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Where has the famous team spirit gone?
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Where has the famous team spirit gone? I’ll tell ya in four words: There’s no Phil Neville!
We all know the press love to harp on about the “Everton Way”. The unity and bond that 11 players have for each other and how that gets a result beyond the norm! That repetitive good press began to really irritate me at its height last season but now I long for it back.
Yesterday, at the game (WHUFC v EFC) when it was 0-0, you could clearly see Everton players having a dig at each other. Not the positive kind of “come on mate let’s get this done” but the negative kind of “what the fuck is going on?”
That really worried me and, although we beat our whipping boys on their own turf again, it made me ask, "Where had our famous spirit gone?" My deliberated conclusion was Captain Marvell was missing.
OK, I can hear the screams of laughter coming from some quarters (Neville bashers) but I tell ya this; if I where on the Titanic when the inevitable happened, guess who I would want to be with? My chances of survival would significantly increase because his ability to perform against the odds would get me though. And I bet you this, he would get others off at his own expense too.
Yeah, as romantic as it sounds, simply his presence on the field helps composure and his presence of mind helps guide when the going gets tougher than most can handle. I for one would want him on the pitch if I where on the pitch as well.
I know he has his weaknesses, but don’t we all? And I too have been up in arms when he gave the ball away cheaply... but it’s his glue (that I never knew existed) that I missed then, and we as a team are missing now.
This two-week break will help on the injury front and I for one hope to hear his name on our next team sheet along with the more obvious others.
Karl Parsons, Posted 09/11/2009 at 06:40:05
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The inevitable scratching around in the dirt for an excuse for average players — being average — has been going on for some time now...
Phil Neville has been on the touchline screaming during several of our games... Net result: zilch.
I would imagine that the lack of creativity is the reason behind the on-field bust-ups. Two passes and the opposition usually have the ball back.
We need creativity, someone who can control & pass. To be honest I’m pissing sick of DMs.
HOORAY!!!!!!!
Are you available for an open top tour? Because some of our fans really need to have this explained...
We have a midfield that has little creativity and struggles to find any cohesion or a passing game... the answer — of course —- Phil Neville!
I also found myself screaming with the five mins of stoppage time at the end and the defence’s only tactic was to twat it as far away as they could instead of trying to keep hold of the bloody thing and run the clock down instead.
I do agree with you though, I’d much rather him right back instead of midfield.
All I want Everton to do is pass, move and pass.. I have been pulling my hair out as well with the lack of simple play only from which pace and creativity and attacking football can flow.
Here’s my warped vision:
Howard
Neville Yobo Jags Baines
Pienaar Arteta Bily
Fellaini
Yakubu Saha
With that team we will gel, pass, get creative, win. Pip doesn't need to be creative just pass it to bloody midfield. Keep it simple.
Aaaaargh... yes I know, I’ll get me coat...
My hunch is that the contibutory factors are the way in which the Lescott deal was (mis-)handled, the dependancy upon new players, kids and barely fit again players... and the fact that the team are struggling so badly. Of course, that lack of team-spirit only makes it all the more likely that the team will continue to struggle — a bit of a Catch-22.
Let’s hope Moyes can turn it around again, as he seemed to after the departure of Rooney, as the team-spirit and never-say-die attitude is a key part of what makes Moyes’s teams so effective.
Failing that he may have to try and get them to actually play football!
Oh bollocks I dropped me nuts and Tony Marsh is at the door!
Apart from Neville’s ability to provide cover at right back I’m not sure what else he brings to the party. Much is being made of our recent results and his absence however, its worth remembering we were struggling to get results prior to his injury. Following his injury we actually achieved some decent results only to slip back again due to injuries to Piennar and Baines. However, Hetinga is fast inproving as tough tackling midfielder and Neill now affords us another option at RB.
Decision time for Moyes, I hope he gets this one right though I fear he may not. Incidently the sight of Everton players having a go at each other is nothing new hence I wouldn’t go reading too much into that.
But furthermore, we are missing two other vital ingredients that support on-field success. The first is simply continuity, the momentum that comes from knowing each other’s game. No surprise that’s gone awol of late.
The other perhaps more important thing that is stuffing us is the absence of captains on the field. Take a snapshot at anytime in our recent successful runs of last 2 - 3 seasons. You will see the team full of on-field captains from Howard, through Jags, Lescott, Arteta, Pienaar, Neville, even Carsley. These are players with ability, presence and bollocks. It doesn’t need explaining when you understand the dynamics of team sport. Especially so with a team ostensibly of "no stars".
However depressed I have been with recent perforrmances, I have not kidded myself into thinking that this is how it actually is now. I have zero doubt that when (hopefully not if) we get a full squad back and especially the guys with the biggest bollocks, we will be on the rise.
You may think my post is all bollocks.....and you’d be right.
I do think there is a huge leadership vacuum at the moment (and I don’t think handing the captain’s armband to Osman, Yobo, or Cahill sends the right message), but I just don’t think Neville is going to restore our game. I think more players than Saha playing beautiful, effective, and intelligent football is going to help most. When top players feel they are not isolated and when hardworkers know that there team has more than one quality player, the whole team benefits. We need some players to play with some consistent quality: We desperately need Pienaar back and Bily to step up.
I have to say I was encouraged by Distan’s passion yesterday. Particularly after Hibbert "scored." Of course, I don’t think he should be captain, but I do think he is trying to provide leadership at the back.
And I think Heitenga was an absolute animal in all the right ways. I think every midfield can use a complete bruiser. And his passing is often impressive. But, like too many of our players at the moment, he doesn’t always look confident and he isn’t consistent for the 90 minutes.
Folks I think are badly off form in crucial areas: Baines (going foward) and Cahill (in front of the net AND that is the only place he earns his place, in my opinion).
Although I didn’t think he had a great game, it was amazing to watch Jack R barging up the field and into the box. Why doesn’t he do that more often?
Finally, a real question (and not a sly knock on Fellaini): What position did we think we were filling or did we think F would play when we bought him? In short, what is his natural position?
As impressed as I’ve been with Cahill as captain, Nev is without question our leader and he is sorely missed. I don’t want to think that our lack of form lately has been caused by the absence of one player but it just might be. No one seems to know what exactly is going on and it just might be Nev that is the glue in our side.
Dermot: I feel you when it comes to Fellaini. Is he a midfielder? No, he doesn’t come back on Defense enough. Striker? not enough speed or raw shooting ability. I would say his natural position is a back striker and that’s where I think he is most useful.
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What exactly are you basing this fabulous piece of soothsaying on?
Things are at a sorry state when we start to believe that the rerurn of Phil Neville heralds a return to form. Did you watch his performances from the start of the season, he was bloody dreadful as he often is.
The reality is that we don’t have that many creative and skilful players and those that we have here are often maligned by our wonderful fans Arteta, Pienaar and now Bily.
I am with Dennis Stevens on this one, we could try changing the brand of football we play it’s awful to watch and sadly whilst we persist with it there will always be a place for a team full of Phil Nevilles.
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1 Posted 09/11/2009 at 14:29:41
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