Last-gasp Oldham earn Goodison Replay

Absolutely shocking management decision.

Guess I'd better start re-writing my match report to trash everyone, starting with Phil Neville...

Jelavic's miss was a big moment, could see at the time that might come back to bite us.

Don't see how either of those things are down to Moyes.

But then some people are blinded by their prejudices.

Jelavic had two great chances and true to form failed to test the keeper; his fault, not Moyes's. Other criticism of Moyes are valid.

Still think we ll win the replay but dread drawing Manure or Chelski.

I reckon the ref gave the goal because of the great effort Oldham put in, but I have seen goals disallowed for far less !!

Sick of this team of flappers, they almost have an aversion to winning. Anyone who thinks it will be a stroll in the park at GP will be wrong if we continuously fail to do the basics right like we did today. Everyone was just far too ponderous in possession and just tossed away goal chances like it was no big deal.

Jelavic missed one but to be honest I'm not surprised after having run all the way from the left wing to get on the end of it. Why can't Moyes just play him in the middle like every other striker in football does?

That was as strong a team as we have and we never bossed the game. Our 2 goals were like theirs., all strength, although Anichebe hit it well. The team is mentally incapable of holding onto to a single goal lead, you always felt that a third goal was required and Jelavic should have provided it, that was a chance he should have buried.

At least we're still in it, but somehow you know this lot will cock it up good and proper.

We played well, people saying we didn't are blind, what we failed to do was hold up the ball, kill the game. I thought we got into Oldham all game UNTIL the final 10 minutes, I don't understand why that happened.

Pitch was absolutely gash and had we won it would have been a good result. Moyes must give Ossie and Peanuts a breather, Oviedo deserves a place in the team and I think Mirallas is suffering from having Pip behind him - he does better when Coleman is there to overlap and provide more energy that our ageing skipper

I hope all the Pienaar bashing stops now, he wasn't on top of his game but without him our team just goes to pot. No leaders or character anywhere.

I think there's a total overreaction here. Dowd gave a lot of leeway to Oldham which they wouldn't get otherwise especially for the equaliser which was 4 minutes and 17 seconds. God knows where that came from let alone their GK going in with both hands up.

I think we played well overall and if Vic had stayed on instead of Jelavic it might have been more comfortable.

Coleman will be fit for the replay and IMO it will be a totally different game at GP.

Oldham deserved a draw and Jagielka and Distin were excellent. Disappointing though that we resorted to hoofball. How many aimless punts did Howard send up the pitch?

Did anyone else notice Howard's apparent refusal to swop shirts with the Oldham goalkeeper at the end?

The attitude of some of the players on the pitch today, smacked of they couldn't be bothered. Today we played more like a League Two side instead of a Premier League side...

Frankly speaking, it's time for a change of management., one that likes to mix things up, one that can actually understand tactics and change them on the balance of play, because Moyes is simply inept.

Another 10 years of this? No, thank you! Time for a change at the top, hopefully he will take some of his 'favourites' with him.

God, I can't believe I'm being so reasonalble, agreeing with Moyes on the Duffy sub, saying the ref had a good game. I have been on the Jack Daniels though, and my other half does say it has a calming influence on me.

Then Howard is fouled and their goalie even looked to have brushed the ball with his gloves before Smith scored?!!

Very poor refereeing but fair play to Oldham, they rode their luck and never gave up.

It feels like a loss again tonight and I'm so fed up of watching other teams want the ball more than us.

Howard kept us in it again but the game would have been over if we had the Jelavic of last year.

When are either Hibbert or Seamus back? Everything good we do stops as soon as the ball goes to Neville. I like the bloke as a person but he is totally clueless as an attacking footballer.

We might have a new manager come the replay - lol

1. Oldham gave it everything. Credit to them.

2. Neville really is quite poor. Think Coleman gives us a hell of a lot more offensively and not much less defensively.

3. Lack of movement and pace as demonstrated by Mirallas introduction making more space.

4. Can't really fault Moyes for Duffy sub, surely the sense in it was bleeding obvious, shame it didn't work.

5. Jelavic is at the bottom of the form barrel.

6. We're still in the cup. If we can't beat Oldham at home then we don't deserve to be.

As for bringing on Duffy, how many people have been shouting 'give him a chance'? Duffy was obviously brought on to assist the defence against Smith and Jelavic had shot his bolt.

Unfortunately we had to play Neville as there was no alternative, but his days are definitely numbered. It's a shame that both Hibbert and Coleman are injured. Blame the makeshift team on this fucking board who missed out on the January window.

Incidentally, why have we not loaned anyone IN.... Where's Ofoe? We have loaned out three players since January.

Our best chance at beating the lower division team has gone. When they bring half the town with them to GP, they will shout like fuck and a repeat of a few years ago is on the cards.

