FAN ARTICLES
Yuletide snoozefest from Miserable Moyes

Rested after the postponement of their Boxing Day fixture against Birmingham City due to miles and miles of frozen pipes at the aging Goodison Park stadium, Everton travel down to what was once known as Upton Park where West Ham had finally lifted themselves off the bottom of the Premier League table with a handsome win at Fulham just two days ago.
In the event, both Jagielka and Heitinga failed to recover from their injuries so Tont Hibbert was recalled to the back four, while Mikel Arteta, despite his attrocious form so far this season, waltzed straight back into the side after not being missed at all during his three-match suspension following his red card for retaliating against Jara of West Brom.
Coleman retained his place on the right, with Steven Pienaar coming back in on the left, and Moyes, finally despairing of his useless posse of so-called strikers, pushed Tim Cahill to the front of the line, looking to benefit from a few more goals no doubt before Everton lose their Aussie talisman for an entire month to the ridiculously timed Asian Cup in Qatar. Leon Osman succuumbed to illness and did not make the teamsheet.
The bench included three of those ineffective stikers: Beckford, Yakubu and Saha, with token positions for Duffy and Baxter. No sign of Magaye "Secret Waeapon" Gueye or James Vaughan, who returned injured last week from a moderatley successful loan spell in the Championship with Crystal Palace.
It was kick & rush early on, with Hibbert being tested and coming off superbly with a classic sliding tackle executed perfectly on Piquionne running wide. West Ham pressed Everton back and when Fellaini did advance, Pienaar had foolishly run offside. Fellaini was commanding in starting moves from the back, and good passing won their first corner on 5 mins that Arteta looped into the middle. Coleman finally got it forward to Distin(!) who shot from an acute angle instead of cutting the ball back.
Everton looked to control the game after 5 mins with some high-quality possession and patient build-up play but an opportunistic jab by Parker to rob Neville nearly let West Ham get behind the Everton defence, Hibbert once again intercepting crucially.
It was pretty even until West Ham's first corner that Hibbert gave away with a lose kick. Howard saved a close range header but Hibert wailed at the follow-up his raised leg scooping the ball inside the post for a horrible own-goal. The crucial first goal goes the wrong way for the Blues.
Cahill set Coleman off with a fantastic backheel but Upson caught him and gave away the corner that Arteta looped high and deep to Distin. Another Arteta corner fell to Distin, who wellied it high over the bar, possibly clipping off the defender's challenge. West Ham again responded at pace, and Obinna cut in, smashing a stinger that smacked back off the stanchion.
Howard was very lucky in a bizarre incident by the corner flag, the linesman giving him a free-kick after he had obstructed Obinna as the slowly rolling ball bumped into the flag and stopped instead of going behind for a goalkick! Everton's composure was tested as West Ham came at them with their tails up after the goal. Fortunately, they wasted a few opportunities to go further ahead.
A great move involving Pienaar, Baines and Arteta down the left looked promising and won a corner that Baines delivered in Arteta-style from the left, with equal lack of effect. Neville than got free to run forward and cross... far too close to Green. Baines put in a brilliant low cross from the left that Pienaar stepped over at the near post, rather than clipping goalward.
A good free-kick form Baines found Fellaini but his free header on the edge of the box was directed nowhere and came to nothing. More good play from Coleman, Fellaini, Pienaar and Baines around the area led to another wasted cross... might be nice of there was a big centre-forward, Beckford perhaps, in the middle to profit... Cahill on his own was always surrounded, consequently winning little in the air for Everton; consequently he started playing wider and deeper to get himself some space and time on the ball.
Coleman was hemmed in by two but won a throw that was uselessly blocked into the defender by Arteta. Fellaini then stamped in on Obinna, who screamed in anguish and earned the Big Fella a lecture but amazingly not a card. Cahill tried soem strong-arm stuff and was called for it. The Blues at least were trying to play football when they did get possession, but were failing to get any purchase on even a half-chance as the flow of the game continually went away from them.
Another patient move, with crossing runs form Pienaar, then Arteta, out wide left to Cahill, whose excellent cross was sidefooted superbly beneath Green by Coleman, ghosting in completly unmarked on the far post. A superbly constructed goal to put the boys back on track.
