ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Poor planning?

I wonder if David Moyes should be taking more criticism for our lack of striking options this season. I know most of us were fairly happy to see McFadden and Johnson leave (as I write this AJ slots home for Fulham) and nobody could have predicted the terrible injury to befall the Yak. However we did enter the season with only three strikers and arguably just one proven Premier League striker. The addition of Saha has proven redundant as expected, it didn't take a genius to work out Vaughan wouldn't last long and most of us agree Anichebe is a Championship player at best.

So, despite some good performances of late and the unbelievable adaptability of Tim Cahill (an American analyst compared him to Totti at Roma last night), surely Moyesy should be taking a bit more criticism for the move to a 4-6-0 instead of being revered as some sort of tactical genius for playing a formation forced upon him, which I think we agree will not see us play the football and create the chances to ultimately trouble the top 4/5 this season.

So is it poor planning and a failure to do his job or am I just being too harsh on our esteemed leader?

ps: Did you see Beattie scored the winner today? No real reference to the above comment but personally I will be happy to see him score some goals and keep Stoke up, he did work his socks off for us!
Rich Williams, Stamford, CT, USA Posted 31/01/2009 at 12:21:42

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Duncan McDine
1 Posted 31/01/2009 at 16:59:45

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What a surprise... someone’s having a go at Moyes, despite the fact that we’ve turned around the horrible start to the season, and look well on our way to cementing a European spot again. Some of you fellas are just unbelievable, it makes me laugh.

You sound like a Setanta/Sky/5Live reporter talking about us playing 4-6-0 formation - what a bag of shite that overused comment is. Cahill is playing up front with the big fella supporting. That’s our normal 4-4-1-1... what don’t you understand?

COYB... big win against the Mancs today!

Rich Williams
2 Posted 31/01/2009 at 17:27:30

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Duncan, I am actually a Moyes supporter and am happy to have him despite the odd limitation. However whichever way you look at, and whether you call it a 4-4-1-1 a 4-5-1 or a 4-6-0, we do not have a fit proven Premier League striker available and haven?t for a while and I am just asking the question who?s fault is that? I don?t see any of the other top 6 with as weak a striking options as us and unfortunately despite some great backs to the wall performances of late I feel our lack of front men is going to cost us a true assault on the top 4 this season.

COYB!

Davie Turner
3 Posted 31/01/2009 at 18:51:52

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Exactly which top class prem standard striker was another team going to pay us to take off their hands?

Rich Williams
4 Posted 31/01/2009 at 18:58:50

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As I alluded to, I actually am really happy with the team, I think the fact that we can keep good possession against teams (see arsenal and today’s match stats - I would like to do it against Liverpool Wed) is real progress and Moyes deserves credit. I am just frustrated that we don’t have a big enough squad to have that quality striker to finish off our midfield play, my reason for the post was to pose the question whether this is Moyes’s fault or not? I thought it might be interesting to view people’s opinions on it and I guess from the response so far the general feeling is it is not his fault...........

Jason Broome
5 Posted 31/01/2009 at 19:34:49

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You know when an article is poor when the author has to write at great lengh to defend it!

To sum up your article, Moyes should be criticised for not consulting the psychics. For once can someone provide a solution instead of pointless opinionated whinging!

Brian Waring
6 Posted 31/01/2009 at 19:40:39

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Thing is Rich, we didn’t, and still don’t have a pot to piss in.

Stig Meacham
7 Posted 31/01/2009 at 20:05:05

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Message removed for stupidity. Stig ? Stop posting crap like that please, we're trying to have a reasonably sensible post-match discussion.

Matthew Lovekin
8 Posted 31/01/2009 at 20:10:21

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Hindsight is a wonderful thing isn’t it?

You couldn’t have predicted Yakubu’s injury and that is just pure bad luck. Saha was a good signing as we were desperate for a striker late August and he was free for a player of his undoubted ability. Unfortunately he has just struggled with injuries but as I said we were desperate and anything we do get out of him is a bonus.

As for Vaughan and Anichebe, I always thought as they were both 20 years old now and been around for a few seasons it was always going to be make or break season for both of them. They both had to be given an opportunity so hence the sales of McFadden and Johnson. Vaughan has again struggled with injuries and we are going to have to make a decision whether he is going to make it or not due to injuries. Anichebe, I’m afraid is not up to a top 6 club standard and he needs to be replaced.

After the Man Utd game, we have a decent defence but lacking a quality attack. Our priority this summer must be a quality all-round forward. I’m hopeful that Baxter will be that forward but we can’t take that for granted and we need a striker for the start of next season. With a new creative striker alongside the goal-poacher Yakubu, and getting anything out of Saha and Vaughan will be a decent strikeforce for next season with Baxter on the fringes.

Ray Robinson
9 Posted 31/01/2009 at 21:03:52

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Well in defence of the author, which manager was it that gambled a whole half season with only James Beattie as an out and out striker? I know that you can’t foresee injuries but we’ve had 5 weeks to buy / loan a striker in the transfer window. Poor planning if you ask me.

Gerard Harkin
10 Posted 31/01/2009 at 21:32:59

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Anichebe is at the very best mid-table championship quality ? no harm to the guy, I can hardly kick a ball straight, but he is just dire in a Premier League game!

As for Vaughan, it's time everyone woke up to him as well; 4 good games a season is NOT good enough for a top 6 team. And as for the nonsense about AVDM, he has never done it for us and never will, end of!

Davy doesn't do my job and I'm not going to tell him how to do his, he sees AVDM every day and knows his ability better than me and doesn't pick him so that's good enough for me! Anichebe ONLY gets a game because Davey has NO-ONE else to pick!

Trevor Lynes
11 Posted 01/02/2009 at 13:10:17

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I'm afraid we were in the USA playing friendlies while other teams were buying players. Our fat CEO resigned and suddenly it was nearly the window closing time!! DM should have left the USA trip to Steve Round and made sure he had some imput at home regarding getting players in. I still reckon Fellaini was way over priced and a bit of a panic buy.

It was really embarrasing to see our bench looking like a creche at the start of the season... our recovery has been miraculous and the defence has been heroic. BUT we still are short of numbers and the other players we have brought in have either joined the long-term injured or won't cut it in the Premier League. I would give Gosling a start and rest Osman for at least one game and see if he can ?swim?. He has ball control and energy plus he is physically stronger than Ozzie.