ToffeeWeb - Season 2008-09

The Mail Bag

Just how will Moyes re-build?

Several times in the last week David Moyes has mentioned 're-building'. First there was a hint to his present mob that if they didn't shape up soon he would feel the need to replace them. Then, last night, in praising 'his youngsters', Rodwell and Fellaini, he again used the "r"-word ? seeming to indicate that they were the first bricks in the wall as it were.

Now I may be reading much more into these throwaway lines than I'm entitled to but I do sense something is afoot. Certainly, the hand-ringing we witnessed from him in the last 'window' would give no indication that funds are in place to recruit a 'new' team although I suppose the sale of the likes of Arteta, Yobo and Yakubu might raise him a few bob.

I'm sure the cynics (moi included) would greet the announcement of a January 'fire sale' as yet another devise to keep Blue Bill's ship afloat but funding via 'new money' would be altogether a different prospect. Perhaps Mihir Bose was nearer to the truth, after all... We can only hope!
Brian Noble, Ince Blundell Posted 19/10/2008 at 14:07:56

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Anthony Dyer
1 Posted 19/10/2008 at 15:49:48

I can?t remember exactly when it was last season when our star players were given extended contracts, but it would appear since they signed the performances have dropped off woefully.

If that is the case then we are in even deeper trouble than we thought.

We can only hope that ?Doddy?s? "EFC will shock the football world" is true and something good is coming our way ... don?t hold your breath.

Richard Dodd
2 Posted 19/10/2008 at 16:23:18

I just hope that, if Davey does choose to go down that route, people will show a little patience whilst the ?re-building? is underway!

Brian Waring
3 Posted 19/10/2008 at 16:41:25

Doddy, I don?t understand all this ?re-building? shite. Hasn?t the man just had 6½ years to build a side?

Jay Harris
4 Posted 19/10/2008 at 16:46:55

Brian, I totally agree with you.

We have constantly been told that patience and stability are the key but what stability is there when you have to sell 2 players (McFadden and Johnson) to get one (Fellaini).

After the shambles this summer, I have no more patience with "The Everton Way". The sooner Kenwright goes we might then become a more principled and disciplined club.

Trevor Hemming
5 Posted 19/10/2008 at 16:53:37

Absolutely smack on,Brian. A so-called re-building phase would be nothing but a ruse to take the pressure off Moyes for another season or two. On his money, he should be delivering results NOW ? not buying even more time. It stinks ? but it IS the ?Everton Way?.

Andrew Conroy
6 Posted 19/10/2008 at 16:53:03

He’s gonna have to rebuild, or at least his striking options anyway. James Vaughan is way too much of a maverick for Moyes to give a decent run to, and I very much doubt he’ll progress much further with Everton. Victor’s shown signs of improvement this year but I can’t ever see him becoming an indispensible member of the team. The jury’s still out on Louis, but so far, so so.

My main worry is Yakubu. He’s been starved of decent service for most of the season (I can barely remember a decent pass coming through to him yesterday), and is starting to look really pissed off to my eyes. I get the impression that he loves the club, but not so much that he’ll stick around and let Moyes turn him into an honest toiler as he did with Beattie and Johnson. A guy like Yakubu will only be as loyal as the team he plays for is successful.

A few more weeks of the grimly predictable bullshit we saw yesterday and his agent’ll be putting out the feelers for a move elsewhere. Watching how Chelsea made such embarassingly light work of Boro yesterday, I couldn’t help but think that if they’d had the Yak up front they’d have got 10. If the window opens and any of the Big 3 have got striker problems, I would not bet against them swooping for Yak.

It’s imperative that Moyes plays to Yakubu’s strength and moves mountains to keep him happy. But his record with strikers doesn’t suggest this will happen.

Terry Hands
7 Posted 19/10/2008 at 17:20:01

I have to agree, Andy. After 6 years THIS team is not good enough to win anything and is quickly going downhill. Two or three seasons of ?rebuilding and consolidation? and then another realisation that Moyes ain?t up to it. Even if the moneymen move in, I?ve no faith in him ever getting us up amongst the elite. We?re fucked!

Sean Ready
8 Posted 19/10/2008 at 17:29:47

I belong to ?the cautiously optimistic? camp. Things look black at present but two or three wins will put a totally different complexion on the situation. Even a point against Man Utd would do wonders for the morale of players and fans. IMIKMF ? In Moyes I keep my faith!

Charlie Fitzpatrick
9 Posted 19/10/2008 at 18:26:16

It wasn?t that long ago when Moyes had us believe that one or two more signings would be enough for us to step up a level, now he is talking about a possible re-build. Personally, I think he?s lost it, I think the transfer disaster in the summer affected him more than he will admit, in that quality players do not want to play for him.

I?ve just read The Guardian piece where he said the delay for his contract signing was that he wants reassurances that he will stay in complete control in the event of a takeover. Unbeleivable, it?s not reassurances he should be seeking but results! I think the guy honestly beleives he is "The Moyesiah", and for that I blame the "In Moyes We Trust" Brigade. I honestly hope that if we do get a new buyer for the club, the first thing they do is write him a cheque for £17m, he has had his chance and he?s blown it.

He?s run out of ideas, and doesn?t seem to be able to learn from his mistakes, for a long time now. And for all his talk, I don?t beleive he has the ambition let alone the drive to make us a top side again, I don?t enjoy watching Everton anymore!

