FAN ARTICLES
Defence is the worst form of attack
Comments (97) : Mikel Arteta was not fit to return but Cahill did make the bench against Man Utd's reserves. It started as a nice open passing game from both sides in the glorious sunshine, most of the possession dominated by the home side. Rooney set as the playmaker with the Blues backing off and showing respect
A free kick on 10 mins given away by Fabio was delivered really well by Baines but the line advanced too far and could not profit. A nervy corner at the other end bounced around dangerously. The Man Utd attacks increased in intensity and as Everton seemed a little intimidated by the hosts and the location, losing possession with little if any end product.
Bilyaletdinov was having an odd game, Fabio robbing him easily, Bily diving poorly, failing to get a free-kick, then fouling Fabio to end a rare attack. Meanwhile Hernandez got a sight of goal but Howard stood firm. Everton were concentrating on defence but it was being penetrated a little too easily at times.
Beckford was getting little service and showed his poor touch when coming out wide, putting a ball straight out of play under no pressure. Hernandez got another golden chance, set up by a brilliant ball from Rooney that sliced diagonally through the Everton defence but Howard pulled off an excellent reaction save, and even came to punch the resulting corner!!
Beckford did finally get a nice ball in from Osman but lost it all too easily under dubious pressure. As half-time approached, Man Utd looked to score easily when Valencia was allowed to blatantly push Baines away and cross for Nani to score easiy but Hernandez on the ground bizarrely deflected it wide!
Rooney then beat the offside trap and looked odds on to punish the Blues but Everton defenders were back to prevent his cross when he chickened out of a direct shot. The Blues gameplan of "we have what we hold" worked effectively to get rhe Blues to teh half-time.
At the restart, a very surprising decision by Moyes, pulling off both Beckford and Bily to bring on Anichebe and Cahill! I didn't see that one coming at all... Everton looked calmer and moved the ball more confidently, looking more inclined to move the ball forward. A smart Jagielka free-kick was laid back well by Cahill but Coleman's shot barely troubled the corner flag.
Everton were having a lot more of the play but Utd attacked quickly after easily dispossessing Coleman and Jagielka needed to be alert to slide in and whip the ball dramatically away from the incoming Rooney. Anderson went in the book for a poor foul on Coleman, the Cahilll foolwed him for a clumsy challenge. Anichebe then got free of Ferdinand and had a run into the United box but he went down a little too easily by what looked like a foul from Ferdinand... but off course no penalty was given.
It was a much more even game since the break, but near the hour, a determined attack by United put Everton under pressure, but some excellent blocks by Jagielka and Distin broke things down. But around the hour mark, United increased the pressure again and Nani was replace by Michael Owen.
Into the last 25 mins and Everton started to play a bit. Osman made a good roun down the left but his cross was deflected away. Osman then set up Rodwell for an all-too-rare shot that deflected off Evans's leg and forced a superb save by Van der Saar to deflect it inches past the post.
Anderson looked to get a god cross in but Jagielka was there again and Baines was soon off on a run; however, his cross was easily blocked. Another very dangerous cross from Evra was clipped out of the Everton goal area by Jagielka, then the post rescued Everton off Distin's clearance under pressure from Owen as Ryan Giggs came on; also, Gueye for Coleman with 15 tantalizing minutes left. Could Everton grab that vital goal? Or would one of United's increasingly desperate attacks succeed?
Cahill was poor when relieving the pressure failing to release Anichebe and inviting yet another unrelenting United attack. Jagielka then caught Hernandez to give away a free-kick that Rooney fired to the top corner but Howard had it well covered. Rooney then screwed a shot wide as Everton entered the last 10 mins still frustrating their illustrious hosts.
More nervy moments followed as United attacked again, Valencia's fierce pile-driver was blocked away, and his follow-up chip to the far post setting up Hernandez to head in but Howard produced a wonderful save to deny him. But minutes later and a similar move did beat Howard off a deflected cross, the American unable to do anything about it as Everton's too predictable gameplan finally collapsed in ruins.
