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Future Tsar?
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I just thought I'd drop a fair comparison onto the site with regards to Bily. Whilst it seems that many on here believe him to have been a waste of money, I would like to compare him with my favourite Everton player whilst growing up — fellow Russian, Andrei Kanchelskis.
Andrei scored 16 goals in 32 games in his first season for Everton — a great haul; however, Bily has 6 in 18... not in the same league, you'd have to agree.
But Andrei was already used to the Premier League... with many seasons spent at Man Utd; his first season for United, however, shows a meagre 5 goals in 34 games.
Yes, this does not show the bigger picture... and Bily doesn't have the pace of Andrei... but give him time and I believe this to be good business and maybe a future talisman???
Rob Wilkinson, Posted 09/04/2010 at 18:32:46
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There's no point comparing. Completely different style of player. Kanchelskis was also deployed up front for us on occasion, in fact scoring a hat-trick in the final away game of the 95-96 season.
Bily, as you point out, doesn't have the pace, but from what I've seen so far, I think he's an intelligent footballer on his day, and has an excellent strike (though worryingly his previous strike rate was poor).
Next season is a big season for him. Hope he steps up.
Bily, as you point out, doesn't have the pace, but from what I've seen so far, I think he's an intelligent footballer on his day, and has an excellent strike (though worryingly his previous strike rate was poor).
Next season is a big season for him. Hope he steps up.
Different nationalities do find the PL either extremely hard or even impossible to play in. Russians generally don't tend to do that well but there is the odd exception. South Americans also don't make it (through the winter!) and I can't believe Man Utd have signed a Mexican!!!
However, I am a big fan of Bily. He has undoubted skill, can head the ball and has an eye for goal. He doesn't have pace and therefore I don't see him as an out-and-out left winger, especially in a 4-5-1, but I do believe next season he will come good.
However, I am a big fan of Bily. He has undoubted skill, can head the ball and has an eye for goal. He doesn't have pace and therefore I don't see him as an out-and-out left winger, especially in a 4-5-1, but I do believe next season he will come good.
Next season will be when to judge him. He has already played a full season in the Russian league before joining us. He needs to up his workrate in matches. Hopefully a rest during the summer will do him good.
A straightforward appraisal of Bily is that, what he does, he does well, and looks classy, but he doesn't get involved enough and disappears in games.
This is often the case with skilful players finding their feet in the English league. Does anyone remember just how abysmal Robert Pires looked when he first joined Arsenal? He seemed totally out of his depth, like he'd won a competition to play or written to Jim'll Fix It. Within a couple of years, he'd won one of the Player of the Season awards.
Bily's a fairly similar player in some ways, neat and tidy on the ball, good touch and able to create for others in various different ways. I think there's a lot more to come from him, although whether he should play right, left or just off the striker is a conundrum to be solved.
This is often the case with skilful players finding their feet in the English league. Does anyone remember just how abysmal Robert Pires looked when he first joined Arsenal? He seemed totally out of his depth, like he'd won a competition to play or written to Jim'll Fix It. Within a couple of years, he'd won one of the Player of the Season awards.
Bily's a fairly similar player in some ways, neat and tidy on the ball, good touch and able to create for others in various different ways. I think there's a lot more to come from him, although whether he should play right, left or just off the striker is a conundrum to be solved.
I hope Bily turns out to be a great acquisition for us. He has shown flashes of brilliance at times this season in what he's capable of but in terms of his physique he is still very light-weight. If he can improve and work on his body strength then he could very much be a big asset in years to come.
Saying that, Kanchelskis used to frighten defenders in one-on-one situations with his blistering pace, we desperately need that outlet which has been missing since his days. Pace pace pace please DM!!
I posted this link on another thread, it came out at the time Bily signed and it's quite prophetic:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1209375/Diniyar-Bilyaletdinovs-hero-Andrei-Kanchelskis-predicts-tough-time-new-Everton-star-dad-reveals-Arsenal-love.html
Six goals in eighteen games isn't bad at all for a winger to contribute.
Personally, I'm one of those who makes the excuse of "he's been playing for about 18 months and will come good".
I remember plenty of others — Fellaini, Pienaar, even Arteta — being crap for half a season to a season as they got settled, and now look at them. I feel Bily'll be the same and I wish him the best.
As for the new Kanchelskis... he was far and away my favourite player to put on a blue shirt, and if Bily's half as good as Andrei then he'll be brilliant.
