The Best Little Spaniard We Know?

I agree totally Nick.Arteta’s crossing has been dreadful.At his best he is a fine player but at the moment we are saying that about many of the squad.Why are so many out of form?

Nick

Do you not think that after his 2 seasons of player of the year, 1 season playing through injury and a very small amount of games completed in the new season, do you not think that you?re being a tad harsh?

I agree wholeheartedly about his delivery, but in terms of his performances, the stats say that Mikey is on of the very best midfielders so far this season.

I mean, I just can?t understand how you make you opinion. Mikey is a team player and if the team are playing shit then Mikel often plays shit.

I lay the blame squarely at Moyesy's door for not signing the contract sooner. I think this Saturday will see some different play.

So many are out of form because if the manager ain?t bothered, why should they be????

Now Davey is being most handsomely remunerated to look interested, this should hopefully transfer to the team, and we start playing with confidence again.

And please let somebody other than Mikel take corners and free kicks that are not direct scoring opportunities.

This may get laughed at, but Mikel features highly in all the fantasy football dream team leagues meaning he is contributing highly in terms of assists, popping in with goals etc.

I know those leagues can be misleading but just thought I’d out it out there. Me personally, I think we have seen an improvement in him this season compared with last.

What I don?t get is what?s with this ?Best Little Spaniard? crap. Best little Spaniard that?s currenlty playing for Everton, yes (which is not saying a lot), but it?s times like hearing the whole of Spain consists of Arteta and his lass only. A grand population of 2. Barca?s Inesta is streets ahead of Arteta and he?s probably ?littler?. Moyes is feeding us crap football and crap players, and we should be grateful? The Pied Piper?s not fit to lace Moyes?s boots.

Ok then, let's put him up for sale! And then stand back and watch the amount of clubs bigger than ourselves who come in for him!! Even the shite supporters would open their arms for him. Now I'm not saying he's the greatest player in the world, but get real will you. You could put Fabregas in our midfield and what would he do? NOTHING while we carry on hoofing the ball form the back. The whole system needs to alter if we are to move forward, not just moan at probably our best footballer ? and yes his deliveries have been poor to date, so let's try someone else. Neville? Oh my God. Never mind... only Arsenal & Man Utd coming up. NSNO.

Nick, I couldnt agree more. I think that a lot of the basic footballers in our squad (Neville, Jagielka, Hibbert, Carsley last season) come under a lot of undue criticism when our ?Magic? Micky doesnt do anything. He struts around Goodison Park like he owns the place and he demands to take every free kick and corner when I think that Piennar, Osman and even VdM when fit would be better equipped. He doesn't shoot enough, he doesn't beat his man enough, he doesn't cover his full back ever. In short, there is one single word to describe Mikel Arteta and that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is LAZY!

I think this season Arteta has been one of the better players. Ok, he hasn't hit the heights of previous times but he has loads of assists and has chipped in with a few goals. With the dead-balls I find it very frustrating. On any given day he can be either phenomenal or awful and if he can erradicate this inconsistency then he will be back to his best. One thing you can't deny is that the team is a lot worse off going forward without him.

Now before I make my point, I want you all to know that I am an Arteta fan. I think he is a very tidy footballer and probably OUR most technically gifted.

.....but Will Brennan please don't kid yourself that Arteta would command a place in the midfields belonging to any of the (as you put it) bigger clubs than ourselves around Britain & Europe because he just wouldn?t !!

He?s not in the Spanish squad because he?s not as good as the lads who are currently playing for Spain.... just an opinion but I know I?m not alone. Xavi, Iniesta, Senna, Fabregas etc all better than Arteta....

Well said Mr Armitage... Yor Mattys not a patch on you.!!!

What are you talking about? If we didn't have Arteta and Cahill we would fall apart. Yes, snap the hand off of anyone who wants to buy him and then replace him with Joey Barton or the like! Maybe if we weren't such a long-ball team, he might be able to get in the game more. At Arsenal, we need a player who will take the ball and pass it to feet and unlock their defence but I bet by the end of the game the Yak will have to come off with neck ache.

I’m frustrated with Mikel at present, only because we all know he can play so much better. His performances this season have been variable, although at times he’s been one of our better players in some matches. I have hope that the return of Peanuts will take the pressure of him to perform miracles and give him more space, time and link-up opportunities, so he can return to his top game.

Talk of off-loading him is way off the mark - despite his current faults, we’ll be a lesser team without him, and who the hell would we get instead with the cash?

