ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Where's the team spirit?

There were a few things over the last few weeks that have gotten to me. I have a season ticket in the Park End, with my Dad. I didn’t get to go to the Arsenal game, but watched it in a bar in Nice, France. You could forgive that one result to first-day jitters, and an Arsenal team who simply outplayed and outperformed us. 6-1 was a flattering score, we seemed tired somehow. I think Lescott has been overshadowing everything for some time.

Midweek, a reversal, the scoreline somewhat flattered us in my view. It definitely isn’t our first eleven being put out and winning by such a scoreline is deceivingly flattering. Still I thought it meant the players had gotten past their first-day nerves quickly and it would help them with the Burnley game. How wrong could I be?! Ha, I thought we put a side out that was stronger than theirs, although obviously not our best eleven. On the back of a victory, we still had Lescott hanging over the head of the club and players. It was a terrible performance.

So we’re getting £22m-24m of which a chunk is going to Wolves, and a chunk is going into our vast black hole of an overdraft. That’s basically summarised the last few weeks. The most shocking thing for me, was the way Moyes’s head dropped when the goal went in at the weekend. He looked in total despair. He’s already said he’s demented. He’s just been basically forced to sell an England centre back. The thing for me wasn’t that Burnley beat us. It was that the staff, Moyes included and players, all looked completely withdrawn, and we’re two games in.

Another point, apart from the totally lacking team spirit, which was there last year, why was the ball in the air so much on that tiny Burnley pitch? Hoofball didn’t stand a chance and we gave away possession so much, we made them look like the cultured team. It was shocking!
Stuart Downey, Liverpool Posted 24/08/2009 at 09:47:34

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Ciarán McGlone
1 Posted 24/08/2009 at 14:57:08

Team spirit doesn’t provide cohesive, passing football..

Spirit may be important — but for me it’s become a euphemism at Everton — for ’Our players are mostly crap — but aren’t we just one big happy family’....it’s been over-emphasised by clueless pundits — and mischievous club officials to prevaricate over the lack of footballing substance...

I’d rather have players that hate each other that can play football than the supposed ’love-in’ that produces gormless crap week-in, week out...

Wit's end!

Tony Marsh
2 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:06:02

Stuart, word is that, in the week building up to the Arsenal game, there was a big bust up between senior players and Moyes over his handling of Joleon Lescott. Most payers backed Lescott as they didn't see anything wrong with a fellow pro getting a big pay day and moving on.

Word is that Moyes didn't like it one bit, especially when his massive salary was brought up. How can a man who earns twice as much as any player question someone who wants to earn the same — even if it's elsewhere? That's the word on the street, mate.

Andy Crooks
3 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:36:54

Tony, the fact that our coach earns more than the players probably makes us unique in top-class football. When he signed his absurd contract, I actually believed that it would sow the seed of future problems. If he loses the respect of the squad, then worse is still to come...
By the way, I dislike attacking David Moyes.

Alan Clarke
4 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:45:20

I thought the word on the street was the players had a bust up with Lescott? I thought Hibbert and Baines were very unhappy with him?

If what you’re saying is true, Tony, then what a bunch of petulant twats the Everton players are! They would just walk out at Goodison and not give a shit even though they’re all paid in the region of £30 - 40k a week just because the manager gets paid more than them? Do they not realise the fortunate and privileged position they’re in?

They should all be fucking booed in that case and refund me my ticket and everyone else who went to the game. I’d chop my right bollock off to play for Everton and those bunch of mercenaries get the hump over this.

Patty Beesley
5 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:52:56

Welcome back Tony... Where were you last Thursday evening... oh yes Everton won 4-nil in the Europa Cup.

Patty Beesley
6 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:53:44

Couldn’t wait to tell the story of a bust up, could you, so much so that you couldn’t spell half the words in your entry correctly. How eager you are to, once more, run down David Moyes,

Ciarán McGlone
7 Posted 24/08/2009 at 15:59:39

Alan, you have an emotional investment in Everton... most players don’t. This is a fact that fans should really try to get their heads around. Maybe then, they wouldn’t see a player leaving as a personal slight.

Ella Thornton
8 Posted 24/08/2009 at 16:07:20

So, they’re annoyed because their boss earns more than they do. Football truly is a different world!

Lionel Luthor
9 Posted 24/08/2009 at 16:08:45

I’m past caring about loyalty. How about a few players who can actually pass a football?

I’d take the reincarnation of Pol Pot if they could trap a ball, see a team mate, and play an accurate pass to feet.

Patty Beesley
10 Posted 24/08/2009 at 16:12:32

My boss earns more than I do but there wouldn’t be much point in griping on about it. Sorr,y that’s a made up yarn. I prefer to think Baines and Hibbert were having a go at J-Lo because he wasn’t pulling his weight.

Jay Harris
11 Posted 24/08/2009 at 16:27:18

Tony, Moyes’s salary is comparable to most top Premier League managers — it’s our players who are on comparatively low pay. IMO they’re all well overpaid but I cant see that changing.

Anyway, food for thought... look at these published wage tables:

Arsene Wenger (Arsenal) £4.5m
Kevin Keegan (Newcastle) £4m
Alex Ferguson (Man Utd) £3.6m
Harry Redknapp (Portsmouth) £3m
Mark Hughes (Man City) £3m
Roy Keane (Sunderland) £3m
Rafael Benitez (Liverpool) £5.0m
David Moyes (Everton) £2.5m

Newcastle Players
Name Annual Salary
Joey Barton £3 million
Nicky Butt £4 million
Fabricio Coloccini £2.5 million
Steve Harper £1.25 million
Obafemi Martins £3 million
Michael Owen £5.4 million
Alan Smith £2.5 million
Steven Taylor £1.75 million
Mark Viduka £3.75 million

Theo Walcott Arsenal £3 million
Gareth Barry Aston Villa £2.3 million
Ashley Young Aston Villa £2.5 million
Michael Ballack Chelsea £6 million
Joe Cole Chelsea £4 million
Deco Chelsea £5 million
Michael Essien Chelsea £4 million
Frank Lampard Chelsea £7 million
Steven Gerard Liverpool £6 million
Yossi Benayoun Liverpool £2.25 million
Elano Manchester City £2.75 million
Michael Johnson Manchester City £2.75 million
Robinho Manchester City £6 million
Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United £6 million
Pedro Mendes Portsmouth £1.5 million
Sean Davis Portsmouth £1.5 million
Papa Bouba Diop Portsmouth £1.5 million
Kieran Richardson Sunderland £2.25 million
Scott Parker West Ham £3.6 million
Kieran Dyer West Ham £4 million

Jimmy Saville
12 Posted 24/08/2009 at 16:50:52

Now then, now then, Kieran Dyer... £4million.

You must be joking!

Neil Humphrey
13 Posted 24/08/2009 at 17:14:07

That’s some imagination you have got, Tony. Even coming from you, this most recent conspiracy theory is ridiculous in the extreme. It's patently obvious that the players weren’t in favour of Lescott during this whole debacle, with Baines, Jagielka and Neville all coming out and either saying he should stay or castigating Citeh for trying to steal him. If you're going to make shit up, at least try to do better than ’the word on the street’.

Ciarán McGlone
14 Posted 24/08/2009 at 17:23:48

Neil,

Saha said something completely different.

Alan Clarke
15 Posted 24/08/2009 at 19:20:41

Ciaran, I think Tony only believes negative speculation about Everton. I don’t believe this is true and wrote my bit tongue in cheek.

It’s not to do with loyalty though. They’re paid to do a job.

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