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FAN ARTICLES

The Striker Problem

By Dick Anderson :  24/09/2010 :  Comments (60) :
First of all I should say that I'm a David Moyes fan. Over the course of his reign I believe Moyes has transformed Everton from regular relegation contenders to regular European contenders. He's also cracked the Top 4, took us to an FA Cup final and won manager of the season on two occaisions.

So I'm not suggesting Everton panic and sack him. I agree it has been an awful start to the season and with Fulham (a), Birmingham (a), Liverpool (h) and Spurs (a) on the horizon I think its going to get worse before it gets better.

Personally I think there's a real danger of Everton losing the next four games and finding themselves in a serious relegation battle. But still I believe we stick with Moyes and he'll get us through the problems.

What is annoying me with Moyes is his latest comments about how he's been worried about Everton's ability to get results for long time. Despite claiming all summer that he had the strongest squad he's ever had, Moyes is now suggesting that the strikers are the problem.

Personally I don't think Moyes can blame the strikers ? after all, they are his strikers and if they are not good enough, then he should have done something about it during the summer. Clearly Moyes was aware of the striker problem because during the summer 3 of his 4 transfers were strikers. Moyes brought in League One's Jermaine Beckford on a free transfer and two 20-year-olds, João Silva from Portugal's second division and French prospect Maguey Gueye.

So attempts were made by Moyes to bolster his attacking options. Moyes also attempted to sell faded striker Yakubu to West Ham. My guess is he was hoping to get over £8 million for Yakubu and then use the money to buy a striker with Premier League experience. Unfortunately, West Ham aren't as silly as you think and they refused to pay big money for Yakubu. They made a couple of small bids but Moyes refused them out of hand but West Ham's small bids are now looking more fair as the season goes on.

So now Everton find themselves struggling for goals and Moyes blames his strikers:

Saha - Quality player on his day but very unreliable. Gets injured far too easily and at 32 things seem to be getting worse.

Yakubu - Has never been the same since that injury. Has never recovered his fitness or sharpness in front of goal. Questions have to be raised if he'll ever get back to former glories.

Beckford - Has found himself under fire since his arrival but in fairness to the player what were we really expecting? This player was a free transfer from League One. There is a massive jump from League One to the Premier League and it's debatable if Beckford will ever be able to step up. You could argue that Beckford is turning 28 in a couple of months and he's as good as he's ever likely to be.

Gueye - Has made a couple of appearances in the League Cup but not shown anything to suggest he'll be much use this season.

Silva - Is yet to feature for the first team and unlikely to do so this season.

Vaughan - Injury prone former hotly tipped prospect out on loan at Crystal Palace. Scored a hat-trick but let's see if he can string 10 consecutive games together before we start demanding his recall.

Anichebe - Seems to be struggling with injuries too much recently and, when fit, finds himself as a makeshift right winger.

Agard - 21-year-old reserve player completely untested at Premier League level. Not in the squad of 25.

Basically, Moyes finds his team struggling for goals and his only strikers are either injury-prone, struggling for fitness, struggling to adjust to the Premier League or just too young to make any impact this season. I guess what I'm asking is why did Moyes, an undoubted quality manager, allow the season to begin with such useless strikers?

Moyes knew Saha would be injury-prone, Moyes knew Yakubu's best days were behind him, Moyes knew that Beckford would take time to adjust to the Premier League and Moyes must have known Gueye and Silva were too young to make much of an impact this season. And yet he did nothing but allow the season to start and then moan when the team can't score a goal.

Sorry, Moyes, I believe in you still but this striker problem is of your own creation. You chose not to accept West Ham's bid for Yakubu, you chose to go into the season with the strikers you had and now you must reap what you sow.

Reader Comments (60)

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Matthew Lovekin
1 Posted 24/09/2010 at 14:34:18
With the obvious lack of goals at present, and the obvious lack of confidence in the strikers by Moyes, it is surely a desperate situation.

Desperate times require desperate measures, therefore why not recall James Vaughan from his loan spell at Crystal Palace? Vaughan is a striker that most fans feel has always had the ability to play at the top level, just too injury prone to play at all.

