COLUMNIST JIM HOURIGAN
Same old same old
Comments (29) : 4-5-1 as usual covering for the inadequacies of his midfield and defence, leaving 1 man up front who is not and, never will be, anybodys dogs body running his arse off to little point. People will slag the Yak for a lack of effort but the reality is you buy a CF to play in the box and score goals, not chase down hoofs that are pointless and lacking in quality. If you want someone to run around chasing lost causes then get Bent back or even AJ, but progress and quality - forget it. The Yak is a goalscorer who needs to do his work in and around the box, ask him to run around and when he gets half a chance - as he did at the start of the second half and he looks slow. Stop slagging off his work rate and begin to question the tactics that ask a goalscorer to run around on his own in a 4-5-1 system that offers little in the way of creativity and chances.
Then we have the midfield - I don't give a shit that Osman scored, his contribution was abysmal. He lost the ball all too often, was knocked off the ball with the slightest touch and was yards too slow. In the first half they played passes around him and ran off him - he was so slow that he actually gave up and left the back 4 to deal with attacking players. The lad is out of his depth against all but the bottom of the table sides. One of Moyes' untouchables sadly who does sweet FA against anyone of quality. In the 2nd half he disappeared completely, he has neither the pace or the strength to compete in the Premiership and can only offer limited contributions in a 4-5-1 system. Get shut of him quick.
Fellaini worked hard in the first half and probably won more headers today than he has done all season, but what the fuck was he doing in that role? He made his name as a defensive midfielder and DM plays him as some kind of pseudo attacking player just because he's 6'4" - really intelligent tactics from Moyes - I've got a tall player so we'll hit all these long ball to him so he can win flick ons just the way he learnt to play on the continent !!!! One dimensional tactics from Moyes.
Arteta was anonymous today but I'll live with poor games because he and Piennar are the only creative quality we have. Pienaar, I thought played and worked hard and was just about our best player, but how little quality there is around him- it's frightening. Rodwell also did reasonably well but as they pushed us further and further back in the second half he showed his inexperience, but I would not criticise him at all. However I will question why a young talented defender, who i think will become a quality Premiership player, is played out of position and left with little support around him.
As for the back 4, once again Hibbert looks out of his depth- is there another side in the top half of the table that would play him? I doubt it very much. He is completely unable to pass a football which begs the question how on earth has he made it as a professional footballer? The lad is utter garbage and for those of you reading this above the age of 25 who disagree can you tell me which Everton right back he is better than. 200 games and not 1 goal sums up his contribution.
For those who have been crying out for Baines I think your getting your chance. Yes he looks half decent going forward but do you feel confident in his defending? Does he have the pace and how good a defender is he really? I'm sorry but for me the jury is out and I'm not confident. Jagileka is 100% but sadly only 70% is quality, the rest is Champoinship defending and he's absolute garbage on the ball, I thought Hibbert was a shocking passer of a football but Jagielka runs him very close. The opposition stand off him until he has the ball under control (eventually) and then put him under pressure - gently - and hey presto he hoofs it to some imaginary player and we've lost possession.
Howard has gradually gone backwards from his start, just like he did at Manure, he is useless with crossing and his talking and organisation of the back 4 is non existent.
It all begs the question just what does Moyes and his team do in training and coaching?. Do they for instance try and coach Howard to be more dominant with crosses? do they try and coach Hibbert to pass or face the ball slightly angled so he can see where the players aound him are? Does he coach Jagielka to pass the ball to someone in the same coloured shirt? Does he set up practices that involve passing the ball forward through midfield rather than hoofing it? Does he practice playing with 4 in midfiled or any other combination apart from 4-5-1?
Sadly the answer to all of this is No, so what have we go for the next 5 years - same old same old garbage and one dimensional thinking. A good move for Everton? well not for me - his signing was a depressing act and whilst I was blue before and will be blue after him I'm so not looking forward to the next 5 years. And all for £17M !!!!!!!!
Reader Comments
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We have a serious problem here and we are not going to sort the problem until the manager decides to change things. Other teams have sussed us out, with an average of nearly three goals against per game. Jesus, what is the way forward? Tell you what ? it's not misery arse Moyes, but alas ? that's not our call.
You are right, Hibbo has to go, we desperately need a right back. The Yak looked good running with the ball, Arteta needs to be doing this too. Put Neville in at right back till January bring Yobo back into the centre of defence with Lescott and Jags further forward in the old Carsley role.
