent center halves as though he's afraid to hurt himself or his opponents' feelings. Maybe we should leave the dirty work to the midfield with average height of 5'4"?

With a bone structure and physique in which God kissed him on the lips, as Micah Richards, he is a complete waste of proteins, calcium, water and crap. What would James Vaughan have done with those attributes?

If Moyes is still giving him the arm around the shoulder treatment, I have lost faith in Moyes's ability in managing the youth. He needs a fucking kick up the arse, he's no longer a juvenile, he's a fully grown adult making a living, and playing for Everton Football Club with its famous history of center forward number 9s.

With McFadden in the Birmingham side, you would think any of the Everton strikers would put in a performance to justify Moyes faith in them and not Faddy.

We will see Anichebe play again for Everton. But I will not accept such pathetic excuse of a striker ever again.
Jason Lam, Hong Kong Posted 12/04/2008 at 19:54:13

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Michael Kenrick

Wow.. quite the rant there, Jason. In fact a bit too strong even for me>. I draw the line at fans telling our players to "Fuck off". No class, I'm afraid.

But neither, sadly, has Anichebe. What has happenmed to the player who pushed that Brann defender off him as he ran in on goal and smashed a beauty past the keeper in Bergen? I can only conclude that ace defender David Moyes has started messing with his game...

Paul Niklas
1 Posted 12/04/2008 at 21:17:50

Your having a laugh Michael.

One swallow and all that.

I have said all season on this forum, The guy is useless, guttless and no touch.

Total waste of space.

How the hell he was keeping vaughn out at one point beggars belief.

He never jumps for a ball, Neither does Yakubu but he is not that type of player.

The only thing you can blame Moyes for here is for picking him.

Basically because he has no one else.

Brian Garside
2 Posted 12/04/2008 at 21:21:11

I thought that his "performance" had all the hallmarks of Yak, his so called teacher/mentor etc.
Soon young Vic will be falling over without being challenged (and loosing possesion)thereby becomming a laughingstock just like Yak is becomming..

alan mcguffog
3 Posted 12/04/2008 at 21:28:02

The true EFC spirit coming out as usual. Thank God Victor will have better things to do than read this shite.
He is a young player who doesn’t pick the team. I have been convinced for ages that he is not destined to make it. I don’t actually feel that Vaughan will either for that matter.
But that doesn’t mean that he is the cause of all our ills.
I have been a blue since 1961...first game a 4-nil defeat to sheffield wednesday... I was hooked.
But lets face facts...bar a few years in the mid 1980s we have been shite since about 1972
Why the feck will things change now ?
You have to remember, always, that they will break your fucking heart.
But thats the point of loving them

Connor Rohrer
4 Posted 12/04/2008 at 21:57:13

Anichebe’s the least of our problems. He’s our 5th choice striker and a squad player. He’s also still developing and needs time like any other young striker does. In terms of what he develops into I don’t know but you’ve got to give him a chance.

We should be more worried about the first team and the number of elder more experienced players who are playing below there levels.

Its easy picking on the kid who hardly ever plays.

Baz Hunt
5 Posted 12/04/2008 at 22:10:09

No Anichebe isn’t good enough - far from it. But neither are Vaughan, Hibbert, Neville, Jagielka, Carsley, Johnson, Osman.

Would any of those players realistically get in any of the ’top 4’ teams, or even the next 4 excluding us? I very much doubt it.

I suppose the only difference is that at least these guys put in 100% effort every time they pull on the shirt, which in some small part makes up for their lack of ability at the top, top level.

As it stands we only really have 6 players who are ’good enough’ in my view - howard, yobo, lescott, arteta, cahill, yakubu.

The rest are either not good enough or need time (baines, fernandes?).

I’m not one to slag of the boys, because they are a decent bunch who for the most part work non-stop for 90 minutes and have done remarkably over the last couple of years. We just need to bring in 3 or 4 players to bridge that gap.

Finally - lets all get to Goodison on Thurday vs Chelsea and cheer on the boys. We don’t want another library atmosphere like against derby last week. COYB !!!!

Mike Grundy
6 Posted 12/04/2008 at 22:24:43

Anyone think it might have been worthwhile sending him out on loan sumwere?

Tony Williams
7 Posted 12/04/2008 at 22:40:29

MIke unless we send him on loan to Barcelona and they somehow make a mistake and send another player back, I?m affraid Anchovy just won?t make it.

