ToffeeWeb - Season 2007-08

The Mail Bag

History Repeating

Some people are complaining that history is repeating, that Moyes isn't increasing the squad size which is the same mistake he made on our last Euro adventure (if you can call something so short that).

But it wasn't the size of the squad which caused Everton to crash out of the Champions League, UEFA Cup and sink to the bottom of the league early on that season.

The size of the squad could have been a problem had Everton gone on to later rounds but that didn't happen and there wasn't really any extra demands on the small squad.

The main problem that season was the quality of squad, Moyes attempted to bring in some quality for the Euro Campaign, Phil Neville, Nuno Valente, Andy van der Meyde, Per Krøldrup and Matteo Ferrari were all drafted in for that purpose, unfortunately those transfer didn't work out (Neville aside).

Then Everton had the extreme bad luck of drawing a very good Villareal side. Once we dropped out of the Champions League (thanks to a mistake from the 'worlds best ref', Big Dunc's goal should have stood) the morale dropped and that led to the UEFA exit and the awful Prem start.

I'm a huge Moyes fan but admit he came unstuck trying to bring in Foreign players like Kroldrup, Ferrari and AVDM. Moyes is far better with British players like Lescott, AJ and Cahill (an Aussie I know but signed from Millwall).

Moyes seems to have learned from his mistakes that season, Jagielka and other transfer targets like Koumas and Smith suggest Moyes will attempt to undertake a Euro campaign with a solid dependable and largely British squad.

I don't know if thats the way to do it but I can undertand his reasons after being burned. I'm not worried. Moyes is well aware who he has in the squad and if he thinks he can progress with the current squad then I say let him get on with it. If Everton crash early on again then we can all blame Moyes, but not until then.
Paul Atress, Liverpool Posted 06/07/2007 at 16:56:40

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Skip McShane
1 Posted 06/07/2007 at 18:43:31

I?m not sure I agree ? Everton have the smallest squad in the premiership, and when a key player becomes injured, the replacement is generally nowhere near good enough. We certainly need decent, versatile utility players (i.e. Jagielka) in order to have any chance of battling on several fronts, including UEFA cup. The idea of playing a portion of the season with, say, Arteta, Johnson and Lescott injured is terrifying! Unlikely I know, but I?d still take comfort from increasing the squad size with a few experienced additions.
On a different note, thought I?d share this with fellow blues. My mate got a free PS3 by referring some mates to a giveaway website ? apparently it?s genuine and has been reported on by BBC (see Youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUCEIfmkz6g). All you have to do is sign up to this website: http://NextGen.Giveaway.co.uk/index.php?referral=211115 , agree to an offer (my mate opened a Coral account by betting a fiver) then refer a few mates and the console?s yours! I?m well on my way to a new PS3 for my little lad?s birthday, to go with the new away kit I?ve got him. Lucky sod.

Brian Noble
2 Posted 06/07/2007 at 19:19:56

Can only say it shows the manager’s limitations.If you’ve only got British players to choose from these days you’re fooked!Says it all for me.

Tony Marsh
3 Posted 06/07/2007 at 19:33:17

As usual from Mr Atress a load of scycophantic Bullshit. />In the first game against Villareal at Goodison they were there for the taking good side or not.
They had only just started their pre season and were no were near match fit.

They were absolutely shatterd after 65 minutes and the away leg should of been Irrelevant.The problem was we couldnt score goals.

Why was that you might ask?

Moyes didnt sign a goal scorer in the summer thats why.

>Moyes decided in his great wisdom
that we would go in the a Champions league campaign with only one fit striker and a shit one at that. James Beattie.

In the world of Paul Atress Moyes is totally blameless for our elimination from the CL no it was the Refs fault.

Yes I blame Collina for doing absolutely fuck all to address the biggest concern of all fans that summer.Buying a good striker.

>You Bastard Collina its your fault we let in 5 in Romania as well...pathetic Paul.

John Patrick McFarlane
4 Posted 06/07/2007 at 20:40:48

I hope that Moyes does get us on a European run , how refreshing it would be for an English club side , made up of mostly British players challenging some of Europe’s finest and triumphing at an English stadium.

Tony Marsh
5 Posted 06/07/2007 at 21:23:53

And pigs will fly JP Mc pigs will fly.

John Prior
6 Posted 07/07/2007 at 00:24:56

Get your head down tony.
good grief.
you?ve been telling us all season pigs will fly if we qualify for europe.
now its pigs will fly, if we do well.

I can see a pattern...

Steve Parry
7 Posted 07/07/2007 at 05:17:39

First time I’ve found myself agreeing with Tony Marsh, but his point about not signing a striker is absolutely valid. Worringly the striking problem was well known not just from the previous season, but from DM’s first season in charge - remember how the goals dried up after Radzinski got injured and we ended up missing a European spot by a whisker.

Anyway unlike Tony I see that DM does seem to learn from his "mistakes" albeit frustratingly slowly at times. And there can be no doubt that we have progessed in the last 5 years - instead of worrying about relegation we are now worrying about how well we will do in Europe. So next season is going to be a test of DM’s development, stepping up a level by having a successful season in Europe and the Premier League. Something that wasn’t even a remote possibility under Smith.

Rob Williamson
8 Posted 07/07/2007 at 09:59:59

I was intrigued by Paul’s assertion that it was the introduction of foreign players that caused our downfall that season and that we should therefore buy only British players. I can’t see where the introduction of foreign players has caused similar outcomes at say..Chelsea, Arsenal and ManU.The problem, as others have already stated, was the quality of those players, not their nationality. Please don’t let’s get into ’we only want British players here’. We should be going for the best - no matter what their country of origin.

Paul Atress
9 Posted 07/07/2007 at 20:20:02

Everton?s own Private Frazer aka Tony Marsh, spent all last season claiming Lescott was another Krøldrup and Everton?s season would undoubtedly fall apart.

All season long we had to endure Private Frazer?s boring claims that the end was near, he started off claiming Everton would struggle to finish in the Top 10, then he claimed Everton would not be able to hold onto a Euro place and now he?s claiming next seasons Euro Campaign will not get off the ground.

You were so right Private Frazer, last season was so awful, finishing 6th, qualifying for Europe, beating Arsenal, Spurs & Liverpool, watching AJ & Lescott emerge as Prem stars and the glimpse of good things to come (Vaughan/Anichebe). Terrible season.

With predictions like that I?m sure to listen to your predictions for this season, how could you be wrong?