FAN ARTICLES
Time to start again
Comments (19) : A couple of seasons ago, I went on holiday with my brother and we had an argument because Howard had just beaten Southall?s record for cleansheets, I was making the point that Howard is not Southall?s equal in my mind and that it was possible because of Jags & Lescott. I think they said in the commentary against Arsenal that Everton are without a clean sheet in 12 games!!!!! What a contrast...
As a collective unit, we have taken a step backwards and are now closer to where we started with Moyes 9 years ago; granted, the football is now of a better standard, but we are on the brink of a relegation battle. This squad's slow demise started when Lescott left.
Although I think Lescott?s personal performances for Everton did not makes us a better team, he scored goals... that was his real value. (Since his departure, his own career has gone downhill, when everyone is fit at City he doesn?t start, and City don't use a formation to allow him to score.) Fundamentally, something happened to the ethos of our team that we have never recovered from, we don?t carry the invincible belief that we will win and we can hold out.
Perhaps Moyes realised he could not protect his squad and compete with the lure of the £££, and, that perhaps his squad didn't all share his own personal ambitions and as such the determination from top to bottom has dropped. We seem to be trying to cope and not carry on moving. Before Lescott left, we kept hearing about building teams and getting better and about adding players... Not the case right now.
Without doubt, Moyes is in trouble and he has no money to spend his way out of this. To some extent, he is still the master of our destiny, he just needs to realise this. While we all wait for direction as fans, his squad will be starting to look over their shoulders and possibly engineer exits in the summer. As the season roles on our optimistic outlook (to deliver a top 4 finish) now seems like a joke and the reality of the season is more a relegation dog-fight. We have been struggling to win all season, and the further we get into the season the clearer it becomes in my mind that we are in the need for a revolution ? not the French kind! I don?t think it is in our interest to remove Moyes, he knows Everton.
Referring to Moyes in his blog, Rory Smith indicates his job here is far from done ... "How will he ever fulfil his potential? Such questions are valid, but they miss the point. Moyes, that long-term contender for a prestigious seat at one of the Premier League?s most revered institutions, now faces the sort of test that will determine whether he is cut out for Old Trafford, Stamford Bridge or the Emirates. After eight careful years building his team, he must break it up and start again."
David Moyes is no idiot; he has gone into the past two seasons knowing we have no cash and he can only spend what he brings in, minus a few pay rises! In a recent interview he said ?I am at a brilliant football club and this is our situation. Plenty of other managers don't have any money, so my job is to get the best out of the players I send out to play for Everton.?
He knows he has no money so this is not an excuse, sure it doesn?t help either and restricts him somewhat ? but these are the tools and he accepted the job. Moreover, if Moyes leaves now, then I for one will say his time here was largely wasted, he built a decent team, won nothing, then left when that team proved inadequate because he could not build a new team.
I support the notion offered by Rory Smith, a new team is required ? but I think this for a different reason, the current team has run its course. Moyes has to break the team apart and largely start over and improve through youth. We have no money, he accepts this, and therefore cannot spend his way out of trouble like Chelsea or City do ? plus this type of behaviour is unsustainable.
So where would he start? I believe, hand on heart, the following candidates have reached their useful life at Everton:
? Neville,
? Heitinga,
? Arteta,
? Osman,
? Bilyaletdinov,
? Beckford,
? Anichebe,
? Cahill,
? Saha,
? Yobo,
? Yakubu,
? Vaughan
The building blocks, Howard, Baines, Coleman, Rodwell and Fellaini but they have about 5 / 6 seasons (injuries pending) in them and all have real quality.... As a reference point we need to look no further than Tuesday night's opposition Arsenal: they did it and are now in the title race. This should offer Moyes with a new project, new direction and hopefully get his MoJo back and start talking about Everton positively. We are building something...
Reader Comments (19)
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2 Posted 03/02/2011 at 07:47:35
His tactics could have been a bit more adventurous and finally he should sort out his strange obsession about Osman.
