ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Where has Castillo been?

I've just watched the full 90 minutes of the City game on TV and I'm left wondering, where has Castillo been? He had a stormer. He played like Carsley at his best plus calm accurate passing. The rest of the lads played their best football of the season so far in my opinion but Castillo shone like a beacon.
Vincent Lysaght, Northwich Posted 13/12/2008 at 14:07:59

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Lyndon Lloyd

He was a little tentative at times for me and it shouldn't be forgotten that it was his loose pass that allowed Wight-Phillips to drive through and graze the bar in the second half. But he impressed me on the whole, just as he did when he first arrived and I'd like to see him get a run in the side to establish himself but I'm not sure Moyes feels there is room for him when Cahill is I'm midfield. No doubt he'll get another chance when Fellaini amasses 10 bookings... As inevitable as daybreak tomorrow!

John Charles
1 Posted 13/12/2008 at 20:58:23

He?s a bit careless at times on the ball... perhaps though he just needs some games to adjust to the pace of the game here ? just like Fellaini.

I agree with what others have said... Moyes needs to stop picking his best 11 players when they are all fit and instead pick his best balanced team. Be it Neville, Carsley or Castillo, we are much much better with a holding defensive midfielder and a 4-5-1.

Dave Taylor
2 Posted 13/12/2008 at 21:58:39

There are 2 bandwagons that currently need dismantling and put in a deep land fill site..

1. ?Castillo is what we have been missing? ? wrong. He is very naive defensively and has no positional sense. What we have been missing is belief and confidence ? we look like we have this back.

2. ?We should get rid of Areta!? ? baffling. One of the best midfielders at the club ? always wants the ball and is getting better and better.

To get rid of a player who is coming up to their peak and who has been extremely loyal to a team who has been up and down would be, in my opinion, stupidity. Keep this lad and keep him in centre-mid. We would probably get about £8-10mill for him, we couldn't get a player anywhere near him to replace him using the proceeds from his sale.

We played some excellent football today and played with our hearts AND heads ? as fans we can?t ask for any more than that.

Tom Campbell
3 Posted 13/12/2008 at 22:22:15

Dave Taylor, I have to agree with everything you say about Arteta but I think you?re a bit harsh in Castillo. Everyone said Fellaini was shit in the first couple of games, but after he played 5 or 6 in a row he's everyone's God now. Don?t be foolish and judge him on one performance, At least give the lad time and then, if he's shit, throw Rodwell into the hole!

Dave Taylor
4 Posted 13/12/2008 at 22:38:03

I take you view on board re the number of games Castillo has played ? I am not judging him on this game alone, in fact he might have had one of his better games today (and that's saying something)! He just hasn?t given me any signs of being a decent Premier League player whenever I have seen him play for us or Ecuador ? whereas Fellaini at least looked like he had the class in him if he could be arsed, he now appears to realise he needs to work to a certain level in this league.

Simon Johnson
5 Posted 13/12/2008 at 22:39:27

Vincent, I really couldn?t disagree with you more. Having just been to the City of Manchester stadium this afternoon, I have to say that Castillo was shocking, his passing was pathetic, he was out of position more often than not, he can?t put a challenge in to save his life, and if you think that performance was worthy of being compared to Carsley then may I suggest you take a look at any EFC game from last year that Carsley played in and then offer an apology to Lee Carsley for insulting him!!!

Dave Taylor
6 Posted 13/12/2008 at 22:50:47

Simon Johnson ? at last... someone who seems to have seen the same game and player as me!

Tom Campbell
7 Posted 13/12/2008 at 23:49:48

Yes, I agree with you on that. I would judge after a few consecutive games but I think he needs to be more aggressive.

Connor Rohrer
8 Posted 13/12/2008 at 23:54:52

His positioning is still a bit off but he needs to adapt to the League. In Europe defensive midfielders can back off but here it?s more about closing down. It?s expected really, he?s only played 5 games in this League.

In the second half he improved though. Won some important tackles, kept the ball well bar one or two sloppy passes and closed down better.

He?s isn?t a bad player at all, he could be useful to us. Him playing gave Arteta the freedom to play. Having a TOP CLASS central midfielder like Mikel alonside him was also a big help.

Mark Cassin
9 Posted 14/12/2008 at 06:40:44

It actually looked as though he was playing in a ’free role’ and had no idea what he should be doing at all.

He obviously has some technical ability but is used to a different game. Should be played in the reserves a few times more and told how to close people down.

Mark Pendleton
10 Posted 14/12/2008 at 09:31:27

I think Castillo needs time to adapt and he hasn?t played or been available as I think he had been injured whilst on international duty. Chances are, if we get Saha or Vaughan fit and have no more injuries, he?ll be out of the side next week but it is only a matter of time until Fellaini is suspended again!