There is no Saha or Anichebe this weekend, Yakubu is clearly lacking confidence and fitness whilst Beckford's confidence must be rock bottom. On the other hand, Vaughan hit a hat-trick on his Palace debut to confirm his ability. The only other problem with Vaughan is that he doesn't seem a striker capable of playing the lone striker role, but then again is anyone under Moyes? Bent, Beattie, Johnson, Yakubu?

Why not play 4-4-2 and get the best out of Yakubu or Beckford as well?

Dick Fearon
2 Posted 24/09/2010 at 14:39:31
Moyes should urgently recognise what every man and his dog has known for the past month ? it is that 4-5-1 is not working. The reason why it is failing is of little consequence; it matters not if the fault lies with team selection, players, tactics or training or a combination of the lot. What is important is that we are beyond the point where experiments can be made. 4-5-1 has been an abject failure and must be change NOW.

Moyes should give up on his obvious admiration of Osman and Bily. They are not the type for what will be a long hard physical battle of survival. He would have to be blind not to see that the Yak is grossly overweight, cannot give more than half a game, and another 20-goal season will not happen.

It also is clear that Saha will never be fully fit, in any case, he is not the kind of fighter we need for the upcoming struggle. Only those players who are up for it and prepared to mix it should be considered. Osman, Bilyaletdinov, Saha and Yakubu need be put out to graze at least until safety is assured or lost. Here I admit to having no idea who from the current squad could replace them but, by the same token, whoever they might be, our points tally could hardly be worse than it is with those half-fit misfits.

Anyone thinking I am over playing the seriousness of the situation should assume a quite possible return of zero points from our upcoming games against Fulham, Birmingham, Liverpool (our situation is too serious for petty name calling) and Spurs. Then calculate what is required to reach a total of 40 points.

Ed Staunton
3 Posted 24/09/2010 at 14:49:18
Forget the formation it doesn?t mean anything, we have done well in the past & we have done badly, all with the same so called 4-5-1.
I want to see the team set up & having a go, get men in the box, leave someone on the half way line when we are defending corners. Stop asking players to play out of position (saying that they should all be able to play anywhere FFS). We need are so called better players to perform consistently well, this is down to DM, he needs to perform.
Peter Fearon
4 Posted 24/09/2010 at 15:09:44
I should be very very surprised if David Moyes, whose arrogance has grown in direct proportion with his security, changes his preferred formation. It would take more humility than he is capable of. It is outrageous that Yakubu is so heavy and out of condition. Saha probably isn't hurrying his return given the pressure that would be imposed on him should he be available. This leaves Jermaine Beckford up front on his own and thanks in part to Moyes, his confidence is probably in tatters. This is entirely a crisis of David Moyes making and I'm afraid he should pay the price of failure that all managers risk. Slaven Bilic, Jurgen Klinsmann and Felipe Scolari should all be considered as possible replacements. At least they would commit to attacking football. Scolari would kick Yakubu's butt for being so flabby.
Ray Robinson
5 Posted 24/09/2010 at 15:12:54
Agree with you Dick. I knew that we'd have scoring problems, so Moyes, who is far more savvy than I, must have known too. The problems of this season were never more evident than at the end of last season in the Stoke and Porstmouth games. We got out of gaol in the 90th minute against Pompey with a wonder strike from Billy.

Now there's a thought if we're really desperate .....Billy up front? - he's useless anywhere else but he does have two good shooting feet.
David Thomas
6 Posted 24/09/2010 at 15:36:54
Peter 4,

The Yak is many things but flabby is certainly not one of them. The man is built like an ox. I find it amazing when people make these silly comments about players weights. Its like when i hear people call Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney fat. There isnt an ounce of fat on their bodies.
Thor Sørensen
7 Posted 24/09/2010 at 15:51:33
Sack Moyes and bring in Paul Dickov as player-manager.

Dickov have really been terrible at Oldham and could seamlessly slip into David Moyes' shoes at Goodison.



That way, we'll still have a miserable, dour and negative Scotsman in charge, even a Glaswegian to boot, and the striker problem solved as well, which will save us money in the january transfer window.
Danny Burke
8 Posted 24/09/2010 at 15:42:00
Peter, for all his faults i have never thought Moyes arrogant. Maybe overley stubborn, but his 4-5-1 has worked for a number of seasons now, it will take more than 5 poor games to loose his faith in it.

