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I?ve been pro-Moyes in all his time here over the last 9 years. He alone turned the club around and took us into Europe but I think following Tuesday night his time to leave has arrived.
Why ? because of his statement that ?he played his best 11 players out there?. He couldn?t find room for a striker as no striker was worth his place before Arteta, Rodwell, Pinnear, Fellaini etc etc. What an absolute cop-out, demonstrating a complete lack of football management. So on his current basis of team selection it means that when Tim has gone off to Asia he?ll play Jags in his place as he?s the next best player we have on the books, and we?ll end up playing a formation of 5-5-0 and draw the next 6 games all 0-0 hopefully.
I?m sick of him accusing the forwards as crap ? they have been living on pittance all season. We do not have a central midfield player who actually runs at defences and causes the opposition centre backs to come out and leave gaps to be exploited. Only Coleman and Baines run with the ball at the opposition, but they alone cannot force space in the middle, it has to be a central midfielder.
Our centre midfield players, Arteta, Rodwell, Fellaini are all two-touch, piroutte, pass sideways merchants, none of them commit defenders. Moyes must see this but other than Baxter I don?t know of anyone else on the books who is capable of running at defenders in a central postion.I actually thought Rodwell would do it this season (remember his goal against Utd last season) but it looks like its been trained out of him in favour of ball retention.
Moyes has really been found wanting this season in the ?New Tactical? Premier League where the likes of Spurs, Bolton, Sunderland, Blackpool have played 4-3-3 or 4-2-4, but more importantly have gone out to win games. It has caused the likes of Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal problems, but they have at least overcome it whereas the likes of us and Liverpool have been found out ? the days of the cautious managers (Moyes, Hodgson) are finished.
Mike Oates, Posted 30/12/2010 at 17:54:09
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The reason the likes of Blackpool and Bolton are ahead of us is because their managers play players in their correct position. They'd rather play a less talented player in their correct position than a more talented player in the wrong position.
Playing Beckford up front with Cahill in his correct position will always be more of a goal threat than that shite the other night.
He said it was because he had injuries to key defenders, so he thought the best thing to do was to just go for it from the off. Seriously, could you imagine what the interviewer would have been asking Moyes, "So Davey, how coming your lining-up with 7-3-0?"
I've watched Sunderland a few times this season on the box and they always start the game as if they want to win it ? far from old school.
We only seem to have one form of attack: play the ball out wide and then hump it into the middle. I am not opposed to this, but it is one-dimensional and we do it so slowly.
We rarely vary the manner of attack. We rarely, as you say, go through the middle, playing the ball on the ground for our attackers to run on to. I thought that playing the killer pass was supposed to be Arteta's main skill?
Why I like to see Shameless Coleman is because he will, at least, have a go at taking the ball into the opposition box and trying to make something happen, maybe taking a man on and beating him, rather than a hopeful high lob which is usually easy meat for opposing centre-backs.
Wing play to the near exclusion of everything else (particularly slow-build-up play) with time for the opposing defence to regroup is boring and unimaginative and is one of the main reasons why ? let's admit it ? we are not an attractive team to watch.
I have seen us play direct offensive attacking play this season but it is the exception rather than the norm ? generally when we are chasing a game in the last few minutes. Most of our nice passing is, sadly too ineffectual.
As I said, Sunderland at times will look great, I hasten to add, so will we... but if anyone thinks Steve Bruce is an attacking manager... well, they clearly aren't aware of the full facts.
Why are people so surprised anyway? I was glad he never played Saha, he's been given his chance. Anichebe was suspended and Vaughan was injured. Both Yakubu and Beckford are out of favour. All this 'the West Ham game will become folklore' stuff is just silly.
Until Pienaar, Arteta and Fellaini start to provide consistent levels of service to the forwards, there will continue to be a goal drought.
Other thoughts:-
I think the role that Osman used to play is missed.
Pienaar has not really been trying this season. He should have been sold last summer. No point in hanging on to players when they want to leave. Pay him or sell him.
Arteta has been sloppy and seemingly not quite match fit this season. Same story with Fellaini.
All in all, very disappointing. I thought we would be challenging in the top 4 this season.
I'm glad you're aware of Bruce's shortcomings, though, and, if I hear Holloway, Jol, Hughton or the Dave Jones of the management world being touted as being good appointments again, I think I'm going to lose the will to live!
Elite managers such as Hiddink won't come and beyond Wenger and Ferguson only Hoddle has actually gone to a club and made a positive difference but he's cockney and uses faith healers.
We need to be short-listing the unproven younger lads, I've heard shouts for Paul Lambert, Roberto Martinez, Owen Coyle... even Ian Holloway from this country and I'm sure there's the equivalent abroad. Point is: we don't want to be caught with our pants down.