No hard luck stories please. We let them back into the game after 70 minutes when we seemed to start taking the piss.

Same old, same old.

Neville, hang your head in shame; hang your boots up forever, you vain twat. Have dignity and decency like your gaffer, retire now.

Oldham played well but we were in command til Smith came on and the midfield stopped passing the ball. To say otherwise is to betray Moyes-hating blinkers.

And League Two is still professional.

Got to agree with your 'Big girl' take on Howard, he is is a shot-stopper (now and again) but he doesn't command his penalty area. I wouldn't even put him near the top 10 goalies in the Prem. Starting to criticise now, need another shot of Jack Daniels.

Moyes reverted to type. Shame.

Apart from that, I thought we applied ourselves quite well. Neville seriously has to hang up his boots though.

The Everton team mirrors the managers character, tough to beat, hard-working but when push comes to shove they can't handle the pressure. Howard, Distin and Jags were our outstanding performers and we still managed to concede 2 goals.

One yellow card, plus five substitutes, 30 s each = 3:00
Pienaar ambling off, and perceived to be time-wasting, increases it to 4:00

Moyes and his bog standard trick of "Ah ha! I'll disrupt these bastards and break their momentum by making a cunning and totally unnecessary substitution in the hearty of my defence in added time!" — gave Phil Dowd the justification to take it past the 4 minutes.

So there you have it: Moyes's Fault!!!!

Neville was shit 3 weeks ago, 6 weeks ago, 9 weeks ago, and today, was the worst player in white on that shite pitch.

Ian, we were calling for Neville to play RB when he was playing CM and now it has blown up in our face. Fair play to that. To be fair though, we hadn't seen him play RB in a long while, and between this stint and the last stint, he has deteriorated greatly.

In terms of players selected today, I didn't have any gripes aside from Neville, but the whole mentality of the team seemed to be wrong, and that is down to Moyes.

No such excuses in the replay. The Goodison pitch will be fine - the Cup replay is our next home game. Coleman will hopefully be back to bring pace to the right hand side, and both Mirallas and Gibson will be both that much fitter.

We are still in the hat, and by tea-time tomorrow, when the draw for the quarter finals is made, this evening's result may look a lot better than it does right now !

The nature of the game, ie, the cup, bad pitch, spirited opposition, good support meant we had to show spirit and to me it was much better than Sunday in that regard. I just wish we'd play it out of defence more often rather than have Howard aimlessly hoof it to no-one.

Where was our team spirit? Siege mentality my arse, that is insinuating we battered them and the truth is far from it. Home advantage? I was listening to thousands of blues out-singing the Oldham fans and it sounded like a home game for us.

Home advantage? See above and I couldn't care less what they did to the RedShite as I couldn't give two toots on a ragman's trumpet about the RedShite until we play them. Poor, poor, poor performance and tactical ineptitude which has exposed Moyes time after time after time.

A manager makes a substitution late in a game, never been seen before, have we? But don't let that get in the way of your irrational hatred for our manager. You just keep slagging David Moyes off, you may as well take it to the max because you are not going to have the opportunity for much longer.

Duffy was brought on with 2 minutes to go. 2 minutes to add to the 3 minutes he totalled up this season when brought on against West Ham.

Oviedo has started once and used as a sub 11 times, totalling about 220 minutes. He's been on the bench 21 times this season so far from (a minimum )total of 1890 minutes.

You are entitled to your opinion, as are others who choose to moan that some players, including Duffy and Oviedo aren't given the chances.

Don't see the point of trying to tactically disseminate a game against a team two divisions down as all they are going to do is throw the kitchen sink.

We're in the hat and we will beat them at home.

Yet again, Moyes is found wanting in a pressure game. Starting XI — what a joke. Like I said in a thread during the week, No Way would DM drop Osman when many of you thought he would. Shocking beyond belief and gives away early goal with a powder-puff challenge. Slow, no engine, can't tackle, losses every 50-50 challenge, gives away the ball at every opportunity, and looked out of his depth at Division 2 level.

Neville... FFS, why is Moyes the only man on planet earth who doesn't know Pip is finished? No Mirallas?Hoofball tactics... and bring on another defender with minutes to go, saying come on Oldham attack us at will until the whistle...

I could go on and on but I am too angry. It's Jack Daniels time as even after everything terrible we see under Moyes, there is always something even shitter just around the corner. Today, we turned that corner and Boy, was it Bad!!!

All-in-all, a cracking game, both sides deserve credit, end to end and in great spirit. Save the tactical analysis for the Premier League, it's the FA Cup and anything goes. Good news is, we are still in it and we will get through to Round 6.

Norwich away next, shit another tough one. Draw, anyone?