In response, Upson got too much of a free header in the heart of the Everton defence but thankfully headed it well wide. At the other end, Rodwell should have done far, far better after getting put in behind the West Ham defence but his cross instead of shot was poor in the extreme. At the other end, Parker ran at Hibbert and chipped onto the roof of the net. Coleman looked to score a second but was given too much time and looped it high and wide as the Blues went in level at the break.
Everton needed to push on, by bringing one of their strikers on at the break... but No, said Moyes: as you were...
It was rubbish stop-start stuff for a while after the break, until Pienaar turned neatly and tried to curl a sweet shot inside the far angle. A Parker free-kick forced a Howard punch; Baines crossed harmlessly into Green's hands; COleman drew a good free-kick running at Spector; Arteta's free-kick finally came to Pienaar but his shot was week; Rodwell tried a shot from outside the D that was weak and wayward.
55 mins and Cole came on for West Ham, while Moyes pondered and plotted... or dithered and dallied. The game was now SCREAMING for a change, needless backpasses, hopeless hoofballs, and a horrible cross from Cahill underlining the non-football that was now being played. Coleman was the only one showing any real adventure, putting in a great tussle with Spector.
On the hour and the move finally came: Yakubu on for the hugely disappointing Rodwell, who seems to be going backwards rather than developing with every game he plays. Yakubu won a free-kick in his own inimitable fashion but Arteta inexplicably looped it out wide right where it was ultimately wasted. Kovac went in the book for halting a lively sprint by Pienaar.
So Moyes had acted... but the dismally flat game pattern remained very much the same as Everton seemed destined for their 10th "creditable" draw of the season. Pienaar made a good run that looked to release the Yak but somehow, it became a West Ham break and Cole drove his shot across Howard and thankfully wide... and the game reverted to its previous level of uncompromising drivel.
Why oh Why oh Why doesn't Moyes act in these situations??? Everton should have been slaughtering this bottom-of-the-table team...
Coleman finally got past Spector but his cross was weak and cut out by Upson. Everton attacked down the right again and with 10 mins left, Cahill finally putting in a shot ? straight at Green. Baines then ran well at the defence and fed the ball to Yak but he was robbed. Fellaini then heads the corner powerfully, stratight at Green. Either side, and it would have been a goal...
At least Everton were trying now, and Cahill got the ball in the net but he had been clearly offside in a move were Yakubu looked to hook the ball home. Obinna came off, replaced by Zavon Hines with 5 mins left: Moyes still with two from six unused subs.
A laboured attack down the right ended patetically when Neville drove the ball at a defender. Another attack and Arteta played Pienaar into a cu-de-sac. 90 mins and incredibly, Moyes NOW decides to replace Pienaar with Beckford. Utterly astounding managment incompetence, but incredibly 5 added minutes to be played.
Howard came out and clashed with Hines outside the area but Everton escaped what could have been a dangerous free-kick. End-to-end in the closing minutes as each side briefly looked for a winner, and Moyes finally switched out Arteta for Bily with barely 2 mins remaining.
A final free-kick by West Ham summed up this dreadful half, Parker scooping it poorly over the backline and Webb finally puts everyone out of their misery. It's games like this that totally epitomise Moyes's mind-numbing negativity, and yes, cowardice, in not really piling in to a very vulnerable opposition team.
Reader Comments (116)
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2 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:20:20
3 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:32:27
Story of our season really; on another day we'd have won this by the odd goal, just like 5 or 6 of our other draws this campaign.
one side-note though: why does Distin even bother crossing the half-way line? he must have fluffed a good 200 chances now for us without scoring.
4 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:29:44
This contrast sums everything up: for 15 minutes the players showed they've got the ability and belief. But once we went behind the players look scared, scared of what that bullying, clueless bastard was gonna say to them at half time.
Absolute shit. He's gotta go. And he can take Steve fucking Round and his bastard clipboard with him.
5 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:31:08
Moyes doesn't want to win games. A draw will do for him, that much was confirmed by his selection/substitutions tonight. The team needed to be changed when Cahill was all alone up front but, alas, it was Yakubu who came on and spent as much time on his ass as his feet.
The main worry now is that Cahill goes after Saturday and Moyes should have started with a team to carry on without him.
6 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:31:47
7 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:31:10
The season's a write-off and it's time for a re-build. What was the gameplan tonight from Moyes and Round? They seem totally unable to view the game and make the right tactical changes and substitutions.
No money in January ? what a joke... we're going backwards rapidly.