I have never seen a younster get so tired and lead legged so quickly, he is 19 for fucks sake and should be sprinting all over the show yet he stands there with his hands on his hips looking clueless.

However to blame Moyes for his inability to score in the Premier League is taking a personal view just a tad too far.

John Charles
8 Posted 12/04/2008 at 22:43:16

He’s 19 years old trying to compete against seasons professionals with lots of experience.

Give the kid a break. Sometimes he’s lazy yeah and crap, sometimes he’s ace.. its a fact of life with young players.

As for Vaughan, the lad is class. just needs to get fit finally.

Dave Richards
9 Posted 12/04/2008 at 22:43:00

Jason, october 4th and nov 8th 2007, 2 days i was,nt in Hong Kong , i was in Kharkiv & Nurnburg, Victor is still a kid with a lot to to learn, FFS the kid is Evertons 2nd top scorer in european competion in one sesaon!!!

Andy Hegan
10 Posted 13/04/2008 at 00:02:12

APPARRENTLY,well, not actually apparrently according to someone I know whos in the know etc.Big Vics not happy about playing second fiddle/No honest!,, could I really make that up?

Sean McNally
11 Posted 13/04/2008 at 02:09:40

I played in the same school team as Victor and to be honest he was never a trier then so I never expected it now. And neither did he stand out.

He got noticed because he was a beast as a kid and still is now. But he is nowhere near Prem class. I wouldn't even say League 2 class but the staff must see something in him...

Graham McCann
12 Posted 13/04/2008 at 02:27:30

I have supported EFC since the day I was born. I have read this website with interest for a couple of years now. But all I can say is that the standard of comment about my beloved club, from some so called fans has dismayed me beyond belief. Why can't you pessisments and name callers just get behind the boys and support them! We?ll finish 5th this season. Five years ago we would of been happy with just surviving in the Premier League. Why slag off the players who play for us? We haven't got the millions that the top 4 have got. I never knew that there where so many sad, uninspired people in one city! Do you think that the likes of Hibbert & Osman pull on that ROYAL BLUE shirt and dont give a shit every time that they run out? Does Anichebe not bother? Who is Moyes going to buy in the pre season with all the money he hasn't got? Come on guys get real, get behind the team.

Kiern Moran
13 Posted 13/04/2008 at 02:59:43

Well said Mr Graham McCann, people should get behind the team and our players. We have had a fantastic season and each player at some point has contributed to this It doesn't take much for the moaning minies to find their way out of the dark pits of doubt. Why on earth the fine young player Victor Anichebe is now being picked on I don't know, normal whipping boy Tony Hibbert had a good game I guess. I mean I'm not sure but I think we are fifth, on course to smash our highest Premiership points total and two games now unbeaten.

Paul Murphy
14 Posted 13/04/2008 at 04:23:42

Victor a couple of years ago was nowhere near the squad. Maybe now he is not good enough but Davy Moyes (who I've got a lot of time for) is picking him, and in my opinon, In Moyes We Trust

Si Page
15 Posted 13/04/2008 at 04:25:54

B Hunt / J Lam
What the fuck are yous on about!!! Give the lads a break. Slating Victor is one thing, and granted he hasn?t had the best few performances, but let him develop into the player he possibly can be, which, may not be a world beater, but most definitely a handful. As for Baz saying that James Vaughan isn?t good enough.... Fuck off beaut.

Dominic Duerden
16 Posted 13/04/2008 at 07:24:29

Jason

What a load of absolute crap.

Anichebe is being brought in and out of a side that is not playing very well at the moment. We are making it as hard as possible for him. Yakubu plays every game yet even he was rubbish yesterday.

Teddy Draper
17 Posted 13/04/2008 at 08:52:12

Never thought i would say this, Tony Marsh has been RIGHT all along. Mr Moyes should start a new hobby, possibly reading the dictionary, starting with the word MOTIVATION, Tony the season IS over.

Paul Jones
18 Posted 13/04/2008 at 08:47:16

Its all well and good slagging Anichebe off but at the moment what else have we got? Just look at the bench yesterday, the only player you would class as a ?forward? was Anichebe. Vaughan, if he EVER gets fit is, by far and away the better of the two youngsters but he is always picking up unfortunate injuries so therefore cannot play.