None of the above costs a cracker and Blue Bill would not need to find investment.
3 Posted 03/02/2011 at 09:38:21
If he really thinks a lot of thhis club, he would walk, and save us paying him any compensation.
4 Posted 03/02/2011 at 10:00:14
That brings me to my main difference with your view in that my break up of the current squad wouldn't be as ruthless as yours. I believe there is still quality there, evidence the past two performances against top sides in Chelsea and Arsenal. There's no doubt though you are right, without investment, we are going to have to sell to freshen things up and achieve a better balance. The only questions are, who and how many, and is Moyes up for it or getting to disillusioned now for one more push?
5 Posted 03/02/2011 at 10:11:36
6 Posted 03/02/2011 at 11:37:25
7 Posted 03/02/2011 at 11:20:15
Moyes did this once on the back of the sale of Rooney, plus a little investment from the board. It looks like investment will no longer be lending a helping hand in getting decent players in, so he's already got a tougher job on his hands this time around.
Sadly, I think Moyes is going to go sooner rather than later. I think he'll honour his contract and leave at the end of it. With the current situation at the club, I don't think we can ask much more than that.
Everton will surely suffer as a consequence, should he walk. There is no proven successor who I think can adequately replace him. We'll need another young, hungry manager from the Championship, maybe along the lines of Chris Hughton. But it will be a gamble.
I honestly believe that Moyes will be successful, but it won't be at Everton. Without investment we can hope for a cup every so often, maybe the odd European adventure, but we'll never trouble the Premiership title.
In my opinion, Moyes has done all he can and I doubt there are many managers that could have done better within the parameters of the job.
8 Posted 03/02/2011 at 12:54:54
1. Heitinga
2. Arteta
3. Cahill
4. Beckford
Heitinga and Arteta have the ability but, for one reason or another, have failed to capture the form promised. I think they should be given one more season with Heitinga played at CB.
Beckford should be given another season purely on the basis it often takes one season to get into the swing of things and may be, just may be he'll come good. Think Fellaini in his first season.
Cahill is a different kettle of fish. Whilst I am the first person to say he breaks up the team play and doesn't provide the right fit for the options etc. I would say that he does provide pivotal goals and should be used as a sub to change the game. It would be wrong to sell him based on team impact alone. However, if Cahill has peaked and likely to drop in quality over the next 2 or three years then sell him as we've had his best years.
I see the building blocks and core of the future team as:
GK Howard
RB
CB Jagielka
CB Heitinga
LB Baines
RM Coleman
CM Rodwell
CM Fellaini
LM
F
S
Cahill shouldn't be in the starting 11 and Arteta may not feature either but should be used as interchangeable with Fellaini or Rodwell. NOT all three at once.
9 Posted 03/02/2011 at 13:22:16
I'm gonna get all Championship Manager... so personally, I'd consider this as our 1st XI next year: -
GK Howard
RB Pip
CB Jagielka
CB Distin
LB Baines
RM Coleman
CM Rodwell
CM Fellaini
LM new player
F new player
S new player / Saha
Bench from - Mucha, Hibbo, Duffy, Yobo, New Young LB, New Young CM, Ossie, Beckford, Saha
Getting rid of Cahill, Arteta, Anichebe, Bily, Heitinga, Yakubu - should bring in ~£30M for 7 or 8 new young players and a couple of experienced frees.
We're not gonna trouble the European spots with that line-up, but we should be able to finish mid-table and give experience to our promising youngsters.
Of course it's not gonna happen, but it's an idea......
10 Posted 03/02/2011 at 13:42:49
If you look at the amount of games we have dominated and failed to win, it shows that we do have some quality. Beckford has scored five goals in limited games in his first season in the Prem, maybe next year he will do even better, if given the chance. Maybe we are just having one of those seasons.
Or maybe I am just trying to be optimistic. We are not that bad, Moyes just needs to learn from his mistakes... Maybe I am just talking shit hoping to find a silver lining?