Kenwright ? you're a joke!
8 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:40:01
Like to read Doddy's defence of the manager's tactics over this one
9 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:43:24
10 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:41:51
11 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:43:48
12 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:38:50
Grim, dour and depressing stuff from Moyes.
As Man U are finding at the top end, we're lucky that nearly every team in the division are shite this year cos 4 wins from 19 is a disgrace and we deserve to be in bottom 3 with such a grossly negative attitude from the manager.
Until our next "tricky" away game at Stoke, hope EFC don't spoil the hols for you! Cheers.
13 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:43:36
14 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:47:03
15 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:42:02
16 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:55:18
17 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:50:13
How #3 honestly thinks that, I find hard to believe. It was awful stuff. Just awful. No other words for it.... awful. awful. awful. awful.
Oh, I got two other words: MOYES OUT.
18 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:44:35
Against virtually a championship side he fields a team of defenders and midfield players.
I'm of the opinion if anyone finds justification in this they've never played and get their knowledge from the sycophants in the media.
Yet some will, frightening.
19 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:48:14
20 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:57:14
I think the Yak only had two touches the entire time he was on, Arteta was his usual post-injury shite self, and Piennar was gash.
Meanwhile, Beckford and Bily got a grand total of about 6 minutes between them to "change the game".
FFS.
21 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:48:59
I have got to say to the people who rave about Rodwell that I cannot think of 1 single game where he has been the star man for us. He has had some good moments but he has never put in 90 mins for us.
Before you say, "Moyes always subs him", let me say once again that he is THE most overrated player we have ever had. He gets subbed because he's contributing nothing. I don't dislike the lad at all, I think he's a promising young player. But to listen to the way some of you talk about him on here, I think we are watching different games!
At least we didn't lose today!
22 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:01:33
Rodwell: Not developing how he should be.
Pienaar: rather ineffective
Team for next game
should be
Howard
Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin, Baines
Coleman, Fellaini, Bily, Osman
Cahill (if still here, if not Pienaar)
Beckford
23 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:04:50
24 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:57:35
How can Arteta and Fellaini fade from being fearsome forward-looking midfielders with touch and vision, to two headless chickens lucky to complete a simple sidepass.
Rodwell showed us against Man Utd last season what he can do and Moyes has restricted him ever since.
And if he doesn't think any of our strikers would create or score against West Ham then he has to show enough bottle to offer them for sale in January and get two new ones in to go with Anichebe (Keane, Adebayor, Santa Cruz, Donovan, Bendtner....).
The lack of ambition with this club ? especially after the latter half of the last season ? is criminal, from the board, from Moyes, from the players and from us the supporters for not shouting about it loudly enough.
Pig sick with this fucking club, 31 years of supporting them and I've never been as frustrated at how much we're throwing away the chance of a generation!!!!!!
25 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:57:14
The average Joe like me make cut backs on various things just so we can get our season ticket and then get poor negative football dished up to us just to rub our noses into it.
It's coming to the point now that the only cut back will be Everton FC.
So come the end of the season and it's still the same I will have to REALLY ponder over my love for the club and keep my money in my wallet.
I hope it does't come to that but so far things arn't looking too good.
So come on Bill, Davey and the rest of you turn this around quickly os it may not just be me who does the same.
26 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:11:07
27 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:56:10
It does not seem to matter who the opposition is, tactic is always simply to defend and try to nick one. This is fine against a top side away from home but simply not acceptable against a team in the drop zone and playing shite... I am lost for words.
If I was a stiker at Everton, I would be looking to jump ship asap ? DM has shown time and time again he is a destroyer of strikers. Strikers need confidence, to get this they need goals, to score goals they need to PLAY! Saha has had a poor season and dropping him was the right thing to do all be it too late, but you have to then go with the Yak or Beckford at the very least! People say the Yak is finished but he is only 28 FFS and is still the second highest scorer in Premier League history. He's probably not interested because of the manager.
The tunnel is pitch black with not a hint of light in sight ? simply dire... no team needs to fear playing us, at worst they will be gifted a point!
Moyes, please change or fuck off and thanks for the memories, which are becoming very distant.
28 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:14:31
29 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:11:51
30 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:18:22
31 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:09:49
32 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:20:21
Fella is all imposing on the game, SD was excellent as were LB and the hard working SP and SC. Felt a bit for TH.