As for strikers I really don't know what a solution is.
Saha has undoubted quality but only when fit and since Chelsea last season we have seen little of his quality.
Vaughan, injury after injury has taken its toll. Maybe a spell of games will get him up match fitness and form but how long will it last before another injury. It's a shame for him because I really like the lad and think he had great potential.
Anichebe, seems as injury prone as Saha and Vaughan put together. More of an option wide right these days anyway I think.
Gueye, young and untested, seems to have a great cross on him, maybe more of a wide player.
Silva, don't know anything about the lad so can't really judge.
Beckford, untried and making a HUGE step up. Im not writing him off already after only a few games, Im prepared to give him a season, but for that reason he also can't be relied on as first choice.
Yakubu, for me the only one that can realistically deliver this season. It seems his head was elsewhere and he wanted out in the summer, but what good would the £6m then £5m (pisstake) from West Ham realistically have done. Not one decent quality striker with a proven Prem record would come that cheap. Certainly not better than Yak. He has been unfit and his work ethic and attitude seems suspect. He should work a damn sight harder to be fit than he has especially considering the money he will be on. That said, he looked leaner against Utd and sharper, an inch or two from a well taken equaliser against Newcastle so hopefully he's coming round. Can we please put to bed the train of thought though that he is "fat", he isn't he is a big stocky guy sure, but not fat.
Martin Mason
10 Posted 24/09/2010 at 16:31:50
I believe that 4-5-1 can be the best formation of all as long as it is applied without rigidity and you have good wide midfielders.

Catterick's superb 1970 team basically played 4-5-1 with Royle as the target man and Morrissey and Husband as wide midfielders who surged forward when needed. Husband also had a superb cut-in from the right when he had spread the opposing defence out in that direction. He got twigged, though... as Moyes and his rigid 4-5-1 has.

I also don't believe that we have a striker problem. Gerd Muller at his best wouldn't score at Everton. Our problem is our play up to and into the box. When we have a right sider equal in quality to say Donovan and Moyes brings in new tactics then our strikers will look much better. All of them can be good and have been good in the past. David needs to change to meet new times and so far he is failing.

Jimmy Hacking
11 Posted 24/09/2010 at 16:53:27
I agree 100%. But then I think it was pretty obvious in the summer that we were inadequate upfront.

Sunderland have 2 quality strikers, and will probably only finish about 13th. how on earth did Moyes expect us to have a good season with a 5-goal-a-season man (Yakubu) and a bunch of rookies? FFS. This is the premier league for crying out loud, there are no bad sides. This error of judgement is unforgivable IMO.
Tony J Williams
12 Posted 24/09/2010 at 17:14:16
Everyone knew we needed someone upfront, Moyes definitely knew but if you have a packet of polos and a yellow highlighter pen for your transfer kitty there's not actually a lot you can do about it, is there?
Gavin Ramejkis
13 Posted 24/09/2010 at 17:21:06
FFS Moyes is turning into Wally Smith more and more each week, the world and his fucking dog knows we need a striker.

Yak looks like he's more interested in his next meal

Saha is made of Balsa,we should have taken the money offered for him, money and losing a striker or no money and him nowhere to be seen anyway seems like the wrong move

Anichebe is crocked again but the backroom boys must have known this already

Beckford isn't a lone striker, cue another destroyed striker at the hands of DM

Silva is still what he was when he bought him, a kid from a lower league

Vaughan is elsewhere and may as well be on Mars

leaves us with Cahill or Fellaini, sounds like Walter Smith pushing Steve Watson up front, desperate shit from a manager who has lost the plot.
Stephen Kenny
14 Posted 24/09/2010 at 17:39:28
As David says the abuse the Yak gets about his weight is utter nonsense.

He looked alright against Newcastle despite every ball he got being neck high or 40 yards over his head. The one half chance he got he hit the post and was unlucky not to score.

IMO when we start playing to his strengths and he gets a run of games we may see the first genuine goalscorer since super Kev back at Goodison. Moyes handling of the Yak since his injury has been criminal IMO.
Ian Bennett
15 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:16:02
We should have taken someone on loan if we don't have the cash.

