COLUMNIST PAUL TRAILL
Disgusting abuse of the fans
By Paul Traill :: 14/03/2012 Saturday 3 March 2012. It?s 9am, vey rainy and I?m stood in a growing queue outside the Goodison Road Box Office. The Box Office won?t open for at least another hour but we queue all for the privilege of attending the Merseyside derby at Anfield. ?I hope Neville and Co appreciate this? mutters the lad next to me. I should think so to. It?s only £48 a ticket!
57 Fast forward to 23:28pm, Tuesday 13 March and I?m sat here at home dejected and disgusted. Just how can Everton, and David Moyes in particular, show such distain to 3,000 loyal Evertonians ? many of whom have paid well more than they can probably afford just for the privilege of attending that tripe? We should all get a refund? at least a partial refund or some sort of future discount. That was totally unacceptable.
What I fail to understand more than anything else is why Moyes would do this? Why make SIX changes to a team playing well ? ahead of a Merseyside derby? Why do this in a derby when a win would take us above Liverpool, into seventh and breathing down the neck of Newcastle United in sixth position? Why would Moyes do this when the national spotlight is on him just ahead of his 10-year anniversary as Everton manager? Why risk making such a fool of himself? I hope the ?10 more years? chants from the Kopites was as painful to him as it was to us.
The unbelievable decision I refer to was discovered amidst a lively atmosphere in the pub before the game. When I checked my phone to find Cahill, Neville, Drenthe, Jelavic, Osman and Heitinga had all dropped out, I was just dumbfounded. Shocked. "There goes that one," I thought. Anichebe, Stracqualursi, Pienaar, Jagielka, Rodwell and Hibbert all in. Shuffling your pack a bit is fine. Neville for Hibbert was OK and Coleman looked jaded on Saturday anyway so he could have been rested for Pienaar and Straqualursi for Jelavic perhaps would have been OK but the rest... in a Merseyside derby? Do me a favour, Moyes.
I don?t feel comfortable criticizing Moyes as, all-in-all, I think he?s done an excellent job at Everton, but I feel very let down by him after tonight?s decision. As with most of you I?ll wager, £50 is a lot of money to me and a sum I won?t part with easily. I?ll update you on my efforts to seek a refund on this debacle though I won?t exactly be holding my breath. Failure to win on Saturday and I?ll seriously have to consider my season ticket decision for next season? which is normally a formality. Nil Satis Nisi Optmimum? Do me a favour, Moyes.
Still the build-up to the game was great. The pub bouncing, the march across Stanley Park tribal, and the crush into the ground very old school.... Everton in reality were on the ropes from the start. Suarez I think denied early by a great Howard save and then again by an even better Rodwell tackle. I think Gerrard also came close to scoring. At the other end, Pienaar blazed over with our best chance probably of the whole game.
To be fair to Moyes and Everton, we were a little unlucky to concede in a period of the game when we actually had a bit of ascendancy. We forced a few corners and had a lot of play in and around the box but were unable to make that final killer pass or get that last shot away ? Leon Osman in particular very noticeable by his absence during this period. I thought he really could have made a difference here following his fantastic display against Tottenham on Saturday.
On a breakaway, however, Liverpool took the lead. I forget exactly how it happened but just when it looked as though we may have cleared our lines and with Howard off his line stranded, the ball fell back to probably the one player we didn?t want it to ? the Liverpool skipper ? who looped the ball back into the net beautifully. 1-0 Liverpool... but enough cause for optimism at the time.
Optimism generally eroded during the rest of the half with just a Stracqualursi header straight at Reina all we had to show for it. Instead, I think Henderson drilled one wide and Liverpool really could have been further ahead before the interval.
At the restart, Everton began on the front foot but again got caught out on the counter-attack, the ball coming to Gerrard. ?Oh fuck? I said as it was obvious what was coming: 2-0. As much as you tried not to believe it, you just couldn?t see a way back from here.