From going to Citeh the other night and agrreeing entirely with all the tactics and moves, which i commented on here about, I did also go on to comment that against lesser teams a different appraoch is needed, sort of a "Plan B" but tonight alas...
Thinking of the root of this is driving me mad but I think I conclude that it is the issue of playing a striker, which then gets me on to the formation but particularly tonight, why the "Yak"? Why tonight?
Others have commented re the "best squad since" which I agree with, but surgery is needed and someone needs to be strong enough to do the cutting. There were a fair few not playing tonight who would raise at least a few quids and realise funds for urgently needed support up front.
Thanks again
Ian
33 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:21:54
Rodwell was poor today, he takes 2 touches to control he ball, invariably does a piroutte before passing it sideways 5 yds. Too slow for a midfield man - and what the hell do the press see in him -Rodwell and Wiltshire - the future , Wiltshire is 5 years ahead of Jack. Put him back in the back 4 and let him develop there.
Man of Match by a country mile - Fellaini.
34 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:30:49
How and I mean how is this worse than Wa;ter Smith, it's the fucking same. Three strikers on the bench, Beckford on on 90-min mark. I hate Moyes for making us so awful to watch and Kenwright for being CM and for offering him £3.5 million a year! Look at Holloway's attitude.
35 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:28:48
As I said, I have no idea, but then again I am not paid to know that and I trust that someone is....
38 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:35:09
39 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:44:04
40 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:36:25
Let's get one thing straight, if Citeh had an ounce of luck they would have mullered us.
They battered us, and only last-ditch defending and a few bad decisions by the ref saved us that night.
We are SHIT ? end of. I was fucking embarrassed by that line up tonight.
How are our strikers supposed to find any form if they don't get a game? The man is a prick of the highest order.
41 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:20:59
Phil (5) ? you must have watched the game with Jimmy 3. Fellaini was the only player in our team who looked to have time on the ball. Our best player by far. Cahill was way out of position which is why he was so ineffective. Great cross for the goal but not the Timmy we know. We will miss him in January.
I am not a football coach or manager by any stretch of the imagination, but I think that even I have got more tactical nouse than Moyes. I watched the match tonight and was totally embarrassed by the performance. It brought back memories of the Smith era.
For the sake of the club we all love, Moyes must go.
42 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:12:48
Arteta does not become a bad player, its the formation he is playing in. playing along side a center half [Rodwell who stunk] and Coleman, who is not a one-touch player, does not help him, and I believe Arteta and Fellaini do not compliment each other.
Fellaini is in the Carsley roll but has a lot more skill than Carsley, but lacks the tackling skills, so therefore moves further up the field, which alters the balance of the side, so Arteta has to come deep, which does not suit Mikel.
We could try putting Arteta on the right wing, with Coleman at right back, instead of the clueless Neville.
I said it years ago, we need a midfield coach.
43 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:40:02
We've been going backwards since the cup final, and this is going to continue until there is a change to his one-paced, one-dimensional brand of football. Starting a game without a striker against a team in the relagation zone and low on confidence is a new low for Moyes.
44 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:56:45
45 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:26:08
Perhaps a loan striker or two will enable us to have 6 strikers on the bench! Fellaini's turn to try it alone upfront in January?
46 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:57:26
47 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:02:11
48 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:13:03
Why can't he go out to win the match ? isn't that what football is all about? Another game with no recognised Centre Forward...
We beat City but can't beat WHU. Where do we go from here?
Answers Please!!!!
49 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:11:31
FFS, no wonder Moyes & BK get away with being so shite.
50 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:06:27
Beckford scores against Bolton, next game v Arsenal ? Dropped!
Beckford scores against Chelsea, next game v Wigan ? Dropped!
I'd be in that twat's office asking for a move, if i was him!
Felli was our best midfielder by a country mile, the now clearly finnished through injury Arteta was shite!
Pienaar, with a smile on his face, was crap as well, what's he fucking grinning for?
The back four, Felli, Coleman, Rodwell, and Cahill, at least made a fight of it. We were worse when Rodwell went off, at least he knows how to go forward.
That fucking joke of a manager, making subs at 90 mins and again through injury, at 93 mins, against a load of shite team, says it all... TAXI!!!
