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The Mail Bag

Keep the faith

I know we were awful yesterday, inept in fact, but the future is not all doom and gloom. We have only lost one of the last 9 games, away at Stoke. Drawn 5 including Liverpool and Chelsea both away. Wins against City (away) and Spurs. If you look at the table, both ourselves and Fulham have drawn far more games than those around us ? not enough goals to win matches.

Cast your mind back to before Christmas when we were all bemoaning loads of chances not taken. Moyes has now tinkered with his system to try and score more. But this was a case of ?what ain?t broke ? don?t fix.? We were creating chances then... but we are not creating chances now!

Last two games have been transitional in my mind. Pienaar was going and our left side has suffered badly. Nothing at all yesterday (or at LFC) from that side when it is usually our best.

Arteta has not suddenly become a bad player ? when he looks up and forward there is no-one free to pass to ? so he goes sideways. To my mind he needs to play further forward in the Nasri style role. Keep the faith guys. COYB
Andrew Mahon, Crosby Posted 23/01/2011 at 13:20:21

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Mick Wrende
1 Posted 23/01/2011 at 15:29:01

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For fucks sake we are 13th in the league and have won 5 games out of 23. Only 3 teams in the league have won less. What exactly are we keeping the faith in? Andrew surely if you are a genuine Evertonian you cant possibly defend this trash.

Mike Hughes
2 Posted 23/01/2011 at 16:02:45

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Andrew - I understand the "glass half full" analogy but our glass is half full with a leak in the bottom. It's emptying fast.

In the context of "best squad ever" and the pre-season optimism, keeping the faith is very difficult. Draws are not much better than a defeat and yesterday we scraped a draw at home to the bottom team - a club we have taken more points off than any other in the Premiership era.

As Mick has just stated, what exactly are we keeping faith in? We're all Evertonians and we want our club to succeed but we need to see something from the club that equates to a vision for the future; a decent infrastructure; a system of play (School of Science ??!!!); positive tactics; consistency; application (e.g. beating the first man from a corner); professionalism and passion.

Can't see it at the moment. Maybe my "half full glass" is frosted.

Ian McDowell
3 Posted 23/01/2011 at 16:05:36

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We have played the bottom 3 clubs and 2 of the 3 promoted clubs at home and haven?t won a single one. Regardless of who is chairman or manager that is an appalling record. My faith is being severely tested.

Tony Rice
4 Posted 23/01/2011 at 16:20:28

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simple really....3 pts for a win 1 pt for a draw...... IF we draw ALL of our remaining matches...we're going down ! The performances are unacceptable...the players and the manager had better start doing a better job....NOW

Leon Perrin
5 Posted 23/01/2011 at 16:35:42

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Andrew

To keep the faith with Moyes has become ludicrous. Moyes got to 4th once and that was it, he's never surpassed or even equalled it, this stone age football carries the double whammy of being boring AND unsuccessful.

We need this season over, Moyes to go and start afresh with someone having a modicum of man-management skills. No more over-hyped "football coaches".

Andrew Laird
6 Posted 23/01/2011 at 16:46:49

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Yes, let's keep doing the same thing over and over like we have so far this season... Play one of our worst performers this season further forward (like against West Ham away) and all will be well. Whatever you have been taking, I suggest you lay off it for a while.

James Stewart
7 Posted 23/01/2011 at 17:42:17

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This season is over. Yesterday was a must win and for the most part of it we were outplayed by the bottom side in the league who also have the worst defense. Says it all really. Also looks like West Ham have beaten us to the signing of Ba on loan. We are a total embarrassment at present.

John Daley
8 Posted 23/01/2011 at 18:39:36

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Keep the faith? Could it not be said that blind faith has contributed to our current malaise? The blind faith of a large number of Evertonians who still believe Kenwright acts solely in the best interests of the club. Kenwright's blind faith in the managers ability to do his job minus any financial backing at all. Moyes's blind faith that his own 'tried and tested' methods, and most trusted players, will sooner or later come good and turn the situation around.

Michael Upton
9 Posted 23/01/2011 at 19:07:35

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Andrew, agree with some of what you say but not "at all yesterday (or at LFC) from that side" ? we scored our second goals against both LFC and West Ham from that side.

The simple fact this season is we have not scored enough goals at the right time ? albeit that we've now scored 11 in four games ? and not kept enough clean sheets. Without a striker who can score, and why Saha was left on the bench in favour of Big Vic I've no idea, and the ability to keep clean sheets, we're going to end up drawing more than we win.

The hallmark of the Moyes era has been "tight at the back." We are certainly not that anymore. Sort that out and we can start climbing the table. Until then...

Joe McMahon
10 Posted 23/01/2011 at 19:50:58

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Some spoke of (realistic) top 4 ambitions before the season started.

Ask yourself, would any side with top 4 ambitions have players such as Hibberst & Osman (yes, nice lads, before anyone starts). But could you seem them in the Spurs team? No, thats why Spurs are now where they are, and thats why we are where we are.

We are limited by both no investment in the entire Bill Kenwright tenure and Moyes's lack of tactical nouse, with no idea how to play (real) attacking football.

John Vanderwerff
11 Posted 23/01/2011 at 20:11:06

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Yesterday we looked inept. The whole team lacked cohesion - we seem to be able to get up for the big teams but not the also rans. This is a bit strange as in previous years we have done well beating teams around us but the not the so called better teams. Perhaps it's because this year we were expecting so much? I believe Moyes is struggling to get the players up for the every day games - what the solution is I don't know.

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