COLUMNIST PAUL TRAILL
We're gonna have to do it without the Big Fella!
Comments (18) : Earlier in the week I felt Moyes would definitely leave Fellaini out of this one, though having read his pre-match press conference musings it seemed certain Fellaini would play. Being one booking away from missing both derbies, would it be worth the risk? After the game we?re still none the wiser if it was or not as he scored the opening goal with a cute header from a peach of a cross from Leighton Baines, though having just seen it on Goals On Sunday he was clearly offside. Tough luck on Hull City.
We?d gone unchanged from our last Premier League encounter with Sunderland whilst Hull City had Nicky Barmby in their ranks, an amazing 8½ years since he left Everton. It's unbelievable that this is his first game back at Goodison? apparently time isn?t such a great healer after all!
The referee was completely clueless. I think it?s the same guy who screwed us against Aston Villa so I guess it shouldn?t have been much of a surprise. The first free kick he gave against Fellaini was a nothing foul. The second one, a trip, was innocuous enough I guess and was rightly called as a foul but the referee then saw fit enough to make this Fellaini?s final warning and from then on in you felt the referee was determined to spoil it for Marouane. I?m not surprised at all.
Clearly a lot of referees are on one big power trip and I?m sure Martin Atkinson knew he had an opportunity to rule Fellaini out of the two derbies with Liverpool. Of course the referees have a responsibility to look after the Sky Four as much as possible; also and he probably felt Liverpool have a better chance against us if we don?t have our record signing on the pitch too, so I?m sure this was taken into account. All this despite completely overlooking Kamil Zayatte pole-axing the big Belgian, and only issuing a yellow card to the hopeless Paul McShane when he kicked out at Fellaini late on.
It?s the ridiculous inconsistency which puzzles me, as if the referee was to book every player for what Fellaini did today we?d have no players left on the pitch in no time at all. The third booking was simply ridiculous and any serious referee with any idea of the rules would surely know Fellaini should not be booked for jumping in the air and sidefooting a volley off to another player.
Back to the match and though Hull possess an admiral work rate, they simply didn?t offer enough to provide any serious goal threat throughout. Everton wrapped up the game just before half time when they capitalised on a strong period of possession to breach Hull?s net for the second time. A shove on Cahill resulted in a free kick around 25/30 yards out. Arteta swaggered up to it purposefully and confidently as Hull City anxiously built their wall. Arteta struck it hard and true, straight past the wall and into the top corner, leaving Boaz Myhill with no chance at all.
The second half was all really about the ridiculous booking of Fellaini. That was made early doors and after that there was a lot of frustration from the home crowd, all of which was aimed at Atkinson?s incompetence. He also similarly booked Cahill for practically nothing and only chose to do so once Myhill had a go at Cahill. All of this overshadowed a good professional second half performance by Everton who had Hull City at arms length throughout. The only chance of note was when Osman half-volleyed wide late on? that would?ve made Gary?s day!
I just hope to God we get fairer treatment in the two upcoming derbies?though I certainly won?t be holding my breath.
Player Ratings
Howard: Very competent with crosses but had little to do otherwise. 7Baines: Got forward well and set up the first goal of course. 7
Lescott: Looking very comfortable again now. 7
Jagielka: Commanding as ever. 7
Hibbert: Fine. 7
Neville: Probably shades my man of the match with an excellent workman-like performance in the middle. 8
Arteta: Splendid goal. He?s certainly looking the part in the centre. I hope he can do it against Gerrard and Mascerano in the next couple of games. 8
Pienaar: Fantastic work rate throughout but there?s more to come from our Bafana Bafana boy. 7
Osman: Had a good industrious game on the wing. Shame he didn?t pop up with the first goal! 7
Fellaini: Can?t and won?t criticise him for the booking but will praise him for a good steady game and a well-taken, albeit offside, goal which put us on our way. I?ve no doubt he will be missed in both the derbies. 7
Cahill: I think he enjoys it up front. Certainly puts the shift in. 7
Subs: Anichebe (for Cahill): Put himself about well. 7
Rodwell (for Arteta): Not on long, can?t judge.
