Season 2011-12 Fan Articles
Appalling
By Nick Armitage :: 05/01/2012On the pitch this team resembles their counterparts in the Directors? Box. It is dour, stale and negative. It lacks drive, strategy and imagination.
Alongside Kenwright and his cronies, I wish Phil Neville and Louis Saha a speedy departure from Everton. With the fortunes those two have amassed, surely there are more enjoyable ways to enjoy the fruits of their labour than to continually embarrass themselves in front of the nation?s cameras. The pair of them offer zilch to a team currently running on empty.
In spite of his clear absence of ability, I had a grudging modicum of respect for Phil Neville for what he had achieved in the game. This same respect is now being eroded by his continued presence in a league that he simply cannot cope in. Observe him warm up, watch him with a ball at his feet and then try to convince yourself he is a modern footballer. You can?t because he isn?t and he never was.
I wish I had the audacity to con someone into paying me tens of thousands of pounds a week to clap hands, point, ball-watch and never hit a forward pass to feet. I used to laugh at him; now it breaks my heart watching him represent and captain my football club. Never has there been such an antithesis of the School of Science and what an Everton captain should represent.
This season, and on more occasions than one, I have witnessed a kid accomplish more in a 10-minute substitute appearance than Louis Saha has all season. For this, Saha receives a remuneration package that would afford most of us the option to clear our mortgage in a matter of weeks, not the decades we must toil for. To ?earn? this all Saha does is half heartedly ponce around a football pitch and occasionally feign mild disappointment after his one shot per game gets scuffed five yards wide.
Why is it that phoneys like Neville and Saha continue to turn up, go through the motions, and bleed an almost bankrupt club of millions? Players like Arteta and Yakubu, whilst imperfect themselves, were sacrificed to trim the wage bill.
People who use the lazy excuse of tight finances for performances like that need to boil their heads. There are big name players at Everton who are on salaries that players on a rung below them in football?s mad hierarchy, can only dream of. Many Arsenal first teamers are on less than our very own top earners. Yet money does not appear to be a barrier to them when they pass the ball, move into space, track runners, retain possession from a throw in or any other of the absolute basics you need to demonstrate to get picked for a school team.
And if Everton?s negligently crippled and moribund finances are the root cause of this shameful level of performance, can someone explain why Mikel Arteta halved his salary, then suddenly remembered all the simple things again? I do not need to elaborate on whose responsibility it is for instilling the fundamentals into a team with a wage bill approaching £60M a year.
As things stand I am not giving any more money to the Kenwright and Moyes axis while they continue to crush Everton. The finger of blame of why the club is teetering on the edge of a financial abyss lies squarely with the regime that has run the club, into the ground, for the last decade.
Life is short, you only earn your wages once but when you hand over your hard earned £35 in return for a match day ticket, I can pretty much guarantee that you hurt more after a defeat than they do. It is quite simple for me, I will not return to Goodison and be a party to them whilst they continue to strip the assets, soul and ethos of the once great Everton Football Club.
People say we could do a lot worse than Kenwright and Moyes and I agree we could do a lot worse. But then again, we can also do a hell of a lot better.
Reader Comments (70)
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2 Posted 05/01/2012 at 07:51:50
3 Posted 05/01/2012 at 07:56:44
Players like Neville, Saha, Hibbert and Heitinga just aren't good enough. I'd rather ship them out, save the wages and promote a bunch of hungry youngsters.
How on earth can we have any craft or guile in the middle when playing two defenders?
I'd rather see Osman, Bily, McFadden or Barkley in the centre then at least we'd have some creativity.
Kenwright and his lap dog can't go quick enough for me.
4 Posted 05/01/2012 at 08:07:00
NSNO - Need Some New Owners.
Kenwright OUT.
5 Posted 05/01/2012 at 08:11:22
I do feel sorry for some of the players such as Baines, Fellaini, Rodwell, Jags, Heitinga etc coz Moyes is killing their careers, and even with my most biased hat on, if I was them I would get out now before it's too late.
We are a sinking ship and we'd better batten down the hatches for probably what will be a watershed season at our club.
