Moyes obviously does not fancy Jacobsen and we are lucky enough to have three class centre halves that allows Jags to move there to do a half decent job. Agreed in general though quicker Jags in the centre the better, Vidic today proved just how good he is.

Alan, agreed this needs addressing asap and like you can?t believe I?m desperate for Hibbert to get fit & back in the team. That said thought Yobo was ok today. In the meantime two questions:

If Moyes doesn?t fancy Jacobsen, why did he bring him in in the first place?

What about Gosling as didn?t he play right back at Plymouth?

Also I think Jags should shave that bum fluff he has above his top lip, it looks nearly as crap as Neville's at the Manc scum... :?)

Moyes knows a lot more about his players than us seeing them everyday in training and so obviously feels that Jags at RB is better that anyone else. Also Moyes will be more loyal to the players in his long term plans than players on loan. I would be annoyed myself if I was Yobo or Jags an I was dropped for a short-term player. Moyes knows what he's doing, get off his back.

I think Yobo has made a couple of silly errors in the last couple of games but thankfully we?ve not been punished for it.

I totally agree with you on this, Alan, even though Hibbert was playing well, there's no way David Moyes should have split up a rock solid defensive partnership. Right back should never be a problem to cover as it's probably one of the easiest positions to play.

The one option would be to take Neville out of midfield and I wouldn?t fancy that, he?s been excellent there and provides a solid base for us. Hopefully Hibbert will be back soon.

And to be fair we?ve kept three clean sheets in five games since Jagielka moved to right back. It?s not perfect but it?s not that bad.

Is Jacobsen the new Castillo then? With sections of our fans clamouring for his inclusion at every opportunity.

He may well not be good enough, I don't know, but what I do know is that Yobo is a vey good centre half who isn't at fault for Moyes's decision to play Jags RB, and hasn't had a bad game since he came back.

Is it just that Fellaini has recovered from his back injury so people need a new whipping boy?

Jageilka was superb again at right back yesterday. Since he has played in that position, hardly anything has got past him and even Downing had to switch wings last week as he was being snuffed out.

Too many people are putting the microscope on Yobo lately and yet again I think his form since his return has been excellent. You would think we were leaking goals badly from some of the comments on this site.

It appears that Jacobsen, along with VDM, Nash, Castillo, and Valente are there just to make up the numbers. The only way they would ever get to feature in the team regularly is when the squad get decimated by injuries/cards so utterly Moyes had to scrambled to find bodies for a starting 11.

Not this tired old debate again...

When Hibbert was first injured I said Yobo would definitely come in. I stated on these pages that all the predicted teams ? none of which included Yobo ? would be wrong. You can all say what you like, but anyone who knows Moyes will also know, he?ll always go with the players he trusts.

Moyes has 6 defenders at the top of his pecking order: Neville, Hibbert, Jags, Yobo, Lescot and Baines, as long as four of this six are fit they will play, not matter how he has to re- jig their positions. Why don't people take into account everything they know and have learned about Moyes over the past seven years, then perhaps we can stop this irrelevant debate constantly resurfacing?

Gosling or Jacobsen will never even be considered in defence unless three of the above mentioned are injured. When all six are fit, Neville will still be in midfield and Yobo drops out.

I don't like this either, but Moyes will point to the defensive record of his team and feel more than justified in his selections.

Have just watched Jags have one of his worst games at RB, all because DM is playing Yobo (Mr hoofball)... why the hell has he bothered to bring Lars Jacobsen in at RB if he isn?t going to play him?

I say put Jags back in the middle with Joleon and put Lars RB and, well, Yobo ? you?re back on the bench.

The team is so disjointed with Yobo in it, he holds onto the ball too long allowing opposing players to come onto him, which, is when he hoofs it up-field only for it to come straight back at us.

There was a bit of a debate on the football phone-in coming home from the match yesterday. People who have seen Lars play for the reserves say he isn?t anything worse than what we have with Hibbert injured and Neville playing in midfield. The importance for me is when is Hibbert back and can we afford defensive mistakes against teams more likely to punish us and ruin our push for European football?

Jags tried his best yesterday and had a number of pro and con moments which show he is a good defender but not a RB. Why not give Lars 10 or 15 mins and see how he fairs? Taking Cahill off yesterday destroyed our midfield ? I just hope pushing Jags to RB doesn?t do the same to our back four.

I would swap Yobo & Jags around. Put Jags in the middle as we look more solid and put Yobo right back. Yobo has the pace and can continue doing what he does best (HOOF).

I would also continue playing Fellaini in a forward role as he seems to be more of a handful up-field than giving away position in the middle of the park.

Christ on a bike, some of you people have been hit with the dumb stick!

Question: Since Jags has been at RB have we lost?
Answer: No

Question: Why?
Answer: Partly because Phil Neville has been playing out of his skin in the center of midfield; partly because the disruption to an already solid defence has been minimal by moving Jag to RB.

So, what you dumb arses are proposing is either drop one of our proven to be formidable defenders and play an unknown quantity (unknown to us... the manager sees him in training every day) or further disrupt the midfield by moving the reason it has been marginally successful Neville...