Fred Ove Olsen
11 Posted 14/12/2008 at 11:21:51

Rodwell is a better tackler and is faster too run back if we loose the ball.

Steve Burns
12 Posted 14/12/2008 at 11:45:31

People are so harsh on certain players... Baines, Van der Meyde, Castillo ? anyone who doesn?t play regularly but when they finally get a game and make the slightest mistakes, because they?re under such pressure to perform, one bad pass and they?re out of the team, whereas Fellaini, Lescott, Pienaar, Yobo, Neville etc constantly get away with bad mistakes and people don?t draw any attention to those. Every professional footballer misplaces passes ? it doesn?t mean they're bad. Castillo is what we have been lacking in midfield ? a player who gives the others more freedom.

Nabey Kidd
13 Posted 14/12/2008 at 12:02:07

Dave Taylor - spot on about Castillo.

Not sure whether the rest of the guys who watched the game were actually watching the same game.

Castillo was by far the worst Everton player on the pitch today. Misplaced passes, illtimed tackles, illjudged attempts at interception, absolutely no positional discipline.....in fact, if he did his job half as well as a CDM should, Mikel would probably have done far more in the part of the pitch where damage can be done.

Having said that, I would like to see him in this position for 3-4 games before passing judgment. Hopefully, he?ll be half the man Carsley was!

John Power
14 Posted 14/12/2008 at 13:20:12

I?m not going to slag the lad off because I?m sure he tries his best and maybe he does need time to adjust but quite simply I don't think he?s good enough.

His passing is sloppy (eg, SWP chance) and positional sense is poor. I don't think he was terrible yesterday and did ok but I think you can see that, if we are going to move forward, it will not be with Castillo.

And to say he was like Carsley at his best... definitely not for me!

Brian Waring
15 Posted 14/12/2008 at 13:58:21

Strange bunch us Evertonians. Those people who slagged off Fellaini, were told to give the lad a chance, because he needed time to adapt to the prem, then Castillo makes a rare appearance, (and had a decent game from where I was sat) but is condemned.

Here?s a thought, why not judge him after he has had a fair crack of the whip, like Fellaini has been given? The funny thing for me is, that when they both started games early on in the season, Castillo actually looked the better player out of the two. Excellent performance by the lads yesterday, well deserved.

Colin Moyles
16 Posted 14/12/2008 at 14:20:47

Funny how we all see things so differently. For me, Castillo was shite ? a little boy lost most of the time; I would prefer Rodwell in that role every time. Regardless of yesterday?s result, if Moyes persists with that line-up against Chelsea, we shall get obliterated.

Colin Garland
17 Posted 14/12/2008 at 14:41:21

Whether you think Castillo was good or bad, we really need to get behind our players at this moment in time. Last summer's lack of transfer activity left most Evertonians bewildered by the fact that we hadn?t recruited a viable alternative to Lee Carsley, this despite the late signing of Fellaini (who in my opinion will grow to be an outstanding midfielder after a season or two in the Premier League).

After Carsley's departure, the team structure became severely dented and this was evident through some poor early season displays (I still cringe when I think how poor we were in the derby). I believe that with a functional forward, yesterday's win at Man City could well of been more convincing (how we could have done with a Johnson or McFadden).

Sadly, this means that Everton FC will potentially do one of two things come the January transfer window:

1. Claim that we really don?t have any money ? leaving Moysey to again declare that he is satisfied with the squad he has got, or

2. Make an attempt to acquire an on-loan signing of a forward, probably someone of the Marcus Bent mold.

Sadly this will mean that once again we will miss the opportunity to acquire that all neccessary defensive midfielder that good teams seem to be built around (something that Phil Neville is not before somebody suggests it), and despite my comments I do actually believe that we should be looking around this country for this type of player as British midfielders tend to be more grit than flare (eg. Carsley/Reid). As this seems unlikley to happen the best thing we can all do is get behind our team, support Moysey's choices and give them all the support we can regardless of whether it is Castillo or anybody else. COYB

Lewie Lett
18 Posted 14/12/2008 at 17:59:38

I think he gives the ball away too much.... JR should be in there.... good strike in the Leige game... never done anything to impress me, although I wouldn't tell him any of that to his face!

Steve Burns
19 Posted 14/12/2008 at 20:19:48

If it were up to some Evertonians we wouldn?t have a team. I wouldn?t even say he had a bad game yesterday, he was brought in last minute, he?s hardly played in the Premier League this season. If you're a defensive midfielder, talk about being thrown in at the deep end with Man City.

The only real reason people are on his back is because of the Wright Phillips shot. Now correct me if I?m wrong, didn?t he just hit the ball and hope for the best from 30 yards? Testament if you ask me for our team?s overall defensive performance, which Castillo contributed hugely to. And don?t forget, he was responsible for the corner that won us the game and cleared the danger right at the end when it looked like we may be in for a repeat of Villa.