I would recall Vaughan immediately and go 4-4-2 with the Yak; Cahill, Pienaar, Arteta, Felli; Baines, Neville, Jags, Heitinga; Howard. If we will lose, so be it... but at least play your best 11.

4-5-1 doesn't work anymore as teams have studied how to stop us playing...
Mark Scarratt
16 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:21:17
Funny how as soon as Vaughan leaves Everton he score a hat-trick

I know he has dropped down a level, and I accept I have not seen his goals from last week, but I bet Palace adopt a more attack minded formation than we do, and allow their strikers to do their best work in the box

Not so long ago another poster on here moaned that we had destroyed all the strikers brought to the club

The more I think about it, the more I tend to agree.

Strikers need service, and ours never get any, but instead are forced to play lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation and run themselves into the ground all day
Dick Anderson
17 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:33:18
Vaughan scoring a hat-trick doesnt mean he's a great player waiting for a chance.

It just means he's found his level.

Beckford got over 30 goals in League 1 last season. The Premier League is a different class.

Personally I'll be more impressed if Vaughan manages to play a dozen consecutive games. I doubt he'll manage that.
Gavin Ramejkis
18 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:14:45
Stephen, the entire squad against Newcastle looked more fucked than Bily when he arrived... and looked like they had played a whole season compared to the their entire squad, who looked fitter and faster.
Tony J Williams
19 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:53:23
Mark, Vaughan scored a hat-trick against a team that is bottom of the league and can barely get a starting XI out on the pitch. I will save the back patting until he manages to play more than 3 games on the bounce, Dick's 12 is amazingly optimistic.
Jon Cox
20 Posted 24/09/2010 at 18:31:38
I'd like us to bring Vaughan home. Then I'd like DM to work with him and Beckford in training. It may take a little while but I think this could bare fruit.

I remember the partnership between Yorke and Cole at Utd. One of the best duets since Reeves and Mortimer.

A back four with the Dutchman alongside Jags, Fellaine just in front, Pienaar Arteta and Coleman/Donovan wide right and Vaughan Beckford as strikers then at least it would a positive and hopefully rewarding move.

Come on Davey pull your finger out you have to do something and quick.

COYB
Jay Harris
21 Posted 24/09/2010 at 19:30:28
I think moyes statement about being worried for a long time was directed at the board for which he is now no doubt sick of taking stick for.

I am sure if we'd got a Torres or Drogba instead of a Beckford we'd now be looking at a successful opening to the season not a disaster.

We have been papering over the cracks for too long and now the lack of funds has come home to roost.

The last time anyone other than Arsenal, Chelsea and ManU won the title was when Blackburn were bankrolled by Jack Walker who basically bought the title.

It is patently clear to me that Moyes love affair with the board is at breaking point and that is reflected jin the inept performances of the WHOLE team not just the strikers.

I would sack the board before the manager just as happened with PJ.
Mark Scarratt
22 Posted 24/09/2010 at 19:38:35
Tony

I wasn't patting Vaughan on the back. I was just making the observation that he scored 3 goals as soon as he left us.

As I stated, I accept he has dropped a level, and yes maybe he has found the correct level to play at, however, I think Moyes coaches defenders better, having been a centre half himself. As a team we do not get the best out of our strikers by playing such a negative formation.

Maybe we need to employ a former striker to help coach ours. After all we have a goalie coach in Chris Woods, so why not a specialist coach for the most important position.

Jimmy Hacking
23 Posted 24/09/2010 at 19:50:23
All this talk about there being no money for signings is bollocks and I'm sick of it. Stop making excuses for Moyes (If no hater, I'm just not blind to his faults either). theres ALWAYS money if its needed.

If Moyes demanded say £10 mill for a desperately needed striker in the summer, the board would've found the cash. or are you saying Moyes's opinions have no weight whatsoever with the board?
Matt Compton
24 Posted 24/09/2010 at 19:57:07
I'm afraid finances don't work like that Jimmy. You can't just find £10 million. If that's the case I'd go down the money tree later.

The point is, he could have sold to buy. That appeared to be his only option. Let's not kid ourselves, if he had the funds it's odds on he'd have bought Donovan and / or a top quality striker.