This is why Moyes is the manager and you guys are not (Thank Gawd).

Kevin - my thoughts exactly! There is a reason why Moyes is manager, because he knows better than us!

Jacobsen clearly isn?t up to it as Moyes sees him every day in training. Yobo has played there but not that well for us when he has done so and is clearly a centre-back. Gosling will not be a right-back and will probably end up as an attacking central midfielder.

With Neville playing so well in centre midfield, Moyes is obviously right to keep him there although he could put Neville at RB and Rodwell as the defensive midfielder. The only option then is Jags. Although I?d prefer to see Jags in the centre, he is the only option.

We should be grateful as fans that we have THREE quality centre-backs.

As Steve Ryan points out, Jagielka has adjusted superbly to his new position with signs that he could become better in supporting attacks as well as keeping wingers out. If he wasn?t so bloody good, Moyes would have to do something else.

I agree that you do not throw an unknown quantity such as Jacobsen at this stage of the season unless you have to ? particularly after he has been out so long with injury. However, surely Moyes could accommodate the trusted Yobo by playing HIM as right back and leaving Jagielka in the middle?

I think you?ll find that even though we?re not conceding many, the corner that led to the Stoke goal would not have happened if Jags had been behind Yobo. He reads the game far better than Yobo and is wasted out wide where he can?t "sweep up".

"Started conceding goals"... ??? Two in five games, fuck me it?s a nightmare, let?s buy a new defence.

Most people forget that Jags actually recieved an England call up playing at right back for Sheff Utd. We haven?t lost since Jags moved out right so what is everyone's fascination with dropping a reliable player for an unknown quantity?

The title, even though meant in a different way, still holds true: in the last 5 games it hasn?t been broke and therefore doesn?t need fixing.

I?ve heard from a good source at the club that Seamus Coleman the young Irish kid will be the regular right back next season.

Still moaning about this?! As stated, our defensive record has hardly been poor since Jags went to right back has it? And, as many experts as they are apparently on here, I?m going to say that I trust one of the best young managers in the world, who watches his players everyday in training and studies them for hours a day, over you.

As to the buying of Jackobsen, he was brought for the sake of the squad. It?s not possible just to buy players who will play in the first team and it's important to remember that Jackobsen has been injured for a long time this season and therefore it has not been possible to try him in cup games etc... And Jag?s can play rightback!

How?s about stop moaning all the fucking time and give Moyes some credit for dealing with a crazy injury crisis. We had the same thing when Fellaini was suspended ? "Why didn't Moyes take him off?"; "We are fucked against Liverpool now..." Then Fellaini plays a couple of bad games and it's, "Fellaini ? odd man out"; "Fellaini can?t play football", blah, blah, blah.

You?d think that our performance in the face of adversity would get some credit! But look at the stats too: one defeat in 18 games, and I think even the most stupid of Everton fans can admit that Moyes knows best.

Since Jags went to right-back we have done ok; personally I would have kept him in the centre as our distribution is better with him there ? the best teams build from the back.

Moyes does stick with players he trusts but I can remember Baines not getting a game until Yobo was out ? and look at him now! So I would give Lars (the regular RB for his country) a run and see what happens. Worst case is having to change during a match, best case another Baines.

My own opinion on this matter is that Jags should be moved back to CB and Yobo drop to RB. Yobo, as good a player as he has been for EFC, lacks any kind of composure and is not as good in the air as Jags or Joleon. Yobo was the odd man out until Hibbert's injury so why the hell should he not have to fight and prove his worth as one of the first choice CB? The one thing Yobo has in his locker is pace but in general Jag's whole reading of the game is so much better.

I may be being picky but for the goals we conceded agaist Boro & Stoke who got the flight of the ball all wrong? It for sure wasn?t Jags or Joleon. We have not lost fortunately since Yobo?s inclusion but in the last few games we have looked less composed. COYB!

Can?t really say Jags wasn?t blamesles for the build-up for the Stoke goal, he switched off just for a secondand then ended up conceding the corner. It was Yobo that went to him straight away and told him to keep his eye on the ball... then he missed it and they scored... What was I saying, oh yeah, we won and haven?t been beaten so why change it again?

If it ain't broke don't mess with it? Well it was broke as Hibbert was injured and since Moyes has "messed" with it we have only conceded 2 goals and are undefeated! Pointless thread just created for the pessimists to bitch about Everton!

Andrew Fair ? it (i.e. Everton?s central defensive partnership, THE most important partnership in the team) was not broke; it was, to quote the manager, world class.

This is not bitching about Everton, you prat, nor is it a pointless post. It is a considered post based on the fact that we HAVE started conceding goals and we HAVE looked less secure at the back recently (against mediocre teams). Going undefeated against Newcastle, Middlesbro and Stoke is not a sign of greatness.

It is called an opinion. 90% of what I write on this forum is favourable towards manager, team and chairman. And the regard I have for Moyes does not blind me to the fact that he does actually make mistakes.

It may have escaped your notice, but ToffeWeb is a forum for debating all things Everton. Did you think it was only there to say nice things? Prat.