Thomas Christensen
10 Posted 19/10/2008 at 18:51:03

Moyes has had 6½ years, but to be fair to him he?s built the ship out of balsa wood and glue from Big Bill?s theatre. He has not been afforded the luxury of building his seafaring ship from Steel and Russian / American Coal.

For example (I?ve said this before so sorry if I?m repeating myself) given a decent budget in the transfer window, we wouldn?t have signed Saha & Jacobsen... these players are not here because they are exciting prospects, Moyes had to bring them in to fill heads.

John Roberts
11 Posted 19/10/2008 at 20:51:58

All that needs to be said the quicker Billy Blue Bullshit Liar goes, the better for Everton FC!! One of us? My Arse! Stay in London where you belong... Lies and broken promises! We had one of our best seasons, last chance to be build on it!? What does Billy do?Fuck all!! Follow the Geordie line, let's get him and the muppets on the board OUT!!

Stephen Stuart
12 Posted 19/10/2008 at 21:50:58

@ Thomas

And I thought it was toilet rolls and cellotape :0)

Paul Watson
13 Posted 19/10/2008 at 22:36:57

Great teams just last 3-4 years e.g. EFC 84-87, (and before that 63-66 and 68-70).
This team got to 5th, time for a new one.

Christine Foster
14 Posted 19/10/2008 at 22:47:02

When Moyes announced he needed 5 or 6 new players at teh transfer window I must say I was a little surprised at the need having just finished 5th the previous season. After the total mess up of the summer when in my opinion he lost focus and was more concerned with his own situation that the team (he didn’t do his job! He dropped the ball) No matter what the reason we are paying for it today.

But given the performances its not 5 / 6 players for the squad we need but 5 or 6 for the team.

Who to keep? Who to let go? Who would you build the next 5 years on? Apart from Rodwell and Baxter and Gosling who else is coming through?

Coldly and without my own personal sentiment I would let the following go:
Neville
Baines
Lescott ( if he can’t get his act together)
Hibbert
Osman
Valente
Yobo
Anichebe
AVDM

Just about a team isn’t it?

For my mind the others, Areteta, Yakubu, Cahill, Vaughan, Pin, Fellaini have the skills to step up. Castillo and Saha, too early to say.

But who in your opinion should make the cut?

John Andrews
15 Posted 20/10/2008 at 00:07:40

Due to the amount of money made available by Billy Bullshit, I am expecting the slowest ever rebuild since time began!

Russell Buckley
16 Posted 20/10/2008 at 00:41:06

The concept of rebuilding is absolute bullshit. We could barely sign anyone in the summer and we would be selling players for less due to their current form. Anthony Dyer is also spot on most of them are on long term contracts.

I haven?t been against Moyes over the years but the man is becoming a joke. It is as if someone has removed any sign of a personality from the man. The man has had years to build a side and now they haven?t kept a clean sheet in something like 17 matches. If he can?t turn our form around by January, he needs to go.

Richard Harris
17 Posted 20/10/2008 at 10:06:32

The manager assembled the team, the manager selects the team for each game, the manager decides the tactics for each game. If the team can?t get it right then do you replace the players or the manager? Oh wait, we have another 5 years of the manager so I suppose that it must all be the players fault.....

Andy Crooks
18 Posted 20/10/2008 at 10:50:10

After 5th last season we seemed to be a couple of signings away from challenging for a champions league place. A few months later we need to rebuild. It defies belief really. At many other clubs the manager would have three games to turn things around. Not at Everton, though, where we seem to operate as though mediocrity is fine. The reward for mediocrity is an obscene five-year contract.

Kev West
19 Posted 20/10/2008 at 11:56:49

Slightly off topic but I saw that Victor Obinna played and scored for Inter Milan at the weekend in a 4-0 away at Roma. I’m sure he would have made an impact for us if the FA would have shown a bit of common sense. I’m sure if one of the big 4 had tried to loan him the deal would have gone sailing through.....

Steve Syder
20 Posted 20/10/2008 at 12:44:31

This is Moyes’s team!

Rebuild, my arse!

Decent managers replace incrementally, they don’t need to do wholesale rebuilds.

The man’s an incompetent ditherer and we are now stuck with him. He must be laughing all the way to the bank. I bet he can’t wait to be fired for the payoff.

Fingers crossed Spurs sack Ramos and Moyes fucks off there.

Chris Stewart
21 Posted 20/10/2008 at 12:54:50

The new contract for DM has seriously raised the bar for him.... prior to that he could always bemoan the lack of transfer funds, the Sky 4 etc etc.... now HE has to step up the plate and justify why a big chunk of the transfer budget is now going to his bank account.

I fear there?s going to be slim pickings at the Goodison table this Winter folks... let's hope Newcastle and Spurs continue to implode otherwise it could be a lot lot worse.....

Colin Naylor
22 Posted 20/10/2008 at 13:11:24

No doubt, as we write, Davey is planning his ?new? team around good strong players like his Captain Supreme, Hibbert, Jagielka, Rodwell, Fellaini and Anichebe. Nothing fancy about that lot and if the worst comes to the worst, they?ll be just right for the Championship. Of course, we?ll have to flog Lescott, Yobo, Arteta and the Yak but it?s their fault we?re in this mess and the Chairman needs the money!