Cancelled Asian tour left Everton 'relaxed'

Michael Kenrick , 22 August, 19comments | Jump to most recent

Phil Neville, the club captain, believes that David Moyes's different approach to pre-season preparations was a key factor. Everton started training briskly, then relaxed, so they were fitter and fresher for the final straight before opening day.

"Then he gave us five days off and, from then it's just been games, and it's been really relaxed which has benefited us."

The benefits were certainly clear. Although the five-day break was not necessarily part of some grand plan. Rather, it came when Everton pulled out of a planned pre-season competition in Indonesia at the end of last month.

Their non-participation allowed Moyes to give his players those five days. Who knows how Everton would have done had they gone to Asia?

But the other aspect of their successful summer owes little to luck. In recent years, Everton have struggled in the transfer market, losing important players and failing to find their rhythm at the season's start. In each of the last three seasons, they have won just three of their first 10 league games.

This summer was different. "The most important thing he's done is recruited early," Neville said of Moyes. There were two high-profile departures in Jack Rodwell and Tim Cahill, but neither were obviously in Everton's strongest side, and the £15 million from Rodwell has proved useful.

Everton's best players, Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines, are still at Goodison Park, while three attacking players have been signed. Steven Pienaar is now a full-time Evertonian again after an unsuccessful spell at Tottenham, while Steven Naismith and Kevin Mirallas have also arrived. The result is not just Everton's best forward line in years, but also more early optimism then they have had for a long while.

"We don't always start the season well," said Neville, who was celebrating three points against his former club. "The manager has been drumming into us that we need to start the season running and we did."

Quotes or other material sourced from The Independent

Reader Comments (19)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

James Flynn
1 Posted 22/08/2012 at 14:34:43

Simple way to prove the "benefits". Kick the shit out of Villa on saturday.

COYB

Dave Roberts
2 Posted 22/08/2012 at 14:32:01

Yeah we probably have got (at least on paper and in expectation) the best forward line we have had in years.

On top of that we now have Tony Hibbert as an emergency striker now that he's found his scoring boots!

Come to think of it....it must be decades since I've seen that phrase 'forward line'....I thought it went out with 2-3-5.

Anybody know what's happening with Niang?

Mike Rourke
3 Posted 22/08/2012 at 14:46:42

Perhaps my 'Big Theory' on playing high quality opposition pre-season is, as a matter of fact, a load of bollocks.

Perhaps holding the squad together, signing top quality attacking options to add to a solid defence counts for a little bit more (or maybe a lot more) than having our arses kicked from pillar to post by the champions of goodness knows where.

...but only perhaps. I don't give up on my theories lightly.

Mike Gaynes
4 Posted 22/08/2012 at 15:11:49

The other factor not mentioned is injuries... this is the first time in several years we've started the season with everybody fit.

Let's hope it stays that way for a change!

Nick Entwistle
5 Posted 22/08/2012 at 15:31:24

So players need rest in pre-season now? Maybe the best players are the ones who do absolutely nothing. Maybe Moyes has learned his lesson and will not play Big Vic to retain his Messi like skills. Top 4 here we come.

Norman Merrill
6 Posted 22/08/2012 at 15:31:52

A good sign that things are on the up, is if we come away from Villa pk Saturday with all three points!
This fixture has never resulted in the Blues coming away with anything but regrets.

Let's keep the momentum going, it will keep us in good stead for the coming weeks.

David Milner
7 Posted 22/08/2012 at 15:33:57

I can never understand why we have to fly all around the world prior to starting the league season. The trips to the USA in the past did not do the players any good so it must all be about money.
Surely travelling in an pressurised aircraft at altitude for 10 hours cannot do an injury any good if players have picked up knocks.
Far better as this year for a training camp in Austria & a short trip to Spain to play one of their top sides. I suppose the proof is in the opening result.

Matt Traynor
8 Posted 22/08/2012 at 16:04:29

Yeah, but no mention of Heitinga as one of the key players, so he's obviously off to Tottenham, especially as they've shifted Bassong and Dawson. Hate twitter.

Dan McKie
9 Posted 22/08/2012 at 16:40:24

I think we would only sell Heitinga if he pushed for it. Unlike the Rodwell transfer, if we sold Heitinga, we would need to directly replace him with another player in that position. We couldnt go into the season with only Jags and Distin, with Duffy as back up!

As for the pre-season, I have never really understood why we go all over the world. The asian support, and other places like it are full of glory hunters who will switch their shirts every couple of seasons and aren't as impressed with a team that competes in the top half without spending much money.

Keith Glazzard
10 Posted 22/08/2012 at 16:42:33

Pre-season injuries. Well spotted lads.

I'm sure Indonesia would be great for a holiday, but the change of time zone and diet, with everything that goes with that can't be good preparation for a marathon (requiring a sprint start). Athletes, already fully fit, benefit from rest. Proper rest, at home, in familiar surroundings. Take note DM.