Ian Love ? sorry, missed your excellent point about Baines. It was a case of almost every Evertonian wanting him to be in the team (especially at the start of the season with Lescott playing awful at left back). Moyes was wrong on that and LB?s performances since, and the pace, outlet and stability he has brought to the left side is testimony to that.

I suggest the blah, blah, blah idiots read your comments to understand the orignal point. It was, for the avoidance of doubt, about the risk of playing square pegs in round holes. Getting by against a few poor teams does not prove the decision is OK.

But nevermind. Let?s not question anything and keep it going. I?m sure Jagielka will have no problems against Ashley Young or Lampard in a few weeks time...

Alan, the majority of Evertonians would agree with you, but Moyes calls the shots and his defensive decisions should hardly come as a surprise to you, a patched up defence will not be as good as the first choice back four, but be grateful we aren't being punished; let's hope Hibbo is back soon.

Anyway, cheer up: the luck you?ve spoken about so often seems to have deserted Villa Park...

Alan Kirwin, before you run out of names to call people who don?t agree with you, you might consider the validity of your arguments a little bit.

First of all, the premise of your title; a play on the old adage "if it ain't broke don?t fix it" is flawed ? because taking the defence as a whole it was ?broke? and it needed fixing. So, Moyes was left with four realistic choices.

Choice One: Move Phil Neville to Right Back, keep Yobo on the bench. I believe that, given the fact that the effectiveness of the midfield was compromised by the loss of Arteta, moving Phil Neville was a non-choice for obvious reasons. Phil has been playing out of his skin and is the rock on which much of Everton?s recent success has been forged.

Choice Two: Play Jacobsen. There are three reasons why playing Jacobsen was a risky choice. Firstly, he has had no English Premier League experience. Throwing him into the first team might have worked ? equally it might not have. Secondly, much of Everton?s success has been built on team spirit and cohesion. Bringing in a newcomer to the defence might have upset the balance ? far better to play a known quantity in Jag. Jag was marked out as an England international whilst playing at right back, he played this position many times for Sheff Utd. He played well enough to win plaudits from many pundits and football writers.

Choice Three: Play Joseph Yobo at right back. As Johnny Mac said at Wimbledon ?You cannot be fucking serious!?? I?ve seen Yobo at Right back? he was shit? I never want to see him play at right back again.

Choice Four: Play Jag at right back and move Yobo into the middle. Yobo is a class centre half and has played alongside Lescott many times and excelled in that position many times ? it?s a no brainer, my abusive nasty little friend.

However, I do believe that, without the Arteta injury, Moyes may have been tempted to move Neville to right back? we?ll never know.

Totally agree with you. I think he is making Yobo happy by playing him. Also, Lars may be not fit enough to play. We do seem to be leaking pointless goals when he's been moved out ot RB, Howard has made a few blunders, for example, the Stoke goal.

Kevin Sparke - Totally agreed!

Good logical post.

I wonder why we always have problems when we sign Scandinavians?

Either they turn out to be rubbish, or they are rubbish for us and then go and play for someone else really well...

It does seem strange that Howard has not been as comfortable in the last few matches. I?m not saying that Yobo?s inclusion is the cause... it could simply be a dip in form or some other reason... but they do say there is no smoke without fire?

I too would like to see Tony Hibbert back as soon as possible. I think he is a great defender but who offers next to nothing going forward, but we have learned to play within, around and despite those shortcomings so his overall contribution is positive. (IMO)

But is this the same Tony Hibbert who only a couple of months ago was being lambasted by all and sundry on these pages? I recall one contributor saying something like he should be banned from the football pitch because he didn’t have a single ’football brain cell’! Another complained that he only had one way of controlling the ball when it came to him (with the outside of his right foot!)

And now we’re all desperate to get him back. Ah well...it’s a funny arl game innit?!

Playing players out of position is unfortunately a feature of Moyes's tenure... I can?t stand it.

I may be in a minority here but I would like the RB slot to be filled by someone with greater mobility than Jags.

For me the side plays alot better this way as neither Peanut nor Ossie are natural wide men.

Say what you say about Hibbert but he gives the side abit more balance as we can stretch teams on either flank.

Given Moyes reluctance to use him, Jacobsen is proving to be a waste of space. If I recall correctly, we brought in a young RB during the transfer window (can’t remember his name) who is in the reserves, presumably with the intention of grooming him to play in the first team. That suggests Jacobsen is on his way out.

If Moyes structured some kind of pay as you play deal with Jacobsen then I would save the cash as he is not a long-term solution for us.

I think that everyone is in agreement that we would best be suited with a natural right back. But since Hibbert got injured Moyes has had to shuffle around what players he?s got.

As people have stated, right back had to be filled by Jags, Yobo, Neville or Jacobson (totally discounting Gosling and Coleman for obvious reasons). Neville is now too important to us in the middle of the park so that is a no go. Jacobsen hasn?t played a Premier League game, has been injured all season and couldn?t even get a game for Nuremberg last seaon. So realistically it has to be Yobo or Jags.

Both square pegs in a round hole. Moyes chose Jags cause he sees them every day in training. Seems all quite simple to me.