6 Posted 05/01/2012 at 08:25:59
Howard, Distin and Donovan performed as expected; the rest of them may as well not have been on the pitch. 3 injuries forced Moyes into the subs but why no Barkley, Vellios or McAleny on the bench? He hasn't any faith in Bily so why have him on the bench? I just hope that he plays the younger players on Saturday.
7 Posted 05/01/2012 at 09:34:39
8 Posted 05/01/2012 at 08:28:00
He has relentlessly stuck to his pinch a point tactics despite it being the reason 'We do not play entertaining football'.
He finds excuse after excuse to cover his own inadequacies and those of his hand picked assistants.
To find an example of just one of their failures look no further than Hibbert. Ten years ago Tony was in Moyes original squad in all that time he has not scored a single goal nor has he come close to doing so. His crossing of the ball is as bad as it ever was and Moyes hand picked crew have been able to do anything about it.
I could make a list of basic technical faults that manifest themselves in game after game for every one of our players.
Those faults are so blatantly obvious and long standing I come to the conclusion that our coaching panel is oblivious of them or totally inadequate in correcting them.
A glaring example is Arteta's dead ball kick that saw him invariably hit the first defender.
I have seen all his games for Arsenal and all his dead ball kicks are good.
Moyes is out of his depth and hasn't a clue when it comes to attacking football. Our performance in that regard can generally be summed up as bloody atrocious.
I have said previously that Cahill's goals covered up for very poor tactics and BKs lack of funds.. Now those goals have dried up Davy and Bill are exposed.
I do not know the answer to problems in the board room but Davy should sling his hook as soon as possible.
9 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:05:03
Can ANYBODY defend this shite or challenge a word of the above.
The words Laughing stock and embarrassment are looming large.
Over to you all the usual suspects.
10 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:27:55
My enthusiasm for defending Moyes is at rock bottom - how do you justify starting Neville and Heitinga in midfield when Ross Barkley is fit?
The continued selection of Saha? Don't get me started.
As much as I really do rate DM as an Everton great I just can't get past the idea that a parting of ways at this point would do him and the club the world of good.
11 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:30:20
This is my biggest bugbear on here, just because some people are not as angry as you, they are part of the problem. Absolutely ridiculous statement.
12 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:50:49
Not sure why you're starting in on Hibbert, Dick, other than habit perhaps? Both Bolton goals came from our left flank.
13 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:54:49
Tell you what, I'll stop going then. How will that actually help?
14 Posted 05/01/2012 at 10:52:44
I have nothing but sympathy with Everton fans, even the apathetic match going ones who make up the silent majority. These people are not the problem, they are part of a possible solution - it is the arseholes running my football that are the problem.
15 Posted 05/01/2012 at 11:13:18
Apologies, as there are plenty on here that go that step further and blame the fans for not shouting enough to remove the board.
16 Posted 05/01/2012 at 11:23:40
17 Posted 05/01/2012 at 11:00:11
We now have a tiny, ageing and poorer quality squad, that will need massive investment in the next 1-3 yrs for us just to stand still. The good work of the manager has been completely undone for want of a proper strategy to move the club forward.
Many people have been highlighting these issues for years. The club was questioned repeatedly about these issues at AGMs and the Public Inquiry and has never provided adequate answers. The incessant lies, propaganda and our loyal support has helped preserve them when the problems have been multiple and glaring. The fire sale at the beginning of this season is the culmination of years of negligence, ineptitude and missed opportunity, and points to only one obvious conclusion. We simply cannot carry on the way we are.
Thousands are already staying away. Judging by the responses on these threads, (and the many people I spoke to last night), how many more will vote with their feet next season? I don't believe there is any prospect for real improvement with the current owners.
Can anyone seriously make a valid case in their defence, or provide any reason to persist with them at the helm of our rudderless ship? Yet some still attempted to criticise the Blue Union? Not many "happy clappers" around now!
18 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:01:29
He has cured her husband of an obsession dating some 45 years.
I'm resigned where i used to be absolutely gutted.
And Moyes is not innocent in al of this.
Phil Neville In Midfield - why??
19 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:21:13
Why were they not barracking Moyes Kenwright and the players after being beat so easily by bottom of the table Bolton.
As fans on matchday its like were scared of voicing discontent.
Were all far too fucking polite
20 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:31:15
21 Posted 05/01/2012 at 11:52:52
I could have used Coleman's head down runs into blind alleys or Saha's lack of speed and guts or Jags hoofing or any one of half dozen others.
