COLUMNIST JOHN HOLMES

On the Brink or In the Blocks?

By John Holmes :  22/11/2009 :  Comments (17) :

Saturday’s match saw yet another ineffectual performance by an Everton side that look adrift in a sea of apathy. Yet, what still remains unclear after three months of the season is one question? Are Moyes’ Everton a spent force or a storm in waiting?

The frustration of the fans at another tepid surrender to big bucks opposition is understandable. A quick glance across the Everton starting midfield told you all you needed to know about the resources available to the manager and his decision about how best to utilise them. Gosling, Heitinga, Fellaini, Rodwell and Cahill. Two teenagers, three players who started life as defenders, four players woefully out of form, no pace, no guile, plenty of strength and no obvious pattern for deployment.

The template for the game was set from the first few minutes. United pulsating, sharp, accurate and incisive in possession. Everton pressed back and neutered. When Fellaini made a couple of promising drives forward the problems became manifest. As the hairpiece lifted, he saw no support. His frustration was evident as he threw his arms wide in the direction of the bench. Worst still, in contrast to Everton’s previous attempts to defend their way past quality opposition, the backline looked porous and semi-committed. Ferguson’s tactics are less acknowledged than Wenger’s or Rafa’s, but here he saw Everton’s weakness. The glaring lack of a Carsley or Neville meant what had once been an impenetrable 4-1-4-1 became a too flat 4-4-1-1. United exploited the gap between defence and midfield remorselessly. Slick passing from that area created a succession of chances. The first two goals came from cut backs to players on the edge of the area — in Carrick’s case, his only company was a queue of team-mates.

A resurgence in the second half was pleasing and gave strong promise again that Yakubu and Saha could be a fearsome partnership with the right support. Both Cahill and Fellaini came to life a little and for 15 minutes it looked like the first half could be forgotten and we were there to win. One substitution from United and Carrick’s goal put pay to that. Valencia’s third, although unlucky for Baines, was not undeserved.

So, once more, the questions arise. Was it the injuries, the money or Moyes? Did he have any options? He could have played Yakubu from the start and pacified at least those who argue that we should go down fighting. The second half suggested that there was no danger for United in that approach. Ferguson saw our 4-4-2, threw Scholes into the newly vacated midfield space and United’s superiority was quickly re-established. Had we started with Gosling on the bench there would have been no recourse for Moyes when things went wrong. Yak makes an impact, Gosling barely touched the ball. It would have made the first half less painful but the result would almost certainly have been the same.

The tactics were a bigger problem. With that midfield the only the qualities in abundance were all physical. The three in the centre all stand comfortably over six foot tall and none lacks physique. Gosling is lightweight but Cahill’s a terrier. Yet there was no impetus, no pressure on the ball. When we had possession, we were sat so far back that isolation was inevitable in the United half. Never before has Baines crossed the half-way line so rarely. There was a clear order to let United play into us. As it was, they played into and straight through. For me, that was Moyes’ failing. The team selection was a 50-50 and would have come down the same either way. To come out for a defensive battle is acceptable in the circumstances, to come out hoping for the best is surrender.

And yet, on a more positive note. Another draw for City. A draw for Villa. Another draw for Liverpool. A win at Hull on Wednesday could leave us four points from fourth place and playing to go above the opposition next Saturday. We aren’t the only team stuttering and with our best players to return, we can still easily end the season in a position many will argue we haven’t yet deserved. The Uefa road is similarly blessing us with continue potential. Moyes has not covered himself in glory during this phase of our year-long injury crisis (this time in 2008 we were playing Cahill and Fellaini up front and it hasn’t improved much since), but those who suggest its irrelevancy join those spouting off about relegation in regurgitating the most pitiful drivel.

The manager has proved time and again over the last seven years that when he hits a groove, Everton can soar. He definitely needs to prove himself again because a club like ours should carry no passengers, but his achievements dictate that three months of mediocrity should not outweigh seven years of generally steady progress against the odds. We’ve been lucky not to lose touch over the last couple of months, now we must seize our chance and, with returning personnel, a Merseyside derby could be the time to do it.

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