ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

Tactical Substitutions

I think Moyes is very good with his game plan before matches (eg.tactics against opposition). Where he is inept is in his substitutions when things are going wrong.

Take todays game: he (unlike the Special One and Benitez) will not put on substitutions unless we go behind (they change things, regardless of the score). We went a goal down with 10 minutes to play (we needed 1 point); he puts on two attackers takes one attacker off and puts a centre-half (Jags) up front ? Why not just take Jags off and leave a proven striker on in a 3-man attack to try and get us that precious goal?

Also, why is a £6 million, England Under-21 international attacking full-back with a great left-foot delivery (Leighton Baines) not playing? Against a team like Arsenal, they let you play; you want players with a lot of energy, who can get up and down the pitch. We didn't need Jags, just put Lescott back in the centre.
Paul Holmes, Widnes Posted 04/05/2008 at 16:04:36

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Richard Murray
1 Posted 04/05/2008 at 18:45:39

Baines isn?t playing because our side is already short enough and Lescott, Jags and Yobo have been great at the back. It?s something that, I am sure, will be remedied before next season. Until then I agree with keeping the back four as it is.

How many sides would go three up top against Arsenal, no matter what the score line? You refer to Benitez - what about when he removed Torres on Wednesday? Or when he brought Hamman on in the CL final? It?s not as simple as the more players up front = more goals; it?s not football manager.

Jags up front however, I can only assume AJ had tired himself out.

Let?s not forget Moyes has won us points through substitutions this year - Gravesen against Bolton... Vaughan home against Reading... Vic in Europe... etc.

Joe McMahon
2 Posted 04/05/2008 at 19:06:32

Sorry Richard, i?ve read waht you have put.....errrr BIG FUCKING DEAL.

Baines cost £6 mil ? not to be picked! I can only pressume you are satisfied by this negative tripe. Our football is now embarrasing.

Tony Williams
3 Posted 04/05/2008 at 19:19:45

Have to disagree with you, Joe, especially about the "our football is now embarrasing" part.

We actually passed the ball around quite well today but like always against better team, yes BETTER teams, than us we lack that final killer ball or the midfielder who can go on a mazey run and open up a defence.

Embarrassing compared to what? The Sky 4?

And before someone mentions how other teams play better football than us, don?t bother. Look where they are, below us in the table.

Gavin Ramejkis
4 Posted 04/05/2008 at 19:22:23

Jags up front is as embarrassing as Lescott being pushed up as a striker a few weeks ago, for Christ’s sake if their own manager doesn’t know the difference between a centre half and a striker what hope do we have.

Joe McMahon
5 Posted 04/05/2008 at 19:39:33

Tony I take your point about 5th, but I already mentioned in another post. I would rather be 7th with Mark Hughes as manager, Santa Cruz £3.5 mill, Andrew Johnson £8.5 mill. I like Hughes?s attacking flair, Blackburn are an attacking positive side. He jasn?t been at Blackburn for 6 year?s either, & played at the highest level. Food for thought.

Tony Williams
6 Posted 04/05/2008 at 19:46:16

Joe I have actually responded to your other post.

Hughes is a good manager but he is also the manager that got knocked out of the Wafer cup by the team we beat on our way to facing Fiorentina, so not exactly a great example.

Jay Harris
7 Posted 04/05/2008 at 20:03:37

Now come on lads for god?s sake.

I know we?ve been playing bad lately but you?d sooner have Blackburn(the new Bolton) than Everton? I?m sure Blackburn?s supporters would swap us in a heartbeat.

Let's get real:- with a piss poor board and a pile of injuries to key players we will be in the Uefa Cup 2 years running; we got to the Carling Cup SF and beat the likely winners of the Uefa Cup.

I am not Moyes's greatest fan but until and unless we get major funds for top drawer players I can't think of anybody better.

And for the clown who posted on another thread that Paul Ince would make a great replacement, I wouldn't have Paul Ince minding the car park.

