The Mail Bag
Blackpool Six-Pointer
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After tonight's results, we are really up Shit Creek.
West Ham and Fulham wins and Birmingham grab a draw against City. What strikes me most though is how these sides seem to suddenly have a fighting spirit about them. They are fighting for their Premier League lives. Saturday is a six-pointer without doubt and this is the team we need to put out:
Howard
Neville Heitinga Distin Baines
Coleman Arteta Fellaini Bily
Saha Beckford
There are signs that Arteta is starting to show some form. I'd replace him after an hour with Rodwell if he's not shaping up.
As an alternative to Osman (who I think is an OK squad player), I'd try Gueye on the left after an hour if Bily tires.
I'd also have them practicing beating the first man at corners and free kicks all week. (Phil Neville can sit that session out).
It can only be 4-4-2 on Saturday. Most important will be the attitude they go out with. Give them raw red meat to eat and make them watch the DVD box set of Rocky while they're eating it. Then show them the Bayern Munich semi with surround sound and the crowd reaction to Sharpy's goal at Anfield.
If that doesn't work, we're screwed.
Mike Hughes, Posted 02/02/2011 at 22:11:08
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Jagielka in for JH, Tim in for Bily, Osman in for Rodwell. Inevitable.
Guy,
Sad but true. I hope we are both wrong.
Mike,
Osman isn't an ok squad player. he's poor. Altho if we get relegated down to his level he might be like a new signing next season
Sad but true. I hope we are both wrong.
Mike,
Osman isn't an ok squad player. he's poor. Altho if we get relegated down to his level he might be like a new signing next season
A DM special at home, 4-5-1 uber safe, all his favourites on parade, fucked if we go a goal down, DM would think 14 draws would be fantastic
I agree, Mike.
Despite all the gloom I have never once thought we might get relegated.
Until last night.
I was watching Match of the Day and started to get very anxious as West Ham beat Blackpool. Keane will bag them a few goals more before the end of the season. Birmingham drawing with City.
Then I had a horrible vision of Blackpool beating us one nil with a goal in the last minute by pie eating Beattie.
Despite all the gloom I have never once thought we might get relegated.
Until last night.
I was watching Match of the Day and started to get very anxious as West Ham beat Blackpool. Keane will bag them a few goals more before the end of the season. Birmingham drawing with City.
Then I had a horrible vision of Blackpool beating us one nil with a goal in the last minute by pie eating Beattie.
Howard
Coleman Heitinga Jagielka Baines
Rodwell Arteta Fellaini
Bily Cahill
Saha
4-3-2-1, guaranteed to win!
Coleman Heitinga Jagielka Baines
Rodwell Arteta Fellaini
Bily Cahill
Saha
4-3-2-1, guaranteed to win!
Sean, the sad thing is Beattie's career only went into decline when he came to us. Moyes seems to suck the confidence out of strikers... I see Vaughan has scored for Palace already and didnt the Yak score on his debut at Leicester, ffs.
I can see us being stung at the weekend. Blackpool have a great gung ho attitude which tends to bear goals...unlike our timid approach to anything around the 6 yard area.
I can see us being stung at the weekend. Blackpool have a great gung ho attitude which tends to bear goals...unlike our timid approach to anything around the 6 yard area.
Beattie had one good season for Southampton, a lot of his goals coming form the penalty spot. He's a good Championship player at best!
We need to go all out attack on them, it's no good holding back like usual and then running out of time at the end to find a winner! Couldn't we put Coleman right back and play another attack minded player infront of him, instead of playing Neville? Hopefully Cahill is back!
Beattie was a brilliant all-round centre forward before we signed him, and showed flashes of this form in his first full season with us, until things went pear-shaped.
As for Blackpool, i just bloody hope we win. Nothing would surprise me. 5-0? 1-0? 1-1? 1-4? anything could happen
As for Blackpool, i just bloody hope we win. Nothing would surprise me. 5-0? 1-0? 1-1? 1-4? anything could happen
Ron, to be fair, most of Blackpool FC are Championship players, gelling together to produce some great football.
You can take average or even poor players and put them with others of a similar ilk, add team spirit and fight and the results can be tremendous.
I wish we had some of the qualities Blackpool have got.
You can take average or even poor players and put them with others of a similar ilk, add team spirit and fight and the results can be tremendous.
I wish we had some of the qualities Blackpool have got.
As I have said continually..a draw in every game from now to the end of the season WILL NOT BE ENOUGH...with 3 points for a win, a draw is useless.
The only saving grace is our run in is not too difficult (or shouldn't be)...we have two home games in hand and only one or two games that will be difficult to get anything from....BUT we need to WIN a few games.
The only saving grace is our run in is not too difficult (or shouldn't be)...we have two home games in hand and only one or two games that will be difficult to get anything from....BUT we need to WIN a few games.
Ajay, Anthony, WHAT?
Put one of our most attacking players back to full back? Are you both insane?
He terrifies his opponents with his direct running to the byline and has scored and assisted a few goals this season.
That is ridiculous! He will be up for a goal again against these on Saturday like the away game. Coleman is our right winger now.