There are so many individual and group failings it would take several pages to list them all.
If I was to name the worst of them it would have to be our off the ball movement. A classic example of that was when Neville was roundly booed for passing back to Howard. What else was he supposed to do when not a single team mate presented for a pass?
That kind of poor and slow off-the-ball movement would earn a tongue lashing and extra training from most managers. I tremble at what sir Alex would do.
After saying all that, I do not expect that facet of our game to improve by one iota.
I honestly do not think Moyes has any answers.
22 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:29:30
3 days ago you described Moyes as:
"An unbelievable manager he is. Like a captain steering a sinking ship into battle and surviving, regardless of armour or weaponry, he?s ready for the next."
Today you discuss how he is complicit (with Kenwright) in:
"crushing Everton...with a regime that has run the club into the ground, for the last decade...stripping the soul and ethos of the once great Everton Football Club."
Question: Had we won last night, would you have still posited this lament, or is one gash performance enough to completely turn your ENTIRE appraisal on it's head?
23 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:53:10
That was a different Nick.
24 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:46:02
25 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:32:20
To think it was only two and a half years ago we were in an FA Cup final and seemingly on the verge of something big again having finished fifth in the PL for the second year in succession.
The mis-management that has followed since is as disappointing as anything I've seen in 25 years of being an Everton fan.
I personally lay most of the blame at the door of Kenwright and the board. They have fundamentally failed in the three most important tasks they had.
1- To attract new investment and/or new ownership.
2- To solve the stadium issue by either relocating the club or finding a way to redevelop GP.
3- To support the manager in the transfer market with meaningful funds to improve the team.
Having proven incompetent in these three areas, we are now expected to believe that Blue Bill is the right man to sell the club to the right person to move us forward. "You'll never find a better salesman for Everton football club than me. You won't half miss me when I'm gone" The arrogance of the man is unbelievable.
Nor is Moyes in my view blameless. For the last three years he's worn the expression of a beaten man at the start of every season, which is followed by his usual downbeat public statements, such as "our first priority is to get to 40 points". I still haven't forgiven him for saying that we weren't ready to win Premier League football matches yet after our opening day defeat by Blackburn in August 2008 either.
There are no easy ways out of the current mess we're in. I don't think any of us really expect new ownership or significant new investment in the short to medium term which means we are likely to have to sell one player a year simply to survive. History would suggest that is a strategy that won't keep us in the top flight for long.
We need urgent action yet the media keep telling us we should be thankful for what we've got. Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. Anyone know the latin for pass me the noose?
26 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:56:36
Whats happened to Vellios, Drenthe, Barkley or are they still suffering with that stomach bug.
27 Posted 05/01/2012 at 12:55:19
I used to be gutted when we lost now I am not surprised at all.
I can't believe how we have been failed by all of these people for so many years.
We have wound up as a mediocre mid-table load of crap.
Without a new owner the future is going to be very bleak.
28 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:00:49
I thought he tried to do that by going 4-4-2 and bringing in Donovan straight away to add something to the right hand side, unfortunately Osman was injured and then the sub needed to be subbed along with Jags. This left absolutely no option to change the game when we went from leading 1-0 to being 2-1 down because of our defenders not doing their jobs properly, ie actually defending a shot or a man.
Apart from the inclusion of possibly Barkley, I am not sure of what team would have been more attacking than the one we started with.
Drenthe was not fit, neither was Rodwell. Anichebe is not match fit (and also gash) McFadden is....well McFadden. Gueye isn't the answer.
4-4-2 with attacking skillfull wingers should have worked, but as soon as we saw the blustery weather, weather and a dodgy keeper, we should have been shooting on sight and keeping the ball on the ground.
Once again, the players are getting away with it from most of the posters and just blamong Moyes for the "wrong 4-4-2" (love it)
29 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:06:31
Fair tackle, we have produced several gash performances...but at least you're consistent..!
30 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:11:39
Bizarrely, we looked terrified of Bolton (post-Howard's goal) and that utterly baffled me. Bolton kept it on the deck, and I do NOT think any manager's instructions would have been for them to keep launching it.
Question is, why where they so panicky leading 1-0..?
31 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:19:01
(Time to give my wind-blown head a wobble).