The fact is we have not got the depth and until we get our sugar daddy to buy players that is the way it will stay. We all say that money does not bring success, but it cerainly helps. It may not bring it straight away ? look at City this season ? but constant influx of money over the seasons allows teams tobring in star players. We need money if we want to realsitically get any higher than best of the rest!
COYB

Peter Bourke
19 Posted 13/04/2008 at 10:30:27

The squad is threadbare, Brum have only lost 1 home game this year and as I stated during the week, I would be surprised if we would get anything from this game. We haven?t got the depth to play creative attacking football when we have so many injuries. I know other teams have theirs as well but thats why their not performing either.
What did everyone expect? That we would tear Brum apart even though we have most of our midfield out injured. Wake Up.
Leave Victor alone, I'm sure he will mature into a special player.

Paul Gladwell
20 Posted 13/04/2008 at 10:39:41

Outrageous shout by that woman, better be carefull she will be calling you all sexist next.

Anichebe was a disgrace yesterday, you can argue what you like about him being young and inexperienced but what does this have to do with running and putting a bit of effort in? He was the same last week, he never touched the ball for at least ten minutes when he first came on.

On another note I went yesterday, I have only been a couple of league aways this season as I saved to go to all the Euro aways and I cannot see me going to many of them next season due to the utter pricks who now follow our club.

I am a bitter blue, I hate them bastards big time, but what the fuck is singing about Gerards baby all day got to do with Everton v Birmingham? I think there was two everton songs sang all day, the rest were that song from the Happy Als hoodies ? total embarrassment and classless.

Simon
21 Posted 13/04/2008 at 10:55:38

Graeme Sharp was slagged off in just the same way when he was first starting out. Good job we got shut of him before he became any good...

Alan Clarke
22 Posted 13/04/2008 at 10:55:23

Because of our total lack of resources we have to throw Vic in at the deep end. I think he’s scared shitless because the Goodison crowd have got on his back a bit this year. He either needs time out on loan or a stint in the reserves but because Moyes is happy with the size of our tny squad he has to keep playing Vic. I think in the long run it will be very damaging to his talent if his confidence keeps getting totally shot. Most of us would run our arses off if we played for Everton but not everyone is the same and I think he needs better management.

Tony Williams
23 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:01:31

Alan Clarke, I am not defending Moyes per se here but how can you say he needs better management?

He needs a new attitude, all season the lads I go the match with and I have been commenting how unfit he looks for a 19-year-old.

He hardly runs and if he does he stands still for a minute with his hands on his hips looking lost.

Moyes has no other striker to put on but him and after about 5 minutes we start to ask if it was the Yak that has just come on and has Anchovy been on for the 60+ minutes.

As with anyone who wears the Royal Blue shirt I want them to succeed and do well but I just cannot get my head around the fact that he seems so unfit, he is 19 FFS!!

Nelly Blythe
24 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:02:37

IMO I think the ’big fella’ has an attitude problem. From his body language (lack of enthusiasm ,efffort etc) I think he believes he is better than he actually is. To paraphrase one of our former managers I think Victor believes he has become a legend before he’s become a player.Totally agree with the comments on his contribution yesterday particularly THAT shot at goal which should have been taken first time with his left foot and not pushed back to his right. I just think at times he displays completely the wrong attitude especially when he will always be compared to Vaughan who always appears twilling to run thro brick walls for the cause. For me there is no comparison between the two, Vaughan wins hands down !!

Nelly Blythe
25 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:15:17

If we have no strength in depth please can you tell me who?s fault this is. Surely it?s the job of the manager to anticipate and cater for all eventualities no matter how well we may have been playing earlier in the season. You can't tell me that Moyes believed that we wouldn?t suffer any inuries between Jan and the end of the season. Failure to strengthen the squad in January is sure begining to cost us dear now, isn't it? So Moyes must take some of the blame surely.

Chris Cook
26 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:20:29

He can’t be that bad surely

No one’s compaird him to Jeffers yet

Nilesh Tailor
27 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:22:35

Not sure if others would agree with me, but i really think Moyes should have kept Faddy. I think he should have rotated with Vaughan and Anichebe. I think the recent dip is form is deffo due to the midfield. we haven?t had a settled midfield since the African Nations Cup. Since those players have come back, we?d had so many injuries especially within that area. if that area lacks quality/consistency, then its always gonna be difficult for the strikers due to the lack of service. I think against Chelsea Moyes should deffo start with Gravesen, the guy has more quality than Neville and Carsley put together.