On saying all that - his deadball and crossing delivery remains very poor. That’s where he, Moyes and the coaching team need to put the work in - but I have hopes he can rectify that part of his game.

I think people are judging him far too much on his freekicks and corners, it’s quite clear he’s not very good at them. Sadly none of our team will step up and take them off him, the last good freekick taker we had was Manuel Fernandes, sadly he’s gone.

I don’t see anyone else. Osman and Pienaar can’t take them and Baines every time he takes one hits the wall.

I think his general performances are being effected by the football we play. I think all the midfielders have struggled because of the lack of service. No one is getting them into good positions where they can hurt teams. It’s usually a hoof and hope that Arteta, Pienaar, Cahill and Osman can pick up the pieces. I think it’s quite clear that has to be changed, Moyes has to change his style of play.

And I would like to mention something, Arteta at the moment is the most creative midfielder in the Prem. In 10 games he’s assisted 5 goals and scored 2 goals. He’s certainly doing his job as is Yakubu, they are two of the few who actually are.

A performance against one of the big teams? Fiorentina, Standard Liege (first leg), Portsmouth etc. When we play football in big games Arteta more than not steps up and takes the game by the scruff of the neck.

The big games against the big four are different, none of our midfielders give excellent all round performances against a top four team. Why? Because we hoof the ball and sit back.

Yes the likes of Cahill and Yakubu get the goals and Arteta and Pienaar will provide the assists but in terms of all round play agains the big four they are usually invisible because of the football we play.

The last two good performances I seen against the big four was Lee Carsley and Manuel Fernandes in the 1-0 win, they where superb and they contributed in every area. That’s a big difference to just nicking the odd goal or assist.

I also think Arteta impact is lessoned because of the position he plays. Teams double up on him on the right, he sticks to the byline and he has no one to link up with. His only real options are Hibbert or Neville, two technically inept players who usually hoof.

Our left handside is a different story. We have Baines and Pienaar, Yakubu drifts out to the left and Osman when he plays in the middle plays as a left central midfielder. There’s alot more to work with on the left side, Arteta must be lonely on the right. When he was on the left against Standard at home he was superb. Drfting inside and controling or going pas them at will.

If I was Moyes I’d move him around constantly throughout the game, left, right and centre. That’s where he’s at his best. Sticking him on the right wing all day won’t help, especially when he’s our only player who has two players on them at all times.

He is our most talented midfielder, he has the skill, technique and ability that very few have in this squad. We should find a way to get the best out of him, doing that will be the best thing for Everton. He’ll never be world class player but he is a very good player.

I don’t get the half arsed comments to be honest, Mikel’s workrate is exactly the same is it always was. He puts a shift in anyway. Like alot of the team he is struggling at the moment, that is all.

Arteta has been so poor this season... oh, and most of last season. He can?t take a decent free kick or corner with any consistency, and his decision-making is poor when it comes to when to shoot. I like his committment to the club but he?s just not as good as we would all like to believe.

Can understand peoples feelings re Arteta?s fall from his high standards of a couple of years ago.

I can?t be sure of the reason, maybe Mikky isn?t too sure either, I just wonder if this is a legacy of his stomach injury he suffered with last season and the fact that the old confidence has not returned.

Suggest the terraces should cheer him on and try to instil in him the belief that now seems to be missing.

I think we all know Mikel?s dead ball delivery is poor. I am in no way exaggerating when I say my success rate is better than his (only at getting it over the wall, mind. Not landing it on Yakubu?s head - he won?t turn out for us) which is pretty incredible as I?m shite. Why someone won?t take over is a mystery.

But I think to extrapolate from that the description above is pretty harsh. What you?re doing Nick is trying to clinically dissect something that?s borne out of our affection as much as Arteta?s ability. True that doesn?t mean we sing his praises when he?s crap ? and we can argue about when exactly that is all day ? but equally when he?s good, he?s not only good, but he?s our player, wearing our shirt, and consistently saying he?s happy at Goodison when every summer he gets accused of wanting to leave. That?s worth something in itself.

I agree Arteta has not been playing that well this season but people seem to forget we signed him for around £2 million. Which, let's be honest, is pennies in today's market. I think most people would agree we have had our money?s worth out of him.

I couldn?t disagree more, Nick.

Take assists. Arteta is currently tied with Adebayor as the leading provider of goals in the Premier League.