Nevertheless, it's been a woeful start to the season due to his tactical naivety and playing players out of position. I just hope because he is forced to make changes with Osman and Hibbert out it strikes a winning formula tomorrow (like it has done in the past!).
Andy Crooks
25 Posted 24/09/2010 at 19:56:25
David Thomas, you are spot on about the Yak. Fully fit , which he will be soon, he is a top class player. I think DM's tactics have been found out but if he wants to play 4-5-1 then a fit Yakubu is essential to it.Dick, I believe we will get seven points from our next three games. The crisis will pass but the underlying problem,in my view the coach, will still remain.
Ciarán McGlone
26 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:16:15
"If Moyes demanded say £10 mill for a desperately needed striker in the summer, the board would've found the cash. "
---------

One word. Bollocks.
David Thomas
27 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:18:16
Jimmy,

"If Moyes demanded say £10 mill for a desperately needed striker in the summer, the board would've found the cash. or are you saying Moyes's opinions have no weight whatsoever with the board?"

I would love to meet your bank manager if you think that is how finances work.

Andy,

I agree out of all our strikers, Yak is the one who if given a run of games will score the most goals.
Jimmy Hacking
28 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:42:04
Matt, David, sorry lads but you're living in cloud cuckoo land. we're not Portsmouth (yet). Ive got a crazy feeling that money will magically become available in January, guess the club must have one of those money trees growing somewhere, perhaps a bonzai one in BK's office.

Moyes was happy with his squad, or we would have bought someone else before the window shut.
Paul Henshaw
29 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:45:53
It all comes down to the formation we play at the end of the day. Playing one upfront is not obviously working with the clientele we have at our disposal an only seems to work when Cahill plays.

I'm fed up of people saying Beckford needs to adapt to the pace of the Premiership,well give him more than a 45 minute show on his own then! Play him upfront with another,because he looks lost up there.

Playing 2 gives you an extra outlet instead of knocking the ball around the middle of the park,pass it back and then let our centre halves knock it up to a lone man.

I listened to an interview on Radio Merseyside before Brentford with our illustrious coach Steve Round. Basically he said that Beckford needs to adapt to our formation. Does this mean Moyes is unwilling to change 451 regardless of whatever players are at his disposal?
David Thomas
30 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:56:48
Jimmy,

Well if thats the case why stop at £10 million? He should ask for £50+ million and we can go after David Villa or Drogba.
John Daley
31 Posted 24/09/2010 at 20:35:01
Yakubu is not fat? He's just stocky? Built like an ox? What a load of bollocks. You sound like one of those mammoth sized mamas off Jerry Springer/Ricki Lake/some other crap American talkshow oblivious to their own obesity and maintaining they "can get any man I want". They maintain it's just the way they're built but when asked what they eat each day reel off an astonishing list containing 26 chicken wings. A wheelie bin full of fries, 8 slices of toast, 5 eggs, 14 doughnuts, half a sharks arse, washed down by two 2 litre bottles of diluted sugar.

The Yak is clearly overweight and has been for some considerable time. He was unfit and off the pace all last season and was excused because he was recovering from injury, but his recovery 'grace' can't go on for ever. Even Steve Round recently admitted that 'stocky' Nigerian returned from the World Cup heavily out of shape which resulted in him being omitted from our opening games.

The guy can barely run at half pace anymore without gasping for breath and looks more like a darts player than a professional footballer. Athlete my arse. He's so fat that the last time he fell over in the box he rocked himself to sleep trying to get back
up again.

Chris Perry
32 Posted 24/09/2010 at 21:37:43
Don't count BA (bad attitude) Beckford as a Premier League striker ? he ain't. Never will be, not capable of.
BJ Farrimond
33 Posted 24/09/2010 at 21:18:36
After Beckford scores a brace tomorrow the striker crisis will be over .Stop being so negative DM and play 4-4-2 .
Andy Tyler
34 Posted 24/09/2010 at 21:43:47
The Yak is our best option at the moment, we have to hope that with a run of games he will get back to the form he showed before his injury.

