The Mail Bag
Hibbo and Heitinga both in the starting eleven?
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With the addition of a new wide player, and the impending return of Arteta, I bet Tony Hibbert is breathing a sigh of relief. He has kopped a hell of a lot of stick this season, and to be fair has not really done anything to justify it. The wide midfielders have a job to do in covering their full back, and the right side has been lacking in this for a long time. You watch how many times you see Pienaar back there supporting Baines in comparison.
Hibbo's crossing and general wing play is no worse than Leighton Baines's in my eyes. And for me, he is still a first team right back ahead of Phil Neville. What I am getting at, is that I would rather see Heitinga deployed in the defensive midfield role, rather than at right back. But I must admit, I know very little about the guy's distribution ability. Does anybody know enough about him to give an idea on how effective he would be at defensive midfield?
The key now is for Moyes to find the optimum formation and balance for the side. If we can get Saha into more shooting chances, I feel he is bang in form at the moment. And with Yakubu coming back, there is genuine competition for places up front now.
My ambition is to break the top 4 this season, but this is also the ambition of a team that have just spent over £150 million on some world class players. I think the reality will see us flighting for a Europa League spot again.
Dan Brierley, Posted 02/09/2009 at 03:07:36
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Chelsea have gone through Melchiot,Chimbonda and are not even happy with Boswinga who certainly looks good to me.
Spurs must have spent more than our team cost on full backs.
Utd and England kept Gary Neville going well past his sell by date and now play the "World class" Wes brown,John O’shea and Romeo there.
It’s hard to name more than a handful of top notch right backs and therefore I put Hibbo down as an average Premiership RB.
My biggest problem with him is not his general distribution but his defensive heading ability.
The number of times players have lost or outjumped him to score at the far post is far too great for Moyes to be comfortable with.
Personally I expect Heitinga to play right back (think that’s where he’s played most games for Atletico and Holland) and Hibbert to drop out. Another option sees Heitinga playing DM and Neville at right back. If Heitinga’s going to play CB then Yobo or Distin will be dropped, which I think is unlikely.
Bily and Baines on the left and Heitinga/Neville and Pienaar on the right. That’s an improved team isn’t it?
Yobo has been pretty poor so far this season and needs a kick up the backside.
A defence of Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin & Baines sounds pretty strong.
I am quite suprised that Neville is considered a better RB than Hibbert. For aerial defence, sure Neville is superior due to his height. But generally speaking, the CB’s are responsible for covering this area? I am thinking the height of Cole, Gary Neville, Glen Johnson etc.
But for pace and tackling ability, Hibbert is surely ahead of Neville?
They would both switch sides from time to time to get some decent crosses in but I think cutting inside is where they will get the most joy.
The squad is in a much stronger position to deal with the rigours of the season ahead than it was last year. People are listing all the players that have left but only one was a REGULAR first teamer, and replaced them wit three (admittedly) potential ones.
We now have the ability to rest key players and not have the same team playing three games a week during our European adventures.
Midfield give us loads of options in the middle and with Arteta coming back soon even more Pick from Gosling Pienaar Fellaini Rodwell Osman Cahill and Billy. That’s eight before you remember about Heitinga and Neville if not needed in defence.
And now we move on to attack Vaughan Jo and Saha are all fit the Yak is coming back and Anichebe will make a return at some point.
Add to all of these the chance to blood some youngsters in the European games I call that nearly two full teams to rotate if needed.
I shall know remove my rose coloured specs and return to slashing my wrists like everyone else (self included) has been for the last two months.
In defence you can mix and match any four out of Baines Heitinga Yobo Distin Hibbert and Neville with the added assurance that Billy has covered LB for Russia and I believe Gosling could do a job for us at RB in Europe against any lesser teams. Oh yeh and there is some lad they call jags to come back in November
Nick Armitage says it all in the very first post.
On an unrelated subject, Vaughan was left out of the squad for the Wigan game, leading me to believe that he would be sold - but nothing happened. It would appear that, unless he is injured (again), he has no future at Everton. Am I reading the signs correctly?
At this point dare I mention Jan transfer window! If we are to do any business its imperative that we get into next stage of Europa Cup for us to attract more quality players otherwise cannot see any funds being released they will go down the black hole known as Kirkby.
Would like to see us go back for Banega but cannot see it happening, think Bentley on loan would be useful. With everyone chasing CB’s was really suprised no one(including us) went for Cahill a good young CB, perhaps he will be on our Jan sale window particularly if Bolton are still struggling.
The problem with this is that Neville has spent so long playing away from right back he may take some time to reacquaint with the position, from memory though, when he has ended up going back there he’s played well. I remember one game away vs Tottenham but this may be two seasons old now! After that game Moyes went on record as saying Neville’s best position was right back.
Interesting link that J Heitinga was in at No 17 8 years ago. More interestingly look at the some of the big names that never made it and the familiar ones that did — Kaka 95!
I hope Johnny Heitinga has his best ever years at Everton.
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1 Posted 02/09/2009 at 13:37:26
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I would be made up if someone would pay me 20 grand a week to slide tackle, get lost on the far post and overhit crosses. I could do his job for a quarter of what he gets.
No matter how you anlayse Hibbert or who you blame for his performance level, he quite simply is not good enough for a Premier League football team. Send him to Tranmere.