51 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:15:46
52 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:07:42
53 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:25:30
We won a hard earned point against classy, in form opposition and moved above the mighty Newcastle and West Brom into our highest league position this season. Let's hope Moyes uses the same inspired substitutions at Stoke, another tough game against a top team. My only criticism would be that he could have brought Beckford and Billy on at 90 mins rather than 93.
Now let's get behind our loyal chairman who is constantly and selflessly searching for investment; our manager and his fearless positive football and last but not least our immensely talented and over-achieving squad. In Moyes We Trust.
54 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:20:08
55 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:21:30
56 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:23:02
The mind boggles
57 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:16:24
That has just left me speechless. No, wait I can feel a word forming in my throat.... TWAT...there you go, I feel better now.
58 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:22:09
Hope someone complains about media bias if we're shown last.
59 Posted 28/12/2010 at 20:57:16
I would have given Saha and Arteta the contracts based on previous form but they just haven't delivered and I feel for Moyes as his hands are now tied. I also backed him taking a punt on Beckford, though he may still yet come good. West Ham set out not to lose that match tonight and when a team does that its difficult. Moyes will sort it out ? keep the faith.
60 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:28:15
61 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:29:02
62 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:33:52
63 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:36:40
64 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:41:29
65 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:43:12
It'll be difficult for Moyes to find a solution, considering that it's him who is the problem.
66 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:45:32
The biggest problem is our big players are not performing. Saha and Arteta have been shite, Pienaar is on his way and couldn't give a toss and that fat Nigerian wanted to leave in the summer. I really do feel for Moyes ? so many difficult decisions under difficult circumstances based on our crippling lack of funds. I am sticking by him.
67 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:50:44
The biggest load of crap I've seen on a football pitch in years... starting with the wonderful manager's incredible negativity and lack of foresight. Why put out such a defensive line-up against the next to bottom team? Why put Tony Hibbert as a central defender? Did we win a header from any one of their corners?
Most importantly... almost to a man we looked disinterested. Distin ? our best on ground. A choice between Arteta and Cahill for worst on ground. Pienaar was well below par. At least Coleman never stopped trying but his ball control was frequently wayward. Yakubu did zero when he came on and is really looking like a "has been". Fellaini looked steady and commanding.
Like some others, I'd have liked to see Moyes take a punt on giving Beckford a start in this game.
68 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:50:44
The biggest load of crap I've seen on a football pitch in years.....starting with the wonderful manager's incredible negativity and lack of foresight. Why put out such a defensive line up against the next to bottom team? Why put Tony Hibbert as a central defender? Did we win a header from any one of their corners?
Most importantly........almost to a man we looked disinterested. Distin - our best on ground. A choice between Arteta and Cahill for worst on ground. Peanuts was well below par. At least Coleman never stopped trying but his ball control was frequently wayward. Yakubu did zero when he came on and is really looking like a "has been". Fellaini looked steady and commanding
Like some others, I'd have liked to see Moyes take a punt on giving Beckford a start in this game.
69 Posted 28/12/2010 at 21:53:58
Pienaar - I am sure DM doesn't tell him to bottle out of shooting every time he gets an opening. The worst one coming when Yak took two defenders with him so that a gap opened up and Pienaar passed it to the Yak instead of shooting himself. Completely brainless as the Yak was surrounded. Stitched Baines up as well by waiting what seemed like a life time to play him down the left after Baines went sprinting down the touchline for Pienaar to mess the pass up.
Arteta - every pass was back or sideways. Pointless one touch passes in and around their area and absolutely no composure or desire to run at them. Was carried for 90 minutes and let Cahill down as he should have been supporting him with Rodwell and Fellaini providing defensive midfield cover. I am sure DM isn't telling him to play like this.
Neville - constantly passed the buck leaving Coleman to do all the running and crossing.
I thought the rest did well overall but you can't win games when you have to carry your team mates. Special mentions reserved for Seamus, Leighton and Fellaini.
Lastly, nobody appears to have mentioned our disallowed goal, with that we would have won.
PS - controversial decision not to serve alcohol at the ground!!
70 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:16:32
Arteta, I'm sure Moyes isn't telling him to play like that, so why didn't Moyes do something about it, and bring him off?
Neville when fit, is probalby Moyes's first name on the teamsheet.
Err, the disallowed goal, was err, disallowed, because it was miles offside.