His substitutions in the last couple of games have been praised to the rafters because they demonstrated his tactical brilliance in making game-changing decisions. And he did it again today... only it backfired massively.

If you're a Moyes lover, you're going to ignore it, point up how common it is as an accepted tactic or whatever, instead of accepting that at best it's actually a lottery, and at worst, in this instance, a mistake that arguably cost us a win. Go on, admit it.

Oldham played well but knew if they were to get back in, it would be through the high lump forward which worked.
I don't see how any team could have stopped their equaliser, it was apeach of a corner, Howard was well and truly snookered in and a giant of 6ft 6ins did his job and rose 12 in above anyone else. Some say it was a foul on Howard but it was debatable and Howard had no chance of getting through 3 bodies to get to the ball.

On another note, Ossie once again is outmuscled continuously and Jelavic whilst improving is still half the player he was a year ago. I don't think Mirallas fancies the rough stuff, both at Man U last week and tonight he was a bit hairy fairy- god help us against Stoke in a few weeks.

Me "Everton drew 2-2, Oldham got a 95th minute equalizer"

Wife "Let me guess, Moyes brings on a defender for a striker towards the end of the game by any chance????"

Moyes is so predictable, stubborn, defence minded, dull, boring, slow and tactically inept as to be untrue. We've been crying out for Duffy to be given some game time, but Moyes seems to think he's not ready, so instead he brings him on in a high pressure situation for a couple minutes in place of a striker, thus inviting yet more pressure AGAIN! And as Michael pointed out, gives Oldham an extra 30 seconds game time.

Nick #891, can't believe I'm having to tell you this but...... Michael is being sarcastic. He has been slammed for saying it as it is by some on ToffeeWeb and so wrote the report with Moyes tinted spectacles on, get it? Nothing has changed, Moyes is still a tactically inept, defensive big game bottler.

You make the point exactly, if they hadn't have equalised then it was a good substitution, the fact they scored means you want to say it was a tactical blunder. In reality it was neither.
A manager plays the percentages, most times slowing down the game when defending a lead is the sensible approach. Just because we ended up conceding doesn't make it a tactical blunder.... Shit just happens sometimes.

I know you love to pigeon-hole people as lovers or haters but to be honest I'm neither, just a realist who is happy to still be in the Cup and massive favourites to progress to the quarter-finals.

Moyes had his "against the world" angry face back on doubtless fired by the criticism his "neither arthur or martha" declaration brought but there was a terrible predictability about the ending.

Essentially we have become a club as well as a team not good under pressure and Moyes is part and parcel, we'll beat them at GP.

Tony think the only thing that will make you feel better is apint of whatever Brian is on.

I can't wait for the summer when Moyes goes!! I know Victor scored a decent goal but he really is poor... But sadly he does not win the 'poorest' player for us — that honour goes to Neville: he is shite beyond belief!!

So I hate it when Moyes gets his favs and keeps on playing them!! Oviedo should be in ahead of Osman, Hitz should be in instead of Gibson, he is shocking, how do people on here think he is good!!!!!

We need to get through the rest of the season, get in top 6, get in the last 4 of the FA Cup and then get rid of all people who want to leave and players who aren't good enough and a manager who doesn't want to be here and let Man City have him and all his negative tactics!!

I'm excited for next year!!!!

COYB

After that horror show, I swear I am doing a full bottle of JD in tonite and half a case of Becks Vier. My missus has already gone to bed, she cant cope. My lad thinks it's funny watching his arl fella implode.

I can't wait for Moyes to go. Even if we have to rebuild and fight at the the bottom, at least it will be exciting and fresh. Our football now is a bigger turn-off than Dawn French in the nack. It's obvious that the players are now so bored and disinterested in Moyes's tactics that they are downing tools. Apathy is rife and there can be no way back as Moyes cant change.

Brian Page Moss you say? I am from Huyton and just to let you know there's not a boozer left from the old days. Quiet Man, Bluebell, Eagle etc — all gone mate... All the great players that came from these places could do better than some of our lot. That's why I am sitting in the house drowning my frustrations. I can't be doing with the Rose 'n' Crown aka Wetherspoons.

Ragggghhh Moyes out blah blah... only three months before he goes anyway!

After taking the plaudits for the Heitinga substitution working in the last round at Bolton, Moyes has to take the flak for this one.

Even the Apologists have to be seeing that he is becoming cancerous to EFC. His whole demeanor just stinks the place out. Whether he likes it or not, he IS the face of Everton, and is rewarded handsomely to represent a club that was around before he was. I have a theory that when the fans seem to be rallying for a certain player to be given time, he goes about choosing the most uncomfortable moment to do that, setting them up for failure to try to shut us up.

Do you really?

Moyes reads Toffeeweb and thinks "I'll show the MOB why Duffy shouldn't play."