Lord only knows what Moyes and the bench were doing as they tried to decide who to change and when to change it but it all looked quite a circus down there. Quite why it took us so long to change it when it was so evident it needed changing, I just don?t know. The away crowd screamed at Moyes to change it but there just seemed to be no urgency at all. Eventually change he did. Stracqualursi, Anichebe and Coleman replaced by Jelavic, Osman and Drenthe? maybe we should have began the game with something like that team.
It was difficult for the substitutes to get going and they never really did so. A smart move down the right resulted in Rodwell jabbing woefully towards goal and it was cleared away. Jelavic also tucked wide with a decent chance though Fellaini had earlier been flagged offside. There was precious little else by way of attacking threat in front of the Anfield Road End in the second half. Baines and Pienaar tried to combine down the left though always seemed to try and be too clever rather than be direct. On the other side, Drenthe tried his best but lacked any effective support from Tony Hibbert.
Prior to the match, I?d arranged to meet some Liverpool supporting friends of mine and grab a lift back from them. I was supposed to meet them at The Albert but couldn?t handle their smug faces so texted them to let them know I?d be making my own way home with about eight minutes on the clock. All that was left was for some moron in the Main Stand to mimic ?Pushing down walls? at us in reference to the Heysel disaster ? quite how anyone wins with that one I don?t know...
And for Gerrard to take out Pienaar with his elbow but get away with it. Elbow clashes happen ? deliberate or not ? but not at least checking if the lad you?ve just smashed is OK is pretty unforgiveable for me. Instead, Gerrard paraded around as though it was something to be proud of. I do recall him going down in a heap for no reason when jumping with Pienaar a few years ago and getting the South African sent off.
They say cheats never prosper but this one does. He did again tonight, bagging his hat-trick late on. I?d left by then and so have no idea what happened and nor do I ever wish to see it. With Gary and Sue already departed, I took my opportunity to go before stoppage time began and just ran and ran as far away from that nightmare as possible ? only to of course hear a roar as I got away from the ground.
I boarded a bus to get into the city centre. One small dose of humor arrived with Kopites arguing amongst themselves regarding who called who a knobhead as the bus closed in on over-capacity. Back in the centre, another bus later, and I?m home, shortly to bed to switch off from tonight?s nightmare. That was as bad as I can remember from Moyes. A truly abject and disgraceful way to treat such loyal supporters.
Every cloud has a silver lining and all that, and one can only hope that we can lift ourselves to the levels we know we can on Saturday and book another trip to Wembley. Should we accomplish that, I still don?t think I can forgive tonight?s shambles? though it will certainly help.
Player Ratings:
Howard: Made a few decent saves but beaten three times at the end of the day. 5
Baines: Probably worked as hard as anyone but didn?t combine with Pienaar nearly as well as he can do. 5
Jagielka: I can?t believe Moyes rested Heitinga for this game given the form he?s been in. Truly incredible. Jagielka was all at sea in the first half. He improved slightly in the second half but I?d have played Heitinga all day long for this one. 4
Distin: Did alright. Not the worst culprit on the night. 6
Hibbert: Hard to fault him defensively. Hard to defend him offensively. His level of discomfort on the ball is so apparent it?s painful. Offered nothing in attack when we needed better. 5
Fellaini: Didn?t even nearly reach the quality and effort we know he can. 5
Rodwell: Good Lord. What a stinker. A truly inept display. £20 million? Yes please. I?d bite the hand off. 3
Pienaar: My man of the match. Not everything he did worked. Actually very little he did worked but he worked harder than anyone else and was always the most likely to create something for us. 6
Coleman: Not good. I question the wisdom of him playing in a game like this so soon after a tough game against Tottenham. Surely he should have been one of the ones rested given he?s not long back from injury? A poor display. Rightly subbed. 4
Anichebe: The odd thing he did was OK but he just didn?t get going. As with Coleman, simply the wrong game to be plunging him into given he?s returning from injury, particularly as there was no good reason to play him. 5
Stracqualursi: Didn?t get going and looked a bit clumsy rather than classy. He seems to reserve his best appearances for Goodison Park. 5
Substitutes:
Drenthe: Had a go at least. Took his defender on and tried to get a few balls in and some shots away. Should certainly be in the team for Saturday. Presumably will with Pienaar cup-tied. 6
Osman: Tried to get involved but really wasn?t helped by his team mates at all. 6
Jelavic: Showed the odd bust but didn?t hustle enough for me. Expected a bit more from him really, even though it wasn?t the easiest game to come into. 5
Reader Comments
Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer
He doesn't understand how much this game means. How else do you explain this team selection and the complete lack of an apology or even concern in his after match comments.