I think you are right, it does seem that way, it is not 2004-05 anymore: scoring a goal from a set piece and then defending won't get 3 points.
What has happened to Moyes? Is he in one of his titty sulks again. Since when has playing for a point against West Ham been acceptable to him? This is a ground where Everton have won for the last three seasons, who are bottom of the league, and have just played a match 2 days ago.
Leon is right ? we should be sounding out prospective new mangers now; my choice would be McLaren ? Moyes should go at the end of the season and the only way in my eyes that he remains is if he wins the Cup.
It is not that big a deal ? better managers have left doing far better than Moyes is at the moment. The way some fans go on about who would we get, you would be forgiven for thinking this was Leyton Orient.
I'd rather a young and upcoming manager with hunger to develop the club long term.
As for Moyes, thanks but enough is enough. Being at Upton Park was the last straw. His mentality and game approach maybe can excuse the above players, in particular Arteta. That negative shit does not suit a player like him. If you watch the game until West Ham scored, even Baines did not give Pienaar support on the left. I can only imagine he was told stay back to cover Hibbert.
The last straw was the time-wasting changes at the end and Howard delaying with the ball. I will never forget that ? and we were playing West Ham! Even our support hardly sang cause they are now totally deflated. Some of their faces have expressions of total sadness and acceptance of this shite. Like we know it's going to happen, and it always does, only worse this time.
I have read posts that Moyes experimented and that was the reason he played Cahill on his own. Well, why not fucking experiment with TWO strikers or play another with Cahill??? Experiment with Rodwell driving forward at all times. When it's clear that players are not in form, make a change ? even if it means pulling Arteta off after 30 minutes. Play Duffy at centre back and Hibbert at right back...
But no; we have to have Neville playing. He gives all kids hope of playing Premier League football 'cause you can make it, even when you are totally shit. He can't cross the ball. He could not give Coleman the support his hard running deserved.
Why is Duffy a sub and not plyed when he is the next recognised centre-half available? Moyes has assembled this squad ? and credit to him under the financial restraint ? but now it's time to let somebody else have a go... Billic, anyone?
The team for Stoke, if the likes of Jags/Heitinga are fit, should be:
GK Howard
DR Coleman
DL Baines
DC Distin
DC Jagielka
MR Anichebe
ML Pienaar
DMC Neville
MC Fellaini
AMC Cahill
SC Beckford
Personally, I think that has the most balance and, considering it's Stoke, the best physical players we have to combat them.
I have been pro-Moyes for the duration of his tenure but the West Ham game was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
Firstly, to publicly criticize the strkers is ridiculous man-management. Secondly, not to pick Duffy sends out the message to him when he picks an average right back instead. Thirdly, his totally negative tactics against the side bottom on Xmas Day was beyond belief.
The line he believes in the opposition players more than his own is masterclass and sums Moyes up perfectly.
In summary, thank you, David, for giving us some respectability back... but now the choice is yours ? start sending your teams out with the intention of scoring more than the opposition score, as opposed to your current instruction of concede less than the opposition concede.
If you are not willing to change then move aside and let someone in who will play in the true traditions of our club because most of us have had enough of this negative boring shit now...
I particularly agree with your statement about Moyes blaming the lack of goals solely on the forwards. In my opinion, the goal drought is caused by a combination of strikers not finishing and Moyes's own defensive, listless tactics.
In his 4-5-1, every time a striker gets the ball, it's 1 against 4. Nobody is there to work with him. By the time the mids push up, the surprise is lost. And the slow development and backpasses make even a sound attack a boring attack.
Watching teams like Spurs run a counter-attack and send 5, 6, 7 players on a committed run is exciting (and effective). DM is quick to blame his strikers (by the way, they are HIS strikers), but maybe he should take a look in the mirror and realize the real reason we can't score is his tactics.
If not, then do you really think the strikers we have will give a fuck about the rest of the season? Have heartfelt performances put in unless of course their injured.
Just what do his decisions do to the confidence of Beckford and, if he's not prepared to give him a decent run in the side, even as a sub, then surely this has to be poor decision to get him in the summer... even if he was a free.
I am sure some fans will have noticed this, I just hope the shackles are taken off these young lads, and he lets them express themselves more.
It will be interesting to see who he playes up front, as the remarks made at the West Ham game will not have helped to give any confidence to lads sitting on the bench.
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1 Posted 30/12/2010 at 20:22:18
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I hasten to add, I rate Owen Coyle highly but, as I said, his Bolton team are not always as attacking as the media portray. Same goes for Blackpool.