Give us some more examples?

1. Stop speaking up for Neville. Yes he is a fine skipper, good pro, real family man and cares about our club. But, he just isn't good enough for the first team any more and looked out of his depth against League 1 opposition. He's looked woefully short since returning from injury but I guess he had to play tonight. Stones being cup tied was a pain as I've a sneaking suspicion he may have got a game or at least been on the bench. I didn't expect this but injuries in that RB spot are a key reason we have struggled for weeks.

2. Osman has been far better than his critics guest but recently he too has looked out of place in central midfield. Gibson had to stay deep today to try and cope with the fact that further up the field we just kept losing the ball. Osman cost us their first goal losing a tackle in a crucial position. But he lost possession frequently and just didn't get a grip, thus the defence was under more pressure down the middle than expected. He needs a rest but Moyes just doesn't have faith in any of those on the bench or elsewhere......surely Oviedo can do a job next to Gibson?

3. Fellani has to play behind the striker. Every time he's moved back people say that's his best position. It isn't, it really isn't. He frequently ends up in three positions per game, often four or five ! He's best in a onward role and that's where we should leave him.

4. Mirallas makes a difference on the right but he hasn't returned from that very worrying injury in quite the same marauding form before the hamstring issue and I'm wondering if he's not quite stretching out.....but maybe with games that will come.

5. Yelavic is doing all he can to prove he's a one season...well half a season....wonder. Last Feb he would have buried that chance in the second half but he's not doing it right now and we do not have much in attack despite Victors efforts. Yelavic worked very hard against tough opposition, he ran and ran, but the service was poor. Unless we get back to giving him chances in the box or running across accurate passes to fire in first time shots I fear he's going to have to keep on running and running but to little effect.

And.....I think Moyes has put more pressure on a very thin squad with his delaying tactics over his new contract. It shouldn't make a difference but I think it already is, the media will never give it up now, his interviews will get increasingly grumpy and uncommunicative and somehow it gets to the team and fans. He hasn't helped with his 4th or lose me stuff. I really don't think we will collapse if he goes and there are three or four out there who can do a job even with our finches and an Adkins or Martinez may just see even a Fellani-less squad as very useful. In the meantime I've not given up hope that we can progress in the cup and finish fourth but the next month will decide all that.

First half, they get some massively jammy goal on the break with a mis-hit shot turning into a cross. Big Vic then scores a pearler (most improved player this season?)

Half time we lost Big Vic and have to bring in the ring rusty Mirallas. Second half we're playing up a slope so that the opposition will get the rub of the green. Which they frequently did plus some very generous officialdom.

Yes, Neville was poor as was Jelavic. But I thought Baines, Fellaini and Jags all looked committed and worked very hard. I would have to blame Gibson for us being forced back in the last 5 minutes. While Osman and Fellaini were trying to move the ball forwards and keep possession, Gibson kept going sideways and twice conceded possession by dribbling in our own half?

But some of the criticisms above are ridiculous. Someone blamed Moyes for not bringing on a defensive midfielder? WTF? Who was on the bench that fits that description? We had our defensive midfielders on the pitch (Fellaini, Gibson and Neville) albeit Gibson was the one playing it.

Then we have people saying no other top Premier League sides would have played like we did? Eh hello? Oldham roasted the RS and Blackburn just did Arsenal away from home. Spurs lost to Leeds and Chelski were on the brink against Brentford.

GET A GRIP!

The usual suspects were at it again today plus a few new ones including Gibbo who looked a little slow. Granted the pitch was poor but so was Everton's control. The first Oldham goal was just abysmal from Everton's point of view. We were wide open and they could easily have stretched their lead before half-time.

Seemed to me Moyes didn't do anything to solidify and close the gaps. Even after Jagielka's goal we didn't look good and after Osman's pathetic attempt to head the ball in from one yard, I sensed Oldham were going to make us pay and even more so when Jelavic blazed one over later on.

Oldham deserved to equalise – if not when they did, certainly before.

For a change, I'll be optimistic: if we can't beat them at Goodison then we don't deserve anything.

But I'm beginning to get frustrated with Moyes; his demeanour resembled that of Jose Mourinho at Madrid... he has a look on him that he doesnt want to be there. Maybe I'm reading into his comments on Friday too much. But this is bound to have an effect on the players.

Name a manger that has had 11 trophyless years at a club and has been well compensated (highest earner at club). I don't think much of Kenwright or the board but they should demand an answer from Moyes Monday morning; if he is still stalling, pull the plug and get someone in that doesn't need to think twice about managing this club.