Ultimately, Moyes's familiar tactic of holding out and hoping to perhaps grab something lay in tatters and all that desperate defending counted for nothing. Once again, this was a game and an opportunity, against Ferguson's second string, where a more adventurous approach from the supposed form team of the moment ? yes, Everton ? might have paid off. But Moyes, despite that ultimately meaningless half-time change, all too predictably came a cropper again to his old Glasgow neighbour.
Reader Comments (97)
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2 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:10:18
3 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:11:09
Our team wasn't exactly at full strength either.
We deserved to lose and they are a better side than us, as their record at home shows, 17 games, 16 wins and 1 draw.
Dopey Distin turned up again for his dire ManU game, no need to slide in to make that clearance. Stop, control it and look around, but no he panicked and gave them the ball from which attack they scored.
For all the stick I have given Anichebe over the last few weeks, that lazy fecker did more in one minute than Becks did all half, ie win a header
4 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:15:00
5 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:16:57
6 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:19:00
7 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:18:38
They started with a back 4 that included O'Shea, Evans and Fabio, but we still parked the bus.
8 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:22:10
9 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:22:15
10 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:22:11
11 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:24:03
12 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:21:36
13 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:23:10
14 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:26:23
15 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:28:00
16 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:28:22
17 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:29:09
18 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:24:14
19 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:29:00
I was delighted when I saw Cahill coming on at half time but when I saw Anichebe with him my heart literally sank. This is like playing with ten men. He has no impact whatsoever at any time. This is not to say Beckford was any better in the first half, but with Cahill on, Beckford might have found more space for himself. Anichebe is only interested in one thing ? getting off work and collecting the pay. Even his dive was amateurish.
20 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:32:50
21 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:35:12
The fact of the matter is, most sides struggle to get any kind of result against Utd, especially at home. They had the better side and played better on the day.
22 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:24:13
People talk about our unpredictability ? we're not, we're one of the most predictable outfits in the division, our plodding week-in, week-out style is enough to get points when teams aren't up for it, and that's how we stay in the division. Appetising stuff isn't it.
23 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:28:34
Why is Moyes getting a going over for being positive at half-time and making subs early? From a limited bench I thought decent subs. Moyes was cautious and I would have left Beckford on and played Anichebe as a 4-4-2, but I thought we were doing well up to Distin's seemingly inevitable howler of a clearance.
24 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:40:05
The problem is the manner of the performance: whenever we play them at OT, it's always the same outcome ? play shite, and look like we just rolled over.
25 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:38:20
26 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:47:27
Brian, not missing the point at all, yes we defended far too deep but guess what? the hit and hope balls that we all hate won us the last few games. We haven't been playing fancy football now for months, so nothing tactically changed for this game, it was just that Man U are better than the other teams we have faced recently and punished us whereas Wolves etc didn't.
Jackie, if he didn't have a clue, why make two subs at half time, even Michael's report states that we were playing better footy....isn't that the manager's job to change things when needed?
I would rather not lose at all, so that daft Blackpool ideology of getting twatted but looking good doesn't work on me.
27 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:48:09
From Soccernet, it looked a clear penalty to me but of course at OT no away teams will get a penalty.
28 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:49:38
For me, the first half was like playing with 10 men. Bily was truly awful. The second half we faired slightly better but we did still have Anichebe up front and Osman tired.
I don't think we had the players to give it a go today, we had two defensive midfielders and no other option to put anybody else in there.
It doesn't explain our previous poor performances against United at Old Trafford but this time I felt we did what we had to do.
29 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:43:30
We got fuck all off Walton today. Bily wouldn't put the Everton shirt on again if it was up to me and Beckford was a disgrace. Fair enough, he didn't get much service, but to not challenge for one ball in the whole of the first half is criminal.
