I too think we can cope without Arteta although we will miss him. My reasons? I believe there are only two major aspects of Arteta's game (when playing in the middle) that we will have to make up for. And the good thing is I think we just might have the personnel who can cover for this.

What Arteta offers us is:

(1) composure and vision on the ball to set up play i.e. knowing when to slow the game, switch flanks, take a shot etc.

(2) assists from dead ball deliveries i.e. free kicks, corners.

A lot of our goals have come through corners or set pieces. So, I feel we shouldn't be worried about our goals possibly drying up with Arteta injured and out because we do have sufficient cover for set piece deliveries in Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, or even Dan Gosling (and AvdM if he does play)..

What is more vital is who will be our "playmaker in the middle" with Arteta's absence. I offer you Jack Rodwell as a candidate for this role. He has the technical ability (receiving and passing the ball), the physique (protecting and holding the ball) and the mental calmness (looking for the right pass without hurry) that are necessary for this playmaking role. Possibly, the only thing that might be an obstacle would be a current defensive mentality (Moyes said that he sees Rodwell's future as centre back)... but if Moyes were to adopt a bolder perspective in Rodwell's development, he might just have a possible replacement for our Spanish playmaker in the 17-year old.

Play Rodwell in the centre, with Castillo and Neville alongside him as minders. Play Cahill upfront when back from suspension, with Pienaar attacking down one flank and Osman the other. Jo can be another option, not as the out-and-out striker, but as the forward who receives the ball on the wings; he has the technique to take his player on and cross or cut in and shoot, something which Cahill doesn't.

So guys, all is not lost even though we'll miss our dear little Spaniard. We are NOT a one-man team! NSNO...

Sure we have problems and the rest of this season could prove to be a struggle coping with our ever increasing injury list ? any truth in the rumour that Goodison is to be converted into an orthopaedic training and study centre for junior doctors? Funded by Tesco Charitable Trust by the way!

Actually I think our problems are surmountable, given our team spirit ? not to mention the commitment of our squad. Then I think of the real world in which Weymouth FC players find themselves. What chance some of the regularly, overpaid members of Premier League clubs will dip their hands into deep pockets to come up with the wherewithal, otherwise known as loose change?...

Oh and has that normally verbose little man in charge of the PFA (highest paid union official in the kingdom I believe) been heard to pronounce his words of wisdom on this dilemma?

Ah, Tony..the PFA’s Gordon Thingy, the highest paid mime in the business

Wouldn’t you have thought that he’d be the voice speaking out against the divers, cheats and thugs?
I may be wrong, as I often am, but aren’t these players members of the same union?
If so, no other union boss would countenance such despicable behaviour against and amongst their membership

Gordon Taylor, tosser, hypocrit, deluded.

Also he’s an anagram of Troon Gay Lord

Yeah, and Alan Kirwin is an anagram for "Wank In Lair"

When the news first broke I was gutted but thinking about it, this could have come at a much worse time. As mentioned above our run-in is not at all bad and as long as we can get Ossie, Peanut and Screech fit, I think we?ll manage.

Also, if the inital reports are true that he?ll be out for 6 months that takes us to the end of August so at least we should have a summer transfer window without the frankly tiresome Atletico Madrid rumours surfacing.

Pie Pest Clerk, if you must.

I think you can discard number 10 it counts for nothing......

Good post.

The only thing I am going to hate about the rest of the season is the inevitable inane comments from Sky & the local Star Sports team in Asia viz. "I expect the wheels to come off Everton’s season", "Without Arteta, Everton don’t have any creativity", etc, etc.

I think the thing that we will miss most is Mikky’s ability to hold on to the ball and not give it away which most of our other MF players dont seem to be able to replicate.

So our only answer will be to get it out wide and use the flanks something that seems alien to a DM team.

What we dont want is to crowd the MF with players passing backward and sideways to each other and getting bogged down.

The one good thing if there is such a thing right now is that Gosling and Rodwell will get alot more experience than they would have otherwise.

I do feel also that it is critical for the supporters to be patient with ALL the players and not start moaning at the first sign of a problem for a player.Remember some of them will be carrying injuries and tiredness just to help the team out.

We can be the 12th man so lets keep it that way.

Fucking come on Everton!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Look on the bright side, we wont have him link to other clubs in the papers since he cant be sold :)

I wonder when Screech will be fully fit from his back injury. He’s no Arteta, but if gains a bit of confidence I can see him bossing the game. Yeah, I am also wary of hearing Setanta or Sky wanking over how well we played and that now our season is over blabla, not to mention Lawro, the cunt on BBC who will probably predict us drawing West Brom. Cunt!

I also agree that we can cope, I think the hardest battle we have on our hands is getting the confidence back in to the team. What must a team think when they lose their ’best’ player?

When Mikey went off we looked a bit like a rabbit in headlights....

Anyway, now we have time to re-group and install some confidence at the expense of West Brom!

There is hope, but it aint gonna be pretty!

I hate to be the pessimist but I don't have 10 reasons to believe this can be a great end to the season. With Arteta gone so too the creativity. Whatever any of you think of him, Van der Meyde is the 2nd best player creatively. Sorry, Osman is far too lightweight and rarely offers a thing.