Also, Phil Neville's legs have gone — we can all see this... surely Moyes can? Jack Butland should have been bought in January instead of Stones because Tim Howard is just not a good enough keeper. Jelavic is turning into Fernando Torres... poor lad can't even control the ball. We need him firing again or we have no hope. Big Vic is a bright spot recently but can we see him being a top marksman in the years and months to come?

nb: This is me being optimistic.

We all want the kid to do well and we all hope he's better than Johnny but one area of the field that Moyes knows his stuff in is the centre back position.

You only need to look at Lescott and Jagielka to see that he knows his stuff.

BTW - how quick is Duffy? Our current style of playing higher up might be the reason for Duffy not getting in ahead of Johnny. That system only really suits Jags who is fast and reads the game well.

Howard pulled off some really good saves but did his usual and fucked up on the corner.

Neville is so crap its not even funny no more, after todays 'display' I really would play the under 18's right back if Coleman or Hibbert are injured.

I've never thought Osman was a bad player but i've always thought he goes missing for large parts of the match and does so every week. Lately though he is very poor, missing for 85 mins of a match and constantly giving the ball away.

Pienaar is another one who has been poor for a long time now.

I've noticed Jelavic only works the flanks when he's the lone striker, which doesn't make sense. I'm sure the goals will come soon though as his movement is still good.

Jags was easy motm for me, he played very well, hoofing aside.

I would class both their goals in the same way - both preventable but not to the level where you can really have a go at the defending, and credit has to go to the attackers as well.

Worrying for us was the inability to sustain pressure and create many more clear-cut chances than we did.

After reading some posts we're out of the cup and will be lucky to finish 7th.

God help poor Wenger losing at home to Blackburn.

I hope it's just a case of being ring rusty. Because, if we want to progress this season, we need those two playing well.

Did you actually read my post or just see Duffy's name and decide to absolve him of any perceived blame? Hint: read it again and see who I said needs to take the flak.

Si,

I don't agree that it's just one of those things. Moyes made a conscious decision to change who picks up who at corners and put a raw youngster onto Oldham's biggest threat. It cost us a victory.

Lack of business in January was appalling and the manager is going to have to get creative when all of his squad are available.

I would hate to be a defender playing in front of Howard. Jags tore him apart in the 2nd half and I can see why, he never calls the play, leaving the defenders panicking.

Duffy was in the right position but had no-one in front of him in order to keep him in the air after an early jump. Smith is good in the air and had the advantage - sometimes you just have to accept that.

As for the first, playing a ball to a man arriving at the back post (deliberately or by accident) is 'How to render the keeper impotent 101'.

Howard has faults and deserves flak for some things, but to blame him for the goals today is definitely over the top.

Maybe everyone on the pitch should be told to stay out of Howard's way. Of course there were bodies in the way but that doesn't excuse him flapping at the ball.

Will Big Vic ever last 90 minutes again?
Will Howard ever again keep a clean sheet?
Will Jelavic ever score again?
How did Jelavic become Brett Angel?
Can Big Vic break a leg while sitting on the toilet?
Will Oldham Athletics outbid us in the transfer market this summer?

I am not praising Howard, but to heap all the blame on him for either goal is ludicrous. Sometimes you have to accept that attackers will do things that we can't defend against, and save the moans for the more avoidable instances.

I have yet to see a goalkeeper who likes trying to claim a ball in the melee that happens at corners these days. Most don't bother, and just leave it to the defenders to deal with which still doesn't prevent goals from being scored. Howard is by no means the worst offender, it is just that he comes under more scrutiny by Evertonians than any other keeper in the EPL.

As for the second, when I saw the replay I shouted out "For fuck's sake, Howard!" He flapped at it. He went for the punch and completely misjudged it.

He was a superb keeper for us, but this season he has cost us. Why we never went for Butland in the window I'll never know. Howard is now a liability and the defence in front of him know this and now they're shaky.

If a keeper isn't completely sure he can get to the ball he should stay on his line. The thing that does my head in is in that situation a keeper never gives away a foul, they can barge everyone out the way to get to the ball, miss it and the ref still wont blow up so why does Howard show no aggression? If he is going to come for it he should knock players out of his way to get to it.

He is not dithering, he is doing what all goalies do. A keeper will 99 times out of a 100 look to cover his near post. Being beaten there is the cardinal sin in those circumstances. Covering the runs of attackers is the outfield players job.

I think you are misjudging how quickly a man can react and dive from a virtually static position in comparison to how quickly the ball moves. Keepers very rarely get to anything more than five foot or so away from them unless they are already moving in that direction and things on the ground and closer can be just as difficult to get down to.

I think you are applying similarly unrealistic expectations for the second. Sure he looked stupid because he didn't actually get anywhere near the ball but that doesn't mean he could have saved it even if he stayed on the line.

