- Toffeeweb - Season 2011-12

Rahman Talib
685 Posted 04/04/2012 at 00:29:01

I guess now we now why DM wasn't too keen to keep Jermaine Beckford:

Dave Roberts
742 Posted 04/04/2012 at 11:34:40

Apparently he failed/refused to get into the penalty area for a late/'last chance to equalize' free kick.

However, not knowing anything about his 'attitude' when he was with us I can only say that I remember him as a very willing and hard working guy who was capable of scoring good goals. His weakness was that it took about ten chances before he would get one. His first touch was pretty poor too which became more obvious when he stepped up a division.... but that could have been improved.

Wouldn't put him down as being lazy or disinterested though.

Phil McKeown
751 Posted 04/04/2012 at 11:54:31

I have to disagree Dave

I thought beckford was a very lazy player who lacked quality in many departments . He couldn't hold the ball up , was poor in the air despite his height , lacked movement to compliment his pace , never challenged for a 50/50 , missed more chances than he scored and lack you said had a first touch like an elephant. His workrate for me was also woeful

He displayed a poor attitude when publicly having a go at moyes when being subbed and I got the impression he thought he was a player when he weren't , I was delighted when he left us

James Stewart
755 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:02:25

I don't think he was a bad player for a free transfer.
He scored twice as many our current top scorer so it's not like we have any better Jelavic aside.

But then Jelavic aside I think our other forwards are a complete joke.

Stu Moore
757 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:03:00

10 goals in his debut season (against some top teams) for a player who was not a regular starter.

For all his faults, excellent for a player who stepped up 2 divisions

Far better option than Saha, Anichebe, Vaughan, Velios, Stracq

Would have liked to see him playing off the shoulder of the last defender with Jelavic as his partner

But we got a decent fee for him

Tony J Williams
761 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:14:48

Did well for us in his debut Premiership season but I was not upset to see him leave.

Wish him well but he won't be back in the premiership for a while, unless the lower clubs pick him up.

Stephen Kenny
763 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:22:07

I don't look at sub appearances when considering how a player gets on. He scored 10 goals over 16 starts which is outstanding.

He also scored every different type of goal which shows he had more ability than some here have given credit for. Throw in he was playing in an unfamiliar role as a lone striker and stepping up two levels and I see a player being judged very harshly.

After a slow start at Leicester he's scoring regularly and IMO will continue to do so wherever he plays at any level including the premier league.

Daniel A Johnson
764 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:28:08

We wont see Beckford in the prem again as hes just not good enough.

I never heard anything about him having a bad attitude at everton, but reading bewteen teh lines I always thoughts the lads never liked him, esp as hardly anyone celebrated with him when he scored.

Stephen Kenny
765 Posted 04/04/2012 at 12:32:04

Daniel

His strike rate and goals per min while in the PL beg to differ.

Jack Molloy
790 Posted 04/04/2012 at 14:19:10

One of the things that annoyed me about Beckford was that when he did score - and he needed many bites at the apple - he switched off immediately after. It was as if he was saying, 'hey, I've done my shift. I scored. What else do you want from me?' and he cruised for the rest of the match. We need 90 minutes of effort out of players. It's not like he's a genius who can dazzle at any moment. He never got beyond being a prospect, even though he should be at the pinnacle of his career.

Phil Boden
797 Posted 04/04/2012 at 14:48:27

Moyesy did well to get a decent profit on Becks as he was never going to be good enough for us.

If you look at Jelly now, he's a whole world better than Beckford was!!

Stephen Smith
802 Posted 04/04/2012 at 14:56:34

I think what always struck me about Beckford was how many of his goals involved some sort of deflection or miscue.

Anyway, I think thats a nothing story. The quotes from Pearson are about the team performance, not Beckford. And if this bust-up was significant you'd expect at least one of the match reports to mention it.

Danny Broderick
808 Posted 04/04/2012 at 16:27:57

I'd suggest we have missed Beckford in the 1st half of this season. After 10 goals in his opening season (where he only played less than half the games), it is not unreasonable to suggest he might have scored 8 or 9 goals before January. in any case, he would have at least given us an option up front which was severely lacking until January.

Stephen Kenny
813 Posted 04/04/2012 at 16:36:34

Jelavic may play a similar amount of minutes to Beckford this season. It will be interesting to see how their records compare.

Jelavic is clearly a better player but I'm not sure he will be a more prolific goalscorer.

Mike Elbey
818 Posted 04/04/2012 at 17:08:44

Stephen,

Given the system Moyes prefers the striker must offer more than just goals ie and ability to hold the ball up and bring others into play. This is something that Jelavic has already shown he has the ability to do hence the improvement in our forward play and the massive improvement in Cahills form.

