ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

The Mail Bag

Pienaar in to the middle please

Ok, so there are only four games gone but we have only 3 points when we should realistically have at least 7, and we are 2nd bottom. Time the fans started to pick the team for a change!

At the game yesterday it was woeful. Big punts up the pitch, over and over again. But what else is there to do? There is no-one in the middle that can play and create.

Rodwell bless him wants the ball, and is happy to recieve it. He does everything to get it on to the floor. But sometimes I just wish he would boot it one like Hibbert, he does have a tendency to dilly dally. Lack of experiance granted.

Ok we have our injuries and when Mikel comes back surly he slots into the middle, but his come back has been delayed, and we need to start winning.

My solution is Steven Pienaar. He is the only player who seemingly has the ability to carve out a chance from nothing. Now Bily will have had a full uninterupted week with his new team mates this week, so he can go onto the left (when Mikel comes back its a given that Osman takes a seat on the bench and Pienaar moves to the right). But Pienaar for me must, must move into the middle. PLEASE!
Craig Taylor, Leicester Posted 14/09/2009 at 16:55:50

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Rich Williams
1 Posted 15/09/2009 at 00:41:54

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I agree, but how long did we want Arteta to play in the middle before he put him there? A good 18 months to two years! It is not going to happen, I am afraid, and we are screwed until Arteta gets back.

Ben Howard
2 Posted 15/09/2009 at 00:37:52

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I agree with your pick when Arteta returns. Until then i’d have:

Pienaar Osman Rodwell/Heitinga Bily

Osman has deserved a run in the middle since Arteta got injured and we all know that’s his position. I’m sure Moyes will be making the decision between Osman and Pienaar in the middle for creativity and Rodwell and Heitinga in the middle for holding. I guess the creative or holding role could be taken by Fellaini too.

Peter Bradshaw
3 Posted 15/09/2009 at 02:12:48

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I think it is getting obvious now that Moyes is out of his depth. Managers need to grow and develop with the league and how it is played, Moyes sticks to the same old same old. Err... David, the others managers have cottoned on to how we play... change it!

Personally, I would like to see a change there but it is not going to happen. I think that Moyes is stale in the role.

So how would I adopt the changes for Blackburn game? 4-4-2:

Howard
Heitinga Yobo Distin Baines
Gosling Pienaar Fellaini Bilyaletdinov
Jo Cahill

Cahill to be played as a striker alongside Jo, so we have the option to bring the Yak on for Jo at half time.

Fellaini told to break everything up in the middle of the park (Moyes, please watch DeJong of City) and make a nuisance of himself.

This is Gosling's time, he enjoys running at defences and he has a class defender backing him up and Bily on the other side with Baines as a back up.

On the Bench: Nash, Yak, Vaughan, Coleman, Rodwell, Anichibe (if fit) and two of the young lads.

Blackburn are a team that will try and kick us off the park; their only creativity is David Dunn and Pedersen. It's got to be attack as the best form of defence, but we all know Moyes... we will have Bily at left back, Baines at right back, and Heitinga def midfield alongside Rodwell in a 4-5-1!!!

Steve Coppell anyone???

Ciarán McGlone
4 Posted 15/09/2009 at 09:31:10

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..and leave Osman as first choice on the right?

No thanks.

Peter Griffin
5 Posted 15/09/2009 at 10:16:52

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If you look at the teams above and our rivals, their midfield pairings consist of a creative player and a holding player.

Fabregas/Denilson
Lampard/Essien
Gerrard/Mascherano
Carrick/Fletcher
Ireland/De Jong

Since Arteta got injured, we lack somebody who goes to the back 4 to take the ball and start the play and dictate the tempo, resulting in the hoofball we all detest from our defence. Rodwell has a go and is growing with each game but he looks for a simple pass as opposed to carrying the ball and looking for a forward pass. I agree with others that at the moment Pienaar is the closest we have to Mikel, give him a go and put others in around him to do the dirty work for him.

I think Osman, Cahill, Fellaini will miss games this season through rotation but IMO Fellaini deserves to start Thursday after his recent sub appearances where he’s come on and been impressive.

We have been playing Rodwell and Neville. It’s too negative IMO. In the Wigan game and the Fulham game Fellaini came on and we looked a better side.

Ben Jones
6 Posted 15/09/2009 at 13:50:10

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Not a chance... Pienaar is not physical enough to play there... he’d be carved to shreds. Arteta played at the right because of this, but because Arteta has adapted to the physicality of the Premier League, he has learnt to play there and it’s his best position by a mile. I believe Moyes is doing the same with Pienaar, but remember Pienaar is much lighter and much less likely to dive into tackles, because these 50-50’s in football are so important nowadays.

I agree with Peter with that Fellaini deserves his chance there. If not, then Osman, because he has played fantastic there before, the game against Fiorentina springs to mind, where he did actually look world class, which I’m even shocked to say it.

But knowing Moyes, he’ll play Heitinga there or play Cahill there, which are both mistakes. I’d rather Osman there, but give Fellaini a chance too, that’s of course until Arteta gets back.

Chris Fisher
7 Posted 15/09/2009 at 13:55:49

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If Moyes really needs to decide between Osman or Pienaar in the middle, he needs shooting! The only thing that Moyes should be deciding is what seat he wants Osman to sit on on the subs' bench!

Jamie Tulacz
8 Posted 15/09/2009 at 19:41:32

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Peter Bradshaw- Moyes losing his grip. Manager of the season last season and 3 seasons in total (I think?). We’re 4 games into the season, so I think some people on this site need to get a grip and stop judging the season after 4 games.

Whilst I may not agree with some of Moyes’ decisions, especially some of the substitutions on Sunday, I’m prepared to accept that he gets it right most of the time given his record

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