To all the decent players in the starting 11 (stuck beside players who shouldn't have been playing in THIS game) and to all the players he left off who should have started. I'm not usually a nay-sayer, but fuck Moyes. Really.
If he doesn't understand after this many years how much this fixture matters or he can't send out a team amped up to take on a shit Liverpool team, it's time for him to move on. Really.
A few notions were put to bed forever last night as far as I`m concerned. We don't have the players for 4-4-2 and I don't want to hear we played the wrong 4-4-2, we simply dont have a right one, we are wide open to counter attacks ? usually of our own making ? every time we go with 4 in the middle.
"Drenthe must play" he may be exciting, but he must now have cost us as many goals as he has scored for us,
"Jagielka is a top defender" . . . .
"The reason for us being shite is that Moyes always goes with his favourites Neville, Cahill and Osman".
Today will be fucken murder, My problem here, is there were players out there last night who persistently fucked up ? all three goals a result of our fuck ups ? and they are once again getting away with murder.
Moyes for his part has had a fucken Weston. as someone who has supported him all season, I accept the need to keep players fresh. but last night wasnt the time or the place. This was the Shite, at Anfield FFS.
He enjoyed last weekend - maybe his best - but if he doesnt beat Sunderland the next one may be the worst he has experienced.
We are no strangers to losing to the Shite, we have had much practice during the past 40 years, but this was particularly painful. Inexcusable and avoidable.
If Moyes thinks he can redeem himself in the eyes of many Evertonians by getting to the semi-final of the FA Cup, he`s in for a shock. He`s gonna have to win the fucken thing now.
I work on my own but others don't and those people have to 'face it' this morning. Another disaster in that 10 year reign we hear about. A good CV for Chelsea and Spurs to read up on. Maybe now these media tossers who think Moyes is great will realise just why no 'big club' has came in for him.
Enjoy your day if you can.
I remember looking at the clock and we were about 16 mins in thinking we are seriously in the shit here, so OK I'm a late starter. I'm pretty sure Moyes realized the same but knew not only had he fucked this fixture up if he made three immediate subs he'd probably fuck Saturday up too so left them to the slaughter.
Moyes knows we have to beat Sunderland now, the only way he balance can balance this out is either beating them in the semi or the final.
I keep getting visions of Gerrard sliding on his knees over to the corner after the first, oh God, that's it, I think I really am going to be sick....
Wind very firmly taken out of sails and put into Liverpools.
He may have rested some players and avoided injury but he has now badly damaged confidence and put a huge amount of pressure on saturday's match as anything less than a win will result in full scale rebellion.
God we were shit last night weren't we.
Off to bet on Cheltenham. It speaks volumes when losing money on horses is a more than welcome destruction. Try and replace one horrible feeling with another. Isn't that what they call self harm.....
Woefull performance. Mt season ticket money will not be wasted on that rubbish again.
I understand that he is the manager and apparently he knows better than all of us, but this shite is beyond logic, and an if Moyes isn't taken to task over this then a lot of home truths will be rammed home regarding Moyes role as Everton FC manager.