30 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:53:30
I think the Valencia push was the most disgusting decision, it wasn't a shoulder charge, he simply pushed Baines over.
31 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:55:22
33 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:59:53
34 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:53:38
All I am asking for is for us to have a little more of a go. If team further down the league can have a go at Man U then we should be able to. The Match stats say it all really, embarrassing. You say you are not making excuses for the players and manager, well you seem to be doing exactly that to me.
35 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:02:38
36 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:03:07
Please please guys can we put this nonsense about Bily to bed. This guy is a complete joke. I hear comments everyday about him being class. About it not being fair as he's played out of position. About how he should be given an extended run etc etc etc... This guy is shit. He does absolutely nothing for the team apart from the odd spectacular goal ? few and far between.
Regardless of where his best position is ? and it should be back in bloody Russia ? surely we can expect him to at least pass to someone, to make a tackle. to cover the full back, to stay on his feet...
He HAS to go in the close season. If we can't get anything for him just give him a free!!
37 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:07:03
Positives? Distin was excellent and the effort was fine all round. Today we lacked quality.
38 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:08:03
Wasn't it said that Peter Walton was a boyhood United fan? If so, why would he get this game?
I actually thought we played well up until they started to overrun us when we got tired; if we'd have got one of the penalty claims and their goal was ruled offside, I am sure a lot of people would have come on calling Moyes a genius.
The truth is he is neither a bad manager nor a genius. He is a good honest manager who tried to get his team to play further up the field but for reasons unknown ? either tiredness or nervousness ? they were continually falling back.
It doesn't help when Bily is wandering round like a lost schoolboy whereas Pienaar would have made a big difference today... but I suppose BK was desperate for the £2 million we got for him.
39 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:16:01
So Moyes has gone for the percentages, hoping to nick a goal, otherwise keep it tight maybe get a draw and if we lose ensure goal difference is in tact.
We have to remember £750k is at stake for each position in the league. How important is that for our club? Probably immensely.
Nevertheless, I do get pissed off with poor performances and a seemingly inability to string passes together but today I just didn't see a choice.
We did play very well at the start of the season, good possession football but with with no striker to put the ball in the net. That's the difficulty.
40 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:22:38
This game could have gone either way, the slight deflection for Rodwell's shot, if it was more of a deflection it may have made it into the net, the deflection for their goal could have put it behind, not slap bang onto Hernandez's head.
We are all frustrated because it is another shitty loss against the Mancs at Old Trafford but the usual, we could have played better etc of course we could but once again Moyes is the only target ....and Bily. Bily has been singled out again, but we weren't losing when he went off. Why then do they rest of them get away with it? In my view Pip had one of his worst games for a while too, couldn't find a blue shirt all afternoon but no-one is having a go at him....it's all Moyes's fault ....again.
My defence of Moyes on this site is actually more of a plea for the blame to be spread around fairly to the players too. Rodwell played one forward pass all game, he won't get slated, Baines didn't get one decent cross in, he won't get slated etc.
42 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:32:55
Two points: Howard generally played well, but is there another goalkeeper who gets so worked up over the presence of an opponent in his area?
Which leads me to the second point: I'd love to know when obstruction was officially relegated from the rules. When Valencia blocked Baines and then pushed him away, the commentator described it as his being strong. I thought there were two offences!
I can't remember when I last saw an indirect free kick awarded for obstruction.
43 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:38:47
45 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:47:18
46 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:57:01
47 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:49:30
48 Posted 23/04/2011 at 16:51:40
On to my next point, why do we never perform at OT? Because you're dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Last year, Moyes played attacking football at OT and we got beat. I personally agree with Michael though today, you can't just sit back for 90 minutes at OT and expect to get somewhere.
Isn't it funny how, when we go to Arsenal and attack last year, we get a draw. We go to Liverpool this year, attack, and get a draw. Go to Chelsea twice and attack, we get a draw; get a win at City. Yet every year against United, we rarely attack them.