If the delivery of the ball hadn't been so spot on his attempt to get to the ball may have been successful, When the corner is first hit all keepers are guessing a bit and trying to anticipate where it will drop - get it right and you look great, get it wrong and it either doesn't matter because someone else clears it (or the attempt misses) or you look a wally as it nestles in the back of the net.

I think you are wrong because you are applying standards to Howard that most keepers are unable to live up to.

You say "Duffy was in the right position but had no-one in front of him in order to keep him in the air after an early jump."

If he needed someone to keep him in the air, then he jumped too early. Besides, he's not competing at a line out in rugby.

Perhaps I am being too harsh on him or perhaps my expectations of someone marking at a corner are higher than yours. Either way, it was avoidable had Moyes left Fellaini marking the big lad rather than switching with Duffy...which was my original point.

We have a good first 11 or 12 but certain positions are too old and we needed more than we got in August and January. Just a striker and a midfielder would have helped but our board got us nothing.

Moyes will go unless we win the Cup or finish 4th. He's basically saying to the board "these are the players you've let me buy, look at where that gets us. I'm off" And I cannot blame him. The only thing I don't get is where he will go?

Did you see Jags goal? You know, the one where the keeper stayed on his line an got nowhere near making a save? If that was Howard there would be loads of people on this site criticising him for not even trying to get to it.

The guy can't win. As far as I can see, you think Tim Howard is worse than he actually is and that the vast majority of his contemporaries are better than they actually are.

Jesus! The guy has been poor recently but today he could do nothing about the two we condeded.

The corner was delivered into a good area and once it's there it's really a case of 50/50. Howard has a standing start whereas their lads are charging onto the ball. They won that one.

We weren't good enough today but the pitch was definitely a factor. I'm sure it will be a different game at Goodison.

Just about my only gripe would have to be Neville. In the last 12 months he has gone from a mediocre player to a liability. His legs have completely gone and he seems more determined than ever to avoid a forward pass. I'd sooner have had Jags at RB and bring in Duffy.

One more thing that's annoying me of late - when was the last time we launched a counter attack? Every time we take possession we go back before we go forward. EVERY TIME.

I haven't said Howard would have saved it if he would have stayed on his line, I said unless he knows he can get to the ball he should stay on his line and there was no way he was going to get to it.

You will find that the word "counter-attack" does not exist in Moyes's vocabulary; he does not know what it is. I haven't seen Everton launch a counter-attack since 1995. Still, I would say that Moyes's tactical ineptitude was surpassed by Walter Smith. Spurs down to nine men at Goodison, yet Everton fail to break them down. Very embarrassing.

I am basing it on my own very limited experience (five-a-side) and observation. I think I have a pretty good grasp of the basics but will defer to an expert.

I think the ability to anticipate correctly is a huge factor for any footballer (and in sport in general) and simply waiting and trying to react consigns you to the ranks of the ordinary. The flip-side is that you look really stupid when you guess wrong.

Replacing Howard with someone better is certainly possible but it is likely to be expensive and can hardly be guaranteed to be a success. He may not be the best but he is a long way from being the worst and replacing him would not be a top priority for me.

I have stuck to this opinion for a while now, but I was pleased to see that Neville Southall was saying the same sort of thing a couple of months ago. Can't tell you if he has changed his mind since then though! :)

A heck of a lot of our goals in 2002/03 or 2004/05 were counter attack because that was how we played back then.

Smith was able to get up early and still be up there to head it in because he had Duffy in front of him to get a ride on. This sort of challenge is rarely given as a foul (unlike putting both hands on the opponents shoulders and using arm strength to lever yourself up) so you have to chalk it down to good play on the boundaries of what is legal.

Duffy didn't have the option to go up early (without someone to lean on he would have been down again by the time the ball got there) and so couldn't avoid being the fall-guy for Smith.

There is no reason to believe the same fate wouldn't have befallen Fellaini as the corner was an attacker's dream.

At the end of the day, yes it'll be expensive, but a new keeper next season may be the difference for us. Distin and Jags are not happy in front of Howard. Watch how many times they give him hell in a match for the rest of the season. As I've said, he was good....he isn't anymore

His tactic of turning the game into attack-and-defence with the 92nd minute substitution was typical, predictable and ultimately the game changer. Depressing!

Or should that be Night!!?!

I thought I had been caught with my pants down, so to speak, taking on someone who may have a superior appreciation than my own. I am relieved that you can see that it is a considered opinion.

Phil Neville is finished as a player and the rest of the team is knackered. FA Cup and/or CL? Yeah right.

That is all I can muster to say about that game after getting up in the middle of the night to watch it.

So he wants to make the history books as being manager of the team with the most pathetic draws in any one season... he must be well on the way to that achievement now too.

Memo to Dour Davey and all his sycophantic apologists – Draws don't win trophies or give you enough points to qualify you for the Champions League.

