Jelavic needs time to readjust

Lyndon Lloyd , 17 January, 23comments | Jump to most recent

Defenders have been watching the videos...

Phil Jagielka says that Nikica Jelavic has the full backing of his teammates while he works through a barren spell in front of goal that is in marked contrast to the goalfest with which he announced his arrival on the Premier League scene last season.

With just one goal in his last 11 League games, Jelavic's form has become a topic for discussion among Evertonians in recent weeks, with the Croatian coming in for criticism over his approach play and goals return.

In an interview with the Liverpool Echo Jagielka, however, says that the striker's explosive goals return between February and May last year mean that defenders are that much more wary of him and opposition managers are taking steps to nullify his threat.

“It's what happens in the Premier League. People watch videos now and find out how to play against people.

"They'll have a rough idea of where he stands and where he wants to receive the ball, which makes Jela's job harder."

“Some of the first touch finishes that he had last season were brilliant. Whether he can do that week in week out for a longer period you never know."

Jagielka also cites how changes up front for Everton, specifically a more attacking role for Marouane Fellaini, have impacted Jelavic this season.

“This year we've had different options to try and score with Felli going up there and posing a different threat,” he said.

“He's had all the limelight and Jela has maybe not had as much to feed off, whereas last season everything that went into the box was for Jela. It's just a different challenge.

“People are talking as if he's only got one or two but he's got seven. It proves how well he did last season.

"He's got all of our backing and we're all hoping it's only a matter of time before he's scoring every week and challenging to be top scorer.”

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Reader Comments (23)

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Terry Maher
2 Posted 17/01/2013 at 21:10:43

I think once Mirallas is back on that right hand side it might help Jelavic out more.

Lyndon Lloyd
3 Posted 17/01/2013 at 22:13:07

I think you're spot on there, Terry. It can only help.

I think one of the things about Jelavic is that he isn't the complete striker and he doesn't have to be. He is a predator, playing on the shoulder of the last man with fantastic instincts in front of goal.

Approach play is not his strong suit, for me, and I think he's shown that by often taking the wrong option or killing an attacking move with a poor pass or layoff. Of course, that's not to say he can't do it, as his set-up for Anichebe against Newcastle proved.

Last season it wasn't as much of an issue because he was an unknown quantity and banging them in for fun. Now he's having to find space and drop deeper for the ball, spending more time helping build attacks than being on the end of them.

Things will change for him (again, Mirallas offering ammunition from the other flank can only help as teams won't be able to stack men to shut down both sides) and I hope it's soon.

Alastair Donaldson
4 Posted 17/01/2013 at 22:46:29

From what I've seen (mostly MotD highlights unfortunately) his luck's just been out, you would worry if he wasn't getting the opportunities or hiding. Even the very best fluff their lines every now and again.

That said the lack of a killer touch is probably one of the main reasons we're 10 points short of where we should be. We need a few games with goals from him and I'll bet it happens before long.

The next few games are ones we should win but the disappointing results this year have been against slightly weaker teams – definitely time to step up!

Steavey Buckley
5 Posted 17/01/2013 at 23:27:19

Last season Jelavic had the workhorses of Denis Stracqualursi and Tim Cahill alongside him to take the pressure off him and allow him room to score goals. This season, Jelavic has hade on many occasions to plough a lonely path surrounded by opposing defenders. He definetley needs an attacking partner, with Fellaini taking over Osman's place to give the attack more muscle and strength to take on these packed defences when they come to Goodison..

Peter Barry
6 Posted 18/01/2013 at 06:06:31

Tell us Terry why would Mirallas help Jelavic score? He never has in the albeit scant few games, or rather parts of games, this 'sicknote' has played for Everton this season.

Phil Sammon
7 Posted 18/01/2013 at 06:19:41

Steavey

Why would Fellaini replace Osman? For everything Fellaini is, he is not a creative midfielder.

I don't know if I should take seriously a man who can't even spell his own name.

A midfield of:

Pienaar Ossie Fellaini Gibson Mirallas

That looks fine to me.

Paul Ellam
8 Posted 18/01/2013 at 08:35:05

I think he will be okay, he could do with a touch of luck too.

Yes, he does do more work now that Cahill has gone... and yes, defenders will have been swatting up on him so he does need to improve/adapt, but he is not suddenly a flop!

I would like to see the club bring in another forward to ease the expectancy on only him scoring and maybe even give him the chance of a rest, he does look a tad tired at times.

Steavey Buckley
9 Posted 18/01/2013 at 10:08:30

Phil Sammon: The games I have watched this season, Jelavic has been on many occasions isolated as Baines, Pienaar and Osman pass around themselves and create little triangles as Jelavic waits for a killer ball. So instead of being marked by 2 defenders as he waits for a decisive pass, he goes wide to find some space. But if he had an attacking partner with him, say Velios or Anichebe abely supported by Fellaini, this would allow him to lose his markers.

Sam Hoare
10 Posted 18/01/2013 at 10:45:45

It's very simple, he hasn't been as clinical.

Jelavic has missed a lot of chances that he may have put away last season. At Swansea for example he had the moment he spun his man and put it just the wrong side of the post, he had the header from a corner that was cleared off the line, and he had the lay down from Vellios that he steered just over the bar: three decent half chances, he would have scored one of them last season but not this.