I read an intresting theory about why United have always done so well, the number of managers who are good friends with Fergie. Every year, United seem to walk over us, Blackburn, Sunderland, Birmingham. I've rarely seen us or any of those sides have a proper go at United. I know I'm entering the world of the conspiracy theorist but we just have too much respect. The arse-licking that goes on before every meeting slightly devalues the game in my opinion.
49 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:01:31
50 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:30:06
Nowhere else do we look like we've been hypnotised.... only at Old Trafford. Odd.
Ultimately though, this personifies why we can't compete. Their 'second string' is better than ours... and unfortunately everyone else's in the top tier. Ho Hum...
51 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:17:53
Every time we play ultra defensive, we concede a goal; sometimes I think the best way for us to defend is to try and attack.
I don't understand the substitutions at all. Anichebe does not deserve to play, I would have liked to see Vellios have another crack. In saying that, I think Anichebe probably did better than he usually does and, even though he went to ground way too easy, it was a definite penalty.
Speaking of penalties, Beckford should have had one in the first half. It may have not been so clear to the officials or the crowd, but with the benefit of tv replays you can clearly see he was held off the ball and tripped by a United defender.
United are not THAT good, we COULD win against them... I'm not saying we SHOULD have but I know our team is certainly capable of it. Moyes wonders why our record at Old Trafford is so poor; well, when you set your team up to play the way we did, you will never break the duck.
I won't say it was certain points dropped by Everton today, far from it, but we played like shit and never even entered the contest for my mind.
52 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:36:44
53 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:37:20
This game is a microcosm of every TW "Moyes Out / Moyes anti-football" shout out.
Beckford ? needs balls played to his feet and through balls. WTF are we doing hoofing it up to him? He won't come down with it! Not the boy's fault!
Anichebe ? the most embarrasing player I've ever had the displeasure of watching. Took him only until the 51st minute mark to toss his hands out in that patented, petulant WTF way of his. Only took him till the 52nd minute mark to dive. He is an utter embarrassment.
Bily can't play on the wing. It's sooooo obvious. If he doesn't fit into the team ? offload him.
I knew what was going to happen. Why did I bother?
54 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:55:19
The only chance we had to get anything from the game was to frustrate Man Utd and try to pinch a goal in the 2nd half. They have players sitting on the bench who would walk into our side and we have nothing to compare coming off our bench.
Considering the disparity in basic ability, we did WELL. Jags was MotM for me; all the defence earned their corn and the rest are powder puff who could not hold the ball at all in the first half.
55 Posted 23/04/2011 at 17:52:04
When I saw the team today, though, I knew that Bily and Beckford , players I like, would be shite.It was never going to suit them. Normally I'd be first to put the boot into Moyes for that but I can't see what the alternative could have been.
Mike Bates, I agree entirely about Rodwell. Vastly over rated. I'd keep him out of sight before he's totally found out then rip someone desperate off in the summer.56 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:03:21
I can see it now in Ferguson's office at the end of the game with a glass of the red stuff in their hands. Ferguson laughing and saying, "Well Davey another defeat to my boys, but at least it was no disgrace from your lads".
Moyes: "Aye, you're right Sir Alex, but maybe next year we might get a draw? Cheers", as they laugh and guffaw together! Mean while, the Everton fans have been sold down the river at OT again! Pathetic!
57 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:15:01
If our defenders are so "terrific" then you should have no problem with us having a go and playing more open. If our defenders are so "terrific" surely they could have held United to 1-2 goals while we we bomb forward and try to create.
if we have such "terrific" defenders surely it wouldn't have been over at half-time?
Kinda talkin' outa both sides of the mouth, aren't you?
Our defenders are terrific but, left to their responsibilities as we play an open game, they'd turn into garbage?
If you have "terrific" defenders then surely you owe it to yourself to play open, knowing you're safe to do so with a terrific back 4?
