The Mail Bag
Saturday
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Just a thought for Saturday: we should rest Timmy and start Jo as Timmy has just been named in the Australian squad and he will have to fly to Japan... it will mean when we get him back he will have played 1 match less and might not be as knackered if he had played on Saturday.
I am not saying this because I am a proud Aussie and all we need is 1 point next week to become the 1st team to qualify for the World Cup.
Doug Walters, Posted 02/02/2009 at 23:11:49
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In a perfect world we could rest him but we can?t afford to drop points either. I would at least have him on the bench.
Plus even if we loose the next qualifying match, all we need is one point over the next couple.
Seeing as this isn?t happening, I?d rather he didn?t travel at all.Bolton on the 7th, Japan on the 11th then Villa (presumably) on the 15th sounds fairly strenuous.
Either way, he plays against Bolton ? you don?t throw a new signing into the deep end against one of the most physical sides in the league, we need Timmy to give it right back to them.
I just hope that Jo gets decent support because he will never be the type of player to use as a lone striker... Arteta should move further upfield and support Fellaini, Cahill and Jo when we play at home especially.
Cahill plays against Bolton then conveiniently gets injured in the last 5 minutes missing the Japan game.
To give the impression that Australia only has to turn up in Yokohama for it win is a big mistake. In our previous match on a neutral ground they gave us a football lesson and a two-nil beating. This time they are on home turf with huge and very partisan crowd.
Other things that weigh against Australia: its players will have no more than a few hours' pre-game practice while the Japs have been in a training camp for weeks. To be also considered is that our players will be travelling from mid-winter Europe into monsoonal humidity. Further woes include genuine injuries to front line players Kewell, Viduka and Emerton. There may be others that I don?t know about.
If at all possible it would be better with Tim's help to clinch qualification in Yokohama and save him making 4 much longer trips for extra games in Australia.
Another thing is that a return flight to Japan is approx 9000km less than the one to Oz, or the equivalent of an extra day away from Goodison. If you want attract and keep top players, they should not be expected to put club before country. In Tim's case, he has made plain that he would crawl over broken glass for that honour and no good will come from any ploy that stops him.
To me and most blues, Everton is all that matters.
The international problem is a double-edged sword. If we produce players that are internationals then we get extra coverage in the media and also increase the players worth to the club (financially). On the other hand you only have to see what happened to Shrek, as soon as he became an international, he had his head turned by all the ?big-time charlies?.
Tim Cahill was an international when we bought him and the club knew he'd be playing games on the other side of the world. I don't like it, but that's the way it is.
Everton comes first, absolutely and unequivocally IMHO.
Fuck the international football off altogether. I was never that keen on it in the first place, but my attitude towards it worsenend after the ’Southall incident’ in 1986. And the tapping up and so on.
But that’s just my opinion.
If it is true that most Evertonians think as you suggest, we should advise all players including academy kids to cut out any fanciful ideas they may have about international honours. My advice would be not to stand near the exit door. Times may be a bit of a struggle for our club but do we really have to be so bloody small-minded?
Moyes has always said he?d never stop a player representing his country so I wouldn?t worry Dick, and despite being of Samoan heritage Cahill seems very passionate about Australia.
Naturally, the club manager would ideally wish the player make himself available for all the competitive games of the Club (since the Club pays the massive wages ? and in this case the chance for Tim to play on the highest stage for a magnificent club on the up, steeped in glorious history in the ?best league in the word?!) Likewise, the player would wish to represent his country in key qualifiers and major international tournaments.
I guess it is up to Tim whether he thinks Australia are good enough to get the draw they need without dragging him nearly halfway across the world and numerous time zones, at a time where he can be contribute in key Everton games in our push for Europa or CL qualification comes season?s end.
I think he?ll be off to Japan, just hope he takes care of the metatarsals!
With regard to Cahill ? he?ll play tomorrow defo, and Saturday too; Moyes will play him ahead of any committment to his country.
He always lets Cahill choose whether he plays for Oz because he respects him and knows his feelings, and the fact that TC is a smart kid who knows his own limits.
If he is to be rested, I?d say it would be after the Oz game, not before it.
I?m not sure TC IS a smart kid. He pushes himself to the limits and then some. He has looked knackered and carrying knocks recently but still pushes himself which is why Moyes likes him so much.
But even as a very fit pro you have to listen to your body and I?m afraid TC doesn't otherwise he wouldn't have had a second metatarsal problem.
"Ted, I?m hugely confused".
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1 Posted 03/02/2009 at 04:49:31
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Beware of this Bolton game ? smells of let-down and easing off the gas. Timmy?s gotta be out there.