FAN ARTICLES
Why Are We Letting the Yak Go?
Comments (66) : Yakubu did not let us down in his first season either. We played some cracking football, mainly coming from the midfield threesome of Pienaar, Arteta and Osman (yes, Osman!!), with all three players interchanging positions and passing freely, with Cahill in front of them and Yakubu in front of that. Yakubu benefitted from the chances that were being created by these three, looking like they were seriously enjoying their football, and he became the first Everton striker to bag 20 goals in a season for over a decade.
I was hugely impressed and, as always I have to say, looking forward to the following season, to see what we could do with another season of Pienaar, Arteta and Osman continuing to gel and Yakubu benefitting and banging in the goals.
Unfortunately, we all know what happened next, Everton endured another miserable start to the season in 2008-09 (something that was put down to injuries to some of our main players from the first team squad - does anybody remember the bench of kids for the first game of the season against Blacburn at home where we were beaten 3-2 ? ? and I guess that cannot really be argued with) but Yakubu had scored 4 goals in 14 games, certainly not an amazing return, but given the quality of the team behind him, certainly wasn't horrendous. Then on 30 November 2008, at an away win at Spurs, Yakubu ruptured his achilles and was going to be out for the rest of the season. Some people were aware of how serious this injury was, some were not so aware (myself included), but I have since found out that back in the day, it was basically a career finisher. This was certainly a dark day for Everton and Yakubu!!
Yakubu was indeed out for the rest of the season and did not make his first team return for nearly a year, and in his first start for the first team in 2009, against Hull City in the Carling Cup, he scored with a header. To come back from the sort of injury that Yakubu received was amazing, but to come back and continue playing Premier League football, was pretty much nothing short of miraculous. I was looking forward to the Yakubu of his first season with us returning, and goals a plenty to return to theEverton team, much like in 2007-08!
The problem was, that during the time Yakubu was out, Louis Saha picked up the mantle pretty well, culminating of course, with that goal in the 2009 FA Cup final (although he was pretty much anonymous in the game after that) and then following that, having a good season in front of goal in the 2009-10 season.
My feeling is, that since his injury, David Moyes has never fully supported Yakubu the way he did when he first arrived. (I remember confidence boosting articles in the Echo for Yakubu if he had a slight drop in form over that 2007-08 season and I remember Moyes banging the drum about how good a striker Yakubu was, and how well the team as a whole was playing that season.) I just don't understand why it didn't continue?
Obviously we don't see Yakubu in training and we don't know if it took Yakubu too long to come back from that injury, but when he did come back, rather gingerly as far as I remember rightly, he did score, (if only a few times) he wasn't the same Yak as before, but my feelings were that this would return over time.
During the 2009-10 season, when King Louis, as he had affectionately become known, got injured the Yak was granted the occassional start in the team and I always thought that we looked all the better for it. Yes Yakubu didn't have the pace that he had before, but his hold up play was so much better than Saha's and he allowed our goal scoring midfielder's (Arteta and Cahill) to come into th game, and we benefitted as a team from that. And you could still pretty much guarantee that if you gave the ball to Yakubu in a goalscoring position then a goal would be scored (you'll have to check the stats yourselves for whether this is definitely the case, but it's certainly my point of view anyway).
I was therefore, once again, hugely looking forward to the 2010-11 season and I have to say that I was one of those who thought that we had an outside shot at the title: with Yakubu with a full pre season under his belt, maybe we would see a return to him playing up top with Cahill just behind, and a return to the free flowing football and the goals scored in 2007-08.
As the season started however, Yakubu did not even get into the first team squad for the first few games and we started the season, horrendously badly, yet again (with little or no excuse) and still it seemed Yakubu did not get a look in. Eventually, Saha got injured again and Yakubu was given the start that I think he should have had at the beginning of the season anyway. Again, much like his return from injury in the 2009-10 season, his appearances did not yield the large amount of pace that he had prior to injury, and certainly not an instant return to goals, but game by game he appeared to improve, (his hold up play seemed to be far better than had been offered by Saha all season) and finally after a great performance against the red shite at home, he scored the winner at home to Stoke. Here we go I thought, this is it!! Yakubu is back, goals here we come !!