I think a big indication of the gap in quality was the way the Arse were able to counter-attack effectively while our lot could do no more than clear the danger by hoofing the ball away to allow them to attack again. Moyes needs to make the first move tactically against these teams... 70 mins before a sub came on: too late.
The change at half-time, Walcott for Toure, was surely going to change the Arsenal pattern and he needed to counter that move at the 55min mark. I would have gone with Vauhgan for Fellaini, and Neville for Hibbo. It's no good waiting for Wegner, Fergie, Big Phil, or the fat spanish waiter to make their move then counter; lead from the front and keep them thinking. Some good stuff out there today, but still some way to go yet.
A wholehearted player but more often than not a liability rather than an asset.
I read your article thnking you were watching the game from the inside of a post box or you?d somehow found an obstructive view. You seem completely oblivious to the fact that the Yak, "the goalscorer" once again failed to take an opportunity to wrap the game up, your reasoning that he?s too tired or slow because of earlier exertions is ridiculous.
You're also happy to overlook the fact that that a subdued Arsenal got back into the game as a direct result of his sloppy play. How many times will this get overlooked? Was it not Yakubu who breathed life into a dead and buried Newcastle last week? Again after missing several chances. When Yakubu did this in front of the kop last year to present Torres with the winner, I thought it was a one-off, but I can think of 3 occasions when wins have been thrown away this season as a direct result of his "couldn't give a fuck" attitude, this guy has cost us more points than Dai Davies!
God knows Tony Hibbert has his limitations, but he had a very solid game yesterday as too did the jag, Lescot and Arteta were once again slipped in and out of their respective comas, but like Yakubu they are above criticism.
Not many players will trick their way down the flank at Arsenal as often as Pienaar did yesterday and Fellaini played the entire first half in Arsenal's half. This was not a negative performance and we did not play hoofball, ? Arsenal actually hit more long balls than we did ? we tried to play, so let's encourage that.
I?m getting sick of one or two whipping boys always taking the blame when...
Arteta; the "skillful player" is showing no skill.
Lescott; the "class defender" isnt defending.
And Yakubu; "the goalscorer" isn't scoring.
These players need to take a long hard look at themselves and take responsibility on and off the pitch for what?s happened so far this season just as much as DM does.
He may have started out as a defender but that’s obviously not the positiion he is likely to play in the future. He has all the tools to be a top midfielder, I think we’ve already seen that. He’s far too talented to be wasted in a defensive position.
Why are people all of sudden making out like the 4-1-4-1 or the 4-5-1 formation is negative, it really isn’t and it’s served us well over the last year or two. Some of the best team in Europe use variations of that formation as it’s very fluid and interchangable.
I think this post is far to negative to be honest, It’s negative about every single little thing. I don’t mind negativity but I’d rather look at the bad things. 4-5-1, Tony Hibbert etc wheren’t the problems.
The problems where us surrendering in the second half and the fact that Moyes waited and waited to make a substitution. It was quite obvious we needed an outlet and Vaughan and Saha needed to replace Yakubu to give us a pacier more direct option.
Time we did something better with our lives.
This is my last post.
Secondly why on earth was Yak on the edge of his own box yesterday defending? I agree wholeheartedly that he is poor in that position as shown at Liverpool etc, so surely the answer is don?t ask him to do that job. How many players will tell you that a forward defending is a greater liability than having no forward there at all ? that's down to tactics and the manager's desire to defend. Forwards don?t make good decisions in those areas if you want someone to defend on the edge of his own box then play that type of player not a goalscorer.
Finally, and perhaps because I?m an ex-forward myself, I will maintain that running and chasing as a lone forward requires a particular type of player, someone like Davies at Bolton or Heskey ? a grafter who is unselfish and scores relatively few goals. That is not, and never will be, Yakubu. If you are chasing balls all day then the sharpness in the box is not as great and that was what I meant by slowness ie reactions and responses. I personally cannot think of a lone forward in the Premier League who takes on that roll and also scores 20 goals a season, can you?
THOSE DAYS ARE DEAD. I am 100 percent confident of us losing every match against the Sky 4 this season. The punters are as well, we were 9/1 to beat Arsenal yesterday that is a damning verdict from those who follow football.
Was it only 2 weeks ago when Hull took the game to Arsenal and won? Was there not a lesson to be learnt there?
My trouble with Moyes is that he makes too many mistake which directly cost us games. He doesn?t learn fom these mistakes. He needs to get given a much harder time by all involved at EFC ? he has it too cushy.
Every side we meet seems capable of putting us on the back foot far to easily. Even against the supposedly lesser sides we are unable to dominate a game. Our reputation for being solid is gone and anyone knows that we will leak goals. We are seen by every team in the Premier League as beatable. What a difference six months has made.