BTW ? If I take a sledgehammer and pound away for 95 minutes at a brick wall I'll eventually punch a hole in the brick wall....
I just don't get the defeatist mindset. It's all we could do, defend like mad and try to knick one... With that approach before kick-off you've already lost.
58 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:17:51
It's just mediocrity, absolute mid-table unambitious shite and it'll stay that way till he goes.
59 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:20:50
60 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:39:27
61 Posted 23/04/2011 at 18:13:47
The positives: Howard, Hibbert, Distin, Jagielka, Baines, Neville and yes Anichibe.
The average: Coleman, Osman, Rodwell, Cahill, Gueye.
The negatives: Beckford and Bily.
Tremondous defensive display from Everton and eventually only a deflected cross set up the winning goal. Yes, we rode our luck with some poor Utd play in our third at times but the one 50/50 we needed to go our way, didn't. That was the penalty claim. Ferdinand played the man with an arm across Victor and contact was there to take him down.
Put it this way: Hernandez goes down like that under a challenge from Jags and with 70,000 screaming penalty, there would be only one outcome.
With the players we had available, what does everyone expect from us against Champion League semi finalists? We have ground out results recently and today was no different in the approach. They pushed us back due to their quality and our awful first-half passing.
Moyes shook things up and it made a difference. For 20 minutes in the second half we were the better side and passed it well. In that period we could have gone in front. Their quality again took over and nailed it at the last.
Finally, to call that side Utd's second string shows an absolute lack of understanding of how the modern game is played when a team plays 60 games and competes to the end on all fronts. Don't forget, our starting eleven cost a shade over Rooney's transfer fee. So get a grip of reality please before condemning a fighting effort from most of our team today.
62 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:13:43
Man Utd were the better team.
Moyes gets everything he deserves by introducing Anichebe as the solution.
Having said that Ferdinand's shove on Vic was an outright penalty which would've given us a deserved point at least. This is the way Fergie wins silverware ? horrible, cheating bastard.
63 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:06:28
Every time we tried to go forward, Beckford and Bily were treated with utter contempt by the United defence and we were constantly under the cosh and Rodwell played about as much of a part as I did.
We were miles better in the second half once Moyes had dragged Bily and Becks off.
I haven't had the chance to see any replays yet, but I`m also convinced that the referee shit himself twice and that was another very good reason why we lost.
64 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:10:30
A word on the pens: if that would have been Hernandez in the 1st half that was upended and Rooney in the 2nd, I wonder would they had been awarded?
65 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:19:31
66 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:34:57
67 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:26:27
They didn't have a reserve team out because they can pick from 20 top class players and to class Evans as in anyway a second class player is an insult, he would walk into any Premier League team and only Vidic keeps him out and he is one of the best. If Everton could have him and or O'Shea we'd be far better for it. Tim Cahill looks as though he's finished now and I blame Moyes either for playing him injured or playing him when he has had a serious drop in form.
If we'd not defended today, we would have been massacred because we don't have the players to do it. Rooney was pretty magnificent and with gaps players like Nani and Chicharita would have had a bagful. This was one game we weren't ever going to win so let's move on get over it and get as many points as we can from the remaining games.
68 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:33:19
Let's start blaming Anichebe, we`ll ignore the fact that he was the only one to give the united defenders any problems at all, and that our performance improved considerably when he came on.
Absolutely priceless.
69 Posted 23/04/2011 at 19:43:06
I think we need to start a thread where all of Rodwell's fans can tell us exactly what they see in him! Why is he going to be "one of the greats" or "England's future captain"? Because all I see is a very average footballer. Not shit... just very average. Not full of potential, just very average.
It would be nice to hear some actual arguments for his future greatness other than the fact that we all keep hoping we have something on the horizon to get excited about.