But, immediately after that game, for no reason whatsoever, other than the return from injury of Louis Saha, Moyes goes and drops the Yak, just after it looked like things were beginning to click for him. This was the strangest decision that I believe Moyes has made this season, with regards to Yakubu anyway!!! There was no reason for it, Yak had started beating his own drum again, with an article in the Echo appearing, stating that he was going to get the goals Everton needed, conveniently matched by Louis Saha of course though, his play was getting better and better and all of a sudden he gets dropped for a Louis Saha who was only just returning from injury.
Subsequently we have struggled game after game for goals and it is only more recently that goals have returned to the team, with Saha having the perfect, pacy foil for himself in Jermaine Beckford, but I believe that those goals would have returned much quicker if Moyes had stuck with Yakubu instead of reverting to Saha upon his return from injury.
I haven't been able to get to the game for a long time, and I will also add that I very rarely watch MotD (although given a lot of people's comments on here it wouldn't show a fair reflection of the game anyway), but I do alwats read Ken Buckley's brilliant reviews of the game and also, most of the other reviews as well, in fact I have to say I read pretty much every article posted on Toffeeweb if I can, and people's opinons of the Yak when he has come on from the bench this season, post being dropped, are that he has looked lazy and disinterested, but I have to say: wouldn't you feel like that? ? after the shabby treatment he has received from David Moyes. Some people will say that he should just get on with it and prove himself to get back into the team, but it must be hard, I just wish that he was given the proper chance he deserves after that amzing first season with us.
Maybe I'm just in dreamland, but I'll always be of the opinion: Feed the Yak and he will score!!!
Reader Comments (66)
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3 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:26:12
Also, he was joining Spurs for £15 million in the very transfer window he got injured! Not going the match probably means you didn't see the pathetic joke of a performance he put in when he came on at West Ham away, and at the final whistle he was right infront of the away end yet didn't even bother to turn around and clap our away following! He just walked straight off!
He's a disgrace to all footballers! You don't just lose talent, he's still got it but he doesn't have the hunger (for football anyway)!!!
4 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:28:33
5 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:46:36
Moyes has not got the patience to nurse him back and is under pressure to reduce the wage bill.
I will be sorry to see him go because for me he was the only natural goalscorer on the books and was the best at holding the ball up and throwing his weight around up front.
6 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:49:55
Answer is simple, he is fat and lazy. There is a reason why LEICESTER... yes LEICESTER, are the only team interested in him. His first season was brilliant and as a finisher he is best we have had for years. The lack of effort though is frustrating and Moyes obviously wont stand for minimum effort. Hopefully we have someone else lined up though.
7 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:35:45
I've always liked the Yak and I think when he's confident and match-fit he's a threat to any Premier League defence, but he's not been given the game-time across 2010 to really make an impact.
We don't see the training sessions ? only Moyes and the coaching staff have a complete picture of his readiness and his attitude ? but clearly something has happened that made Moyes drop him. Maybe it was a row in training, maybe his agent was trying to engineer deals, or maybe Moyes has simply come to the view that what Yak offers doesn't match up to a Saha-Beckford combination.
Personally, I think he's the best all-rounder of the three, and he was beginning to motor after the derby and his instinctive, quality goal against Stoke and looked the most able to play in a 4-5-1 with Cahill, but he was dropped when the King came back from injury. It may be personal between he and Moyes, then again maybe it was a medical decision, but whatever the reason the situation clearly wasn't sustainable ? keeping an £11.25 million player on the bench with the odd 10-15 minutes on at the end to chase long balls isn't in anyone's interest.
I hope the Yak can go to Leicester with a point to prove to his doubters and bang in 8-10 goals between now and the end of the season. He's got a lot of qualities to his game ? his hold-up play can be fantastic, he can score from headers and he's got an ability to confuse defenders and bully them out of the way through sheer presence.
I'm hoping he plays so well that we're in a position to turn down £4 million from Leicester at the end of the season and either give him his place back in the starting line up or sell him for £6-8 million.
8 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:53:08
Watching him play it was clear he had an instinct for goals that only a few in the Premier league have got.