Alex Quigley
28 Posted 13/04/2008 at 11:33:53

Nelly:

Do you really believe that Moyes had millions to spend in January?! Who are you kidding. Its easy to blame everything on Moyes, as seen regualry on Toffeeweb, but it isnt fair or accurate (not that it matters!) .It is obvious that we could not afford a world class player in january, and that the loans of Graveson and Fernandez was the best Moyes could do. Its frankly a cheap shot at Moyes. We are financially light years behind the top four and im sure Moyes is delaying his contract to ensure he gets some assurances from the board about money. Who the hell would take a job with expectations that without financial support you can never fulfill?! While we under the ownership of Kenwright we will never challenge for the league or the champions league, sad but true.

Joe McMahon
29 Posted 13/04/2008 at 12:16:06

Connor Rohrer - how can he be our 5th choice striker- we don?t have 5.

We have 4- Yak- who doesn?t get the ball to his feet from the midfield or defence. Vaughan who is always and always will be injured, and AJ who at 8.5 million pounds has turned into the biggest flop this club has ever had. I suggest Jason that IF you are going to criticise any striker it should be Johnson, he is weak, no technivall skill, his shooting is inaccurate, his shots are powerless. He also cost a hell of a lot of money, christ Robbie Kean cost a lot less- what we would do for him!!!

Nelly Blythe
30 Posted 13/04/2008 at 12:10:32

"It?s never Moyes?s fault ... blah blah blah..." Boring boring boring !!!!!!

It?s HIS job to ensure that we have sufficient cover in ALL positions to cover every eventuality. I have written to the club many many times on this subject and have always been given the same answer: "THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO SIGN PLAYERS RESTS SOLEY WITH THE MANAGER..."

What he did do was sign ONE player who was INJURED FFS and hasn?t been anywhere near the first team since he arrived. Accorrding to the club, he did have money to spend in January but chose not to because he felt the squad was strong enough... Christ he even said as much three or four weeks ago before the Fiorentina game!!!

Please stop peddling this crap about lack of finances. I accept that we are not in the same league as Man Utd but we?ve broken our transfer record three years running... Kenwright can't take all of the blame.

Is Kenwright to blame for the hoofball tactics we employ? Is Kenwright to blame for picking Carsley & Neville in midfield?? Is Kenwright to blame for giving Hibbert a new 4-year deal? No ? that?s all down to the MANAGER !! ... and it?s his fault that we are now lacking in both numbers and quality and now this is being used as a weekly excuse to mask bad performances...

If he had planned for it, it wouldn?t be happening. It?s called long-term planning and foresight ? something we AS A CLUB do not possess.

John Martin
31 Posted 13/04/2008 at 12:28:11

Thats right Michael, Blame Moyes, I am sure in training and in the team talk he tells the players to play shite.

John Martin
32 Posted 13/04/2008 at 12:29:56

After a few bad results people seem to think we need a wholesale clear out, these players have got us to 5th, we need to add quality to them not get rid,
Arsenal are better than us by a long way but they have hit a wall now and performances are suffering like us they cant rest key players in need of it.
Instead of reducing our squad size we need to add quality players so the likes of Carsley & Osman etc are needed for every game

Alan Codd
33 Posted 13/04/2008 at 12:31:08

When Anichebe came on late against Fiorentina he was exactly the same?
He should have been chasing everything but unfortunately for us, let's face facts, the kid is NOT good enough and never will be.

Steve Ryan
34 Posted 13/04/2008 at 13:12:51

Excellent piece Nelly Blythe...... nail on the head.

Connor Rohrer
35 Posted 13/04/2008 at 14:33:59

Joe McMahon, We more or less have 5 strikers. Yakubu, Vaughan, Johnson, Anichebe and Cahill. Cahill is a second striker not a midfielder. His position more or less counts as a striker.

No one knew the likes of Vaughan and Cahill where going to pick up injuries. It just happens in Football. Anichebe when everyone is fit is 5th choice in the pecking order.

As I’ve said Victor is the least of our worries. Surely we should be concentrating on the first team regulars who play week in week out. Victor comes in every once and a while and people expect him to perform to a certain level that just isn’t possible.

He isn’t as fit as the people he is playing with or against because he doesn’t play regularly and he is relatively new to the Premiership game. He probably hasn’t started 20 Premier League games yet which shows he hasn’t been given a run of games.

I don’t think Victor does have an attitude problem. If anyone has met the lad or watched his interviews you’ll see that he’s very down to earth and knows he shouldn’t be a regular and knows he get a lot of room for improvement. He’s said himself he’s nowhere near the finished article and needs time.

Players in his mold are always called lazy and uninterested because of the way act. Fernandes and Yakubu are exactly the same there laid back players. There not going to run around like headless chickens because it doesn’t come naturally to them and this doesn’t mean there not trying or there uninterested. Its just there personality.