He?s our little genius and we expect him to we a world-beater every week. We therefore only remember the crosses that are intercepted and the corners that are cleared at the near-post, forgetting the killer passes that put us in the lead or claw back a crucial goal.

Give the lad a break.

How much we paid for him is irrelevant.

We know he is capable of perfoming like a £20m player but is letting himself down.

Come on Mickey buck things up, we need you!

Maybe Arteta should be switched into midfiled central to a 5 man midfield. We could Baines on the Left and Pienarr on the right, with Castillo and Cahill making up the 5 men across the park.

Arteta is not a winger, he may be more effecive in central midfield (free playing role) wheer he joins Saha in attack, we got better value with Arteta that Fellani (and Arteta made an impact).

I agree a lot of people do have Arteta in their dream teams.

1-1 tommorrow.

Nick mate, you don't know what you're on about. The games I've been watching (which is all of them), Mickey is giving his all ? the issue is with the team not individual.

I suggest you watch the game and form a valid opinion based on the facts, not just some half-assed conjecture and dribble. ***

I love Michael Arteta he is brilliant.

ps: I love Theo Walcott too and Brian is a goat

Sorry, mate, but I don't agree fully with ya on this one! You're making out Arteta to be the worst performer for us this season and I'm not too sure he is. In my opinion, there's been a few others that have played worse than him! Yes, I agree with ya that he hasn't hit the heights of form of two seasons ago or when he joined the club permanently but I think you're thinking because his deliveries have been shite this season he?s played shite this season. And in a majority of the games that's not the case for me!

Kevin Sheedy in this midfield would be shite.
Until we get a midfield enforcer, we wont see the very best of Mikel.
Still our best player though.

Another thing about his deliveries, I can remember his free kick vs Blackburn this season, Spurs a couple of seasons back at home which he scored, free kick which he scored at Villarreal, goal vs Palace, the one he dropped right on big Duncs head vs Man Utd, the one that picked Stubbsy out for his goal vs Fulham two seasons ago and I could go on an on but people seem to want to forget that he has got a decent free kick in his locker still!!!!

This article is bang on, the Arteta fan boys need to realise he needs to up his game or ship out.

Other than against Blackburn, corners and freekicks have been very ineffectual and Arteta is the only person who takes them, so he can point his finger at his defensive teammates but he needs to up him game....except the long HOOOFs from defensive freekicks.

I say look at the Premier League fantasy football stats to see he is still up there ? seriously, Mikky has been woeful again. He drifts in and out of games like someone with narcolepsy. He needs to be allowed to orchestrate things from the middle, and I am probably in a minority of people who thought (granted, shite dead balls aside... but i just accept them now) he was starting to look more the part against Newcastle. A lot of the good stuff started to come through Mikky, especially in the later stages. It wouldn't take a genius to see (post-Christmas last season) he was a very poorly boy... It can only be a matter of time until we see him back to his best ? but please, Davey, buy a winger and push Mikky more central.

It is worth remembering that two seasons ago this man was one of the best footballers on the planet. He was lights out week-in, week-out. We would?ve been absolutely lost without his guile.
Whatever the reason he has been dogshit for most of the last year. Maybe he wants to go. Maybe it?s just injury. Who knows? As long as he?s in the eleven, however, we need to believe that he will return to the sublime form that has entranced us in the past. Wouldn?t bet on it, though.

I agree with Connor, as usual. Too many people on have completely unrealistic expectations of him when the entire team is playing like shit. He is our best player. FACT.

Sorry but it’s true Arteta against the top 4 is conspicious by his absence. We only had 10 men against Arsenal today.

Just watched the match online and Arteta was rank, yet again. He was awesome two seasons ago but in our current state we can longer afford to carry passengers.

My hero, Dave Bimson, is a far better player at the moment. Take your boots to the United game Bimmo lad.

I also watched the match online. You wouldn’t have known he was on the pitch. He was totally anonymous. A fucking waste of a player

Arteta was never in the game today, or the past 12 months. He won?t track back, never puts a decent corner in, leaves his full back exposed ? this guy is not interested in playing for Everton. Stop making excuses, that's why hes not in the Spain squad, Moyes. Arteta, you have not moved Everton forward.

Why not you guys just shut up and say something positive instead? Mikky can easily play for any team in Spain,and he has showed his loyalty but staying on to play for us. Yes he hasn?t been as good this season, but who has? Do not forget he is the leading assist leader for us, and he is our most creative player. Would you rather he turn up for another team?

Pls wake up and get behind the team, rather than saying non-constructiive things.