We should have taken whatever we could for sicknote Saha last season. He always flattered to deceive and you could usually tell within 15 mins of the game starting whether he was up for it or not.

Round's quotes about Beckford sum us up. Why watch a player playing in a certain way, sign him and hope he can alter his style whilst we lose games. He relies on the ball over the top and getting (not making) chances, this is not going to happen with us.

I believe we should go 4-2-3-1, with the 3 being Arteta, Pienaar and Cahill having the freedom to interchange and get into the final third to support the Yak. Fellaini and Rodwell (when fit) could hold midfield. This won't happen though it will be 4-5-1 again tomorrow.
Peter Fearon
35 Posted 24/09/2010 at 21:57:35
Dave Thomas, I don't care whether you call it fat, flabby, out of condition, or what. Yakubu looks 20 pounds above his fighting weight. We need a solid thoroughbred and he has managed to turn himself into a dray horse. It's not a matter of silliness. The guy has lost a lot of his mobility because he is - let's use yopur expression - built like an ox. An overweight out of condition one.
Jay Harris
36 Posted 24/09/2010 at 22:02:42
Thought with all the depressing debates it might need a bit of lightheartedness so here's a retort to all you guys calling the Yak fat.

http://www.footballfancast.com/gallery-top-10-fat-footballers/attachment/david-dunn

He doesn't even make the top 10!!!!

Apologies on a postcard to

Lardarse,
Goodison Park,
Goodison Road,
Liverpool L4 4EL.

David Thomas
37 Posted 24/09/2010 at 21:47:05
John Daley,

Congratulations, you have submitted the most idiotic post this site has seen for a long time and that is saying something when you consider some of the shite submitted recently. If the Yak is fat, god help the rest of us. The man I watched at Brentford on Tuesday night certainly did not look fat and more like a darts player.
Mike Green
38 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:08:59
I disagree David - the final line is genius, nearly pissed myself laughing.

I say we play Fellaini up front in a 4-5-1, that's got to work hasn't it...?
Kunal Desai
39 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:19:38
Before the Man U game

"Louis Saha has a calf problem, his calf and the back of his knee, and will be out for three weeks"

Before the Fulham game

"Louis Saha is going to be out for another 2-3 weeks I would think,? revealed the Blues boss"

So that's it total 6 weeks then? Someone give this man some maths lessons. The one thing with him is that he never phrases things differently. Why not just say he will be out for an indefinate period without putting a time frame on it.
John Daley
40 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:08:45
David Thomas,

I'm surprised you could see any of the action at all on Tuesday night if Yakubu looked slimline to your obviously failing eyesight. "If the Yak is fat.."? There's no 'if' about it. If he's in shape then why is he unable to complete a full game and why does his mobility seem so utterly restricted? If he is not overweight why did the Everton coaching staff claimed he has not yet regained fitness after returning the World Cup? Why did Moyes admit he can only last 60 minutes at most at the moment? Why does the back of his neck look like a bag of hotdogs?

To claim there is "not an ounce of fat" on his body is more than idiotic, it is insane and just an obvious untruth.

Now don't get me wrong I've not got a problem with people being overweight, but I do have a problem with fat fuckers who get paid £50,000 a week to play professional football and can't even find the discipline to meet the minimum requirement of at least keeping themselves in shape.
Bradley Nolan
41 Posted 24/09/2010 at 22:43:39
All this talk of strikers, I just don't think that's it. As per last season, the absence of Captain Phil Neville has been under-stated. Captains are important to have on the pitch but there are other reasons.

Neville is the only midfield player we have with the discipline to cover for our fullbacks pushing forward. This is why Distin has struggled, he's in two minds being asked to slot across for Baines, and then gets caught out trotting back. Fellaini is being asked to drop back and win headers, which is fine but he's not mobile enough to cover out wide. Neville playing in the middle will allow Fellaini to answer his true calling, as a box to box midfield player, and Coleman and Baines can do their stuff overlapping. Arteta will be getting the ball further forward.

I know a lot of people don't like our Phil (I used to think the same) but good players need covering and he does this. We get obsessed with where Arteta plays, but I don't care so long as he gets the ball in areas where he can do damage.