Whether this downturn is due to luck/fatigue/form is hard to say but I don't really buy it when people say he's not getting chances because he is. He's just not putting them away so regularly. Hopefully that will soon change.

Peter Bell
11 Posted 18/01/2013 at 10:57:32

Peter Barry (#496),
Your criticism of Mirallas's injury record is unfair.
Andy Gray & Peter Reid both had injury ravaged careers; that did not detract from what they did when they were on the pitch.

Mike Berry
12 Posted 18/01/2013 at 11:10:57

It's a question of luck and Premier League defenders working him out.

My bottom line is that he works hard. He'll come good!

Dave White
13 Posted 18/01/2013 at 11:32:26

Alastair @ 463 - spot on. He's clearly having a lull at the moment but I honestly believe he's the best striker we've had for many years. He's working very hard and has hit the woodwork on a number of occasions. Ultimately he's the best we've got and needs the support of the fans.

And if Peter Barry doesn't think Mirallas is an improvement over Naismith as a provider... well... I don't even know where to start!

Bob Parrington
14 Posted 18/01/2013 at 12:27:43

Steavey #471 has a point in that Jelavic is not suited to a lone-striker role. Hasn't got the build and subsequent strength. Not many do! He needs a player to work with and in the SPL it was Naismith. Problem is that Naismith might be sharp enough for SPL but he's struggling to keep up in EPL. We need to find another. Maybe it is Vellios but we won't know unless we give the pairing a proper chance. I wonder what they do in training sessions?

Jimmy Salt
15 Posted 18/01/2013 at 12:45:16

Fellaini played deeper, pulled the strings with Gibson; we played it forward faster, that's when instinctive strikers flourish.

Derek Wadeson
16 Posted 18/01/2013 at 12:49:09

So it seems all those Toffeewebers were wrong that said it was David Moyes that was coaching his killer instinct out by making him run as far away from goal as possible. Bloody hell hold the back page it seems our manager knows what he doing after all.

Mike Powell
17 Posted 18/01/2013 at 13:48:42

Jella is working hard, the chances are starting to drop to him, he will soon be back to where he was last season. If he was not getting the chances then I would start worrying.

Dennis Shaw
18 Posted 18/01/2013 at 14:03:18

Should I take him out of my fantasy team yet?

Andy Stevens
19 Posted 18/01/2013 at 14:40:35

You have to be in the right place to miss em!

Jella is and they will start going in sooner rather than later. Then watch him go - just like the end of last season. He is a class act and will come good.

Tony J Williams
20 Posted 18/01/2013 at 15:00:13

Exactly Andy, if he has slotted just a few of his "sitters" this season, he would already be in double figures and looking good.

Paul English
22 Posted 19/01/2013 at 15:14:36

Did you see Charlie Nicholas on Gillette Soccer Saturday? I had to defend our fans, he said the fans were on Jelavic's back and the team's because we couldn't break down Swansea's defence. That's fine but he really went out of his way to have a go.

I have just sent him the following e-mail:

Charlie, all fans are fickle including your beloved Gooners, In Arsene we trust... in Arsene we don't trust – they dont know who or what they want. Chelsea fans ridiculing Rafa (that's okay with me).Real Madrid waving handkerchiefs. All of a sudden, Man City have fans who watch their games with their arms folded... Kopites beating their chairman's son. Geordies singing "You don't know what you're doing" to every manager they get.
It's all about FRUSTRATION so don't just blame Evertonians, Charlie, just like Dave Prentice (who in turn backs Suarez for diving, that's another matter) of the Liverpool Red Echo.
ps: Don't forget to tell Thompson how good his team is when you're licking his boots and doing their game.
pps: Glen Johnson should have been sent off against Man Utd for a second bookable offence on Valencia, not a word said from all these know-it-all pundits.

Trevor Lynes
23 Posted 19/01/2013 at 15:54:51

Incidentally, did anyone notice Paul Scholes's very late tackle a couple of days ago in the FA Cup replay? That WAS a straight red card offence in my book!! Nothing has been mentioned about it since???

Franny Lee, who played for Man City ages ago, won loads of penalties by diving long before a foreign player played in English football. Does anyone remember his diving? He was the original Gareth Bale (but cleverer).

Why does a player get castigated for scoring with his hand? What is the difference between handling the ball and diving for a pen?

Another blast from the past was Ray Crawford scoring with a blatant handball against Everton at Goodison Park years before Maradona's bit of mischief. Crawford was playing for Ipswich which was managed by... BOBBY ROBSON!!! (What a fucking hypocrite!)

Nev Renshaw
24 Posted 19/01/2013 at 17:42:52

"Opposition managers are taking steps to nullify his threat". I would imagine that the same tactics would apply to that twat who plays for the RS (Sewer Rat) but it still doesn't stop him from finding the net.

Steve Cotton
25 Posted 20/01/2013 at 00:02:34

Sadly we are seeing why Jelly is valued at £6 mill and the Sewer Rat at £26 mill. A good finisher in our team, eg, Bob Latchford and we would be 3rd and looking good for it.

When the RS are struggling, they throw £12 mill on Sturridge and we have to wait until 11:45 on the last day of January for a loan or two... Different worlds, my friends, sad to say...

LFC are trying to buy 4th; we are struggling to hang onto what we have... Different worlds.

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