For years I've thought that certain players, Anichebe mostly, must have a picture of Moyes fucking a goat. After that shit, I think it's Moyes that has the picture, but it's of Bill Kenwright, and it's not a goat, it's a dead goat.
What their starting 11 was last weekend, compared to last night, then given the result last night, what their team is Vs Stoke.
Then compare the build up methods of both teams cum Sat night AND the results of both teams.
Davy I think you've fucked up big time and not for the first ( or even fifth ) time. Nothing but victory in the final will do... and even then there will be a nagging bitter after taste, a reminder of what might've been.
He is not fit to manage this football club! I'm so angry now still after a nights sleep, why do we end teams losing streaks?
How many more tortuous years do we have to put up with this drab, negative and clueless idiot?
The guy thinks he can carry on serving up shit like this on his £65k a week....FUCK OFF MOYES!!!!!
Seamus has "gone", the raw explosive energy and drive has vanished, similarly the vigour and ferocity of "Straq" has evaporated. Not a surprise, too many times players start like gang busters then "something" happens.
Going into games with one or two players not up to it just to hold what you have isn't good management - particularly when you've had 10 yrs at these places.
Anfield Derby - loss - reason Moyes.
Absolute disgrace of a team selection and there can be NO justification from any Everton supporter.
We have to pick our best available team and in no way shape or form was that our best available team.
Heitinga on recent performances should be the first name on the team sheet.
Strac and Vic upfront was joke. Whats the point og having a 5 mill striker, who just scored on Saturday on the bench.
I'd even played Neville last night just for his leadership qualities.
Bad season or not this was a game crying out for Cahil to kick, pull, push and niggle Gerrard. What the fuck was Rodwell up to ??
Everyone was praising Osman for his first half performance behing Jelavic on Saturday, so lets bench him !!
Coleman for Drenthe? Well in a way I see that.
All in all a fucking disgrace and totally at the door of the manager.
The town - and various websites - for the last couple of days have been full of optimism - and rightly so.
When the Shite team was announced the optimism increased tenfold.
5 minutes later Moyes announced our team !! The end of the world !!! Fucking unbelievable !!!
I am so pissed off and gonna be even more so when as the day goes on some arseholes are going to try and justify this team selection !
He has a chairman that will accept any humiliation we've had to suffer in the last ten years, as he provides cover for his lack of investment.
He has a lazy over friendly media who spout his miracle worker, small club punching above their weight narrative
ad-nauseum.
He has ex-players & pundits telling the everyone he's one of the world's best managers & will be successful when he get's his chance at a BIG club.
He has a large percentage of the fan base, who despite what they see with their own eyes week in week out.... either :
A) Beleive all the above bollocks or B) are prepared to accept anything as he brought stabiliy to the club.
The man is arrogant, petulant & self indulgent BUT hey.... if we were sat on 65K a week with the world & his dog telling us how great we were & celebrating our 10 year anniversary... we'd probably beleive our own bullshit too !!!
Last night was about local pride and 3 points towards our quest to finish anonymously again in the league. We lost. I got over the moment the final whistle blew.
If we beat Sunderland then I'll be pleased with Moyes' team selection gamble.
Before the derby I was convinced we'd beat Sunderland on Saturday, now I'm not so sure as the whole focus this week will be about what Moyes did. It's going to be some job lifting the players and supporters before Saturday.
You must be the only supporter I have ever heard of who got over a Derby defeat the moment the final whistle blew !!
I find it quite increadible !
I've been supporting them since the beginning of the 5o's and losing to them ranckles me forever ! I have found that also to be the case for most Everton supporters.
Yes its about local pride - but that means a lot if you're local.
Yes its about 3 mid table points, but its about 3 points that could have put us above them !
As regards Saturdays game. Well thats another day and if modern day players can't recover from a Tuesday game for a weekend game then they need shooting !
It fucking well is if you live and work in Liverpool!