I'm positive about tomorrow, I think, by default we may have stumbled on close to our best team. Hibbert and Osman are out (I'm not slagging either but it forces changes), Heitinga is AWOL or so I hear and Beckford is shall we say 'out of favor' I think the team that starts tomorrow will be:

Howard,
Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines,
Neville, Fellaini,
Arteta, Pienaar,
Cahill
Yakubu.

It would be nice to have Rodwell and Saha from the Bench and Heitinga centre back but, It's close.

Que backlash.

David Price
42 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:27:50
Will Moyes shock us all and play Yakubu with Beckford, Pienaar and Coleman wide, Fellaini and Arteta centre midfield and attack.
Do what the enemy expect you to do the least when going into battle.
Then again has he got any other options?
For the first time this season i'm not thinking "Yeah we can win this" that's when the stubborn buggers usually do.
COYB
Dick Fearon
43 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:25:53
In our current situation we do not have and in the forseeable future not likely to have the right players for 4-5-.1. Only a brain dead moron would persist with it.
At the same time only a brain dead moron would let Osman anywhere near the team.
As the yanks would say, 'Go Figure'
David Thomas
45 Posted 24/09/2010 at 23:57:18
John Daley,

The management team have said he is fit, but he is not match fit enough yet to play a full 90 minutes and that he needs more training in him. How does that equate to he is a "fat fucker" as you put it.

I remember a few weeks ago Roy Hodgson saying the same thing about Fernando Torres, i take it based on your logic Torres is as you put it " a fat fucker can't even find the discipline to meet the minimum requirement of at least keeping themselves in shape."

David Thomas
46 Posted 25/09/2010 at 00:27:07
John,

Come to think of it didnt Yakubu play 98 minutes against Brentford on Tuesday???????? I must have been watching someone else because as you put it earlier "The guy can barely run at half pace anymore without gasping for breath and looks more like a darts player than a professional footballer. Athlete my arse. He's so fat that the last time he fell over in the box he rocked himself to sleep trying to get back up again", so there is no way the Yak or as you call him the "fat fucker" could possibly have played for 98 minutes in our last match is there.
John Daley
47 Posted 25/09/2010 at 00:32:49
David Thomas,

Except Torres is quite clearly not overweight is he. Also he is returning from a fairly recent injury wheras Yakubu returned from his own injury over a year ago now and is still nowhere near full fitness. Your comparison has no merit whatsoever. To equate Torres and his merely temporary lack of match sharpness to Yakubu and his long term, leisurely amble towards some semblance of fitness and athleticism is absolutely desperate.

When the formerly blonde ladyboy begins packing a pair of tits like the Yak then you might have a point.
John Daley
48 Posted 25/09/2010 at 00:58:14
David,

Is that the same match where (admittedly arse) commentator Mark Bright was incredulous at Yakubus lack of movement and effort and heavily criticised him for barely moving from the centre of the pitch all game? At one point he got so frustrated with your "ox" of a forward that he declared it embarrassing and claimed that, even at his age he was in better shape and would provide more effort and mobility.
James Stewart
49 Posted 25/09/2010 at 01:16:12
Yakubu is simply too old to ever fully recover. He's already on the way out and we should have taken whatever was offered.

As for Moyes well it's all starting to feel a bit Walter Smith Esque!
Derek Thomas
50 Posted 25/09/2010 at 00:58:30
4-5-1, 4-4-2, 4-3-3, 4-6-0 etc etc etc all still add up to 10... It ain't what you do it's the way you do it.

We need 2 upfront and our only best of a poor bunch options are Yak and Beckford.

The proper way to defend corners is with 2 out of the box, 1 about 5-10 yds out for the short clearance and 1 on the halfway line for the long one and to stop the opposition pushing us even further back on our goal line. Yak as the hold up man at half way and Beckford to bring it out at pace.

So IMO we require 2 both defensively and for attack.

It also has the virtue of having our only ' fit ' true forward as sq peg in sq holes

2 down 8 to go.

We have to play 5 coz we don't have 4 good enough to do the job.

5 also allows us to both depth and width in the MF

Sq peg time again aka making the best of a bad job.

The only 2 wide players we have are Baines and Coleman

2 from 5 = 3

Fellaini as DM, Pienaar and Arteta as CM.