Sadly when he eventually got over his injury he was never given a run in the side. At the time I said he would need 3-6 months regular game time to get close to where he was before, he never got anywhere near that and consequently never got back to anywere near his best.
The derby game this season was the Yak at his absolute best and that was the best we played all season, in his first season we got that every game, he was awesome at times. Moyes has made a big error in his handling of the Yak since his return from injury IMO.
9 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:08:55
Because he's OVER weight, UNDER motivated & OVER rated!
Well done Mr Moyes - another bit of staute business for our great Club!
10 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:12:59
If anyone thinks the Yak should stay I suggest they study in detail his cameo performances against West Ham & Spurs.
In Moyes we trust!
11 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:23:41
12 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:35:25
That convinced me that he would be ion his way in January, and I am further assuming someone willbe coming in to take his place - though probably also on loan.
13 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:40:12
14 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:50:38
15 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:46:29
You have to assume there's been some major falling out between him and Moyes, or he's just not putting the effort in training wise. A tragedy in a way, because a fully fit Yak is one of the best "hold up" front men in the business and only needs a half chance to score. I never bought in 100% to the lazy tag, the guy knew what his strengths were and played to them.
No doubt it will all come out one day.
16 Posted 12/01/2011 at 15:50:41
Just to think we rejected the offers for him last summer and now we let him go on loan to the championship!
I hope Leicester are at least picking up most, if not all, of his wages.
Looks like Moyes is going to bring in a loan signing that I've personally never heard of - he's got to be better than Anichebe, hasn't he??
17 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:06:43
Pity we didn't feed him salads.
18 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:24:45
19 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:48:20
20 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:47:47
21 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:47:12
So an £11M write off plus a £9M benchwarmer. £20M down the drain.
On another note the 2009/2010 accounts should have been published in November last year and there still not out. Something real fishy going on at the club.
22 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:48:22
23 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:55:17
We say we're skint and then we let the Yak, Yobo ,Gosling and Pienaar go for nowt.
Bobby Elstone has gone quiet lately.
Just hope we're not more skint than we think.
24 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:53:29
There's no point living in the past with Yakubu, his 07-08 season was his peak. Now he's old and has had a bad injury hence why he's on his way. Moyes's fuck up came when he didn't sell him in the summer.
25 Posted 12/01/2011 at 16:50:37
The injury he suffered is catastrophic. No top athlete in any sport has EVER returned to best form after rupturing an Achilles. Not one. For a footballer to do it would be impossible.
I don't think Yak has "let himself go" on purpose. An Achilles blowout takes away your explosiveness, and even after your recover, you can't train nearly as much because it gets sore and tired. There's nothing you can do about it -- you can't shoot up or drain an Achilles like you can a sore knee. So you're never as fit or as fast again. I know from personal experience.
I predicted here on the day Yak went down (and several times subsequently) that he would never be the same Yak. Unfortunately, I was right.
27 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:15:44
The reason Moyes isn't playing him is obviously based on what he sees on the training ground i would hope,and judging by most of his appearances on the pitch for us this season,you would have to say Moyes is right not to play him.
28 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:15:44
The reason Moyes isn't playing him is obviously based on what he sees on the training ground i would hope, and judging by most of his appearances on the pitch for us this season, you would have to say Moyes is right not to play him.
29 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:31:51
I can promise you that we will still be paying most of his wages.
30 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:32:27
so with Yobo and the Yak gone, we are two senior players down, and not one penny better, a little baffling really.
___________
The idea surely is we get the money - just a bit later (the summer) - about £8 million the pair. Could get us a decent striker. If the money isn't coughed up, it goes to the highest bidder.
Do bear in mind. When you sell a player, you do not get all the money up front - I think you typicay get 25-50% now, rest later. It's like Dixons. And when you lend a player (hate the word loan as a verb), you get a payment, and the wages are covered by someone else - so we do get dosh out of the deals.
31 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:39:43
32 Posted 12/01/2011 at 17:47:06
33 Posted 12/01/2011 at 18:05:24
34 Posted 12/01/2011 at 18:27:13
35 Posted 12/01/2011 at 18:23:42
36 Posted 12/01/2011 at 18:24:03
Yakubu is a broken down old man since his injury and he can't maintain fitness or last a whole game, I hate to say it but that's the truth and it's the case for far more footballers than you'd care to imagine.