He came out and said his players were tired. Solution is pretty simple: give them a three-match rest... it did Fellaini the world of good when he got a three-match ban.

Rotate the squad Mr Moyes, c'mon... give some of the kids a chance. We ain't going to win the league, 4th looks very remote. Keep your big guns for an all-out assault on the FA Cup. Hopefully we meet Man Utd in the final, that way we get into Europe. It can be Moyes's last Hurrah.

Oldham, so make that everybody by now, targeted Baines and the left. Pienaar is trying ( or is told ) to both come inside and be with Baines, is doing neither very well and for most of the season has been average. Osman's form has slumped.

I was going to go through the lot but short version we peaked on the 1st game of the season.

Special mentions for Jelly, Heitenga and last but very least Neville, It's not his fault for being crap and getting crapper, it's Moyeses for picking him and by association Kenwright's and the Board for putting not one brass wazoo into the club.

Top 6, we're more like bottom 6 on current form. Thats how the Oldham / all FA Cup giantkillers get results by upping their game, getting the breaks playing stuttering out of form teams.

Moyes can stay for various reason...or leave for various reasons.

We will never know for certain what those reasons are and if the reasons actually stated at the time where the real ones or the diplomatic ones stated for public consumption.

My prediction; He will leave citing proper diplomatic reasons but be thinking...sod this for a game of solders.

To stay would be to accept the status quo sinecure.

He will never be a great manager,

Yesterday was more of the same. Ask yourself this, would a team like Man U be hoofing the ball clear at every opportunity 2-1 up against a team two divisions below? Or, would they be passing the ball around, keeping possession, keeping the football away from their goal as much as possible. Can you imagine SAF taking off his only striker against a team 2 divisions below? I can't.

We do the same shit too often when we get a goal up. Take the foot off the gas, hoofing, panicking, gifting possession away easily. Giving the other team belief and momentum.

Credit to Oldham, they worked hard - especially in the last 20-30 minutes when their tails were up. They never played dirty like some teams do, either. However once we were ahead, the result should not have been in doubt.

I don't have any worries that we will qualify; I think a night game at goodison will be too much for them, but my beef is with the general mentality of Moyes and the team he has built.

Its one thing to go to a lower league club and they kick you off the park, stop you playing. Its another thing to bottle it completely and sit back on a 1 goal lead for half an hour allowing them to build pressure. Anyone seen that before?

Over the years Moyes and his team have consistently been shown to have no belief that they are better than the opposition and should be scoring more goals. Our attacks when 1 goal up are ALWAYS half hearted; our main problem being that we fail to commit enough players forward. That must stem from the manager and his tactics.

I think its the mentality that comes from having virtually all defenders on the management and coaching team. Safety first, no-risk mentality. Unfortunately, "no risk" is an anachronism and attempting to to take no risks almost always leads to failure.

I'll be glad when he goes.

Would've liked to have seen vellios yesterday; I assume Stones was cup-tied otherwise I'd have liked to have seen him given a game. Couldn't have been any worse than neville who was probably the worst player on the pitch.

What a fucking joke! Hanging on for dear life against a fucking league one side with our near full strength team out?!
There were no particular stellar performances but the sheer lack of basic footballing ability from Phil Neville boils my blood. He consistently slows down every build up of attack, gets done for pace every time, can only deliver 'looping' crosses and is just simply shite!

I've no doubt we will beat them at home but we shouldn't have to be playing another game, it's pathetic.

Thought it would be pointless to wade in last night as it would have been just bile.

I also kind of think discussing Moyes (go/stay/like him/don't like him) is geting pointless as (by now) just about everyone knows what everyone else thinks.

Same with BK.

As a general point, our inability to simply keep possession is imo the number one reason why we aren't getting the results I believe we should.

We basically treat the ball like a drunken sailor in a whore-house does his money, yet I never hear Moyes pinpoint this as a reason for a negative result.

Yesterday, we gave possession away time after time after time after time.

Why?

I mean why is our touch and passing SO bad?

The pitch?

Bollocks, we don't play ALL our games on Oldham's pitch

An exasperated "For fuck's sake" is what I tend to scream when we needlessly give away possession and I must have screamed it a hundred times yesterday.

I would genuinely love not to give Neville and Osman stick as I think they're both decent human beings, but they ARE the two biggest and most persistent culprits.

Osman we know DOES actually possess some skill, but one great game in 20 is NOT enough.

Neville's distribution is simply woeful, an absolute disgrace and that he is so regularly selected an even bigger disgrace.

("who would you have in his place?" - any fucker with two legs).

Unfortunately, what I think we REALLY need in the side is (these days) almost impossible to find.