Joe McMahon
8 Posted 04/05/2008 at 20:48:45

Jay Harris - "The Clown" was me. I?m thinking Paul Ince, Ex England Captain, played at the hghest level, Inter & Man U. I was just comparing to the negatice tactics of our manager, who doesn?t know what it?s like to be at the highest level, when he was playing at Preston, Shrewsbury & Cambridge. Just a thought that?s all, and I?ll keep thinking that thought EVERY time I see Neville, Carsley & Hibbert and a 5"2 striker who couldn?t score in a brothel wearing an Everton shirt!

Paul Holmes
9 Posted 04/05/2008 at 20:55:07

Richard, I submitted the original post. You said, "Baines is not playing because our side is short enough". Chelsea on Wednesday played with Essien and Cole as full backs ? 2 short energetic players that push forward and defend very well (Ferrera(short) is the other right back). These short full backs have not held them back. Baines (England under 21 international) is in the same mould-thats why he cost £6 million.

You said, "How many sides would go 3 up top against Arsenal, no matter what the score?". Well we had 3 up top 2 attackers and a central defender (Jags) for the last 10 minutes (AJ, England international, in a forward position-should have stayed on, he was not injured; Jags should have come off). I wish he was a forward thinking, not Scottish defensive manager when we needed to get a result against a side that had 5 first choice players out. WHAT A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY MISSED!

Tom Campbell
10 Posted 04/05/2008 at 23:12:35

Moyes should have brought Yakubu&Anichebe on just after half time and went for the 3 points

Lack of Ambition

Imagine if Villla had won yesterday, we would be fairly fucked.

Richard Murray
11 Posted 04/05/2008 at 23:12:10

@ Paul; it?s not about the full backs, as such, it?s that our midfielders (and AJ) are all tiny, too. If that wasn?t the case we could play with shorter height in other positions.

Arsenal fielded a tall and strong side today, who are dangerous in the air. We needed extra height at the back to defend set pieces/crosses etc.

I agree with you, in a sense, Baines for next season at LB; definitely. However, it?s like Moyes has said, we need more height in midfield to accommodate him.

Brian Finnigan
12 Posted 04/05/2008 at 23:21:42

Paul, I assume that the proven striker that you think Moyes should have left on the field was Johnson. I believe he has scored six this season and now looks incapable of adding to that total. The mistake that Moyes made was his usual one......combining Neville and Carsley in midfield and hoping that the headless chicken would outpace the likes of Clichy, Gallas and Toure and pose a goal threat. Does anybody have statistics as to how successful we have been when both Neville and Carsley have both played in midfield.......compared to plan B which appears to involve Neville at right back and Carsley in midfield. Limited resources or not, our Manager should be able/willing to find other game plans when his preferred systems are not working. That is what he is paid to do. If the fans can imagine alternatives, why can’t he?

Jay Harris
13 Posted 05/05/2008 at 01:32:55

Joe,
I did not mean to be offensive but there are a million top-drawer players that have been useless managers. Bobby Charlton is the greatest example. Paul Ince has had one relatively good season with MK Dons for god's sake. Moyes has won 2 Manager of the Year awards and apart from 1 blip kept us consistently near the top.

Now before you get me wrong, I don't think DM is the best thing since sliced bread but I think he?s an honest, principled hard-working man whose heart is in the right place.

I think there are quite a few better managers around but they would all want backing that he hasn't had and probably would not work with this board. So for me it would be improve the board, see what DM can do with proper backing, and then change if necessary. He may choose to go himself if he feels he?s lost the fans and doesn't get sufficient funds in the close season. Then where would we be?

Jason Lam
14 Posted 05/05/2008 at 04:51:09

I agree with the poster on Moyes's inept ability to utilize tactical substitutions. It?s always reactive with Moyes ? we need proactive. Games are played with 14 players (11 + 3 subs) and we should be planning substitutions ahead of the games to always be on the initative and have the opponents thinking (and reacting) to OUR substitutions instead.