Shameful selection and attitude by Moyes
- be a strange atmosphere pre-kickoff on Sat
Only winning the Cup could possibly justify giving Liverpool such a massive confidence boost and us Blues such a downer
Cowardly and stupid
All those smarmy interviews, all those managers telling him how great he is. No fucking wonder he got too cocky last night.
The one time they are on a losing streak, Queen Kenny about to explode because of recent results, and that cock hands it to them on a plate.
Any goodwill that has been generated in the last few weeks has well and truly evaporated.
How, after ten years, can he under-estimate what that game means ?
I am not even arsed about Saturday, or the Cup. Dick head of the highest order.
I hope your reading all this. Your selection was a disgrace and unforgivable, you sold out. Chickened out, your arrogance is only matched by your stupidity. You once said you would only stay as long as your wanted by the fans.
Guess what? Anything less than a victory on Saturday should be delievered with your resignation ( or sacking) Kenwright won't stand in your way, few will
I can also understand resting Ossie, who is coming back from injury.
But Jelavic, Drenthe and Cahill - I give up. I don't think Davie appreciates how much it would have meant to the fans to go above Liverpool in the league.
Anichebe on the left wing?? Without slagging him off too much, he will only ever be a centre forward. And he is normally blowing for tugs after 30 minutes of a normal league game without the intensity of a derby. In his current shape, having not played too much football, he should be an option off the bench for the last 20 minutes and no more.
As for no Cahill - we need Cahill in the derby for the fire he brings to the team. Rodwell is too nice - and he's a crab, always taking the safe option. Where were the heated battles in the middle of the pitch? Off the top of my head, I can remember Fellaini brushing Andy Carroll off, and Pienaar getting booked for a late challenge, but Coleman and Rodwell were anonymous.
If Davie could have shown a bit more ambition, and gone for it with Drenthe and Jelavic, we might have posed more of a threat and might have beaten them and gone above them in the league. Instead his comments after the game summed it up, when he said he was not disappointed with losing as we managed to beat Spurs the other day - tell that to the fans who paid £50 a ticket Davie.
I can accept getting beat. I can accept resting a few players and giving others game time. I can't accept 6 changes and fielding almost a reserve team against our local rivals, with the prospect of going above them in the league. Let me state now, we will never win at Anfield under Moyes. He hasn't even had a go at them when they've been down to 10 men in the past.
I fear Davie has put all his eggs in one basket for this weekend's game, and that has brought a lot of pressure onto us now. If we lose that one it will have been a catastrophic week.
Them scummy cunts win a trophy and twat us in the derby yet we have the paper hats and sausage and cheese cocktail sticks out for a guy who has stayed on a job for ten years, big deal! They must be laughing their socks off at us.
That game was over before the players took to the pitch and he should accept full responsibility. If the man has spent 10 years at the club and still does not understand what it means for us to hold our own let alone win against Liverpool then it is time to move on.
Apart from his inexplicable team selection the hardest part for me to accept is that Liverpool are not even a decent team and Gerrard who somehow managed to score 3 against us was only a shadow of his former self.
For me it doesn't matter that a number of players had an off night, with the right team selection it could all have been so different and only one person is to blame.
That is the worst shite side I have seen for years and they were there for the taking and he picks a team like that.
FUCK OFF, MOYES.
The more and more I read, the more it becomes so clear that victory on Saturday is the only way that fans will accept Moyes' continuation as manager of Everton.
One eye on the cup! He can Fuck Off ? after he wins it! If that's what it's all about! How astute a manager he is trying to be! WTF!?!... Martinez, Rodgers anyone?
I hear it all the time and don't pay it too much notice but that was bad judgement on a Biblical scale and will take a while for us Blues to get over it!
Last night was the most disgraceful performance of ineptitude i have witnessed from an Everton in a Derby.
I'd pay good money to know the thoughts of Kendall, Royle, Harvey, Reid, Southall, Ratcliffe, Watson, Sharpy, Andy Gray, Big Duncan, Reid, Sheedy et all when they watched that last night.
