The Mail Bag
Time for other players to stand up and be counted.
Comments (19)
I am in agreement with nearly everyone that Moyes has made a mistake in moving Jags from centre back where he has been quality, to right back. We have lacked a real threat from there. However, I think our biggest problem is that some of the midfielders are not standing up and taking responsibility. Arteta is gone for this season, GET OVER IT. But someone should have the balls to say "fuck it, I will become the Everton special one".
Cahill has been scoring, Pienaar has been decent, Neville has been solid. Gosling and Rodwell are young and it's a lot to ask of them; are they ready? Harsh to expect them to be.
Osman, Fellaini (granted he is playing with a broken rib), your time has come. Certainly on ToffeeWeb you have been much criticised. This is your time to make a big difference.
My suggested team for Sunday:
Howard;
Neville, Jagielka, Lescott, Baines;
Osman, Rodwell, Pienaar, Gosling;
Cahill, Saha or Fellaini (depending who is fittest).
Pienaar for me is the most likely person to create something, move him inside so he has more of an outlet. Rodwell can take the defensive midfield duty with Neville going to right back and Gosling and Osman can play wide.
VDM for me could be the answer in terms of potential, but to be fair to DM the bloke has been given plenty of chances, and I think it is a big risk giving him another.
Come on you Toffees!
Craig Taylor, Posted 05/03/2009 at 10:13:33
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Howard
Neville
Baines
Jags.
Lescott
Pienaar.
Rodwell
Fellaini.
Cahill
Gosling.
Saha.
I have put Neville to rb to combat Downing who imo is their biggest threat, also their midfield is not all that and is not normally a threat via the central route.
Jags must play at cb, he?s crap at any other position but excels in the middle (why did Moyes break up this partnership as the spine is so important?).
Midfield, Fellaini cos there is no one else, Castillo is garbage and Osman should be given one of those Goverment banning orders from all Prem grounds for the next 10 yrs... let's make it official as he never turns up anyway and on a serious note he must be one of the worst players I have seen in a Blue shirt and I have been going since the 60?s!.
Attack, Saha with Cahill just behind aka 4-5-1 our best formation. Craig, in respect of AvdM, as a sub for a short period but he wouldn?t last 90 mins in a month of Sundays.
Coyb Ftrs
Jo can get the bus back to Eastlands.
At right back, he cant play Neville for the above reasons, he also clearly doesn?t trust Jacobsen (which can only be from training sessions) and Yobo cant play there ? therefore no choice again but to use Jags, which is where he got initial international recognition, when he was with Sheffield United.
As for hoofball , well I?m actually sure that they are not sent out to play it, but it?s the easy choice when you haven?t got anybody willing to take responsibility to get hold of the ball from our defenders and make things happen. None of the above midfielders mentioned have got that temperament (maybe Neville has, but not the ability) to dictate our play. I do believe Fellaini might just might have it in the future but at the moment he must be top of the ?what the hell I?m I doing here? pile. He gets switched positions every game, gets booked every game, and is struggling coming to terms with the pace of the Premiership.
As for the rest of the season, be prepared again for dull, boring, hoofball, 1-0 wins at home from set pieces , 0-0 away or loosing to the Chelsea, Villa?s and most probably Fulham games.
As far as the FA Cup,I suspect we can get past Middlesborough, but if the other 3 semi-finalists are Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal then lets make the most of our semi-final trip to Wembley, as I suspect we wont get further.
As far as the league, we?ll finish 6th and qualify for Europe. Bearing in mind are disastrous pre-season and start to the campaign I?ll take 6th and a semi. But by god Moyes and Kenwright need to make sure that our pre-season is a good one hopefully with a new 2nd midfield maestro and a pacey winger.
I cant believe we are missing Hibbo, but we are! To be fair to the lad I was one of his biggest critics but since his injury he has come back and improved. He overlaps and delivers a lot more crosses and his distribution has slightly varied from the aimless dink down the channel. So when a player takes critisicm and works at it, you have to give credit.
Well played Tony Hibbert
Howard; Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Baines; Gosling, Neville, Osman, Pienaar; Cahill; Saha
Only thing I would change there would be Fellaini / Saha, if the big fella is fitter than Louis.
People have been moaning on here about Jags getting moved to right back. The only disadvantage this gives us is going forward as he is so god awful on the ball. But (as someone else has pointed out) I wouldn’t mind that on Sunday if it means having Jags out there to mind Downing.
For me Yobo is getting a terrible press on this site. The guy is pure class. Yes, on form Jags and Lescott should be our first choice pairing at centre back (when everyone is fit). But Yobo is probably our best centre back when he’s at his peak. Jags is playing out of his skin right now, but am I the only one who can see that he is also a bit of a donkey? Don’t forget that Yobo is the only one of the three centre backs who has genuine pace as well.
So - in short: keep the back 4 the same as it was last night, but when Hibbert is back Jags should play inside and Yobo will have to play splinter-arse until loss of form / injury to Lescott or Jags lets him back in
?Jags is also a bit of a donkey? ??????
Jesus Christ. You obviously haven?t read Joe Jennings in When Skies are Grey this month, have you?
Jags is class and getting better all the time.
Keep the all English back four if Hibbo is fit, put Neville and Rodwell in centre midfield, Pienaar and Gosling / Osman wide with Fellaini playing just behind Cahill. Saha on the bench along with Osman/ Gosling, Yobo, Jacobsen, VDM and Baxter.
A lot depends on fitness though. COYB
He looks buzzing, but he’s ineffectual like noone else. He has guts to try and dribble, but he’s dead slow and the brief glimpses of skill rarely result in anything substantial.
By all means, he’s an Everton starting XI, but not more than Ossie in my mind.
COYB
Blackburn could have been torn apart if we had a decent wide outlet.... the full back position requires distribution as much as defense.... and I?m afraid Jags is not even Championship standard in that area..... Geez Hibbert is looking better every game he isn?t there......
and while we?re at it... anyone know why Jags is now taking the free kicks when he can?t make a pass of more than 20 yards accurately? My mind boggles!
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1 Posted 05/03/2009 at 14:45:32
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