Firstly, to play with a second striker means you must drop Cahill back into central midfield. He can?t play wide or anywhere else so if you want to keep Cahill in the team someone has to go ? or else you question his selection as a midfield player. What would he contribute from central midfield and is it good enough to warrant a place ahead of say Arteta, Rodwell or Fellaini? Conversely, do his goals, albeit from this attacking roving role forwards role, warrant selection anyway?
Then you have to ask, if we are playing two forwards, \what type of midfield do you need? Width to put crosses in might be one dimension and craft to slide balls into forwards might be a second. Who has the technical ability to make passes and the skill to find players?
Then there is the issue of Heitinga. By general consensus, he is not a midfield player but Moyes is faced with a dilemma ? drop a proven International, play him out of place, or, God forbid, put him in the position that he has won countless caps for Holland in (as we know this is no Mickey Mouse country in football terms... so to play consistently at that level means you?re no mug as a defender).
Well, apart from the Man Utd game, I would suggest Distin has consistently outperformed Jags this year. Jags is great with last-ditch tackles which get the crowd going, but genuinely good defenders rarely make many as they anticipate. Watching last night's match, Jags miskicked from the kick off and on countless other occasions miscued, mishit or just plain missed the ball. As the saying goes, he can?t pass water, which is why all opposition teams allow him the ball ? they know he will give it them back!
So drop Heitinga from midfield by all means but to where? And it?s far too easy at this point to bring up all the nonsense about him wanting away etc ? you play your best players whilst they are the best and are available and deal with the other issues when you need to ? just ask Ferguson!!
Finally, the tactics. So was it surprising that Coleman was replaced before either Heitinga or Arteta? Perhaps you could argue that in the situation we were in, experience was more vital ? so he brings on a 19-year-old!! Or perhaps you might argue bringing Rodwell on will offer us something different, so he plays the same formation but puts a central midfield player out wide in the same set-up? Then he decides to ?go for it? and put the Yak and Beckford up front, drop Cahill back and play with 3 central midfielders and Pienaar who, as much as I like him, is not a winger or a player who naturally puts many crosses in.
So just exactly what was Moyes hoping to achieve? Did his tactics go beyond ?hit the ball long to the forwards?? Yes, a clearance from Jags nearly created a goal but was that his tactics? Hit and hope? Moyes seems incapable of changing his mindset or his approach. In his terms, he may have achieved a modicum of success but, in my terms, he has steadied the ship and put a decent squad together but seems incapable of developing his own thinking to progress us any further. Should he have much of a future with us?
Necessity (ie Kenwright) might dictate he is with us longer than he should be and as such the tactics will not change; playing square pegs in round holes will continue, and we will approach all our matches with one game plan and no plan B. Oh happy days!!
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Would it be too much of an upheavel to play 5-3-2 with wing backs? Jags, Distin and Heitinga as a central 3, Baines and Coleman as wing backs, a midfield 3 from Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Fellaini... with 2 strikers!
Is this not a flexible option? Please enlighten me.
I agree about Heitinga and Fellaini will walk back in. Pienaar and Baines were outstanding, something we seem to take for granted when saying Pienaar isn't a winger and doesn't cross.
Distin was at fault for their first goal, not tight enough, but him and Jags played well against two excellent strikers. Coleman needs more support of Neville.
Lastly, I've a feeling Beckford can do a job, strange after that miss, I know... but Saha was a disgrace. We were dominating the game at 1-1 so I didn't expect Moyes to make any changes, why should he? Then they get the dodgy goal and he reacts and we equalise.
Good game last night, two good sides. We'll climb the league, no danger.
HowardNeville, Jags, Heitinga, Distin,Arteta, Fellaini, Rodwell, Baines,PienaarCahill
So... 4-4-1-1 with Pienaar in the hole behind Cahill up front on his own and encourage Baines, Arteta, Pienaar and Rodwell to shoot when near the box!
Tim Howard is IMO a poor keeper and, whether Mucha works out or not, once the striker issue is sorted, I'd be looking at this next as a matter of urgency. Saha is a waste of time and money and should be shipped out in January. Hopefully, with a few good sales and a couple of prospects coming through, we can recycle this squad and go forward with a young exciting side.
The longer this so far dire season drags on, the more I'm thinking we may need a young exciting manager to go with them?
By suggesting Cahill be dropped so as to accomodate some no-marks is bordering on the insane.
Sorry, Jim, but in my eyes you have joined a bunch that includes Mike Oates who also do not recognise that Tim is our only world class midfielder. What we should be doing is building a team around him and not trying to create something from nothing ? because, without Tim, that is the level we are at.
A world class player affects a game through their skill, vision and ability and can win matches on their own when those around are struggling. Tim scores goals in and around 12 yards from goal, and almost always is reliant on a decent cross or free kick. He does not and cannot dictate play, tactics or approach although his enthusiasm does often affect the tempo we see.
Tim is a decent / good attacking midfielder and, whilst that might be better than the rest on offer at Goodison at present, please don't attach such over-the-top and patently absurd descriptions about his ability ? he might be the best Aus footballer around but world class he certainly ain't
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