Though his position seems to be a problem; he's a left winger (or central in the Arshavin mould), and Pienaar and Baines are our most potent weapon down that side. I'm more curious about how Moyes will deploy him once he's settled.
Personally, I'm one of those who makes the excuse of "he's been playing for about 18 months and will come good".
I remember plenty of others — Fellaini, Pienaar, even Arteta — being crap for half a season to a season as they got settled, and now look at them. I feel Bily'll be the same and I wish him the best.
As for the new Kanchelskis... he was far and away my favourite player to put on a blue shirt, and if Bily's half as good as Andrei then he'll be brilliant.
Though his position seems to be a problem; he's a left winger (or central in the Arshavin mould), and Pienaar and Baines are our most potent weapon down that side. I'm more curious about how Moyes will deploy him once he's settled.
When are fellow Evertonians going to realise that Bily isn't a winger? — he's an attacking central midfielder that can cover/play on either flank.
At Lokomotiv Moscow he was their playmaker from the centre of the park and things went through him, he made their team tick, he was given a kind of free role and he got everywhere in the final third and he got goals and created things too. Eventually, I think Bily will be played instead of Cahill in the centre, behind the striker, linking the midfield to attack.
Bily isn't blessed with pace but he's got a good footballing brain, vision, quick feet and can score a goal and playing Bily centrally, in-front of Fellaini and Arteta, we will see some decent football by those three in the centre. Then, with Pienaar out on the left and possibly/hopefully Donovan or a similar type of player on our right linking up as well, I think we'll do alright next season. But I doubt Moyesy will give Bily that many opportunities to play centrally instead of Cahill, which is a shame cos I think Bily is wasted out wide.
I know it's only a YouTube clip but look at some of the things Bily does, the quick feet and trickery, the vision and through-balls and the variety of goals he scores, he's got the lot. Next season, we just need to unearth it and play him in his best position. I think, with a good rest in the summer and a pre-season with our squad, we will at some stage during next season see the real Bily come to the fore!.
Just look at Fellaini — everyone was saying pretty much the same things about him not being good enough, panic buy, waste of money... and look at him after a season and a half. He was looking shit hot before his injury and we're all saying how much we miss him now, so let's just be patient with Bily and give him time to settle and eventually we will see his qualities on a regular basis.
Have a gander at what he could bring to the team when at his best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13wz-XwqT-g
At Lokomotiv Moscow he was their playmaker from the centre of the park and things went through him, he made their team tick, he was given a kind of free role and he got everywhere in the final third and he got goals and created things too. Eventually, I think Bily will be played instead of Cahill in the centre, behind the striker, linking the midfield to attack.
Bily isn't blessed with pace but he's got a good footballing brain, vision, quick feet and can score a goal and playing Bily centrally, in-front of Fellaini and Arteta, we will see some decent football by those three in the centre. Then, with Pienaar out on the left and possibly/hopefully Donovan or a similar type of player on our right linking up as well, I think we'll do alright next season. But I doubt Moyesy will give Bily that many opportunities to play centrally instead of Cahill, which is a shame cos I think Bily is wasted out wide.
I know it's only a YouTube clip but look at some of the things Bily does, the quick feet and trickery, the vision and through-balls and the variety of goals he scores, he's got the lot. Next season, we just need to unearth it and play him in his best position. I think, with a good rest in the summer and a pre-season with our squad, we will at some stage during next season see the real Bily come to the fore!.
Just look at Fellaini — everyone was saying pretty much the same things about him not being good enough, panic buy, waste of money... and look at him after a season and a half. He was looking shit hot before his injury and we're all saying how much we miss him now, so let's just be patient with Bily and give him time to settle and eventually we will see his qualities on a regular basis.
Have a gander at what he could bring to the team when at his best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13wz-XwqT-g
I feel he could become a very important player for this club. For me, his future is playing as a central attacking midfielder (currently known as the Tim Cahill position). From this, I can see him getting 15 goals + per season.
He has a knack of being in right place at right time. He also has the ability to score from outside the area (this is one thing we have seriously lacked for a long time). His technique is fantastic, he doesn't have a winger's pace but, as a central midfielder, he will be quick enough.
I feel with Pienaar (hopefully still a blue) and a quick right winger of some denomination, that would be an excellent attacking three supporting the lone striker. Supported by Fellaini and Arteta, it would be a very skillful attacking team, which could play some 'sexy' stuff. With Cahill, Rodwell, Osman and Gosling in the squad also, this part of the team looks good.