71 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:31:08
I admit he made a mistake by trying to incorporate Arteta and not playing an out and out striker but still, as he said in his post match interview, it was the players who are meant to create that were lacking. With Arteta he would probably be criticized if he left our biggest earner on the bench so it is a conundrum. After sitting through that though, I would gladly drive Arteta to John Lennon Airport and pack him off back to Spain. The same goes for Pienaar although not sure how good his Spanish is.
From my seat, spotting the offside was tricky as everything happened so fast ? haven't seen a replay so wasn't sure. The West Ham defenders were definitely trying to play act for a foul though.
72 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:36:36
73 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:55:43
74 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:52:35
What was really wrong today was the line-up, as others have pointed out. Cahill is brilliant as a support striker ghosting into space. On his own up-front he is rendered ineffective.
I was bored during much of today's game. When you know the big hoof up front to a sole striker will lead nowhere, you get frustrated when the tactic keeps getting repeated.
After the excitement of City... back to earth.
75 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:06:57
To adopt such a cautious posture against a struggling opponent when the situation called for aggression and enterprise is very distressing. Frankly, I wouldn't trust him to sign a decent striker now. He has spent £32 Million on players in that position during his time here and we have ended up without one he believes in. How is that possible? How many times has he got to fail in this endeavour?
76 Posted 28/12/2010 at 22:42:56
Erm no it isn't ? you play the players who are going to perform for you, based on form not based on their pay cheque!
The simple fact is that we went to play a side low on confidence, second from bottom and who had played 48 hours before (we did not) and what did we do? Ah yes, put no strikers on the pitch, presumably to confuse their defenders with some deep thought out double bluff.
Cahill is not a world beater and his best position is behind a striker ? any striker; playing on his own means he loses his effect apart from the odd time it worked a couple of years ago, when we actually had no strikers.
I am just amazed there has been no player backlash against the manager (in public anyway), there must be at least half a dozen of the first team squad that are rightly pisssed off at him.
If he has no confidence in the strikers, who is he going to play up front in January - Mucha?
Moyes may not get us relegated but with these tactics we are certainly not going anywhere ever! To add to the insult, it is also just emabassing.
10 draws, woohoo.........erm that's only a point better than 3 wins ? do the maths, Davey!
77 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:13:41
Piss poor attitude in selection and tactics. They were there for the taking.
Bollocks ? I'm off to watch the cricket and retain the Ashes, should make it to bed before 2 this time.
Come on, Davey Moyes, attack!!! ? If we'd won 10 and drawn 4 instead of the other way round we'd be 4th!!! So frustrating after beating the league leaders one day and then this with the bottom team the next, unbelievable.
78 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:15:05
£32mill? How about the midfield? £45mill? How about defence? £40mill? How about GK? £20mill?
Spent a few quid Mr Moyes, but we're reaping the rewards now tho? The net spend myth, as I call it.
It doesn't matter if at the end of your term as manager, you have spent £200mill on players, so long as you have sold some as well to cover the outlay...
Rooney + Lescott = Near £60 mill... He still spent it, I bet our squad cost more than any team outside the top four!
Sorry, top five (I forgot about Chelsea).
79 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:43:48
80 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:43:50
Arteta has been very poor so far. Our strikers are given crumbs to work with, and when the ydo get the chance they fluff their lines! Hi-points though so far have been for me Distin, and Coleman. I thought we would have seen more of Rodwell, and Arteta...
So here we are in a relegation battle, despite being 11th but only 3 points clear. I think the only thing that may rescue us this year is that the bottom 3 will be a lot worse than us, if that's possible.
81 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:21:29
Neville needs replacing. I love the fact he is a winner, but he shouldn't be alone. We should have a team of professionals who are driven by winning. Excellent for the squad, but should not be first choice selection.
Hibbert - NOT A CENTRE BACK!
My team for Stoke would be:
Howard
Coleman
Jags (Duffy/Heitinga if he's not fit)
Distin
Baines
Fellaini
Rodwell
Arteta
Cahill (Bily if he's gone with Oz)
Pienaar
Beckford
82 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:53:36
83 Posted 28/12/2010 at 23:38:58
West Ham were shite and attacked the second half with no more than two players, even on the break. This made attacking very difficult for us. More than anything though, I was disturbed by just how flat we were, disinterested and lacking in ideas.
Moyes needs to get busy in January and that means selling players to fund some new faces.
We've been a nudge above the chasing pack for the past five years, but we're playing now like also-rans, one of the pack. Come on Davey you've done it before, get us going again. In the words of Captain Kirk.... energise!