I cant help feeling you're being too lenient with the Yak. Yes, the error against Newcastle was 45 yards from goal but it was 15 seconds before the half-time whistle. Now I hate aimless football as much as the next man, but we?d done ok for 45 minutes, if he just helps that ball into the Newcastle half, no one complains and we win the game. Taylor is a very powerful man in the air and I really don't see how it gets to be Hibbert's fault
Against Blackburn, before the Yak gave away the injury-time free-kick that was to sink us, he actually had 2-3 hacks as he chased the Blackburn player, a young lad sat next to me was screaming "no foul" at him. The lad was only about 13 but he knew the danger, Yakubu didnt, he had another nibble and the ref had no option but to give the free kick.
Yesterday, Moyes almost certainly sent his team out in the second half telling them not to do anything silly, keep it very tight for 10 minutes. The Yak once again couldnt manage this.
Now you probably think I don't rate Yakubu; not so. As you say he?s a fine goalscorer; however, he hasn't been blessed with the greatest football brain. He does choose his moments; Neville, Howard or Hibbert usually take the blame though...
The like of Torres, Keane, Kuyt , Tevez, Rooney, Ronaldo and Drogba are all expected to work their arses off; I'm not sure why you think our boy should be any different. As a former midfield player ? of exceptional quality ? I can assure you Jim, the sight of your striker working his socks off to give you a breather really is a very welcome one.
He just doesn?t do it and he never will. Moyes knew that when he bought him, the majority of fans know that as well.
He just shouldn?t be back there in the first place, no strikers should unless they are useful at set pieces.
I do agree that he should be a little more wise in those situations, he seems to have a habit of switching off. The answer is to keep him foward for set pieces.
It was a joke . . . you know ? . . . . humour ?
You must be reffering to the fat one, you can't possibly mean the Man United player. And whilst I can agree with the rest of the names you mention, it has to be recognised that they are all world class.
The Yak isn't.
Ask any Utd fan, Rooney and Tevez do all his running, I’d actually say Ronaldo limits Rooney’s game because of his lack of effort. You’ll see Rooney chasing back down that right handside alot, covering Ronaldo.
Yakubu’s goalscoring record is top notch in the best League in the world mate, he’s the closest thing we have to world class.
Gareth ? No probs, it wasn't a funny joke anyway.
Sadly he doesn?t, Ronaldo is a very lazy player just like Yakubu. He doesn?t have to run because he delivers the goods, Yak does exactly the same for us. His goalscoring record for Everton Football Club is superb.
Yakubu does a lot more than score goals for me, he is a quality player. His hold-up play for one is very important.
And what do you mean he does a lot more than score goals ?
Hes not even scoring goals, HE KEEPS MISSSING !
He has got a few assists, unfortunately they’re for the opposition.
I would give him one more game to find his scoring boots - Man U - if he fails I’d bench him.
Moyes did this last year and guess what ? The minute Yakubu realised he wasnt an automatic choice the goals started to flow
Playng 4-5-1 is a major reason why we have had a disastrous start to the season. Yakubu can?t hold the ball up, win headers or chase down defenders. We are basically playing without a forward line. He must have a partner, either Vaughan or Anichebe. Then, just maybe, we can takle some pressure off the crap midfield we currently have.
And Hibbert has been a shite full back for the last 3 years, its nothing new.
I?m not sure that is the best way to go to be honest, I think we should keep him in there because eventually he will deliver the goods. He has scored 4 goals in 10 starts, I know he hasn?t scored in a few games but you don?t just drop your best striker every time he goes through a patch. Obviously just my opinion.
Dominic Duerden,
The 4-5-1 formation has nothing to do with our failures, it?s actually probably helped us not get beaten even more brutally. We just don?t have the midfield to play 4-4-2, we get overrun time and time again.
It?s quite obvious Yakubu can hold the ball up to be honest, he did for the first 30 minutes against Arsenal when we where giving him a chance to, when we where giving it to his feet.
We used it for the majority of the season last year, it worked very well. Our problems are because of the lack of organisation in the summer, the late signings and the piss poor football Moyes uses. 4-5-1 is the least of our problems, there?s nothing wrong with it.
That fucker needs to pull his socks up, concentrate and work hard... and score goals!
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1 Posted 19/10/2008 at 02:04:47
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It was the Arsenal fans that were booing at half-time I know the game lasts 90 minutes and the second half was a disappointment but there were positives to take from the first half.