FAN ARTICLES
Lack of Creativity or Energy or Both
Comments (16) : I think the above paragraphs are the consensus views of the fans but I believe that Moyes also feels the exactly same way.
When he loses Arteta he has been unsure how best to get the side to be creative ? there is no other like-for-like player in the squad. Ossie and Pienaar have not got the physical strength to dictate play and Fellaini hasn?t yet demonstrated that he can fill the role. Neville and Rodwell are both defensive-minded.
Cahill surprised us all when he managed against Middlesborough to dictate the play in the first 15 mins of the second half and we scored 2 quality goals. He unfortunately then faded. And when we loses Arteta, it's like losing the brain of the team. We can cope without Arteta with Cahill in the side ?but as we all know our goals tend to be from set pieces rather than creative open football.
When we lose Cahill, we lose the only player who gets under the opposition noses, the only player capable of surprise in their box and quite frankly the heart of the team. Again, we have no like-for-like replacement. Once again, we can just about cope when Arteta is playing, but only just (stats show we miss Cahill more than Arteta); maybe just maybe Gosling can do this role in a season or so.
Moyes basically loves the 4-4-1-1 system, where Cahill is the either of the 1s depending on whether Jô or Fellaini is playing. When he loses Cahill he either goes 4-5-1 or more often now 4-4-2 (as today). What is clear is that 4-4-2 doesn?t suit us with the players we have left: Osman, Pienaar, Neville, Fellaini, Rodwell and Gosling.
Going 4-4-2 leaves us floundering in midfield. It's absolutely clear at the moment that Fellaini is lost big time when asked to play the centre midfield forward/creator position. Jô and Saha don?t have the energy or drive to make things happen up front and we as a team visibly weaken when the going gets tough.
With the players available to us now, the following are in my humble opinion the best teams to send out on the basis of Cahill playing or not playing:
Howard
Hibbert, Jags, Lescott, Baines
Gosling, Neville, Fellaini, Pienaar
Cahill
Saha
Or without Cahill:
Howard
Hibbert, Jags, Lescott, Baines
Gosling, Neville, Osman , Pienaar
Fellaini
Saha
Whilst we all acknowledge that losing players of the like Yakubu, Vaughan, Saha (3 months) has caused us difficulties, all have been overcome in the long recent run by basically Cahill, and Fellaini. Losing both Arteta and Cahill is an act too far ? we cannot perform without them and Moyes needs to act in the close season to have at least one back-up ? I?d say another Arteta is a must. I?m only saying that as I don?t see another Cahill anywhere else around, he is unique.
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Also not marking Crouch at the set pieces didn’t help.
We have had our ball-players, Arteta, Osman Pienaar and Cahill, and young players Fallaini, Anichebe and Rodwell ? kicked out of games by Newcastle, Bolton and Portsmouth... and no protection by refs. Arteta... not his main injury [accident] but many bad tackles over a time.
We really sorely lack a central creative midfielder, hope Moyes can address this. Someone like Diego, Moutinho, Gourcuff? I don?t think we can afford these but surely there must be some cheaper variants out there. We?ve been missing someone who can hold the ball in the centre since Mikky went out.
We can?t really bemoan our luck any more. Injuries are part of the game. Our problem is the inability of decent (Premier League class) players like Osman and Pienaar to apply themselves admirably and and potentially shine with a full side out, but they are never going to be the class difference in tight games. We can vilify them all we like for this but it?s simply not in their locker to be ?the difference?. This doesn?t mean they are deadwood or we should sell them, they are important parts of the team/squad they just don?t have that extra class.
Of the others on the pitch yesterday I think Saha has proved he does have that extra class but was starved of service. Fellaini is not a midfielder. He may of been brought in as this but his most effective displays have been in behind the striker where his physical presence can be felt and his link play does more damage. I believe he can be the difference in shit games like yesterday but not from a central position.
We all know there won?t be much funds again in the summer. I'd be quite happy with two quality additions (loans or permanent): 1) someone capable of dictating play from the centre; 2) a quality winger. Arguments can be made for other areas of the pitch but these two have to be prioritised if we want to go to places like Portsmouth and have players who make that difference.
A perfect analysis of our current position, which is so reminiscent of just about all our seasons when the lack of depth in our squad is so evident.
The problem with the side is that we have gone back to having no pace going forward. Baines and Pienaar are fleet of foot but they are more often than not relied upon to provide the passes for others to run on to. Saha is still not at full fitness and getting through games at half pelt. Perhaps a full pre-season will see him pick up the pace.
Gosling has pace and drive but I sense both he and Rodwell were experiencing burn out in the latter stages of the Newcastle game. They need to continue developing physically.
I think the side is definitely creaking. Since Arteta?s loss the performances have not been consistent. We did Stoke over for 45 minutes but as soon as Cahill went off the second half was a non-event. The games against Blackburn, West Brom and now Portsmouth ran through a similar vein.
We have some crunch fixtures coming up. Wigan looked like a physical side today and Villa and Chelsea are in the same vein. I fear more physical bullying. Ironically, the one game where our midfield should be free of being trampled is the FA Cup Semi.....
We?ve seen enough of Osman this season to confirm he?s at best a bench player. As for Fellaini, I just don't know what he brings to the table except yellow cards.
A fit Arteta needs to have two strong midfielders with him to work his magic. Neville?s done well but still think he?s a right back.
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1 Posted 21/03/2009 at 23:40:43
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