I have said for a long time what we need is a real hard-case in there, a big mouth, nark who will drag those around with him. Someone who GENUINELY hates to lose a throw-in.

I saw Neville yesterday hit a ball that wasn't anywhere NEAR an Everton player and the response from his team-mates was...nothing, not a peep

Oh how I'd have loved a Peter Reid there to tell him "you do that again and I'll break your fucking legs".

(personally I'd have loved us to have gone for Nolan a couple of years back, he IS one of these types).

By the way, I notice many think we'll win the replay?

Well keep in mind the big dog's-arse pot-herb who scored their equalizer will probably start the game - Jesus, I can see the panic now.

Problem with players criticising Neville is that he's held up there by Moyes as the shining example of a pro. Criticising Neville wouldn't be far off having a go at the boss.

I can get up at 6am each day, do a bit of yoga, spend all day training, be first to arrive, last to leave and have the only thing that comes out of my mouth basically a paraphrase of what the boss says. Doesn't mean I should be playing football for a professional side.

Its a complete joke that he is in the team. I would much rather see whoever plays for our U21 side getting a regular game than see neville there. I'll accept the mistakes from a young player who isn't earning a fortune and has the potential to get better. I wont accept those kind of errors from the team captain who is earning £50k / week.

Unless it was a 5 yard back or side pass, almost every ball neville played was to the opposition. His floaty fucking crosses and "passes" are far too easy to defend against. Its embarrassing and his inadequacies set the tone for the rest of the side.

Mirallas showed what a proper cross was like when he took the corner for jags goal if I remember rightly. Thats what I expect from someone who calls themselves a professional playing in the top league of football.

As for Osman, I've got a bit more time for him. He was partly to blame for their first goal, but then he shouldn't be doing the job protecting against the counter because he's slow and small. Generally speaking though, his passes are ok, and he keeps the ball well and doesn't hoof it. We need more players with his technical ability.

However, you do make a good point about passing accuracy. We may enjoy more possession than the majority of teams, but our passing accuracy is well behind the top sides. This reflects the awful passing abilities of alot of Premier League teams.

This table

http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/3389/Stages/6531/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2012-2013

shows us rank 8th in possession but well below that in passing accuracy. It definitely has an impact on tiredness and energy levels if we give the ball away.

Peanuts and Ossie and in theory are two of our more creative players, but even with them in the side we are just above mid-table in terms of passing. If they aren't contributing a great deal in terms of goals and assists, it does beg the question whether when both players are struggling for form whether we would be any worse off giving them a breather and freshening up the team with a Barkley or Oviedo in from the start.

Why, why, why does Moyes play Neville as left back when Ovideio is fresher, better, and looks hungry? Neville is old and finished. He had a shocker reminiscent of Heitinga. Moyes just won't give up on players out of form.

We have Vellios on the bench who I think, given those two chances Jelavic had, he would've at least converted one. Osman has ran out of steam; he needs a rest now — we have to play Barkley. Moyes needs to gamble on the kids the team is crying out for fresh impetus. What's he got to lose but more to gain?

Come on, Moyes, grow a pair of balls. Let's fuckin go for it! I'm begging you now. If not, fuck off and let Brain Laudrup take over. I'm absouloutly bored of watching this shite lately... long balls, misfiring strikers, slow shite defenders... miserable stuff! I'm fed up.

The problem imo with stats is they tell you one thing and your eyes tell you another.

Example.

If I stood three yards from you in midfield and under no pressure, we quickly (let's say for our own amusement, immediately after kick-off) passed the ball to each other 20 times (each), the stats would say 'Eugene 20 passes made, 20 passes completed, Amit 20 passes made, 20 passes completed'.

If we did nothing else in the game, we'd both have 100% pass completion success rate - our stats would look great but we'd have contributed nothing.

Those reading the paper would be saying "Eugene and Amit's pass success-rate is fantastic" while those actually watching us would say "All they did was shitty little passes between themselves, then nothing, they're shite".

What the hell all the preceding comments are about, who cares??

Please digest with a healthy dose of sarcasm. It might even be worth comparing names and comments between the two forums.

Re the game last night, playing with a beach ball on a potato field is bound to be a bit of a leveller. Lets face it, in reasonably normal circumstaces we would beat this team comfortably. However I would sleep easier in my bed if I knew that Neville retired this morning and Heitingha had taken up cheese making professionaly.

PS: That Mason feller, whit a fuckin' baw-bag!

Someone passes to him. Rather than look for a forward ball he'll pass it back to the originator about 60% of the time and about 40% of the time the ball goes backwards.

Nevilles pass completion rate was alledgedly very good, look closer and you actually see it's because he's a waste of space that never takes any risk whatsoever.

Perfect. Michael, you need to somehow get this phrase onto the OS, or somewhere that will be seen by the club.