He needs to improve his workrate, hopefully a rest and a pre-season with Everton will help towards that. A key part for any team that wants to play this sort of passing game is pressing, something Moyes is very good at getting Everton players to do this season, winning possession back off the opposition. This is the one area that worries me with Bily; will he be able to build this part of his game? — only time will tell.
So, as a central attacking midfielder, I think he can be a great success at this club.
He has a knack of being in right place at right time. He also has the ability to score from outside the area (this is one thing we have seriously lacked for a long time). His technique is fantastic, he doesn't have a winger's pace but, as a central midfielder, he will be quick enough.
I feel with Pienaar (hopefully still a blue) and a quick right winger of some denomination, that would be an excellent attacking three supporting the lone striker. Supported by Fellaini and Arteta, it would be a very skillful attacking team, which could play some 'sexy' stuff. With Cahill, Rodwell, Osman and Gosling in the squad also, this part of the team looks good.
He needs to improve his workrate, hopefully a rest and a pre-season with Everton will help towards that. A key part for any team that wants to play this sort of passing game is pressing, something Moyes is very good at getting Everton players to do this season, winning possession back off the opposition. This is the one area that worries me with Bily; will he be able to build this part of his game? — only time will tell.
So, as a central attacking midfielder, I think he can be a great success at this club.
One of Moyes's worst signings — simply due to how much he cost. That money could have been a lot better spent.
Moyes moaned we didn't have the money to ever sign Darren Bent. Well £9m would have been a sizable chunk of it.
When are people on this site ever going to learn their lesson? It took Pienaar and Arteta about 6 months to settle and now they are two of the best midfield players in the league. It took Baines and Jags a similar amount of time and Fellaini even longer.
£9M will prove to be a bargain by the end of next season. He hasn't done too badly this season either, chipping in with the goals and assists. He is a very talented footballer who needs to settle and adapt to the English game.
£9M will prove to be a bargain by the end of next season. He hasn't done too badly this season either, chipping in with the goals and assists. He is a very talented footballer who needs to settle and adapt to the English game.
Fran, I don't think he will ever beat out Tim Cahill for a spot in the squad. Cahill isn't just an attacking midfielder, he defends from the top better than anyone else in the league. That is what separates Cahill from other attacking midfielders. I think Bily will, in time, be a quality player but he is far from being able to play in the "Cahill role".
I think Heitinga is our next captain. He plays harder than anyone else on the team and has earned the position when Nev leaves.
I think Heitinga is our next captain. He plays harder than anyone else on the team and has earned the position when Nev leaves.
I think Bily is an old-style Inside forward and the team (aka Moyes) has to decide if his pluses are worth the ' carryng ' of his minuses.
Like McFadden and to some extent Osman, he is a player in search of a position to call his own.
All three of them, out and out wingers they are not... and being forced on to the right by virtue of the Baines-Pienaar axis on the left does them no favours.
What they need is a right-sided Baines... step up Colem------ no, I won't go there, anyway a right-sided Baines.
BUT, if we get Landon back, all bets are off for the right-wing job... So back to square one: A player in search of a position.
Like McFadden and to some extent Osman, he is a player in search of a position to call his own.
All three of them, out and out wingers they are not... and being forced on to the right by virtue of the Baines-Pienaar axis on the left does them no favours.
What they need is a right-sided Baines... step up Colem------ no, I won't go there, anyway a right-sided Baines.
BUT, if we get Landon back, all bets are off for the right-wing job... So back to square one: A player in search of a position.
Interesting piece Dave Hallwood, nice one.
The jury's still well and truly out for me — the guy's got a great touch and ability to play the ball with some class but I can still remember the first time I saw him get the ball and move down the wing and peronally was shocked / dismayed by his clear lack of pace.
So, the centre probably is for him, shame we didnt stick him there against West Ham last week and put Osman on the right — it could've been revelationary. DM can't think it's for him though.
So, I think he's shown he could be great but next season is likely to be the acid test.
Good luck to him, I hope he makes it.
The jury's still well and truly out for me — the guy's got a great touch and ability to play the ball with some class but I can still remember the first time I saw him get the ball and move down the wing and peronally was shocked / dismayed by his clear lack of pace.
So, the centre probably is for him, shame we didnt stick him there against West Ham last week and put Osman on the right — it could've been revelationary. DM can't think it's for him though.
So, I think he's shown he could be great but next season is likely to be the acid test.
Good luck to him, I hope he makes it.
Yes, it took Pienaar and Arteta time to settle... but they are in a different league of class to Bily who, I am sorry to say, is very average at best.
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1 Posted 10/04/2010 at 02:31:01
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