84 Posted 29/12/2010 at 00:06:20
Fuck off, Moyes, and take your useless fucking chairman with you.
85 Posted 29/12/2010 at 00:14:46
86 Posted 29/12/2010 at 00:11:17
So, to sum up Moyes's team selection:
Gutless
Cowardly
Totally fucking shocking
As Evertonians we deserve a manager that wants to win a football match. A manager that will pick the best most balanced team possible to win a football match.
We are a fucking joke!
87 Posted 29/12/2010 at 00:23:51
88 Posted 29/12/2010 at 00:46:10
The teams we beat were, I accept, mostly bottom-half but we were spanking them and clocking up the points. So I won't have this "oh we've been served up dour footie for 9 years" tripe.
Finally ? I hope all you Osman loathing posters have the good grace to admit that we could have done with him this season. He's an industrious midfielder who will always shoot. He's adept at putting away the lower-half teams we've failed against this season. His goal stats are vastly superior to Arteta and Pienaar. He's been injured nearly all season and, quel surprise, we've struggled.
Yes, he's lightweight against the big boys but I have never seen him play shite against the lower orders and that's exactly what Arteta and Pienaar have been against Wolves or Blackburn or West Ham...
Farewell Pienaar, Baines made you look good and he will make Ossie look even better.
89 Posted 29/12/2010 at 01:21:43
Osman being injured doesn't have anything to do with our poor performances. If you want to spout that sort of shit, I'll join you ? Gosling went to Newcastle, suprise suprise, we're now shit. Anichebe has been injured up until the City game, so obviously his absence made us shit. How about Tony Hibbert not being selected that much this season? That's made us shit too. I could go on...
The dire performances are not down to us missing one pretty limited player. I'm not an Osman hater, before you accuse me of anything, but to say that all we need is him playing and we'll start tearing the league apart is mental!
90 Posted 29/12/2010 at 01:57:59
Richard Dodd is clearly a TW fictitious entitiy posted by a mod to wind up the masses.
Jeezuz, Mary and Joseph!! Our away record is good? Most of us would settle for a midtable finish?! You gotta be fuckin kiddin me dude!
91 Posted 29/12/2010 at 02:07:24
Got to be honest I strongly doubted the accuracy of your claim, so I checked out the three seasons you quote. Here's what I found:-
Season 06-07: Luton FAC W 4-0; Fulham PL W 4-0.
Season 07-08: Sunderland 7-1 PL, SK Brann UEFAC 6-1
Season 08-09: Wigan PL 4-0
That made 5 games in total where we scored four or more over the 3 seasons, during which we played a total of 144 games.
"Loads of thrashings" eh?
92 Posted 29/12/2010 at 03:31:12
We played a more negative team against the bottom team than we did against the top, for fuck's sake ? it's West Ham (one of the favourites for relegation). The manager is so negative, it's now spreading to players and supporters alike. Look at Blackpool and Holloway, they sometimes play with 3 strikers and look where they are in the league... exactly!
Moyes Out! And take that miserable Round with you!
93 Posted 29/12/2010 at 04:06:55
94 Posted 29/12/2010 at 09:37:05
95 Posted 29/12/2010 at 10:14:20
Tom #89. Without even trying too hard, I can think of beating Hull 5-1 at home and 4-0. Larissa 4-0 away. You haven't checked Andrew's claim very we'll.
96 Posted 29/12/2010 at 10:24:21
97 Posted 29/12/2010 at 10:17:31
He has then come out today and said our best players are midfielders like Arteta and could not drop them for a forward as they don't deserve dropping! What a prick. Firstly, we all know Arteta has been shite and was again last night... and secondly, if our forwards where all firing, what would you do then? ? drop a centre-half for Arteta? He did it the shithouse way what a few of us predicted would happen, we all knew Rodwell would make way and this was his way of dropping him.
One more thing, if we are skint, don't you think we need to introduce the likes of Duffy? ? instead of playing a midget right back who did well against a few part-time butchers once... God help us if he does the same against Stoke
And as for you, Doddy, fuck off ? most of us would not be happy with mid-table, this squad is better than that. Sadly, the manager shits bricks when he has to change his tactics from battling hard to trying to win stylish with a fully fit squad.