To drop him back to full back would weaken us defensively and would also take a lot from our attacking game. Who would you put on the right wing?
Osman? Anichebe? Left footed Bilyaletdinov? Rodwell? No thanks?
Put one of our most attacking players back to full back? Are you both insane?
He terrifies his opponents with his direct running to the byline and has scored and assisted a few goals this season.
That is ridiculous! He will be up for a goal again against these on Saturday like the away game. Coleman is our right winger now.
To drop him back to full back would weaken us defensively and would also take a lot from our attacking game. Who would you put on the right wing?
Osman? Anichebe? Left footed Bilyaletdinov? Rodwell? No thanks?
Trevor, with us being draw specialists, joint most draws in the league, I am worried by this a lot.
The thing is Mike that has to be one of the slowest midfields ever, all we need is Osman on the other side instead of Seamus.
Whichever team he puts out should be good enough to beat Blackpool if they get it right.
I for one woudn't mind seeing rodders and Fella in the middle with Arteta on the left. Perhaps even Billy behind Saha?
No such thing as a home banker this season so god knows what might happen...
I for one woudn't mind seeing rodders and Fella in the middle with Arteta on the left. Perhaps even Billy behind Saha?
No such thing as a home banker this season so god knows what might happen...
I think we need 6 points from the next 2 games or we will be really staring down the barrell.
West Brom v West Ham
Birmingham v West Ham Birmingham v Stoke
These games in the next 2 weeks will go a long way to detemining if we are going to be in a genuine scrap or not.
West Brom v West Ham
Birmingham v West Ham Birmingham v Stoke
These games in the next 2 weeks will go a long way to detemining if we are going to be in a genuine scrap or not.
Osman has skill but has no tackling prowess and is not strong on the ball nor does he possess a turn of speed but he is well liked by Moyes which does not help Everton as a team.
Rodwell must stay in the team as should Arteta and Fellaini.
Simple truth is we don't have many options. If Gueye and Baxter were good enough he would have used them by now or Moyes just stubborn.
The Blackpool game is now crucial as will several upcoming games.
If we can't score a couple of goals against them then we are headed for the basement and you know Moyes will jump ship at the end of the season.
Beattie has run into roadblocks wherever he goes and is very limited however if selected against the Blues you can be sure he will be up for it.
Rodwell must stay in the team as should Arteta and Fellaini.
Simple truth is we don't have many options. If Gueye and Baxter were good enough he would have used them by now or Moyes just stubborn.
The Blackpool game is now crucial as will several upcoming games.
If we can't score a couple of goals against them then we are headed for the basement and you know Moyes will jump ship at the end of the season.
Beattie has run into roadblocks wherever he goes and is very limited however if selected against the Blues you can be sure he will be up for it.
Love all the Amateur managers on here, who consistently slag Moyes off for his rigidity and then constantly name the same team again and again as to who should play.
The problem with picking a team is that you are not just only picking a team, you have to take into consideration who you are playing and what their likely formation will be.
Blackpool will come at you so there is likely to be space behind them for a quick break, so that would suggest getting Beckford on for his speed (if he has any); however as usual with Saha, he scores one and he will go on a little bit of a roll so now you can't drop him.
Their midfield outbossed ours at their gaffe so now the problem of playing 4-4-2 means they will possible walk through your midfield so what do you do?
I am glad I am not a manager, as no matter what you consider may happen, the other manager will alter things and you have to counteract them... unless you are on top and it's for them to...it goes on and on.
Saying all that, I am sure that posters picking their favourite XI makes them a better judge of the team than Moyes.....but what do I know?
The problem with picking a team is that you are not just only picking a team, you have to take into consideration who you are playing and what their likely formation will be.
Blackpool will come at you so there is likely to be space behind them for a quick break, so that would suggest getting Beckford on for his speed (if he has any); however as usual with Saha, he scores one and he will go on a little bit of a roll so now you can't drop him.
Their midfield outbossed ours at their gaffe so now the problem of playing 4-4-2 means they will possible walk through your midfield so what do you do?
I am glad I am not a manager, as no matter what you consider may happen, the other manager will alter things and you have to counteract them... unless you are on top and it's for them to...it goes on and on.
Saying all that, I am sure that posters picking their favourite XI makes them a better judge of the team than Moyes.....but what do I know?
Sorry Ron but Beattie had about 3 straight seasons where he scored between 15 and 25 goals.If you ever watch a programme called Prem goals on ESPN from that period you will see he scored all kinds of goals!Long range screamers,bullit headers,free kicks,penalties.....then we signed him! On paper he was a good signing,very good in fact.It just didn't work out,sadly.Maybe the tactics were wrong for him you might say? But during the '05/06 season he had a real purple patch where he looked superb.I remember saying when we signed AJ that Beattie and Johnson would be Englands back up strike force at Euro '08! Ha ha ha ha.....just goes to show what i know about football!!!
#1 Gavin - I didn't forget Tim Cahill - just wasn't sure he'd be back / ready. However, the point I was making was I'd like to see us put on a positive attacking display on Saturday. Sieze the day and all that.