70 Posted 23/04/2011 at 20:02:19
71 Posted 23/04/2011 at 20:33:10
A back four that had Evans, Rafael and O'Shea (playing out of position) in it. Gibson and Anderson in midfield, hardly anything to fear.
72 Posted 23/04/2011 at 20:35:54
I'd go abroad and look for a Tioti (Newcastle], type player, a much needed ball winner in midfield. We have not got a midfield ball winner at the club. Number One transfer priority.
73 Posted 23/04/2011 at 21:06:15
Dave Wilson, you're right about the nine men. Beckford and Bily were never going to threaten and at least the substitutions were made early. Even at full strength, we don't have the players suitable for the way we set out today. I'd just like to think that with a full squad we would have had a totally different approach.
Bily behind Saha and Beckford might work to break down Wolves at home but today we looked totally lightweight. Had Moyes started with Victor and Beckford up front, I'd have hooted with derision. With hindsight, I wish he had.
74 Posted 23/04/2011 at 21:15:51
Utd have dropped two points at home all season and people on here are surprised we lost with an injury hit team?
We should have gone 4-4-2, gone for it?? Yeah .... because footie is that simple.
75 Posted 23/04/2011 at 21:25:08
Colin, exactly, a class ball-winning midfielder would open up so many options.
76 Posted 23/04/2011 at 21:31:54
77 Posted 23/04/2011 at 21:40:55
With the totally clueless Bilyaletdinov valued at £10M, Rodwell is priceless.
78 Posted 23/04/2011 at 22:01:00
79 Posted 23/04/2011 at 22:47:02
First half was the better half, the very beginning of the second was ok. People talk about how they completely outclassed us, well they were no doubt better, but we made them look a shitload better than they were by retreating like cowards and showing way more respect than they deserved.
Absolute shit. This game pissed me off no end. Back yourselves a bit and at least fucking TRY to attack.
I rank this as one of the worst performances of a season full of worst performances. THAT'S HOW FUCKING BAD WE PLAYED!
80 Posted 23/04/2011 at 23:09:40
81 Posted 24/04/2011 at 00:00:15
He is not the finished article and, aside from the press bigging him up, where exactly has he offended so badly.
I for one hope that Jack and Fella stay for a real long time and if anyone can see the future in a better way then please enlighten me. Build a team round them.
He passes sideways does not run forwards, blah, he is 19 he is ours on a long contract, get a grip, rejoice, and if you can not, then look in a mirror and remember the day you enjoyed calling him so much that you were part of driving him away.
82 Posted 24/04/2011 at 00:14:06
We were up against the probable Prem winners who have won every game bar one at home who are in the CL semi next week, we have half a team unfit, and we held them till 80 odd mins and their Manager was hanging on at the end.
Add to that the penalty claims and the second half posession and to call it "FUCKING BAD" using capitals makes me wonder what you or others have a real expectation of.
Luckilly I was there when Bob the Pole took them to pieces, and when Duncan took them apart, also on Johnny Ebrell's last game. But most times we go there knowing it's going to be a job to get anything. Today, right to the whistle, I thought we would.
83 Posted 24/04/2011 at 00:23:32
What is there to lose? (Um how many on here drag up the Arse game a few years ago...)
84 Posted 24/04/2011 at 01:10:47
85 Posted 24/04/2011 at 01:45:45
I for one want a manager who has the same beliefs and pride in this great club as our magnificent supporters. It appears he is our Roy Hodgson ? more concerned with what Ferguson will think of him than standing up for Everton Football Club. He and Kenwright should get an appointment at Old Trafford... and get the hell out of the city.
86 Posted 24/04/2011 at 04:16:19
I am shocked that some people here seem to think that we don't deserve to get anything out of a team who is on top of the table and has only dropped two points at home all season. May I remind these people that our club motto means 'nothing but the best is good enough'. The 'best' covers ATTITUDE as well, and not just skill.