32 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:10:19
Your argument that the players are "getting away with it" is flawed. Moyes picks them out of position and out of form yet according to you they are not following the manager's instructions...... The same manager who could leave these players out of the squad.
33 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:30:03
34 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:36:32
Its not as though he's leaving world beaters on the bench! Mcfadden and Anichebe are coming back from injury. Billy has been shocking this season. Rodwell was half fit evidently and Cahill doesn't deserve a start. The only possible real grief is Barkley, who people seem to forget is a relatively untried 18yr old who's yet to start a game in CM for the first team.
35 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:39:37
or
"Let the man you are marking just trot passed you and don't pick him up"?
or
"Let the man have a shot on goal, don't get your foot in the way"?
or
"Don't control the ball, let it bounce off you and go for a throw"
3 of them alone is Saha, our first choice striker. He's our first choice because we have sold the other to get the banks off our back or because they didn't want to play for us.
Moyes has a lot to answer for but so do the players. These overpaid primadonnas can;t even do the basics of football. Pass the ball to a man and move into space. Most of these would have been sent packing if we could afford replacements.
"Osman is an attacking skillful winger?? " - What would you call him then? A defensive midfielder? He is skillfuil and he is playing on the wing, so yes he is an attacking, skillfull winger.
36 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:42:41
No world beaters on the bench, I agree.... no young hungry talents waiting for their chance either except Gueye who should of started for once. Maybe it might do these underperformers a world of good to have a few weeks rest in the stands watching the youth team running their hearts out for the shirt and their chance?
Bily has been shocking this season, no more shocking than Saha, Cahill or Neville who are continually picked in front of him for their, ahem, talents. At least he can shoot from outside the box but that's not what we do is it...
37 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:51:51
And there's the rub, Sam. When will he start a game in CM for the first team if not at home, against the bottom team in the league, when Fellaini and Rodwell are both unfit to start?
38 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:54:53
39 Posted 05/01/2012 at 13:52:08
Of course Moyes doesn't say those things but he picks him every week regardless.
"winger" for me means someone who can run at and past a player, someone who can get 1 on 1 with a full back and drag a CB out of the box creating space for forwards. Osman can do none of the above without falling over. I believe I would describe him as the "gifted child, lost in a Man's world"
40 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:07:30
Winger means a player who plays on the wing, it doesn't specify that he has to beat a man. Beckham was a good winger but never beat a man, he selected to get the quick cross in instead.
He is played on the wing and is skillful, he certainly isn't a defensive midfielder.
He also only picks them every week, as there is no-one else to pick from.
Saha is finished but he is still better than Stracula and Anichebe (not last night though)
As I posted earlier, he would have sent most of our starting XI packing already if he could afford replacements.
41 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:19:24
42 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:24:07
43 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:16:06
By your definition Osman is a winger... until he drifts inside looking for the ball, then what is he? a passenger.
Beckham never has been or will be a "winger", Giggs was though.
44 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:25:12
Osman is not a winger but when playing on the wing he is called one.
45 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:19:35
46 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:27:31
Why do you think Moyes played 442 last night? Because we have no fit central midfielders. The only thing i might have done was to put osman in the middle instead of Neville and Billy on the wing. But Billy has been awful all season so its six of one half a dozen of another....
47 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:23:39
Couldn't possibly disagree more. Cannot accept even faint praise of King Louis' current abilities.
Saha is, in my opinion, the worst player currently on our books by a country mile ( and yes I am aware of the presence of Phil Neville and that Jimmy Mac has returned )
I thought Count Straqavariulinsky looked almost 'alright' against West Brum and even Big Crap Vic Anichebe, y'know, scored a winning goal in that game.
The last time I thought Saha looked good he was in a Fulham shirt. Total shite, and I would feel considerably better if he would kindly hand in his retirement papers - although I feel certain that as he went to sign them he would probably scuff his signature in to the desk sending the fountain pen flying in to row Z.
48 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:48:18
49 Posted 05/01/2012 at 14:53:44
Neville - contributes nothing
Gueye - contributes nothing
Cahill - contributes nothing
But for that fluke, we could not have scored in a brothel last night.
2 defenders for our central midfield at home against the bottom of the table team is ridiculous.
