The Mail Bag
Setting things straight
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A lot has been made of United's line-up last night and, quite obviously, they could have put out 4 or 5 better players than they did.
No Rooney, Ronaldo, Carrick, Giggs or van der Sar.
But then Everton didn't play Yakubu, Jo, Arteta or Yobo.
I totally agree that things could have been much more difficult for us last night, if Fergie had put a different team out. To be able to leave out 5 first choice players and still have Foster, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Scholes, Tevez and Berbatov on the pitch is still not bad.
Those 6 alone are probably worth double the starting XI we put out, so bollocks to it, we beat the team that was put in front of us and that's all we had to do. It wasn't done with great panache, but we're in the final and that's all that matters. It's a proud day to be a blue.
Richard Parker, Posted 20/04/2009 at 04:17:34
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I truly concur. I had to stuff those very statistics at the glory-hunting manure supporters that I know. At the end of the day, Sir Alex put that team out because he thought they could do the job on the day. Had he pulled it off, he wouldn’t have been hailed as another genius master-stroke. He hasn’t, so Manure supporters and the Red loving media highlight the fact that it was only fringe players on. Had that Macheda scored the winner, we wouldn’t have heard the end of it. The fact that I think he had only one real chance which he dragged wide and had a few chances was more of a reality check. The boys did splendid yesterday!
OK this was not their strongest team, but I’ve just done some in depth research (Wikipedia!) and Man Ure had £60M of "paid for" players on the pitch at the start - Foster £1M, Ferdinand £30M, Vivic £7M, Anderson £18M, Park £4M. They also had Tevez valued at £30M. From the bench they brought on a further £36.5M of players Evra £5.5M and Berbatov £31M. That is very close to £100M of player never mind the products of their academy. Let’s not beat ourselves up on this - that was an expensive team they put out and the magnificent blues did it!
COYB!
COYB!
There was 7 first team starters in that side so not exactly a reserve side really is it? we were not exactly at full strength either were we, with our most influential midfielder and our top scorer missing.
Excellent point - both teams were short of first choice players.
Strangely, I think that the United line-up introduced a bit of uncertainty into our players. With United at full strength, we could have a right go at them - almost nothing to lose. When the starting teams were announced it made us probable favourites. I think this lead to a bit of a tentative approach throughout - we definitley didn’t play to our strengths enough.
Just a thought...
The lad Mecheda did ok, but i’d rather have James Vaughan any day!
Strangely, I think that the United line-up introduced a bit of uncertainty into our players. With United at full strength, we could have a right go at them - almost nothing to lose. When the starting teams were announced it made us probable favourites. I think this lead to a bit of a tentative approach throughout - we definitley didn’t play to our strengths enough.
Just a thought...
The lad Mecheda did ok, but i’d rather have James Vaughan any day!
Didn?t we knock out Liverpool who were second in the Prem at the time? After holding them to a deserved draw on their own ground.
Didn?t we knock out Aston Villa who were fourth at the time and touted as the only worthy challengers to the Sky four?
Didn?t we knock out Middlesbrough, no great shakes admittedly but an experienced and dangerous Premier League team?
Haven?t we just had the most difficult series of Cup draws of all the Premiership Clubs and yet got ourselves to Wembley for the Final?
Aren?t we sixth in the league and with a good chance of improving on that?
Anybody who thinks Ferguson did not respect that performance and that standard needs his bumps feeling. He did something which has worked for him in the past and came unstuck against Everton.
The boys displayed a winning mentality yesterday. They made as many chances as United in a game that was dominated by the defences and when it came to penalties they were executed with coolness and efficiency...something United couldn?t do.
Yes, I wish we could have beaten them 4-2 with 4 great goals from open play, but it wasn?t that kind of a game. The type of game it turned out to be was the game we won because we did it better than they did.
Didn?t we knock out Aston Villa who were fourth at the time and touted as the only worthy challengers to the Sky four?
Didn?t we knock out Middlesbrough, no great shakes admittedly but an experienced and dangerous Premier League team?
Haven?t we just had the most difficult series of Cup draws of all the Premiership Clubs and yet got ourselves to Wembley for the Final?
Aren?t we sixth in the league and with a good chance of improving on that?
Anybody who thinks Ferguson did not respect that performance and that standard needs his bumps feeling. He did something which has worked for him in the past and came unstuck against Everton.
The boys displayed a winning mentality yesterday. They made as many chances as United in a game that was dominated by the defences and when it came to penalties they were executed with coolness and efficiency...something United couldn?t do.