Say, we will press and play 3 upfront on 60mins, and then take off the knacked striker at 85mins and consolidate whatever we have. The players will be mentally prepared to take the field at the designated time. Or when we enter a prolonged attacking phase, to throw more caution into the wind (vice versa for defense). But it?s almost always reaction to the scoreboard with Moyes.

As for Lescott and Jags up front, if AJ, Yak and Anichebe would win some headers we wouldn?t need to throw them up the field! I don?t think Moyes is looking for the next Chris Sutton.

Ben Jones
15 Posted 05/05/2008 at 11:02:14

Joe, Why be so bloody negative all the time? I thought we played pretty well yesterday, I thought we passed the ball well and had more possession than Arsenal at one point in their own turf if I remember! But yeah, we lacked the killer ball which for some reason makes our football "embarassing" as some people quoted here. It?s not embarassing!! There?s only one game left and Moyes will definitely buy someone to sort out (preferably Arshavin). I just don?t see the point to be so bloody negative all the time! It?s our best points haul since we won the league last... surely that counts for something?

Gary Lawler
16 Posted 05/05/2008 at 00:06:34

Unfortunately, living here in Australia and with the time difference being what it is, normally my beloved blues are televised in the wee small hours. Many days spent bleary eyed at work; however, last night's game against Arsenal was on the box at a reasonable time, so I was camped on the couch with a few Steinlagers (beautiful drop from New Zealand), and to say I was pissed off at the excuse for football we seem to be playing would be an understatement.

Normally I'd be waking the family up with my frustrations with Neville, the Jag, Hibbo & the like, but in the last month or so the one player who's really getting my blood boiling has to be Leon Osman. I can't for the life of me fathom why he's one of the first players picked week after week; he's got no pace, no 1st touch, no strength as he's allways getting knocked off the ball, and his distribution is disgraceful. Surely there must be a better option than this waste of space? Where are the young kids that we keep hearing about but never see? Surely they couldnt do any worse.

Players who need to have a good look at themselves would be as follows.

Osman ? as stated above
Anichebe ? a poor man's Heskey, shows nothing, if only you could transfer Vaughan's tenacity into this big lump.
Neville ? only to be played at right back and right back ONLY.
Johnson ? for all we hear about his workrate, he is a forward and needs to be in the box, not running blind channels to the corner flag; he's there to be scoring goals and after watching his shooting this season he's never going to be banging them in from out wide. Ttime to cash in in the off-season I think, if anyone's prepared to offer the silly money being mentioned in January.
Moyes ? needs to have a good hard look at himself, too defensive, some strange decisions (playing Lescott as a makeshift centre forward when you've got a young kid who'd be chomping at the bit to get on), and his blindness to Osman's lack of ability and vision... Capello must be laughing his tits off at Moyes mentioning him for an England cap.

Sorry about the rant, but I'm geting to my witts end watching the same crap week-in, week-out.

ian tunny
17 Posted 05/05/2008 at 15:11:16

Because he idnt want to concede anymore as goal difference could be vital

Nick Xenos
18 Posted 05/05/2008 at 16:58:42

Ben Jones, the record points haul will count for very little if we don?t qualify for the Uefa Cup. I can?t believe everyone is getting all wrapped about the amount of points we have amassed when there is still one fixture remaining with a form guide that reads 1 win in the last 8 games. Newcastle haven?t lost in their last 7 and are curently giving Chelsea a good run for their money. I?m feeling nervous already and I wonder who would want to come to us if it all goes tits up!

Paul Holmes
19 Posted 06/05/2008 at 04:14:52

In response to Ian Tunny "we did not want to concede anymore, goal difference could be vital". How can this be? We're on the same goal differance now ? if we lose on Sunday and they win, they get the 5th spot(we could have went for it and conceded 10 goals it would not have mattered. If we lose on Sunday, its goals against; if they win on Sunday, its' goals for (we're both level). Moyes should have went for it !