Reader Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
The referee gave him a very public final warning right in front of me, I looked at my watch and we hadn't even played a quarter of an hour, the whole of GP knew he couldn't have got through the game without commiting another foul.
Anyway, the big Fella's out of the equation now, so we need to forget it and concentrate on the players who will be at Anfield.
Just shows you what differences people see in the game...
I thought all 3 were truly atrocious... with Osman being slightly less incompetent... Pienaar seems to be playing for the other team at times.
And Neville is not a midfielder, by any stretch.
Ciaran ? you will find that Fellaini?s goal counted and is therefore a goal regardless of what you think. But then you don?t think Osman deserved 7/10 either, something else I do not understand.
I think you?ll find the yellow card counted too, regardless of what anyone thinks... The point being that we are all subject to the vagaries of refereeing... There?s no point moaning about one instance while ignoring the ones that actually go in one's favour.
Personally, I thought Osman didn?t have the best of games but Neville did an excellent job in the centre of midfield. Pienaar was a bit sloppy in possession but his work rate is superb and he is constantly looking for the ball and along with Arteta, makes us play. Even when he is not at the top of his game, Pienaar is hugely important to us, we are a totally different team with him in it.
On the Fellaini issue, you can blame him or Moyes but really it?s hard to blame either of them when a player gets booked for a foul like that... How can it be a foul, never mind a yellow, for a high foot when your opponent is stooping to head the head the ball? Never mind the fact that Fellaini cleanly took the ball without touching Turner.
The stats with say that he had six fouls but looking back at some of them, they were ridiculous like the one in the first half on the goalkeeper when Fellaini was looking in the other direction. It?s like Duncan Ferguson all over again when referee?s seem to think being 6 foot 4 is an offence.
These are highly paid prem footballers, while fantastic work rate is a necessity...on its own it is simply not enough.
And you are right, Ger, I do have a negative opinion of Neville in midfield before the game starts... it comes from watching him in that position over the last 3 odd years and realising that he is not a midfielder. Anybody who lobs the ball into the stand without a single opposing player near them (as he did several times on Saturday) does not deserve a score of 8... in my opinion, of course. Neville is a full back, end of story.
If you look up the Laws of the Game on the FA website (and we should all do this once in a while) it says under "Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct"..."Cautionable Offenses - A player is cautioned and shown the yellow card if he commits any of the following seven offenses...
1. unsporting behaviour
2. dissent by word or action
3. persistent infringement of the Laws of the Game
4. delaying the restart of play
5. failure to respect the required distance when play is restarted with a corner kick, free kick or throw-in
6. entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee?s permission
7. deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee?s permission"
Therefore, whilst it is still the referees opinion what constitutes a foul on Fellaini?s behalf. There is no doubt the ref did speak to him and would have said enough is enough. The one he gets the card for is going to be for persistence, not for one of the other offenses in the list of fouls. So it will look like a trivial yellow card, but the offense is persistent fouling.
Still, I?d have taken him off at half time...
Maybe it was a blessing is disguise... we?ll find out Monday!
He wasn't taken off at half-time because we were in control of the game, and a big reason for that was him being in midfield. If he?d gone off at half time theres a good argument to say the game would?ve changed in the second half and we may not have won.
As David Moyes said, the most important game is the one you?re playing and we needed 3 points on Saturday ? just because the next 2 games are against the RS, everyone's up in arms about it. If we were playing anyone else, people wouldn't give a shit.
It's silly.
I can?t agree with you about Neville either. My problem with Neville in midfield was when Carsley played in there with him, we had two defensive midfielders who couldn?t contribute going forward. I think he does a good job in there beside arteta and is the best defensive midfielder in our squad. Having said that, he is of course a better right back but at the moment, Hibbert at right full and Neville in the middle is working, why change it?
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment to Column articles, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
1 Posted 12/01/2009 at 00:11:08
Report abuse