Jags, Heitenga and Distan at the back.

QED
Derek Thomas
51 Posted 25/09/2010 at 01:26:57
And to all those who say it's not that simple, well again, IMO, It is

Simple is efficient K.I.S.S. ? don't over complicate it, Occam's Razor.

Football is a simple game made complicated by so called experts, all the prozone bollocks.

Pass and move, support the guy with the ball, give him an option. Attack is the best form of defence, The 3 G's.

End of rant, hobby horse back in stable, soap box back under sink.
Albert Perkins
52 Posted 25/09/2010 at 03:26:37
Got to win this one. That's what I said last week and the ........
Tom Rowe
53 Posted 25/09/2010 at 13:37:36
With Saha Injured, Cahill Injured, Anichebe Injured, Beckford unable to find his feet, Yakubu clearly Unfit, Fellaini struggling to adapt (clearly not his position) then surely we should be recalling Vaughan from Palace? I don't need paying £65k a week to figure that out! Is our football club actually this stupid?
John McLoughlin
54 Posted 25/09/2010 at 14:10:21
We have no money due to our inept chairman, in this case and Moyes knew it he should have sold a player to bring in another. We have lots of central midfielders, we sent Yobo out on loan as we have adequate cover. Why on earth we did not sell Yobo or move out a midfielder to finance the postions were we clearly needed it i do not know.
Lee Kidd
55 Posted 25/09/2010 at 19:55:51
"What is annoying me with Moyes is his latest comments about how he's been worried about Everton's ability to get results for long time. Despite claiming all summer that he had the strongest squad he's ever had, Moyes is now suggesting that the strikers are the problem."

So you must see how much of a hypocrite he is? No wonder his disciple Neville spouts such shit to the media - we now know where he gets it from.
Lol McNally
56 Posted 25/09/2010 at 20:37:05
We need to feed the strikers with good balls not hoof and run. Beckford with the Yak: 4-4-2.
Dominic Bobadilla
57 Posted 26/09/2010 at 09:43:07
Howard
Neville-Jagielka-Heitinga-Baines
Coleman-Fella-Arteta-Pienaar
Bily-Beckford
Talek Cox
58 Posted 26/09/2010 at 10:32:10
4-5-1 is just not working, i think there needs to be a regular striking partnership upfront.

and i think bily should be given more of a chance, he has no time to get into the game with 2 minutes left.
Dominic Bobadilla
59 Posted 26/09/2010 at 15:48:23
There were many here prior to the season who were waxing lyrical about the surplus of fire-power we had up front:

Saha, Beckford, Yak, Gueye, Silva, Anichebe, Agard, Baxter.

It's time to give the youngsters a chance. Some youthful enthusiasm would do us good, and I cannot see that we have anything to lose.

I also propose rotation in the spirit of that wonderful game called Russian Roulette.

If you don't score, you are out, viz, you get only one chance.

John Andrews
60 Posted 27/09/2010 at 07:34:45
Unfortunately Osman did get a game at the weekend as he was the substitiute for Cahill. Why did Bily get less than two minutes? I believe he was the substitiute for Coleman.
Paul Loins
61 Posted 30/09/2010 at 06:15:47
I am very worried about our current predicament, down at the bottom of the league. After all, this is supposed to be the best squad assembled in decades, a squad bought by the current manager, David Moyes.

In the past, I have questioned the manager's technical ability, tactics and substitutions. I now worry he does not know his best team and will never allow this squad to reach its full potential.

Currently we play one of our best midfielders behind the striker, a centre back in midfield and the same right side setup that was at the club eight years ago which was deemed below the required standard. We have a young player who we can all see in more a winger than a right back and only now does the manager see the light.

I think our manager is out of his depth when given too many options and is best with a threadbare squad. I see substitues getting ready to go on the pitch have to put up with Steve going "Round" the houses with a 5-minute tactics talk when we want the player on the pitch. How many times have we gone another goal down whilst we await a substitution??? Please go Moyes........ in Moyes we rust !!!!!

Rory Crier
62 Posted 09/10/2010 at 16:43:30
Yakubu and any 10 others; it's bringing back memories of the latter Graeme Sharp years!!

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