#19 Tony - I'm sure you've never picked a team or expressed an opinion about it before, have you? Not sure where I stated I was a better manager than DM or where I slated him - just expressing what I'd like us to do, given what I've seen of the team so far this season. However, I'm still scratching my head over those substitutions on Tuesday night, of which I am sure you had no opinion.
#19 Tony - I'm sure you've never picked a team or expressed an opinion about it before, have you? Not sure where I stated I was a better manager than DM or where I slated him - just expressing what I'd like us to do, given what I've seen of the team so far this season. However, I'm still scratching my head over those substitutions on Tuesday night, of which I am sure you had no opinion.
I've heard through various message boards that there is going to be an organised protest before the game against Blackpool on Saturday.
Does anyone know anymore about this?
Anthony Jaras, Coleman could still attack from full back like what Baines does and it would mean we would have one more attack minded player down the right hand side rather than play Neville, who contributes nothing going forward.
Afterall, Coleman is a right back and I guarantee if he was still at Blackpool they would play him right back too and then have an attacking alternative infront of him on the right? What is so insane about this? Moyes often makes this change too late in games, so what's so wrong about attacking Blackpool? Is Neville going to help us get a goal?
OK, we don't have any great options outwide but who's fault is this (yes, Moyes) but we could try Arteta out there with Seamus and then have Rodwell, and Fellaini in the middle to accomodate this, or even play Anichebe out there. Or as you say, let's just stick with Neville and Coleman because that has obviously worked so well at home against the poorer teams.
Afterall, Coleman is a right back and I guarantee if he was still at Blackpool they would play him right back too and then have an attacking alternative infront of him on the right? What is so insane about this? Moyes often makes this change too late in games, so what's so wrong about attacking Blackpool? Is Neville going to help us get a goal?
OK, we don't have any great options outwide but who's fault is this (yes, Moyes) but we could try Arteta out there with Seamus and then have Rodwell, and Fellaini in the middle to accomodate this, or even play Anichebe out there. Or as you say, let's just stick with Neville and Coleman because that has obviously worked so well at home against the poorer teams.
Mike, it wasn't aimed at just you and no as far as I can remember, I haven't picked a whole team line up on a football forum.
Don't believe in it, as I don't know a thing about managing a professional side and it is simply based on what we see for 90 minutes, not the whole week on the training ground.
Don't believe in it, as I don't know a thing about managing a professional side and it is simply based on what we see for 90 minutes, not the whole week on the training ground.
Tony, fair enough, but surely you have an opinion on our team, tactics, offside decisions etc. Where you choose to express them is up to you. Why be critical of others for using a forum?
Blackpool are ready for a proper thumping. Saturday will be the day.
Despite playing well Blackpool have five straight defeats I believe. They need to win as much as we do to arrest their slide. As much as I hope they stay up, I certainly don't want it at our expense.
Blackpool play kamikaze attacking football, and we can't defend for, er, toffee. So I think we will need to score a few - a could be a cracking game, I really hope so as I've sat few some stinkers this season.
With West Ham and Birmingham showing some form/fight we need to start winning, if results go against us we could be in the relegation zone come sunday.
Blackpool play kamikaze attacking football, and we can't defend for, er, toffee. So I think we will need to score a few - a could be a cracking game, I really hope so as I've sat few some stinkers this season.
With West Ham and Birmingham showing some form/fight we need to start winning, if results go against us we could be in the relegation zone come sunday.
The key word here is "confidence" a fully focused and "confident" Everton side would show a plucky Blackpool team to be the championship outfit that they are.
The Everton that were on a roll towards the back end of last season would steamroll this team. Sadly this is not the case, and with a team berift of any fighting spirit or motivation I fear we may come unstuck. Blackpool will come to Goodison Park and attack, they will get the ball wide and go at our full backs and in Charlie Adam have a dead ball specialist of execeptional quality. So if we are not at it, this could be a nasty. 2-2 draw I predict. We cant keep a clean sheet and have conceaded some shocking goals this season. Thats how I see this game panning out.
The Everton that were on a roll towards the back end of last season would steamroll this team. Sadly this is not the case, and with a team berift of any fighting spirit or motivation I fear we may come unstuck. Blackpool will come to Goodison Park and attack, they will get the ball wide and go at our full backs and in Charlie Adam have a dead ball specialist of execeptional quality. So if we are not at it, this could be a nasty. 2-2 draw I predict. We cant keep a clean sheet and have conceaded some shocking goals this season. Thats how I see this game panning out.
We'll salvage a draw as per usual.
Kunsai, the brief optimism I had has faded away. I'll take a point now.
Andy - C'mon even I can make this up, we'll pummel these for about 30 mins with out any reward, then on the break.....BANG...cue some no mark like Reid or DJ Campbell slots one in. 1-0 down at the break. All huff and puff to no avail until the final 10 mins when we get a goal and Goodison goes wild!
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1 Posted 03/02/2011 at 08:19:58
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I'm surprised you didn't include Cahill upfront. Is he injured or something?