FAN ARTICLES
Overconfident Manager!

Look at the YAK. He can be lazy, but I think that in our team he is the guy that knows best how to score goals. Maybe even better than David Moyes (DM). Then, it is useless to shout every possible instruction to him.
The point that I am trying to make is that I am afraid that DM is dishing out too many instructions to his players, not only from the dugout but in training as well, that the latter become oblivious on the pitch.
I see Neville, Hibbo, Yobo, Jagielka and Yobo as good defenders for our club. However, I do see that sometimes they panicked and concede the goals as they have for the last few games. The problem maybe that they are told so much by DM that their brain stop functioning and they react only to instructions for situations that they have been trained for, and are panicked in situations that they have not been trained to face.
The other day I was watching Wigan playing Man. City. Obviously there was a difference of £100M between the two in favor of Man City (just like DM alluded to the difference of £100M between LFC and us). But Wigan came on top, partly because they were lucky but mostly because they were industrious, passionate, powerful, and intelligent with the ball. Valencia?s shot on goal was an absolute screamer. Compare their less expensive midfielders to ours. They know how to shoot and their shots from midfield caused a lot of problem to Man City. Ours do not know how to shoot. Now, Wigan doesn?t have the Yak, Saha, Arteta, Cahill, Yobo, Lescott, Howard, or a £15M tall midfielder. So we better learn how they did it. How about Hull?s performance against Arsenal FC? They played with their heart. Sadly, in our games so far, I have not seen our players showing too much passion for our cause except for the tiring Osman and aging Neville.
What is causing our players to be less skillful, less passionate, monotonous, playing simple slow passes if they are not playing hoof ball? The problem maybe is that their each and every move is being dictated by a man who thinks he knows everything.
Imagine being a college student. What happens when your Professor overlooks your intelligence and creativity, hardly listens to you, and keeps telling you everything as if you know nothing? I am sure you would prefer a better treatment from that Professor.
I believe DM needs a reality check and/or self assessment. He has good players at his disposal that should be able to secure UEFA football every season coupled with good cup runs. He should see himself as a coach; as someone who helps his players to achieve their potential. It is no use to be yelling at them everything that they need to do. They have brains and for god sake their brains is worth £50,000 a week!
I am not saying that DM is doing everything the wrong way. But I hope that he realizes the potential of his players and let them take charge of proceedings on the pitch. He needs to strike a balance between dishing instructions and letting the players express their natural abilities.
On a side note (I know this has been discussed tirelessly on Toffeeweb), I think DM is, to a great extent, responsible for our current mess. First, he spends the best part of summer moaning about the club?s lack of funds. Second, he plays hardball on his contract. These two things have a destabilizing effect in the minds of our players and caused our Chairman to ridicule himself. Bill has always showed unconditional support to Moyes, and it would have been respectful if DM would have come clean over his contract issues and stop whining how the club can?t meet his expectations. Maybe he does not think that way, but his actions are making me believe that he thinks he is too good for Everton. Should he be reminded that the likes of Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley (they were once considered for the England post) are without a club at the moment? I have no doubt that he is a highly capable man, but I hope he contains his self confidence.
Finally, by my statistics, every time Phil Neville talks to the press either about how good we are or how we will tear to pieces (or put the house in order against) our next opponent, we tend to lose. My captain, please do all the talking on the pitch only. Plus, the odd times that Osman plays a good game (like he played at Hull), he brags about it in the press, and we lose the next game. So Leon, please put a string of such performances in a row before you talk big next time.
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
Speaking after Liverpool inflicted a third successive home defeat on Everton, Moyes, whose current deal expires next summer, said: "Possibly it is spreading uncertainty through the club, yes, and it is something that needs to be addressed. I think both parties are aware that it has to be sorted, it has to be done, and hopefully there will be some news soon.
"I?ve been sitting waiting on [a revised contract] coming back from the club for quite a while now. But I am not unsettled by it personally. When the manager?s position is uncertain then uncertainty can come into the club but that is not the reason for today?s performance or the ones before. I agree it doesn?t help."
Moyes returned what Everton officials believed would be the final draft of his new contract earlier this month. When asked if it was up to the Everton board to end the saga by offering an amended contract, the Scot added: "Something like that, yes."
Read into it what you will, I guess. As far as your player ratings/hatreds, it?s subjective, too.
I?ve seen a lot of opinions, but all weekend I?ve seen no answers, just bitches. You empty brooks babble loudest, no doubt.
A ?reality check? would go both ways, I?d have to think.
Moyes now has the most quality he?s ever had at Everton but ironically this season we?ve seen some of the worst Everton performances during his reign. We?re underachieving and both the manager and the players must take the blame for that.