Moyes said before the game that 'we had nothing to lose'. If he really thought so, why didn't he get the team to attack? We got nothing to lose anyway! I watched Blackpool last night. They may be shite but they looked to attack every time they got the ball. Ian Holloway for manager please!
87 Posted 24/04/2011 at 04:41:58
So we can play pretty football and get beat every week?
88 Posted 24/04/2011 at 05:14:17
You can't have your cake and eat it mate.
They had all the possession because we had every single damn player in the penalty box. We never went to win, we went to draw.
Put it another way, had the game been played in the exact same way, but the ref had awarded a penalty for the foul on Vic, we converted it, and ManU hadn't managed to sneak that header in. We win 1-0 instead of losing 1-0. First win at Old Trafford for near enough two decades, we have half our side out injured etc etc. Am I happy about this alternate game? Well obviously beating Manure in any fashion is pleasing, but ultimately no.
I will never be happy with yesterday's game plan. Putting every player behind the ball when you are up 1-0 can be annoying, but when it's 0-0, in a game that won't see you relegated OR win the league, it's unforgivable.
So Ian, you said that before I have a go back, what would I have done differently? Well apparently I would have tried something similar to you: "Aiden, quite right, we should have gone for it, tried the kids, a new formation, why not try wingbacks, how about 3, nay 4 up front?"
By the way, Happy fuckin' Easter!
89 Posted 24/04/2011 at 09:01:39
90 Posted 24/04/2011 at 11:18:39
91 Posted 24/04/2011 at 13:28:03
As for the Rodwell talk going on, I don't know who goes to the game and who doesn't ? but honestly, if you watch him, the games pass him by so much. He's a passenger. Yeah he's not the finished article, but judging by his lack of progression (granted injuries may have had an effect on this), I wouldn't be disappointed to see him sold for £10+million.
Ian Smitham ? it's not that I want to have a go at him; he just isn't playing very well.
92 Posted 24/04/2011 at 19:43:14
"They knew they were in for a game today." Just a shame it didn't turn out that way, Mike.
Also "We were taken very seriously today by that lot." How do you come to that conclusion, Mike? They were taking us that seriously, that they decided to leave out Evra, Vidic, Carrick, Giggs and Berbatov... And in came the big guns O'shea, Evans, Rafael, Gibson and Anderson.
Not being funny, mate, but not starting with almost half of your first 11 is not taking us seriously.
93 Posted 24/04/2011 at 20:41:16
94 Posted 24/04/2011 at 21:23:45
Fergie was terrified we'd go on all out attack and score 2 in injury time, crushing Man Utd's hopes of an easy run-in to the title.
I wanted to type this just to see how it felt.... and I can report it does cause lightheadedness a sort of out of body experience.
Now, anyone interested in UFO spotting?
No... what about Ouija board?
95 Posted 24/04/2011 at 23:17:19
96 Posted 25/04/2011 at 10:39:58
Hasn't he gone to Leicester?
97 Posted 25/04/2011 at 15:23:49
What people don't see that is plainly obvious is that Moyes has ruined him ? like so many other players. The lad arrived at Goodison and played some good football, then, what does Moyes do? Bench him. Give him one minute when we're a goal down, then make him play wing when he is a specialist central attacker... Can't really blame him. I guarantee if we sell him to a team whose manager has the slightest bit of intelligence, he would tear us a new one when playing against us.
As I said, this season he's been a write off, but you wait and see.
98 Posted 25/04/2011 at 15:57:29
"[A] great team effort to try and make sure that we didn't lose the game."
This is what 9 years of managing has led to.
99 Posted 25/04/2011 at 17:25:38
100 Posted 26/04/2011 at 17:46:32
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1 Posted 23/04/2011 at 15:07:12
One shot in the whole of 90 minutes - pathetic. Why is it we can score six past them in two home games yet we arrive at Old Trafford and shit a brick if we have to cross our own 18 yard line.
I expect much more of my team but yet again they fail to deliver.