Yes, I wish we could have beaten them 4-2 with 4 great goals from open play, but it wasn?t that kind of a game. The type of game it turned out to be was the game we won because we did it better than they did.
Ferguson’s problem, not ours.
Id like to know the overall cost of their 11 + subs versus ours and then get told it was a weakened side.
I was right in line with Jag’s winning penalty too....really glad it was him that took it after the superb season he has had for us.
Id like to know the overall cost of their 11 + subs versus ours and then get told it was a weakened side.
I was right in line with Jag’s winning penalty too....really glad it was him that took it after the superb season he has had for us.
From a Man U point ov view it was a weakened team but from our point of view, it was still a strong team we beat.
The other way of looking at it though is that if Man U’s players are as knackered as the press and Zralex are making out then perhaps we’d have won more easily against their full strength side.
I hope by them prioritising the league, they make sure the RS come nowhere near to winning the title.
The other way of looking at it though is that if Man U’s players are as knackered as the press and Zralex are making out then perhaps we’d have won more easily against their full strength side.
I hope by them prioritising the league, they make sure the RS come nowhere near to winning the title.
You can only play the team that the opposition put up against you. It's nothing to do with us who they play until kick off. If they want to put the youth team out it's their choice.
As far as the records go, it will only say Everton knocked Man Utd out of the FA Cup ? end of. This shouldn't even be an issue for us ? we?re in the Cup Final and not them.
"I hope by them prioritising the league, they make sure the RS come nowhere near to winning the title"
Alan I’m not with you at all mate. I might get slaughtered for saying this but I’d much rather RS win the league than Utd. An all Merseyside Charity Shield would be amazing, and every RS I know is genuinly happy for us that we’re in the final.
Regarding the team selection, Ferguson has a huge squad of brilliant players at his disposal. The purpose of a big, quality squad is to be able to rest players and make changes in order to be able to challenge for multiple trophies. If anything Everton were disadvantaged in this respect as we had to rely on the same players who play week in week out in the league.
Alan I’m not with you at all mate. I might get slaughtered for saying this but I’d much rather RS win the league than Utd. An all Merseyside Charity Shield would be amazing, and every RS I know is genuinly happy for us that we’re in the final.
Regarding the team selection, Ferguson has a huge squad of brilliant players at his disposal. The purpose of a big, quality squad is to be able to rest players and make changes in order to be able to challenge for multiple trophies. If anything Everton were disadvantaged in this respect as we had to rely on the same players who play week in week out in the league.
Completely agree with this article. Manchester United's second team is better than most of the Premier League. Tevez, Berbatov, Evra, Scholes, Park and Anderson were neutralised yesterday. We?re not responsible for their team selection so we should stop beating ourselves up over it.
Can any of us name the Sheffield Wednesday team we beat in 66? Do any of us care? "Beat the team in front of you..." We?re in the final!
Mark.... the only reason the RS are glad we are in the final instead of Man U is that they hate them more than they hate us!! Stop looking through rose tinted glasses!
As for playing a weakened Man U side, look at the key players we have been without for most of the season and look what we have achieved. Fantastic and I am so pleased for the lads. and Davey.
As for playing a weakened Man U side, look at the key players we have been without for most of the season and look what we have achieved. Fantastic and I am so pleased for the lads. and Davey.
Pray God our name is on the Cup and we do beat Chelsea.
As an aside, it's interesting to note who Everton will have had to beat if they do go on to win the FA Cup:
Liverpool, Champions League quarter finalists and among the hot favourites to win it outright.
Aston Villa, third in the Premier League at the time of the cup tie.
Manchester United, Champions League semi finalists ( and possible finalists), current Champions and looking to repeat.
Chelsea, Champions League semi finalists (and possible finalists).
Ok, Sir Alex did not play his strongest side in the semi-final but as they say, you can only beat the side you are up against. If an AC Milan or Real Madrid won the Champions league beating a list of opponents like that, you can just hear someone like Raul or Ancelotti bemoaning, in their post match interview, just quite how tough their luck in the draw had been.
I completely agree with all of the statements above barr Mark Stone’s. If the RS, and it’s a still a fairly hefty if, the RS won the league, then we’d not hear the end of it and our accomplishments (whatever they might end up being) will simply be swept under the carpet. I hope they win fuck all. For all SAF’s raging comments, when he’s not just lost a game :). he knows what he’s talking about and he is right, Benitez is comtemptuous and arrogant - in fact he’s a complete bellend. Not only are Wenger, O’Niell, Moyes all better managers, they are considerably better men.
