Pitch Imperfect, says Moyes

A few of us commented on here about it a short while ago. Obviously down to all the rain we have had (I remember how the sodden autumn of 2000 wrecked the pitches then).

If we are committed to 'sweating the assets' don't expect to see anything major done to it until it costs us a goal.

How many games have they played on it this season,15? How did they manage back in the day with 21 home games, 21 reserve games, cup games, pre-season. Growing grass is not high tech, they don't do it digitally or electronically in the modern day, it hasn't got a virus ( or has it ). Some one wants their arse kicking if they can't get 25 games a season out of it.

In the middle of a wet english winter do they have to have the sprinklers going to within half an hour of the kick off.

I also noticed the colour is fading to white which indicates it is dead or close to it in some parts of the pitch. I think more time should be spent with UV lamps and plastic covers on the worst parts, while also providing under-soil heating on and off during the winter.

The pitch should get covered with plastic for the worst climate like too much rain and snow. Absolutely no need to water the pitch at this time, it is usually done before each game to help the ball glide better, but here it is misused.

Amount of sun hours count a lot for growing grass, too much water for a long time causes it to slowly die then. I guess the groundsman does not have a clue on how to cope with bad climate, he should get fired I think.

But...........can't believe Moyes would blame the pitch. It's the same for both teams, er... isn't it? And............ "I've not spoken with the groundsman!" ... load of bullshit.

So, Mike, you wally, how can we believe this is an actual report of a discussion with Moyesee?

You can check out the accuracy of the quotes on the OS. Think you will find he did say these things.

It wouldn't matter if we had bought the right players in January.

Cynical – yes, but it just feels like it's gonna be the reason used if/when we don't get the results we need.

Basically it feels increasingly like the board fecked him with Fer (the chances that Moyes would suggest different payment terms are as close to zero as makes no odds), but there's limited value in bitching at the boss (especially if you're looking for a new contract soon or for another chairman to grab you) so he lashes out at something else.

I mean some fans had the audacity to suggest that the lack of transfer activity may hamper our quest for fourth.

Well, now we know. If we don't get 4th, it's cos of the pitch.

Thank God we have a true Blue chairman.

'I also noticed the colour is fading to white which indicates it is dead or close to it in some parts of the pitch.'

It's white paint, used to mark the parameters of the pitch.

In all seriousness Ray is right. The pitch is already wet and yet on Wednesday the sprinklers were on for a good 15 minutes. There was standing water on the side of the pitch by the Lower Bullens. I'm no proctologist, but that can't be good for the surface.

Moyes is probably right to have a moan, but speak to your groundsman FFS

Yes I'm sure he was disappointed as he's been tracking this lad for a while but I am also sure that he had considerable input into the decision that it was a no go. I have also seen the two interviews on the O/S and to me he does not look pissed off at all....in fact he smiled a few times and that is definitely not like him....he is usually as blank-faced as they come.

We tend to interpret things according to our own predispositions and if we think Moyes was 'shafted by the board', everything we see and hear will be bent to support the view.

It's silly.

Much more fun. Remember when football was a fun man's game, when players would drive on with fragments of fibia sticking out of their shin pads?

I agree with what others are saying on here that its crazy we are watering the pitch so much in such a wet winter. Surely the groundsman should realise that aswell.

I don't agree with the comments about our style, as some say on here it won't affect us and we don't play good football. I think at times when we've had a full squad we've played some really good football.

However I can't believe Moyes saying he hasn't spoken to the groundsman about it,.surely he should be the first person he speaks to before going out to the press.

With Pienaar, Mirallas, Gibson, Osman and Baines in the team, we play football1!!

Moyes has to take responsibility for poor team selection... Not one fan I've spoke to thinks putting ya best defender at RB is a good idea.

In our case I suspect the pitch has either dred out too much, the roots have been damaged by the very cold weather or there has been insufficient sunlight to aid photosynthesis.

Remedies would be to plant more seed in the spring or in the meantime get those giant lamps in to fool the grass into thinking its summer. They did it at Newcastle once whn the pitch went yellow and they always do it at Chelsea, the lights are on in the background of the Barclays advert shot at Stamford Bridge you saw in yesterday's match programme by the way.

You can say it hampers the football match, but surely not one team more than another.

Yup, I am great fan of DM, but if I read one thing from his statement, it would be “general frustration with EFC”.