The Mail Bag
Changing our style of play?
Comments (11)
I posted most of this on a thread the other day, but never really got any opinions.
I know 4th, 5th and 6th are massive improvements from when Moyes took over. We were fighting relegation battles and he came in and made us difficult to beat. It wasn’t pretty but it was effective. He has gradually overhauled the squad and I feel it’s our best for a long time. However, the football hasn’t improved in line with the better players brought in.
Why do we still adopt such a negative approach and play long balls? The rigid 4-5-1 where every player is drilled on shape without the ball and closing space did a job, but now what? We’re no longer battling relegation. Against the top 4 we're awful, yet we're supposed to be trying to overhaul one of them. Is Moyes not capable of adapting? When we haven't got the ball these tactics are all well and good, but when we're in posession is where the problem lies.
When the ball gets played out to our right hand side it’s like being in a nightclub and the music goes off and the lights come on. Shocking. We all know it. The lesson should have been learned in the FA Cup Final. DM needs to be less cautious, not only with the style of play but with his type of signings. A pacey winger for example, who can beat a man and whip a cross in. Instead of a workhorse who closes people down and plays hit and hopes high into the box.
Baines and Pienaar linked up really well last season down the left and were great to watch. Arteta, from the middle, was excellent getting on the ball and keeping it moving, and Rodwell looks assured in possession. These players aside we lack people who want to get on the ball, who won't panic and just lump it. It seems to be ingrained in their mentality. In short spells we can play decent stuff but why is it so few and far between? How are they coaching the academy kids to play the game?
Wigan on Saturday battered Villa away but played football, passed it created chances, and were good to watch. I know it was only one game but that’s the way Martinez set his team up and he got a result. Zola at West Ham come in last season and did the same. These teams won’t win every week, neither will we, but at least they will play good football. I’m not saying I want us to do a West Brom and play well and lose every week, but I think you can play football in our division and still do well.
We’re not regarded as a footballing side, can we change that? I don’t know about everybody else, but that’s what I want to pay to see. Exciting football that gets you on your feet, cheering and urging your team on. It’s like a morgue half the time at GP and I’m sick of listening to away fans saying SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH.
Playing better football would help improve the atmosphere, sell more merchandise, get bums on seats and help fill a new stadium when we eventually get one!
I don’t expect this to happen, but it’s not a bad idea. Footballs all about opinions and people will disagree with me, but am I wrong for wanting to watch good football for my money?
Peter Griffin, Posted 18/08/2009 at 06:04:00
Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
1 Posted 18/08/2009 at 13:57:03
----------------
That’s the essence of our midfield and back line....and that’s the type of player who breeds the football we all despise.
2 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:22:14
Because of this a lot of Everton fans thinks hoofing the ball forward is the only way for us to compete otherwise we’ll get relegated - just look at West Brom!!
Results count but, for the actual match-going fan, what entertainment value is there in it for us?
3 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:28:15
4 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:11:28
Is that the way they are coached or is the problem the fact that some of our players are technically not good enough. I'm not sure on that one.
One way round it is to play younger players, Baxter or Wallace who are eager to proove themselves by putting in a proper shift. If everyone had the same energy levels as Pienaar then I'm sure the quality of the football would improve. You can not have players running round like headless chickens for 90 minutes but when you are wanting to take the game to the opposition then it needs to be done at pace.
5 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:33:35
Does anyone else wonder what’s going on when there is no new item on the official website since yesterday lunch-time. Of course they have been flogging Thursday’s game since then - they want the crowd there and to sell tickets, albeit at a reduced rate.
Might have contemplated going had my son not travelled all the way from Carmarthen (4 hours both ways) on Saturday in bad weather to see that debacle of a game. We would be mad to even think of attempting it and not getting home until nearly 2 a.m. and having to go to work next day. Methinks we will cry this one off.
6 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:27:03
Peter, In the REAL football world that question would be entirely valid. Football after all is a beautiful game which seeks to entertain those that pay "good money" to watch it. However, if you choose to support Everton you leave the real footballing world and enter ...cue the theme tune... the equivalent of a footballing TWILIGHT ZONE.
In this world, the concept of entertainment is abandoned. You still pay money (lots of it in fact) but it is no longer "good" money but rather "wasted" money. Metaphorically speaking, it's the equivalent of agreeing to having red hot pokers rammed up your arse without knowing quite why.
The pessimists on this site can see no end to this torture but can’t quite bring themselves to walk away. As Tony Marsh points out, the NFI feeling is prevalent but few take the next step and start enjoying their Saturdays.
The optimists/realists? They say the temperature of the pokers isn’t that bad and has improved considerably over the past few years. They have high hopes that this is the year that they may finally be removed.
7 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:43:00
8 Posted 18/08/2009 at 15:58:51
9 Posted 18/08/2009 at 16:18:18
To overhall one of the top 4 clubs, we don’t actually necessarily have to beat them very often when we play them. Draws and the odd win might be enough, as long as we’re able to grind out results against the other teams.
A possibility is that Moyes has decided this squad can’t compete on the ground with the likes of Arsenal when we play them. So the remaining option is to defend and hassle like crazy, play a rigid structure to keep the players in position, and try to pinch a goal on the break or from a set piece. Against weaker teams and/or with Arteta back we can (at least theoretically) pass the ball around more and play more creatively.
If there’s any truth to this, it’s would be a pessimistic assessment of our resources and of the best response. I’m not sure I would necessarily disagree though, apart from the point of view of the fan wanting to see some attractive football.
One other small point — we may not play very attactive football, but nor do a lot of successful clubs. Liverpool do not generally play particularly flowing football from what I have seen. Chelsea under Mourinho played a broadly similar game to what we try to play, albeit far more successfully. West Brom played some lovely stuff last year, and where did that get them? Sad but true.
10 Posted 18/08/2009 at 16:36:31
You’re missing the point referencing West Brom. If we still had Radzinsky fair enough we couldn’t play like West Brom because we wouldn’t score enough goals. Instead, we have Yakubu and Saha, both very good finishers when given chances.
I’m not saying to overhaul the Sky 4 we have to beat them, but why can’t we beat them when other teams can? Our record against them is terrible.
I still feel when we don’t have the ball we should continue to make it difficult for teams to play but, when we’re in possession, is it too much to ask to see 3 or 4 passes (on the deck) strung together?
11 Posted 18/08/2009 at 16:46:59
I do think from some of his statements that Moyes would like to his team to play better football, and indeed at times we have played some nice stuff (particularly with Arteta in the centre). It’s just that his first priority seems to be not losing games, especially against big teams.
He appears, rightly or not I don’t know, to have a negative view of our ability to effectively play a passing game against qualilty opponents. Maybe his view is that 3 or 4 passes is great, but if it always comes to nothing because they’re the wrong passes or the defense is too good, you might be better off trying for 1 or 2, more direct passes and an occasional goal.
But I do I think back to the way we played when Moyes first took over — we really threw the kitchen sink at it and played some very entertaining stuff. It would certainly be nice to see us try to open it up against a top club once in a while, especially at home — as you noted our results could hardly be much worse!
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment to the MailBag, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
-sm.jpg)