11 Posted 03/02/2011 at 13:57:33
The other reason that needs to be considered is why do we look so vulnerable from counter attacks? I believe the reason for this is because we have never really replaced Carsley. Fellaini is doing a terriffic job but he is playing a slightly different role to Carsley. The combination of Jaggs Lescott and Carsley was almost unbreakable. I felt Heitinger could have come in and done the job but i am not fully decided yet.
We need some one to be the spare man and do all the dirty work, some one who will double team with the full backs in closing down and preventing crosses coming in, some one who will prevent long range shots or cut out dangerous passes from just out side the box. Carsely was the master of this, although not the complete footballer by any means he had an old head on his shoulders and read the game well, he new were to be at the right time.
Rodwell doesn't seem to know where he is playing, Arteta goes in and out of games. Osman i dont even want to talk about. Fellaini is the only midfielder who seems to have a role and know what it is he is supposed to do.
12 Posted 03/02/2011 at 14:24:03
13 Posted 03/02/2011 at 15:33:53
Against Arsenal, first half, we were excellent, there only looked like there was going to be one winner, us, but instead of Moyes just saying to the lads, more of the same, we came out and looked like we had once again become negatively defensive, and less said about the substitutions the better.
Moyes has had 9yrs now, he's not entitled to start again, and have another 9.
15 Posted 03/02/2011 at 20:11:32
I think Heitinga, Arteta, Beckford, Cahill are all still important and still have something to give (although if a good offer came in, we would have to look at it). A fire sale would not bring in much cash as everyone knows we are skint.
I would say the following positions are most important to look at: RB, LW and ST (although need cover for LB as well). Neville will play out his carreer with us and I'd like to keep Coleman at RW as he's looked good there (and I don't trust him at RB).
I still don't understand why Gueye has not played; young, hungry, actually as pace ? surely a few 10 mins, here 15 mins there sub appearances should have happended by now. He's on the bench every game but never gets on!
I think there will be a big shake up one way or another this summer if DM is given no money again. Just hope we are still in the PL!
16 Posted 03/02/2011 at 21:38:42
Denis ? 100%, why have we not seen Gueye in the first 11? This is it, we've nothing to lose, this season is over so let's see him.
Richard ? good team, I've like to see Gueye in your formation.
Brian ? It is certainly time for change. As I believe a lot of the our current team need to be moved on, either because they are not showing hunger, valuable assets (horrible term) or about to end their careers. I think continuity from in keeping Moyes is best ? after all, he is too expensive to push!
17 Posted 03/02/2011 at 23:32:44
1. If Moyes does go, who will be interested in replacing him? No cash, a major rebuild etc etc. We will get Moyes Mk 2 ........ Oh good news Alan Irvine's available!!
2. It's a bit presumptive that the likes of Felli and Rodwell will stay around as part of a "project". So the core of midfield goes along with Arteta et al!
We are stuck with what we have got and I see only the Yak (permanently); Hietinga, Bily as players who will go and bring in any kind of cash. £10m - £15m. We can then maybe think about Hibbert and Osman another £2 - 4 million.
No idea what that will get us!!!
18 Posted 03/02/2011 at 23:58:24
I kind of feel bad about (number 21), as a couple of seasons ago he was a reliable squad player who could come in and do the odd job. People defended him until the past few months, but now he's been found out to be beyond his potential. Regarding Hibbo, has there ever been a cult figure that was SO bad at his job. He was the highest actim rated RB the year we came 4th, but I never saw it. Just look at his Toffeeweb picture and you get the full story of his football ability.
19 Posted 04/02/2011 at 11:23:24
When Moyes goes, the queue to get the job will go twice round Stanley Park, whatever the circumstance.
20 Posted 04/02/2011 at 17:31:05
What chance of Fellaini, Rodwell or Baines sticking around if you get shot of most of the first team?
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1 Posted 03/02/2011 at 07:15:32