And for god's sake I don't think I can cope with Fellaini playing another game for this football club. Seriously, seeing him on Sunday was so terrifying that it made me desparate for Osman, and that is saying something. The guy is fucking clueless ? £15 million for him and we moan about being skint!

After beating Villa and given how well we played on the day, it gave me great hope that this really could be our year. But in so typical Everton fashion, an incredible piece of bad luck goes against us. You think it's about time something went our way. Good on all you who are optimists but I dream to even if I can't see a shining light down the tunnel.
COYB FTRS

I agree with the Van der Meyde idea. On Sunday we had no width, no creativity and no ideas. We hardly supplied anything into the box and Newcastle?s defence was piss poor. Further Fellaini was a candidate for the worst player on the pitch.

Fellaini will not step up. He lacks the leadership and maturity of a young Viera. He needs to work on becoming a reliable, quality CDM of which, as of yet he is not! The only player capable of filling Arteta?s boots is a fit again Pienaar. Other than that we need to think outside of the box (like before).

We have a few moderate games coming up so maybe it is time to utilise Van der Meyde (in the middle or on the wing) to add a new dimension and test his response. Would he really be any worse than Felliani or Osman?

His feet maybe slow but his brain isn?t. His craftsmanship and passing is as good as Arteta?s and as of now he plays for us! Could Van der Meyde find Jô or Saha with a killer pass? With their skill, in our next few games, that is all he need do.

Imho: Cahill is the player we dare not lose. When he has been injured our form dips. When he comes back we over-reach. We didn?t need Arteta to draw at Anfield, but we sure as hell needed Cahill.

Come the summer (through hell and high water) our priority must be Moutinho or a like for other.

I too think that Van der Meyde can play an important role for the remainder of the season. Sure, he pretty much pissed all over the club since he joined a few years back, has been a leech and probably caused Moysey several strokes, but hey... I don?t hold a grudge and I think Moysey shouldn?t either. We can?t exactly be picky right now and one thing most of us agree on is that Shandy is technically gifted and creative.

Agree, we can cope provided Fellaini is not on the pitch, at least not now until he is readied. But if you know Moyes, he is too stubborn to acknowledge that and will make him play, which causes us lose more points and confidence.

I can’t believe the criticism of Fellaini and Osman when it’s so well documented about their injuries. Take no prisoners.. eh? Everybody’s looking to Cahill for the inspiration and that, of course, is not surprising. However either Maro or Ossie are capable of providing the headlines. Would be surprised to see Van der Meyde be given his head now but who knows? Moysie’ll be earning his crust now to be able to push on from this.

I can't think of anything more frightening than a Castillo Neville Rodders midfield... Osman, Rodwell, Neville midfield with Gosling and Pienaar wingers seems better.

I think it's fair to say, we?ll probably struggle for the last part of the season and certainly won't be winning the FA Cup.

Paul, you're right about Fellaini being injured, but I feel too much is being asked of him too soon. I?d rather we kept him but he needs to work on being an effective CDM above all else and that will come in time.

Expecting Fellaini to breach the creativity gap of a player many believe to be up there with Fabregas is unrealistic. So to for Osman and Rodwell.

YouTube is ?The Great Satan? and deceiver of men. But when it comes to the creativity, passing and vision on display the pictures do not lie. When Van der Meyde came on for 5 minutes against Liverpool, he supplied the spark of genius that cut them open and won us the match. When one door closes another opens and Arteta?s injury might provide Van der Meyde with the opportunity to finally shove the words of his critics firmly down their throats.

We have nothing to lose by playing him against Albion as our overall quality should be enough. Maybe it is time for him to do a Gravesen (first edition) and leave Merseyside on a high!

Some of the negativity surrounding Fellaini on this link amazes me. He?s injured for goodness sake ? cracked rib not backbone apparently, try giving 100% with that! He shouldn?t have even been on the bench if we?d had anyone else. The lad has evident talent, raw but it?s there and I?m conviced he?ll come good.

The last thing we?re going to need in the next few months is the knockers coming out in force; it?s going to be a struggle at times, small squad carrying injuries (it?s how we seem to end every season) and no Arteta ? support is what?s needed to get over the top six line at the end of the season.

Some are defending that Fellaini performance is due to injury. What puzzled me is why play Fellaini when he is injured. Are we so short of players that we can’t even put in one that is not "not playing through the pain barrier".

Can’t wait to read your post if Howard gets crocked against West Brom!

1) Arteta "our little Spaniard" WILL be missed. End of.
2) Am I missing something here, but why are a lot of Evertonians slagging off Osman? He knows his limitations but he always gives 100% which is what we expect at our club don’t we?
3) WBA on Saturday is a good time to give AVDM a starting place. Cometh the hour .......(maybe)
4) Screech shouldn’t be allowed to play again until he gets his hair cut, especially after his rendition of a headless chicken at St James Park.
5) Moyesie/Bill - don’t piss about this summer quibbling over a few quid on a transfer. Yes I know we don’t want to pay stupid money for players but lets get a replacement for Arteta sorted without all the f-kin around that went on last summer.
6) Joao Moutinho - just buy him and get it done with.
7) What about pissing the fat waiter off and makin a bid for Mikel’s best mate Alonso.
8) Arteta "our little Spaniard" WILL be missed. End of.