ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Steven Pienaar

Fantastic result today after a much improved second half performance but I would just like to give special mention to Steven Pienaar. I thought Pienaar was phenomenal today and by far and away our best player.

What impresses me most about him though is his work rate. Anybody who was at the game today would have seen he gave literally everything he had today and was exhausted by the time he came off. His work often does not get the credit it richly deserves, so this one is for you Steven!

Goodison was rocking second half today and it was great to be there, bring on United!!!
Paul Maghee, Cloud 9 Posted 08/03/2009 at 18:33:35

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Kev Lacey
1 Posted 09/03/2009 at 00:37:52

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Pienaar worked his arse off today and was impressive at times. I’d like to see him move to the middle and play in the Arteta role in the next couple before the games against Villa and Manyoo. My only concern is he may be too slight and where that would leave the big fella

Chris Jones
2 Posted 09/03/2009 at 01:04:03

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Steven was indeed excellent today, Well done, lad. And I have to say also, I?m beginning to think Jags is evolving into a second Bobby Moore.

Paul Gladwell
3 Posted 09/03/2009 at 08:53:40

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Thought Cahill dropping back made the big difference in a role so many claim he is no good at, however our captain in the second half IMHO was our best player and dare I say it some of his passing was quality.

Dominic Duerden
4 Posted 09/03/2009 at 09:07:49

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Phenomenal?! easily impressed arent you Paul?

He didn?t have a bad game by any means, but certainly not phenomenal. He can?t tackle, his passing is wayward at times... he does run around a lot, but so does Robbie Savage.

I thought Phil Neville was excellent, and he had to be the way Rodwell played the first half. He was my man of the match. Fellaini played well as well.

Paul Williams
5 Posted 09/03/2009 at 09:58:23

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Wind your neck in Dominic. Comparing Pienaar to Robbie Savage!? Fellaini played ok but I remember a few ’wayward’ passes from him so going by your high standards he must have been avarage then, oh and he can’t tackle either.

If is wasn’t for Pienaar’s terrior like display, chasing down every ball, playing like his life depended on it, we would never have won that game. Who fucking cares if his tackling isn’t great, he’s a fucking winger. His ball in for Saha’s goal was superb. He and Phil Neville were the best of a bad bunch yesterday in my opinion and there performances helped inspire our team to victory.

Special mention must also go to Steve Round, Moyes said it was Round who lead the team talk at half time, and it sounds like he gave them all a roasting.

Bring on United, COYB!!!

Dominic Duerden
6 Posted 09/03/2009 at 10:30:49

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Sorry if my comments have wound you up Paul.

I didn?t describe Fellaini as phenomenal did I? In my opinion he was more worthy of praise than Pienaar, as was Neville, Lescott, Baines, Jags, Saha. Describing Pienaar as phenomenal is a bit silly, that's all.

Joeynkoo Ludden
7 Posted 09/03/2009 at 10:44:29

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Pienaar is a talent no mistake, but he also frustrates. He gave the ball away half a dozen times with short misplaced passes (again!). His work rate is excellent though, and he does give his all every game (shouldnt everyone?), and is strong for a small player. He can cross a ball great, but really needs to iron out the loose passing.

Alex Taylor
8 Posted 09/03/2009 at 12:23:59

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Another gem from Moyes.

Consistently one of my favourite players this season and last and would love to see him score more goals.

Hope he doesn’t get sold off to that Russian team in the summer.

Chris McCleary
9 Posted 09/03/2009 at 12:45:44

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Thought the ovation Pienaar got at the end was a true reflection of his performance.

He wasn’t perfect but showed me enough fighting spirit and desire to merit his place in the team. One of the few truly creative players we have at the moment.

His relationship with Baines is growing stronger each game and if only we could replicate that on the right, we’d have a much better balance.

Thought Jags played like a CB at RB. Some great challenges but coming forward, he showed his lack of distribution once more.

Lescott MoM for me. No question. Won everything in the air and that run in the 2nd half was something else.

Dave Wilson
10 Posted 09/03/2009 at 13:49:48

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Chris McCleary

Is right, Pienaar wasnt perfect, but Goodison will always recognise a man who has given everything.
Richly deserved applause

Martin Kulkarni
11 Posted 09/03/2009 at 14:38:10

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Agree with Joeynkoo, Pienaar worked hard and drove forward all the time but loose/overhit/poor passing is killing the team when in good positions.

Hibbert to right back (hopefully fit by the semi), Neville and Cahill in the middle Jags to CB and Saha up front with Fellaini behind or together and Cahill behind

Thing is, how does Moyes play it with Saha? Play him more prior to semi to increase match fitness but also risk further injury, or save him to avoid injury and not be able to give him a full 90 minutes in the semi?

I suspect true to Moyes?s nature, he will try and stifle Man Utd and try and nick one or as will inevitably happen go 1-0 down then put Saha on. Might be case of man-marking Carrick (Neville?) and another four in midfield.

Iain Love
12 Posted 09/03/2009 at 16:11:39

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Peanuts is a smashing little player but really needs to improve his passing., I would guess he?s about 50% accurate which really isn?t good enough, but he?s also one of the few players truly comfortable with the ball.

Jags must be played at centreback; Man Utd and Villa will force a mistake from Yobo (probably through distribution) unfortunatley that leaves Joey on the bench but so be it.

Cahill formed a link between defense and attack and I?d keep him in while Mikey's out. Man Utd in the semis? Great! Bring them on, they looked shit against Spurs at Wembley.

Peter Hall
13 Posted 09/03/2009 at 16:51:40

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I agree Pienaar’s work-rate is exceptional but his delivery isn’t. Too many of his runs end in a badly-placed pass, some of his passing straight into touch in the first half was awful.

However, if you can’t create opportunities by class - and without Mikky we can’t - you’ve got to do it another way, and I thought Pienaar was admirable in the second half in his determination to run at the opposition and make something happen. And a perfect cross for the second goal. So congrats to Pienaar for recovering from a very bad start and helping to win the game. I hope next year he will shine alongside Arteta and Neville.