For me it?s impossible, without being involved with the team, to know exactly why we?re playing so badly. I can only really write about what I see and that?s the players on the pitch. I am bitterly disappointed with Howard, Lescott, Yobo and Arteta, I think they?ve all been dreadful thus far this season. I don?t like to pick on the Yak too much because after all he?s scored three times already this year and that?s what he?s paid to do, but that?s all he does and I can?t help but wonder whether it?s enough. I was really cheesed off with his dive after he?d beaten Skyrtil into a goalscoring opportunity.
The Wigan comparison is a sad but relative comparsion to make. We have a far better midfield on paper but that’s about it.
Arteta should be beating more men and shooting at least 5 times per game, we are often lucky if he shoots once in 90 mins.
Osman is good in central midfield but wasted on the left due to his pace (Or lack of it).
Fellaini has not had a chance to shine as he spend most game looking up in the air wondering why the ball is 40ft above him.
Castillo (After some really good perfromances) has been dropped in favout of an ageing right back just because he is Moyes star pupil.
Cahill is doing what he can but let’s face it, is under too much pressure to support any scraps that the frustrated Yak can supply after he has attempted to win 100 headers against defenders well over 6ft.
Saha must be wondering why he did not stay on the United bench earning more money than he does whilst sat on our bench.
The only defenders that could afford to even look themselves in the mirror on Saturday night were Hibbert and Jagielka.
Some people critisise Howard, well playing behind the RIDICULOUSLY SLOW and dozy Lescott, the water treading Yobo and motormouth has-been Neville must surely force a blind panic on any ’keeper, and it’s clear to see that if teams are getting several one-on-ones per game with any ’keeper then they are gonna score at least a couple of them.
I feel sorry for Fellaini, Castillo, Cahill, Osman, Saha, Yakubu and Howard.
I am just annoyed with Yobo, Lescott, Neville, Arteta and Baines.
And Moyes........bugger off please!!!!!
If you look carefully, more often than not, you will find that there are midfield players available and in space to take a pass but it’s now become instinctive for our defenders not to even look for a short pass.
Moyes must have instructed long ball tactics, if not then he would have put a top to it long ago, instead, he clearly embraces it.
not make himself available whenever
our defence had the ball.On the odd occasion he did there didnt appear to be any thought about getting it again(ie MOVING)I hope im wrong but he looks terrible.
I’m not buying your defence of Howard. At least 2, if not all, of the recent 3 own goals could have been avoided if he only communicated to the defence. Not alot to ask of an internaional keeper, is it?
Now some managers instruct their teams to build from the back and patiently create the openings to attack but our manager likes are players to hit are attack quickly and feed of the knock-downs and then build from there but it's clearly not working, teams are sussing us out and its time Moyesy reverted to playing differently by starting to build through midfield instead of bypassing it.
Another thing that pisses me off is the closing down of the team, the way they stand of teams is ridiculous, if I was playing with the way we stand off and give space then id dominate games from midfield too never mind Gerrard and Alonso! What makes Everton think they don't have to close teams down and put that kind of shift in, even the the top teams in are league all close the opposition down and dont give teams the time to play there football so what makes us think we dont need to put teams under pressure and that we can give them all the time in the world to play there football?!!
The one thing we used to be really good at was working hard as a team and closing down the oppositon and not giving them an inch and we used to do that to make up for the lack of quality in the side but now we seem to think we've got enough quality in the side not to put that kind of effort in but it's those kinds of basics we've got to get back to so that we can start turning are season around.
We've got to get back to being hard to beat because at the minute, and I don't want to admit it, were not playing well enough to get results, maybe if we change are ethos and start playing a different brand of football and not hoofball then the likes of Fellaini, Castillo, Arteta, Yakubu, Osman and others might show up better for us and start to perform at the standard we know there capable of!! Come on Moyesy, its time you got your finger out or you?ll be out!!!!
’David Moyes, who has gone on to be a real success with Everton, was in his first permanent managerial position back then, as Sheridan is at Oldham now. In Gregan’s experience, both are ambitious, like to get the ball down and play with width and always look to try to win a game, never simply to avoid defeat.’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2008/09/gregan_leading_the_dads_army_a.html#037327
1 Posted 29/09/2008 at 08:14:17
Report abuse
I know when I crossed the white line, I would listen to the manager, understand my instructions and play the game, however, my play was largely of my own doing, you rarerly hear comments from the touchline or are too focused to respond. I gernerally felt able to make my own footballing descision on the pitch.
I doubt they act on every word coming from Moyes in the dugout.
Also, as a manager, I know 80% of what I shout is tactical and reminders, I let the lads play, I pick them because they can or cant make certain decisions at the right times, thats what makes them good or bad footballers. Most of what I shout though is probably not heard or taken on board and parked somewhere.