Beckford on the other hand could trap a ball further than most players could kick it ! He was a good goalscorer but not a good footballer and the system we play needs a good footballer more.

Jelevic might not score more goals but as a team we would definately score more goals...

Stephen Kenny
820 Posted 04/04/2012 at 17:29:18

Very true Mike.

The massive improvement in Cahill's game is still without goals though.

If your one and only striker is in the side to hold the ball up and bring others into play you have to wonder where the goals are coming from?

Jelavic looks a good finisher to me but already he seems to be spending too much time outside the box. If Cahill isn't scoring then he should be holding it up and bringing others in. I don't think he does.

There's nobody prolific in our midfield and we don't have any goal scoring prowess at the back bar Baines.

This means we will always be low scorers and heavily reliant on the defence keeping clean sheets.

I think Jelavic would thrive playing with someone like Beckford and our forward line would be transformed.

IMO Beckford was perfect for us and was shipped out because he was arrogant and cocky, something a lot of strikers are.

Gavin Ramejkis
822 Posted 04/04/2012 at 18:07:01

For whatever reason, and its all bollocks speculation to be honest, what is undeniable was that he scored goals in the season he was with us and some decent ones at that, he was never a lone striker and stank the place out when he was forced into that role by his manager. When Moyes got shut, for whatever reason, it was highly questionable as with the departure of Yakubu it left us with sick note Saha, Velios (just a kid), Stracqualarsi (despite his untiring efforts just looks like a hard working battering ram) and the useless Anichebe; despite his recent token goals his career goal list is rubbish and pretty much sums him up, its not his fault he's just gash.

David Barks
825 Posted 04/04/2012 at 18:19:27

Any of you worked with a guy who is a complete asshole and everyone can't stand, but is good at his job? He may be good, but he brings down many around him, lowering morale or just creating a toxic environment in the workplace. With this guy bouncing around from club to club, his bust up with Moyes on the sidelines, and this latest one, I think Beckford fits into this category or worker. You can tolerate them for a while, but in the interest of the rest of the workers eventually you have to get rid of him. In any profession there is more to it than just your productivity at "game time". It's how you interact with others and how you act when everyone isn't watching. Look at City with Balotelli. Quality player but would never want anything to do with a guy like that.

Dan Doran
843 Posted 04/04/2012 at 21:07:44

Beckford had a good season and we sold him for a profit. Yak had a good season (and only 1) and we sold him for a huge loss. Can't see what people are complaining about, I hope we do that kind of business more often.

Andrew James
855 Posted 04/04/2012 at 21:53:58

I will say three words:

READING AT HOME

After beating Chelsea on penalties, this was a delicious opportunity to get into the QF's of the cup when many of the big boys were going out. Beckford, for whatever reason, does not show up (an evening game mind)

Our form was good at the time but we inexplicably had a shocker on the night and Reading managed to sneak a win. It was recently suggested by a current player (I think it was Jason Roberts) that the preparation mentally in the hours leading up to a match needs to just right. If it isn't, managers often sense it (when Moyes senses it, he runs the on field warm up personally which he did against Arsenal and Sunderland recently I believe) His sense was right as we started badly against the Gunners but, whatever he did against the Black Cats must have done the trick as we started like a stream train. On that particular night, he was infuriated by massive disruption to arriving at the stadium hence the warm up being run by him.

That night against Reading, due to Beckford being late, we will never know if he was meant to start. But with Saha having recently crashed his car and fortunate to be unscathed, this little things clearly made the difference. If I had been Moyes, I would have looked at Beckford and simply thought he was not to be trusted. His team mates were probably pissed off with him as well. It's akin to when you are busy at work and one of your team swans in an hour or two late. You end up resenting them.

Gavin Ramejkis
859 Posted 04/04/2012 at 22:26:53

Andrew there was a massive crash on the M62 which basically closed it, with hindsight you could have said Moyes should have demanded Beckford arrived earlier that morning or stayed the evening before in the area but no one knew the crash was going to happen.

Beckford was stuck on the M62 with no way of getting off it; no junction to turn off onto and its illegal to walk on a motorway.

James Flynn
870 Posted 05/04/2012 at 00:16:53

Leicester - Yak will come available if his club goes down. You can have Becks and Yaks!!

And, if you get them both, make a point of wondering to the press how Moyes missed the boat.

Anto Byrne
883 Posted 05/04/2012 at 01:49:48

When he partnered Saha up front, and that was only on very rare occasions, they played well; the proof is the Blackpool game where Saha netted 4 and gets all the glory while Beckford did a lot of the donkey work Saha just wouldn't do.

