FAN ARTICLES

A Winning Formula?

Our first signing of the summer has been tied up and Steve Round has completed his move to Everton from Newcastle. Alan Irvine, Moyes's first assistant, has been missed a lot since he left and I think that the results from the last 6 or so games proved this. But who can begrudge him a shot at being manager of one of the biggest Championship clubs, Preston North End?

Alan Irvine was a winger in his playing days. We could do with a decent winger next season in my opinion. One who could feed the Yak. Now last season, with Moyes and Irvine in charge, we were strong at the back with Jag's, Yobo and Joey Lescott and we had Cahill, Arteta, and Osman, who had a great season last campaign. Who can forget that goal in the Uefa Cup? Then upfront we were feeding the Yak and scoring. For three months of the season we were playing the best football I've seen in my whole life at Goodison. I don't want to compare it to the 80s because I wasn't alive then but my Dad says it was just as good as the times when Peter Reid and Trevor Steven were feeding Sharpy.

However, as I mentioned before, some of the football last season was awful. Hoofball was an understatement. Our defence was sound but our attack seemed non-existent with AJ running wide and Yak not seeming to be able to hit a cows arse with a banjo. Moyes is a fantastic manager and he has shown his coaching attributes defensively by the amount of goals conceded this year. It's no coincidence that since he's been in charge, clean sheets have been increased ten-fold.

I've done some research into Steve Round and found out that he was a full back at Derby County until an injury ended his playing career and he went on to become Newcastle's assistant manager. I don't want to be pessimistic but, like Moyes, he was a defender in his playing days and usually defensive players tend to be defensive managers ? Brian Robson, Steve Bruce to name but a couple.

Spurs have got the right idea I think. A strict disciplinarian Juande Ramos in charge with a touch of flair alongside him in Gus Poyet. Spurs may've conceded a few goals last season but they scored just as many with some fantastic football all around the park. Yes, they have more money than we do, but I think the style of football a team plays is more to do with the type of management the players are given than the players them selves. Anyone can hoof the ball 70 yards to the striker... equally just as anyone can look for the nearest blue shirt and play neat one-twos to feet. Arsenal do this fantastically, the pass-and-move style they play is excellent on the eyes. I think that this just proves that it's more down to tactics than the calibre of player involved.

Now Steve Round seems to have some great qualities as a coach which I don't doubt for one minute. My only question would be are they any different to the qualities Moyes already possesses? He has built up a great spirit throughout the squad and management,which make us a team extremely difficult to break down. But to break into that top four, you also need to posses flair and quality which we showed in spells last season. Arteta provides this; so does Osman, but all too often, when we are struggling or have a few injuries, the ball gets launched in the air towards a striker who isn't that tall.

Now I know the old saying ?If you don't concede, you can't loose.? which is very true. But ?If you don't score, you won't win.? But I think it's time to decided what we want. Should we take a risk and play it on the floor? Or should we cut out the middleman and send it forward in the air, knowing that we won't concede many because Lescott and Yobo are at the back?

All I know is that I wish Steve all the best and hopefully next year we'll be playing like the class of the eighties week-in, week-out.

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