As I’ve said its easy to blame the kid without looking at the bigger picture. If anyone should be getting stick its the ones that play regularly like Johnson and Yakubu for example.

Brian Waring
36 Posted 13/04/2008 at 13:29:06

Why is it, that when we get beat or play shite, Moyes is given impunity by some fans? Doesn't he pick the team? Don't the team employ his tactic's (if you can call them that) on the field? So when we lose, he should recieve the majority of the blame, because as I said, it is his team out there, and his tactics.

In his 6 years here, his trophy cabinet is bare, and realistically, we havn't even been close to winning a trophy while he has been here. Okay, he has had one great finish (4th ) but we all know what happened next, and he has a couple of decent finishes. That's it. Even the football we have played under him for the 6 year's, has been most of the time, utter shite.

So, I am baffled, that when someone has a go at him, for whatever reason, they are slagged off big style. I nearly choked, when I first read a contribution, that had him down as a genius. Why is he a genius? I am yet to see why. So can anyone honestly explain (and please, none of this, he doesn't have the money, etc ) as to why he should be offered impunity?

Alan Clarke
37 Posted 13/04/2008 at 17:34:12

Anichebe gets a load of shit off the fans every time he touches it. I think he does have an attitude problem, he’s shit scared of doing something wrong. I think he gets moody because people are so hard on him. He has at times been excellent for us this season and shown why you must persevere with young talent. The problem we have is because we have such a tiny squad, we have to keep playing him when he needs to be taken out of the limelight for a while.

Barry Hunt
38 Posted 13/04/2008 at 18:57:06

RE Si Page

I?m not saying that Vaughan doesn?t try and I?m not saying that he isn?t a good young talent, but he hasn?t made the type of impact that the likes of Ashley Young or Theo Walcott have, albeit they haven?t had the same problems with injury that Vaughany?s had.

I?d love to be wrong though ? and maybe if he gets this injury monkey of his back and gets a full pre-season behind him then hopefully he can get properly match fit and start to make progress with the 1st team. I?d be more than happy to swap a fit James Vaughan with corner-flag-loving Andy Johnson.

Would however James Vaughan be any where near the starting line up at Chelsea, Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham etc?

The problem is and I imagine will always be that at Everton we ?make do? ? but if we want to break the top 4, and break it consistantly, we need real quality.

COYB

Seamus Murphy
39 Posted 13/04/2008 at 21:27:43

Its all doom and fucking gloom isnt it.

Roy Coyne
40 Posted 13/04/2008 at 22:41:50

I am not Victor's greatest fan and agree he has a lot to learn and his attitude is not great at times but he has just recovered from a bug he got playing in Nigeria so maybe we are doing him a injustice.

John Murphy
41 Posted 14/04/2008 at 01:24:04

Barry Hunt

How can you say that Anichebe hasnt had the same impact that Theo Walcott has had? Walcott has done fuck all apart from that run against the shite. All lay off Vic though and lets get behind the team. If he bags the winner against Chelsea I cant see many people getting on his back then.

Jason Lam
42 Posted 14/04/2008 at 08:21:03

I hope Vic does bang the winner against Chelsea too. How on earth he’s gonna do that with the atitude he’s been showing I don’t know. Chelsea self destruct?

As much as I am slagging him off, the young man needs to look in the mirror and get his act together. Vaughan’s injuries were because the the cause. Cahill wore protective boots so he could fight another day. If you’re not playing for your career, self-development as a footballer, your paltry salary or the manager, at least play for your injured fellow man. It’s called dignity. Please. Everton need you as a center-forward now more than ever. Four football games before the summer, lad.

Paul Niklas
43 Posted 14/04/2008 at 09:02:51

Roy Coyne, I think that was the bug he picked up at birth.

He is shit, lazy, up his own backside, touch worse than any player in the team and no bottle.

Basically a big lump, for that matter we could play our selves.

He has nothing to offer and that is a fact.

Paul Griffiths
44 Posted 14/04/2008 at 21:58:29

Moyes took over 6 yrs ago and we were having relegation fights year on year. This guy has turned us around and given us a bit of hope and pride back. Give him a break, 5th in the league when Man City, Newcastle, West Ham etc have spent far more than us.
Some people have short memories....... A semi-final in the Carling Cup and an amazing performance against Fiorentina which we should have won and 5th in the league. Moyes is a genius!