Keith Glazzard
11 Posted 22/08/2012 at 16:53:22

and - if Heitinga was on his way out, wouldn't Duffy have been on the bench on Monday? Nobody can read DM's mind, but having three of the best central defenders in the league in his squad must help him sleep at night.

GJ Butler
12 Posted 22/08/2012 at 17:27:21

Am I reading this right? Everton - notorious slow starters (just three wins in their opening ten games in each of the last three seasons) have put that ghost to bed after flying out of the blocks this season.

I don't want to piss on the parade but we've played one game. ONE GAME. And we're comparing it with a run of 10 in previous seasons. Hows about we wait to see where we are after 10 this season to see if we've improved and this summer has indeed been 'successful'?

Personally I think we will be better off, but lets not get carried away just yet...

Keith Glazzard
13 Posted 22/08/2012 at 17:38:13

GJ -

I don't think anyone's getting carried away, and Moyes is very far away from that. But were you at the QPR home game last season? The contast could not have been greater, could it!

Rodwell and Barkley started that one, by the way.

Jimmy Sørheim
14 Posted 22/08/2012 at 22:40:44

I agree Mr.Butler.
We are getting carried away here.
To be honest I found that both teams were sloppy in their fitness, Fellaini looked good though.
It was typical Everton in that way, but Man.U. were also not 100% fit so we won by one goal, that is it.

However I have a feeling Aston Villa will be a tougher test, they just might be ahead of us in fitness and sharpness.
Looking at Pienaar ,Baines and Jelavic I was far from impressed by their form.
Jelavic seems rusty at best, and Baines simply lacks playing time to get 100% fit, and Pienaar is depending on Baines going forward.

Given this is how I see things we should wait with jumping for joy until we have reached November, because the only way you can say we have beaten our slow start syndrome is if we are among the 6th best come November.

Sure I admit it feels great to beat sour nose Alex, but in truth it is only 3 points on the board.
I feel Moyes has the right perspective and other fans should follow.
Moyes is maybe softening the blow if we go on another losing streak, but if this win over United goes to the head of the players we are looking at a sure loss against VIlla.

Naismith needs to start the game ahead of Osman as a right winger, we were suffering during the United game on that side and it needs to be dealt with.

If we are to get Jelavic back into form then he needs as many chances created as possible.
Pienaar will have off games, that is why it is so important to have someone on that other side to help out Jelavic.
Osman is not the answer, as we have seen before he does not function as a right winger.

Looking forward to the Villa game but I worry we will have to see Neville in midfield again which is utter nonsense, plus Osman on the right is just a poor fit.
We now have Mirallas and Naismith, it is high time Moyes uses his best players, I rate Naismith very highly as a right winger, and maybe Mirallas too can do a job there.
I would love to find out sooner rather then later.

Jason Heng
15 Posted 23/08/2012 at 00:57:42

People forget how often DM's Everton disappoints when expectations are high. Just recall the number of derbies when we were supposed to win, including the semi-final.

Jim Harrison
16 Posted 23/08/2012 at 08:23:05

Yeah Jimmy, terrible team selection and tactics.

Jim Knightley
17 Posted 23/08/2012 at 08:50:29

Jimmy, Naismith has only just come back for a long-term injury...he will not be ready to start yet. Not only that, but he, like Osman, would be better in a more advanced central position. Also...Osman was great against Manchester United. Not sure how we suffered down that side...in the whole game united barely made any opportunities, and I don't remember alot of the play coming down Osman's side. I personally see Mirallas as the long term player for the right, but we will see.

Graham Mockford
18 Posted 23/08/2012 at 09:03:48

Our first game result may have changed but alas it's the same old from Jimmy except Naismith seems to have replaced Drenthe in your affections.
Just read what Moyes has been saying. The lad has just returned from a career threatening cruciate injury, he needs easing back into his fitness, even more so this is the English Premier League not Scotland.
We may just have got an absolute steal of a player, let's hope so but he will need some time.

Eugene Ruane
19 Posted 23/08/2012 at 09:56:25

Made up the Indonesian trip was called off.

'We' have (it appears) run the plums off ourselves in recent pre-seasons and have often looked knackered in games early on.

Also seeing them in Thailand (sweating cobs just taking a throw-in) didn't instill anything in me other than concern.

Obviously this was not WHY we beat Utd, but I have always believed that if training is just 'topping up' rather than a soul-destroying slogging your guts out, come Saturday (Monday..whatever) you come out of the traps raring to go (rather than goosed).

Admittedly, this is pure guesswork on my part, but I remember in the 70's when The Victims seemed to win every game, it turned out they did very little real slog in training, just a few gentle routines and little 5-a-side.

We on the other hand were running up and down sand dunes in Southport (and getting beat by Carlisle)

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.

About these ads