There's opinions and there's plain untruths. Can we now for ever put to bed the following?
- Howard is somehow substandard because he never saves a penalty.
- Neville is a Manc and therefore can never be a true Evertonian.
- Moyes bottles it on the big occasion and is a bit too naive to win anything (his pre-match comments on Riley were worthy of SAF himself).
- Professional footballers don't give a toss about their clubs - well ours obviously do! /ul> Not the best performance I've ever seen but a fantastic day out for all Blues. Well done all Blues fans for out-supporting the opposition and let's do it again against Chelsea when we bring the FA Cup back home!
Chad - exactly!
Tore a strip of me mother last night for wanting the RS to win the league - Who in Britain remembers Rotterdam 85 - ’cos they stole the limelight with the Heysel tradgedy. Who remembers the only team to break the Sky monopoly, because they won the CL.
Everton v United at Wembley Charity Shield and then Sir A can play his first team and then we can beat them as well
Tore a strip of me mother last night for wanting the RS to win the league - Who in Britain remembers Rotterdam 85 - ’cos they stole the limelight with the Heysel tradgedy. Who remembers the only team to break the Sky monopoly, because they won the CL.
Everton v United at Wembley Charity Shield and then Sir A can play his first team and then we can beat them as well
Mark Stone go and buy yourself a huge bar of soap and wash your mouth out, the only thing any Evertonian should want the RS to do is lose at all costs against any team. Their failure is our joy, they will never win the EPL and the longer they try the more bitter and twisted they become.
"Mark.... the only reason the RS are glad we are in the final instead of Man U is that they hate them more than they hate us!!"
Likewise the only reason I want them to beat Utd is because I hate Man Utd more than I hate them!!!
I didn’t expect people to agree with me and I certainly don’t think my opinion is right and yours is wrong, but each to their own. I don’t give a crap what they do or don’t achieve,
But I’d bloody love that all Merseyside Charity Shield.
Likewise the only reason I want them to beat Utd is because I hate Man Utd more than I hate them!!!
I didn’t expect people to agree with me and I certainly don’t think my opinion is right and yours is wrong, but each to their own. I don’t give a crap what they do or don’t achieve,
But I’d bloody love that all Merseyside Charity Shield.
Usual bollox trailed out by the media after a Big 4 side lose. Desperately searching for a reason why the expected didn’t happen!
It is a massive assumption to think that they definitely would’ve won with a stronger team. Of course you always (as a fan) want your strongest team on the pitch to give you the best tools to do the job. Doesn’t mean job done, you’ve still got to win the game. I agreed on a previous article with another post that raised the psychological factor of United picking a weaker side and how it changed the feel of the game for Everton. It may or may not be true, but it’s worth a mention if we really have to discuss this shit.
Mark - I kind of see where you’re coming from mate and you are indeed entitled to your opinion. There is no right and wrong on something like that. The reason I don’t feel the same is that the Charity Shield is just a pre season show piece, nobody holds it up as a real achievement (not that it wouldn’t be nice to add it to our dusty trophy cabinet) and there will be plenty more games against the RS in the future to look forward to. I cannot accept the RS winning the league just so we can have another game against them. Beating them in the Charity Shield won’t get you any bragging rights when they are League Champions. If we do pull off a cup win, I don’t want to share the limelight with them at all.
COYB!!
It is a massive assumption to think that they definitely would’ve won with a stronger team. Of course you always (as a fan) want your strongest team on the pitch to give you the best tools to do the job. Doesn’t mean job done, you’ve still got to win the game. I agreed on a previous article with another post that raised the psychological factor of United picking a weaker side and how it changed the feel of the game for Everton. It may or may not be true, but it’s worth a mention if we really have to discuss this shit.
Mark - I kind of see where you’re coming from mate and you are indeed entitled to your opinion. There is no right and wrong on something like that. The reason I don’t feel the same is that the Charity Shield is just a pre season show piece, nobody holds it up as a real achievement (not that it wouldn’t be nice to add it to our dusty trophy cabinet) and there will be plenty more games against the RS in the future to look forward to. I cannot accept the RS winning the league just so we can have another game against them. Beating them in the Charity Shield won’t get you any bragging rights when they are League Champions. If we do pull off a cup win, I don’t want to share the limelight with them at all.
COYB!!
The RS winning the league is the absolute worst case scenario IMHO. We will never hear the end of it.... as if the bastards don’t get enough fawning media coverage as it is.
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1 Posted 20/04/2009 at 10:17:46
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