Saha can finish much like the Yak but you won't see him tracking back making goaline clearances and running around like a headless chicken (A Johnson). Spurs suit Saha and he is now scoring goals.

Tom Bowers
943 Posted 05/04/2012 at 12:56:44

Beckford had speed and that is something defenders hate. As for the comment he wasn't up to Premier League standard, well that just doesn't wash. He scored goals in the Prem and was always a thorn in the opposition's defences.

Sure he had his bad days as all strikers do(what about Torres)? Remember Becks. was not part of a top team and suffered from lack of support. We have kept the likes of Stracqs. Vellios and Anichebe who have yet to prove they are consistant Prem.quality.

It's easy to criticise Beckford now but when he was let go we had some real problems up front somewhat alleviated by the arrival of Jelavic in January.

Tony J Williams
955 Posted 05/04/2012 at 14:48:33

I think he was more instinctual that anything else, when he had to think about it, he ballooned it over.

Never will forget the last second miss against Sunderland, the way I will never forget his goals against Bolton and Liverpool.

Ryan Holroyd
962 Posted 05/04/2012 at 15:54:18

For David Moyes, it's all about the team and I'm not convinced Beckford is a team player. I was happy he was sold for a massive profit. Not many Premier League clubs were after him when he left Everton.

Jelavic is a much better player, he brings other people into the game and can score goals. He is a fantastic signing. A totally different player to Beckford.

Matt Traynor
402 Posted 08/04/2012 at 10:12:41

Andrew (855) and Gavin (859), one throwback to the 70s and 80s was the players used to stay together the night before a home game. Both clubs used to stay at The George Hotel at Lime Street (now a Holiday Inn).

I think now with the players being a lot more "full time" than they were then, the general feeling is that they can commute in for games. Back in the 70s/80s, the night before a game was also a bonding session in the hotel - plenty of drinks etc. which wouldn't be the case now.

I do think that the general attitude and mentality of players is changed. Look at the last World Cup, players saying that they were bored was a problem. Anyone remember the old story about Pat Nevin getting fined for leaving a club hotel to go to a museum? I can't remember who he was playing for then. Pat says it happened more than once. The scandal.

Ray Roche
407 Posted 08/04/2012 at 10:33:08

Matt, There's a nice article on Arteta in today's Sunday Times in which it states that he has taken some of the "bonding ideas (such as group meals with partners invited) he enjoyed while part of Everton's close knit squad ", not the sort of thing players from the 70s and 80s would recognise, I'm sure.

Kevin Sparke
415 Posted 08/04/2012 at 11:04:08

Comparing Beckford to Jelavic is like comparing a Ford Focus to a Ferrari...

Whatever it is that makes natural goal scorers 'natural', Jelavic has got it in spades. I quite liked Beckford until Moyes took him off in a televised game and he mouthed off...

'Ees always picking on me' Like a spoilt kid in a sweetshop...

Beckford was good at his level, but he was never going to cut it in the Premier League as a 20-goal-a-season man. Jelavic is good at the top level of the game ? to my mind, he's almost as good as Yakubu was in the first season we had him.

I'm so confident that he'll score 20 league goals plus next season that I'm going to risk a tenner of the missus's birthday present money at the bookies.

Nick Waters
417 Posted 08/04/2012 at 11:21:27

It's not simply a case of Jelavic or Beckford, because there's no contest. But if it's Beckford or Straq, or Beckford or Vic, then it's a different issue. I'd rather have Beckford than those two. I still don't think anyone this season will match Beckford's total of last season.

Dean Adams
419 Posted 08/04/2012 at 11:27:28

Kevin Sparke ? I agree with Jelavic being a twenty-a-season goalscorer. He just doesnt panic, or look rushed when he shoots from close range. He has the ability to instinctively find the right spot to be in and cooly and calmly passes the ball into the net, a real goalscorer's poise.

Ian Bennett
426 Posted 08/04/2012 at 12:04:50

Agreed he can score twenty a season. Would like to see a true wide right, another striker and Pienaar. If it means selling Jags, Coleman and Rodwell so be it.

Gavin Ramejkis
427 Posted 08/04/2012 at 12:06:15

One of my Rangers mates was texting me last night and asked if Jelavic has scored any overhead kicks yet as he was quite partial to them... I'm quite looking forward to seeing him do that, he does hold the ball up well and has a great eye for goal.

Dean Adams
429 Posted 08/04/2012 at 12:18:02

Cahill nearly scored from the one I saw Gav, as did everyone else I'm sure. He hasn't really tried too many yet but I'm sure that we will see so much more from him.