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Today's Back Four

After watching the highlights on MotD (suprised at the amount of time we got this week), I thought my eyes had deceived me when I saw Jagielka playing at right back as, earlier in the day, I thought Yobo was playing there.

Fair enough, Jags might have played well today, but what was Moyes's reason behind that decision considering he was crap there the last time he played in that position?
Brad Eastwood, Leicester Posted 01/05/2010 at 23:17:51

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Martin Clark
1 Posted 02/05/2010 at 03:03:55

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Few strange decisions this weekend:

Why was Pienaar not playing?
Why was Hibbert dropped after apparently playing well since his return?
Why move Jags to the right and Yobo in the middle?
What was wrong with the goal?

Can only think that Moyes was trying to get extra aerial defence by swapping Hibbert for Yobo. Also, I feel sure Yobo's not been happy watching from the bench for a number of games recently.

Aiden Doyle
2 Posted 02/05/2010 at 03:50:28

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Martin, according to the commentary during the game, Pienaar picked up a knock during training.

I’m guessing that Distin & Yobo were picked as the central pairing because they’re our two tallest centre-backs which may have been useful for dealing Stoke’s direct approach.

Jagielka may have been selected ahead of Hibbert at right back for the same reason. (Admittedly Baines is an inch shorter than Hibbert but we’re not spoilt for choice in his position.)

As for the “goal”, Arteta may have swung the ball in to touch before it reached the area and, even if he didn’t, Vic was clearly offside when Jags headed it. He was stood right by their keeper so, whether he touched it or not, he was certainly influencing play.

Still a painfully bad game though, even if there was method to Moyes’s madness.

Martin Bolton
3 Posted 02/05/2010 at 08:27:30

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Aiden, thanks for destroying my conspiracy theory that the goal was disallowed because it would have threatened the RS chances of playing in Europe next season. Haha nevermind.

Gavin Ramejkis
4 Posted 02/05/2010 at 09:03:24

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To accomodate Neville in the team despite him playing shite for weeks, dropping Hibbert who has had good games there for the last two games.

Ian McDowell
5 Posted 02/05/2010 at 10:43:22

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Moyes did a sensible thing; yes, Hibbert has played well the last 2 games. Stoke though have a massive aerial threat and, with both our full backs being short, he decided to go for a bit of height.

David Hallwood
6 Posted 02/05/2010 at 11:14:44

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I tend not to critisise DM, but to select a team with the aim to stop Stoke rather than a team that would win the game considering that we needed the 3 points but losing wouldn't be the end of the world, is far too negative from the manager and is giving the opposition too much respect. Echos of Wolves at GP.

Dick Fearon
7 Posted 02/05/2010 at 11:39:39

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David Smallwood, you echoed my own thoughts. I too was disgusted that, despite our need for the three points was so much more important to us than to Stoke, Moyes could still not break free of his defensive mania.

Jason Lam
8 Posted 02/05/2010 at 12:36:38

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Jags was added for more height to defend against Delap.

Gavin Ramejkis
9 Posted 02/05/2010 at 12:37:04

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Tony Hibbert is 5'8" and Jags is 5'11" — not that much difference in height but way too defensive as per the last few posts; you'd think DM was looking to stay in the league and not try to get into Europe. DM's weakness is and always will be his 'defence first' mentality.

Ben Jones
10 Posted 02/05/2010 at 14:40:25

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I think this is a bit OTT. I thought Jags was excellent yesterday, always went forward and was always in the back post for a lot of deliveries.

Possibly an option for next season? He's certainally better than Hibbert there.

Gavin Ramejkis
11 Posted 02/05/2010 at 15:01:54

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Ben, surely not, you fancy Distin or 50p head Yobo as one of our first choice centre halves?

Ben Jones
12 Posted 02/05/2010 at 17:52:46

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Well Gavin, no doubt Jags and Heitinga are our best centre halves, but do you reckon 2 centre halves less than 6 foot are gonna play against teams like Stoke, Bolton, Blackburn etc?

Distin and Yobo are good defenders. They're not as bad as toffeewebbers claim.

Gavin Ramejkis
13 Posted 02/05/2010 at 21:55:11

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Ben, Distin isn't the worst we have but always going to be cover and Yobo is prone to a lot of mistakes; ever remember him tying his laces during the Charlton game on the penalty spot whilst they took a corner and scored?

As far as height goes, Cahill has cleared an awful lot of corners and long throws in the Everton area in the past, wouldn't put him in the Harlem Globe Trotters, defence is more about being able to read and react to the game than just being a big yard dog.

Tony Cheek
14 Posted 03/05/2010 at 14:22:42

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I refuse to believe that I am the only one that was completely baffled by DM's team selection against Stoke. What was he thinking about!?! I, for one, would have loved to go into the last game thinking we still had a chance of getting our noses in front of Liverpool and a place in Europe.

Christ, we had two tried and tested right backs in the squad and what does he do? ... puts jags there and Yobo besides Distin. Completely unsettling the whole team, and didn't it show? DM had himself stated on the OS that Neville should be considered for a place in the England squad as right back, then places him in midfield!!!

What was the meaning? But maybe even worse was, after watching what a mess it was in the first half, he did nothing about it. I really felt sorry for Jags who was obviously struggling all game.

Why not this line-up:

Howard;
Hibbert, Jags, Distin, Baines;
Osman, Arteta, Neville, Rodwell, Bilyaletdinov,
Saha??

We must have had a better chance with that. Sometimes I just do not understand his logic...

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