The Mail Bag
Team for Sunday
Comments (20)
For the first time, I wont be home at Xmas to watch the Blues... Added to that I would not normally play FM, preferring to leave it to the professional... but our line-ups this season have been bizarre to say the least.
For example, Victor Anichebe, home alone at City. Now I would never figure Vic for someone who can hold the ball up and bring others into the game but at least we got the result. But at home against Birmingham City this Sunday, I see it as a more important make-or-break game that will require a lot of patience.
Why make or break? Because Goodison Park is becoming more and more desolate as the season progresses and, with plenty of Xmas spirit, hopefully the crowd will be buzzing ? if we play well and win, it could reignite GP. That is why I see team selection as critical ? not just for the game but to appease the crowd too.
I will start up front: Please, please, please ? no Louis Saha. I would give the Yak and Tim Cahill a shout with Beckford on in the second half (not the last 10 minutes either).
I also feel that Rodwell and Fellaini should be automatic starters with Steven Pienaar returning and Seamus Coleman to continue his efforts of late. That means no starting place for Mikel Arteta or Leon Osman, who will have to take their places on the bench. That leaves the back four whose only problem may be handling 6'-7'' Zigic. Experience is key, as is cutting out balls to Zigic because, in the absence of Jags (and Heitinga) it looks like Hibbert may get the nod and therefore his height will be a major problem for us. I would have considered 3-5-2 to combat their 5 in midfield and put pressure on their defence but I dont think we've got the players for that so it would have to be Neville, Hibbert, Distin and Baines across the back.
I did consider Coleman at right-back and Neville as centre-back with Arteta on the right wing but I think that negates our pace(??) going forward. If we are doing well, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of Gueye and Duffy for the last quarter.
I just hope that we go with a positive formation and the crowd are patient until the last minute because Brum are experts at putting up a wall and hitting teams on the break.
Jay Harris, Posted 24/12/2010 at 15:48:09
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Howard; Coleman, Heitanga (if fit), Distin, Baines; Arteta, Fellaini, Rodwell, Pienaar; Yakubu, Cahill.
I`m at a loss to understand how anybody who wants to see a more adventurous Everton would prefer to see a man who has struggled to make an impact play on the right instead of our most talented player. Form temporary/clas permanent and all that.
And what about Leon Osman, he gets injured during a stirring win against the shite; we struggle. Then he comes back and has another blinder and worra ya know? We win again!
So you want a midfielder up front, a right back at right mid and another right back at center half and you want to leave out two of our most talented players... trust me, if Moyes does this he will be slaughtered for playing players out of position and for being negative.
It never ceases to amaze me how negative the positive can be.
Brian: when you say "Moyes should go all out" ? How do you mean? You're another who's been vocal about team selection and negativity, let's hear your team BEFORE the game. Players are coming back now; let's see how much your team differs from Moyes's.
I'm a bit of a believer in not changing a winning team and Arteta has not exactly been setting the heather on fire this season. IF Rodwell and Fellaini are not performing then yes, change it; if not, leave it.
Much depends on the confidence carry-over from the City game as for some reason there seems to be a problem playing at home this season with only the game against the Redshite worth remembering.
I think it's fairly unanimous that Arteta has not been the player he was before injury, marriage and a bumper new contract and that Ossie is never a winger in a month of Sundays.
I wasnt writing either of them off I was of the opinion that Coleman is MORE effective on the RW than either of them and that the Felli/Rodwell partnership could do with more time.
The only thing I have been negative about is Moyes insistence on playing Saha despite bad game after bad game.
It's all about who gets the nod up-front though and I agree with you Jay, Saha is third choice. I would go for Beckford, but I know he is Moyes's third choice.
And has DM got the balls to put Arteta on the bench... doubt it. HC... COYB
Obviously the main problem this year has been up front. Who plays ahead of Cahill?? I know Saha has been shite but I actually have a feeling he will score tomorrow. I'm gonna have a tenner on Louis to score at anytime.
I would not consider Heitinga as he is liable to get sent off as his tackling is worse than Fellaini's. At least Hibbo can tackle.
Arteta and Pienaar will both play some part if they are both fit.
Otherwise would love to see Arteta at RM with Coleman behind him. And Heits in for Jags if injured.
I think if Baines was a right back then Osman would not be getting the stick he does.
Here in Brisbane the game as far as I can tell is 'delayed' until 12 noon Monday local time. I will wait with bated breath for the team selection... and the result... AND how we get it.
But suspect it will be as near to the Moyes norm as injuries will allow.
If I`m honest, I wouldn't disagree with you too much on selection. That's my point: how many people do your hear say "I nearly chocked on my pint" or "nearly turned the car around" when I heard DM`s team selection. "More negativity"; "More square pegs in round holes."
But ask people to put their own team up BEFORE the team is named and they often do the very same thing.
Sure you might get a few Kevin Keegans and a few people would deliberately go against Moyesie by suggesting we should play untried / unproven / unready kids in the positions where we are short, but would they honestly do that if the decision was theirs? If their result depended upon it?
No chance!
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1 Posted 24/12/2010 at 19:18:11
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If we revert back to the norm, it won't be long before the the crowd lose patience again, because I imagine that we all expect us to kick-on now.