FAN ARTICLES

Reboot and Rethink

By Paul McAllister :  30/11/2010 :  Comments (13) :

Where do we begin? Against an in-form (but, at the same time, still relegation candidate) Blackpool team, we let slip two goals and handed them a point. Ok, yes one of them was a stunning free kick but the foul that lead to it was clumsy and ill-timed by Mikel Arteta which, to be honest, he only committed in the first place because Sylvain Distin again failed to grasp what defenders are supposed to do when put under pressure from strikers. We had to fight back to earn a point in a game we should have put to bed.

Next came Bolton at home ? another side in great form but still a class below us. Especially at Goodison Park, Everton should have put Bolton to the sword and thrashed the Wanderers two- or three-nil. Yet again, though, Everton lacked killer instinct and somehow Bolton ended up taking the lead through a very preventable goal. Everton?s players (Louis Saha in particular) spent the rest of the game unable to hit a cow?s behind with a banjo. Only when Jermaine Beckford and Yakubu were brought on did Everton finally begin to press and at the death, when the ground was half-empty, and the players were preparing to get back on the team coach, did Jermaine Beckford rescue a point for Everton with a wonderful strike.

This however wasn?t enough for most Evertonians to make up for an abysmal display. Everton had a glorious chance to keep up the pressure on the Top 4 and enter the European places for the first time this season. However, we ended up having to count ourselves lucky for managing a draw against Bolton, AT HOME.

Next up were Premier League giants Arsenal. After possibly suffering the worst thrashing of last season the last time we played them at Goodison, most Evertonians would have been happy if we only managed to escape a similar humiliation this time around. However, for the third game on the run, Everton made it all too easy for the opposition to exploit us. Arsenal got around our defence at will due to our clumsy centre-backs and non-existent holding midfielder (I believe he?s called John Heitinga... anybody seen him since he played in the World Cup?).

We were unable to trouble them in return due to the fact that, for reasons unknown to everyone except David Moyes, Louis Saha started up front alone even though he?s not done anything constructive whatsoever since December. On came Beckford and Yakubu and Everton finally began to trouble Arsenal. Despite forcing some good saves out of the normally unreliable ?Flapihandski? and a late consolation from talisman Tim Cahill, Everton went away empty-handed.

Next was a tricky yet winnable away game against Sunderland. Even with Sunderland coming off an astonishing 3-0 win at Chelsea, most Evertonians felt, if we learnt from the lessons of the past three games, we could win and it all started according to plan, Tim Cahill again nicking a goal. But after this, Everton didn?t get a sniff at goal for the rest of the half due to Louis Saha, who was again gifted a starting place for being non-existent, and our best midfielders being far to fussy with the ball.

Time and time again, Everton seemed to get it into their head they were Barcelona and attempted to walk the ball into the net. It wasn?t long, though, before more defensive errors gifted Sunderland an equalizer and a lead after the defence failed to do its job. Mikel Arteta, who, up until this point, had been terrible, grabbed the equalizer 10 minutes from time ? and we also had enough time to grab a late winner. Beckford looked poised to repeat his Bolton heroics and grab a late goal right at the death but somehow hit the ball over the bar when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, another winnable game thrown away. The positives, however, were the fact that Everton play better with Yakubu and Beckford up front was reinforced. Notice a pattern here?

Against West Brom... well, what is there to say? Everton?s worst performance of the season so far, embarrassed by a newly promoted and average team. Lessons were not learned. Chances were not taken (by Beckford).

It was good to finally see Saha out of the team and Yakubu back in but, for most of the game, the midfield left him completely isolated. Mikel Arteta was again terrible, Heitinga disgraceful, Pienaar below par. Defenders kept up their act of not behaving like defenders and gifting West Brom goals.

Behind at the break, what was our answer? Nothing. Moyes made no changes at half time despite his team (bar Tim Cahill) doing sod all. Victor Anichebe appeared to everybody in the ground to be unfit, whilst super kid and star in the making, Seamus Coleman, sat on the bench. Later, on came Saha and Beckford to the rescue. Saha did his usual act of impersonating a stationary object and Beckford tried his best but wasted so many glorious chances to fire Everton back in the game. It finished 4-1 to West Brom and I was one of the very few who stayed until the whistle, simply so I could boo the team off in disgrace.

So here is my assessment: David Moyes must take a share of the responsibility. In all these games, he picked the wrong players ? or his ?favourites?, as they?re known. Players who don?t deserve to play but start week after week, or are repeatedly played in the wrong position. Yet nothing has been done about it. Why? Because Moyes is too stubborn ? that?s why.

Saha has done nothing except get his pay cheque since he signed his contract and Anichebe was clearly not fit to start on the right of midfield. Heitinga has, for weeks on end now, showed everybody why he is not a midfielder. Steven Pienaar has clearly made up his mind and will seek new pastures either in January or the summer. Arteta has entered a patch of bad form capped by his red card the other night. Beckford to be fair is still adapting and needs to be given more time. Yes, he missed several sitters but he at least is showing more hunger than anybody else.

So what do we do? We need to reboot and rethink. Moyes needs to accept his methods aren?t working and change. Players need to be dropped or played in their best positions. Start starting Beckford and Yakubu and the goals will come.

We play Chelsea next where we need to show some backbone, something that?s been lacking. We are dangerously hanging above the relegation zone and after fighting to escape it earlier this season we face a risk of dropping back into a relegation fight. We can?t keep living off our derby victory. It?s sad to say but I believe our chances of Top 4 are now gone. Please don?t let our chances of Europa League go too.

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