The reason this doesn't come to the fore is that players are assets of the club with a financial value.
The best thing for Yak and DM is to move him on somewhere he can get a nice contract.
Good luck Yak - thanks for the memories.
37 Posted 12/01/2011 at 18:50:53
38 Posted 12/01/2011 at 19:19:26
I am lucky enough to have a share, and for sure i have had nothing.
39 Posted 12/01/2011 at 19:04:10
The guy will not get fit unless he was playing in a decent run of games (something that Saha has been afforded), 3 1/2 games and then the bench was not enough and he has subsequently never got his fitness back.
I have personally heard this injury from 20 yards away whilst I have been playing (sounded like a whip cracking!). And heard about the subsequent 14 months of treatment of my ex team mate so I do have an idea of how bad it is culminating in a rather large man breaking down in tears (my sympathies to you).
Perhaps we will find out if he joins Leicester if he was ever going to get going or not or if his career is effectively over as we will never know if he stays here as Moyes has obviously had enough of something.
40 Posted 12/01/2011 at 20:18:12
With goals a major problem Moyes ships out our best striker????????
Total fucking MADNESS!
Then to top it off he rejects a generous offer for P Neville who is 33 and becoming more imobile game by game, yet will happily let Pienaar go for next to nothing.
Pienaar a player who has figured barring injury in every match this season for us.
Is Moyes fucking insane?
What galls me even more is the fact that Moyes hasnt even experimented in replacing Pienaar all season, so what happens when he goes?
Jesus christ let Ahab have his whale!
41 Posted 12/01/2011 at 20:21:00
I know it's just an opinion, but I think players get far too much of this "lazy bastard" stuff. Maybe some sympathy is in order for Yakubu. It's easy to label him but he is the most effective Everton forward I have personally seen play at Goodison. Cheers.
42 Posted 12/01/2011 at 20:42:32
43 Posted 12/01/2011 at 20:46:24
Sorry...erm...carry on.
44 Posted 12/01/2011 at 22:37:33
I have argued before that when you have a striker who can finish well play to his strengths. Why Moyes insists that his strikers must do all the donkey work, chasing back pushing out wide I will never understand. I would happily bet anyone that if you played the current 4-4-2 (without TC) Yak would score more goals than Saha. Yak and Beckford or Vaughan would make a far more successful pairing but of course Moyes has ruined another player, stubborn because he has to have his cake and eat it.
"We don't need to sell" were the words he used last summer; too right we don't Davey, because of your dick-arsed management style, we will lose the entire current squad on a free!!!! Well done, Davey!
45 Posted 12/01/2011 at 23:14:31
If you answered yes, you really should take a long look at yourselves. A player who is around the 30 mark who has had a career threatening injury and lost nearly all the pace they ever had... you do the maths.
46 Posted 12/01/2011 at 23:23:38
47 Posted 12/01/2011 at 23:28:23
Something went on here because I still believe a remotely fit Yakubu improves us. Even against Spurs last week... Beckford had a decent game but when Yakubu came on the first two balls played into him stuck there. The other options don't do that. And I can't believe that he has lost the ability to finish. That's something that we'll never know because as soon as he scored a goal he got dropped.
Disappointing to see him go in my opinion, but he's not the sort of player I'll miss ? as long as there is a replacement.
48 Posted 13/01/2011 at 12:00:24
On the last day of my 5-month trip, I was in London & managed to get myself a ticket for the Tottenham vs Everton game at WHL ? the game in which Yakubu fucked his Achilles tendon.
The rest is history... He never returned as the same player he once was. Not fit, not mentally tough enough, not potent enough in front of goal.
Moyes started showing less faith in him & the decline of the Yak was in full swing. Such a shame... a player with that much talent no longer good enough & hence, rotting on the bench.
My fondest memories of the Yak was a clinical hat-trick he scored against Fulham, with Antti Niemi in goal & the shoulder barge on Raul Meireles this season. Classic!
Best of luck at Leicester, Yakubu. Hope you repay Sven's faith.