99 Posted 29/12/2010 at 10:57:22
On another day we'd have won this game, and none of you would mind how negatively we played with all 3 points in the bank.
100 Posted 29/12/2010 at 11:50:57
What do you do to when all of your strikers are struggling with form? Well that is simple. Drop them all.. You don't need strikers to defend. Take them all off and put extra defenders on.
When they miraculously regain their form by sitting on a cold bench for a few weeks, play one by himself.
Useless. Sack Moyes... get a new manager, and re-employ him as a defensive coach...
101 Posted 29/12/2010 at 12:04:44
I know he's mad as a box of frogs but I'd prefer to be mad and smiling than mad and crying.
The worst thing is this is Moyes at full throttle ? with virtually a full squad ? it does'nt get any better than this.
My missus had better be filthy tonight.
102 Posted 29/12/2010 at 12:59:17
103 Posted 29/12/2010 at 13:19:40
No he Fuckin isn't.
104 Posted 29/12/2010 at 14:19:56
Sums it all up really. I've disagreed with Michael enough over the years, but last night was there for the taking and Moyes completely failed to go for it. It didn't even need to be big risks, just sensible attacking subs.
The last two games have basically summed David Moyes up, the brilliance in getting a result as an underdog away at Man City, followed by a complete failure to adopt the right mentality when playing a West Ham team we could have beaten handsomely.
105 Posted 29/12/2010 at 16:25:24
It really makes me laugh, Saha Yakubu and Beckford have stunk the place out ? if Moyes plays any of them he gets slaughtered... then everyone moans like fuck when he drops them.
All three of them should hang their fucken heads in shame at being benched in favour of a midfield player.
And I'll tell you this, not many managers would have shown as much patience with these three timewasters.
106 Posted 29/12/2010 at 16:34:54
107 Posted 29/12/2010 at 16:34:54
108 Posted 29/12/2010 at 17:47:54
109 Posted 29/12/2010 at 19:46:00
110 Posted 29/12/2010 at 19:13:58
And I think you`ll find that there are many many match goers who have seen enough of Beckford.
It's fucken killing to travel up to places like Sunderland on a Monday night to watch this guy throw away three points, how many chances does he have to miss? I mean gilt-edged sitters?
The truth is Moyes was right to leave out all three of our strikers. One looks like he may never recover from a really bad injury; one can't control his excitement whenever he gets a decent chance ? he must be great fun for his missus. And the other fucker has been taking the piss out of all of us since he got his contract
111 Posted 29/12/2010 at 20:38:53
Before posting you'd be best reading the other posts properly.
The OP referred to seasons 06-07, 07-08 and 08-09. You'll find my data is wholly accurate for those years.
The results you remember were in season 09-10.
112 Posted 30/12/2010 at 00:45:02
Read post 49! Engage your brain, before putting your mouth/keyboard into gear.
113 Posted 30/12/2010 at 02:06:37
114 Posted 30/12/2010 at 02:13:46
115 Posted 30/12/2010 at 02:17:10
116 Posted 30/12/2010 at 02:26:45
So was she? Everton give little cause for excitement so I'm hoping you can share the details... :0)
117 Posted 30/12/2010 at 07:05:56
Nice touch, refering to your own post as "evidence"? ? that gave me a chuckle.
I go to the games and I hear the groans when Beckford is playing with my own ears, so I`m not talking shite, the groans are from fans who recognise that his all-round play is very poor and a couple of late equalisers in the Prem cannot make up for all those sitters that have cost us precious points.
No harm to Jemaine but he`s not good enough. 90 seconds at the Bolelyn was too long.
He won't have to storm into Moyes`s office demanding a move as you suggest, he`ll be getting one ? and I bet not a single Premier League club comes in for him.
118 Posted 30/12/2010 at 10:48:51
But that will not happen as Moyes has one of the safest jobs in football, with Kenwright in control.
119 Posted 30/12/2010 at 18:10:03
If it was up to you when a player joins us ie Fellaini, he would be on his bike before he has time to settle.
According to you then, it's all down to Beckford is it? Apart from a couple of late equalisers, well maybe he would score more if he was actualy given a run in the team.
Oh and Moyes was right to leave out our three attackers? Get a fuckin' grip 'Arry.
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1 Posted 28/12/2010 at 19:16:44
Unbelievable, go to play a team second from bottom and we show true attacking intent by not starting the match with a single frigging striker!