Tamworth must fancy their chances for Saturday.
50 Posted 05/01/2012 at 15:39:15
Moyes would rather keep his tried and trusted in the team (with at least 6 defenders on at all times whoever we play) than give game time to young talents with a point to prove. It's obvious why he does it, they all have his negative anti football tactics ingrained in them to keep defending for 90 minutes.
51 Posted 05/01/2012 at 15:47:59
Dour negativity is bad enough when it achieves results, when it doesn't it's insane. And this season it simply isn't.
52 Posted 05/01/2012 at 15:39:54
I feel I need a brake from Moyes and Kenwright, it is all so depressing.
I hope the Bu can get a protest going very soon, before the window closes.
53 Posted 05/01/2012 at 15:58:30
There is nothing really different from the time of the last march, except a few more crap performances on the pitch. The reasons for those poor performances were obvious long before that even....... Will those who have been pre-occupied in slagging BU while Rome burned, finally swallow their pride? My feelings are that the club's PR offensive did too good a job on too many, and what we're left with is apathy and resignation.... too much despondency and not enough outrage. Our support has become a total damp squib! Mission accomplished agent Ross.....
54 Posted 05/01/2012 at 16:14:44
Moyes is more and more projecting himself as the victim and that "B" actor Kenwright, who is stupid enough to believe a word that comes out of his mouth?
Last night was rock bottom once again, 11 players completely unorganised running around chasing the ball like a bunch of under 10's. I don't get upset anymore just facing reality that were fucked and we can't all do something about it together.
55 Posted 05/01/2012 at 20:31:53
56 Posted 05/01/2012 at 07:50:29
57 Posted 06/01/2012 at 03:35:08
I have always said that as customers the only way to initiate change is to stop buying the product and I still maintain that. The board will sell if people stop going and without that they will never sell.
58 Posted 06/01/2012 at 12:40:49
-----------------
Actually they are paying money that keeps the Club a little above water. Gate receipts are down 20% 2009 to 2011.
This is truly serious. The fottbqall is worful, and we have no discernible Premier League strikers. It's frightening.
59 Posted 06/01/2012 at 12:30:00
How come teams like Norwich came to our place playing 442?
We had two centre mids on the bench and one out wide with two defenders in that position.
You are going to create fuck all with them two in the middle and that was the reason our keeper and defence played hoofball all game because we had two centre mids who actually struggle to control a football nevermind take it off the back four and build from the back.
Osman should have been in there and if Rodwell was not fit then why did he throw him on before Cahill?
Cahill has been getting stick but half of that is because he has been playing as our most advanced player and that is not what he is good at,Moyes destroys players confidence by playing men out of position and this has gone on for years.
60 Posted 06/01/2012 at 12:53:10
On another note, did anybody see the argument Distin was involved in with a supporter on Twitter last night?
61 Posted 06/01/2012 at 12:55:21
What was the argument about?
62 Posted 06/01/2012 at 12:47:31
The standard of play being served up by the players and manager are the worst I have paid good money to see during David Moyes time.
In particular the centre midfield of Heitinga and Neville is just defensive - well it would be because they are both defenders. Them 2 in the centre and 2 centre midfielders stuck out on the flanks!!!
Saha just can't be arsed anymore.
Cahill can be arsed but has lost his mojo since that foot injury.
Bily, Gueye and Denis are not good enough.
Drenthe could be a real asset but can't sort himself out.
We are in a real mess this season and show no signs of improvement.
63 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:03:36
64 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:02:11
65 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:03:51
Having said that, I agree with some of your comments, particularly about Saha, and rather hypocritcally, I'm not bothering to come up for the Tamworth game.
66 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:14:55
67 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:20:45
68 Posted 06/01/2012 at 13:26:27
I dont believe that loosing to Tamworth will be that bad as hopefully that dumb MF Kenwright will see that he and the ginger one must leave the club.
69 Posted 06/01/2012 at 16:04:37
Freedom of speech is great and I won't be fucking off any time soon.
Still would like to know what the Dintin argument on twatter was all about
70 Posted 08/01/2012 at 05:25:20
It wasn't as much an argument on Twitter. One fella said it would have been better if we went out so we could concentrate on the league. Syl just asked him if he was for real.
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1 Posted 05/01/2012 at 07:50:29