49 Posted 13/01/2011 at 12:14:43
I can?t understand why he was dropped as Saha has done very little until recent games. It must be like others have surmised ? a falling out with DM.
When you get to the age the Yak is, whatever that maybe (certainly NOT 28), you lose your speed and pick up more injuries.
50 Posted 13/01/2011 at 12:56:27
Maybe he is sending him on loan to get him 90 minuets each week which he badly needs but Moyes doesn't feel he can give him in the Premier League and then he will come back fully fit in the summer... who knows?
All I know is, unless Moyes has someone lined up to bring in, we maybe in trouble if King Louis hurts himself again!!
51 Posted 13/01/2011 at 13:16:16
52 Posted 13/01/2011 at 13:42:15
Also yes the ball stuck for one brief moment I thought the old Yak was back near the end where he was through but it looked like he was going backwards when the defender was chasing him.
No pace left. I blame his marriage, how many men have put on weight after getting married and being browbeaten 24/7 by 'er indoors can't help either. (Sorry, ladies!)
53 Posted 13/01/2011 at 14:13:06
55 Posted 13/01/2011 at 15:38:56
Yes Ian, great business, considering he could have got money for the Yak in the summer.
56 Posted 13/01/2011 at 16:49:32
He can't be on a small amount of money and he's not banging them in like he used to...and that's why he's not getting a game, never mind letting him go. Time to cash in and look for someone who can actually put the ball in the back of the net. After all, that what a striker is paid to do. Goals win games!!
57 Posted 13/01/2011 at 16:46:28
Beckford is younger and fresher, IF/WHEN he is confident, he will score a lot of goals.
58 Posted 13/01/2011 at 17:04:32
There will be no replacement.
Who's next?
59 Posted 13/01/2011 at 18:00:11
60 Posted 13/01/2011 at 18:27:04
Everyone can see the the one player that truly pull his tripe out week in week out is Pienaar. In my opinion he is more important to our team than Cahill and Arteta.
Get the Yak off the wage bill, free up some cash and make Pienaar a better offer - it's simple !
61 Posted 13/01/2011 at 19:50:02
It doesn't really matter what the reasons are for him not being as good as he was. Bottom line with Yak is he was signed to score goals, and he doesn't do it anymore ? his missed some sitters this season.
62 Posted 13/01/2011 at 19:47:40
Moyes won Manager of the Month in October. Yakubu started every game that month, looking back to his best and scoring the winner against Stoke.
He gets dropped for the Bolton game and doesn't start another game again in 2010, out of those 8 games we won just one.
He may be overweight, and he can definitely be lazy, but when on form he's the best striker we have at our club and we've just let him go on loan. Fucking joke.
Graeme #56 - as for offering Pienaar the 80/90k a week that he wants, tell me how many goals and assists has he got this season? I like him, but we don't have a pot to piss in and can't afford to smash our pay structure (again)
63 Posted 13/01/2011 at 22:38:48
I like his face, I'd go for a pint with him, but scoring 21 goals one season doesn't give you a pass for life. Mmm, his unfortunate Anelka-esque celebration. I was sorry when he was injured, wanted to put my arm round him ? can you tell I'm pissed?
Good luck Yak, you gave us some nice moments, but then so did Pembo. I wouldn't pick him before Saha or Beckford tho, sorry. Or TC for that matter.
64 Posted 14/01/2011 at 03:30:39
Added to his "real" age of 38.
65 Posted 14/01/2011 at 09:30:17
All the best Yak.
67 Posted 14/01/2011 at 13:54:10
68 Posted 14/01/2011 at 16:11:53
Exrementa delenda est.
69 Posted 14/01/2011 at 20:03:29
If you think that's all he done in the derby get yourself into tiddlywinks mate, your watching the wrong sport!!!
70 Posted 14/01/2011 at 22:39:08
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2 Posted 12/01/2011 at 14:29:30
WHEN Saha gets injured again within the next 4 weeks that will leave us with Beckford and Anichebe... therefore we have to trust that Moyes has someone to come in (on loan).
I am disappointed in this decision... and also in Moyes for first dropping Yak in the first place at the exact time he was finding his form and confidence again. Then again, you don't cross Moyes!