As for the "People's Club" comment from our leader (spurs you're more than welcome to him), Davey i think it's time you started to speak to the People of Liverpool, the blues everywhere you spoke of back in the beginning of your tenure, to see what they really think of your antics last night.
I was one of Moyes' biggest supporters. Last night was the final nail in the coffin for me. I don't care who gets the job now, 10 years of Moyes, is more than enough.
And Gerrard scored a hat-trick. I've seen some terrbile games in my 25.5 years of being a blue, last night was the worst i can remember. Could it have been any worse than last night?
There's no way back. Hope Spurs take him away in the summer. They can have Kenwright and his board as a sweetener too.
5 more years of this, dear god, please no.
The media maybe building up your legend, but believe me Davey, you're no Everton legend in my book, you never will be, you don't know what that really means.
If i was the chairman you'd be sacked this morning for that, but our true blue born in the ball pen idiot of a chairman won't even read you the riot act this morning. I'd buy the bus to drive you and the players around the city to show you all what we really thought of it.
Moyes you've no idea what you have done to all Evertonians last night and today. You're a disgrace to this club and all that it used to stand for before Kenwright got his hands on it.
That from a very bitter, ashamed, humiliated and embarrassed Evertonian of 25.5 years. Not that it means anything to you as you so clearly demonstrated in your post match interview.
Disgrace. DISGRACE.
Tsk tsk
I'm in agreement entirely with Paul Traill, I don't like to criticise Moyes BUT...
I mentioned the other day that I would wail in abject despair if Heitinga was dropped for Jags. As it turned out I thumped my steering wheel in impotent rage upon hearing the news.
Dropping Drenthe and Jelavic was almost equally inconceivable...and finding out Anichebe was playing - well FUCK THAT - 'lost before we even kicked a ball' was the text I sent out.
Lo and behold the inevitable unfolded.
Useless Coleman and Anichebe kept on for 60 minutes longer than they should have been.
We get two cup finals every season and I simply don't expect us to disgrace ourselves in this fashion.
Trying to defend Moyes today would be to defend the indefensible.
0 out of 10 for the whole fucking shambles.
Because HE IS GUTLESS COWARDLY CUNT of the higest order... that's why!!
That said aside. It's not like we fielded crap players. We have Hibbert - Jagielka - Distin - Baines in defence. THAT is normally our starting defence.
We had Coleman - Rodwell - Fellaini - Pienaar in midfield. That's again is a solid Everton midfield normally.
We then had Strac upfront, who everyone has been raving about and Anichebe who's played well when he's been played this season.
STOP your fucking moaning Everton fans and overeaction. We're gonna beat Sunderland at home, and we're gonna beat Liverpool in the FA Cup. Mark my words.
I'm sick of all the negativity that surrounds the Blueside of Merseyside. Apart from Gerrard, that game had 0-0 written all over it.
"Apart from Gerrard, that game had 0-0 written all over it" is pure, unadulterated comedy gold.
Gerrard was THE main difference on the night.
"We have Hibbert - Jagielka - Distin - Baines in defence. THAT is normally our starting defence. "
Jagielka is NOT match fit. Hibbert hasn't played every week. Hardly our normal staring defence,is it?
"We had Coleman - Rodwell - Fellaini - Pienaar in midfield."
Coleman and Rodwell have recently come back from injury and are nothing like the players they were. Pienaar has had little football since joining Spurs. Again they are not completely match fit and Rodwell has been dire for long enough now. Apart from one great tackle he was completely anonymous.
Whatever some fans have said about Strac he is, basically, out of his depth. Fulham at home, yes, Anfield away, no.
IF we beat Sunderland, and if Moyes picks another crap starting 11 we have no chance, and then we meet the RS in the semi or even the Final, who do you think will be the more confident of the two teams? Us, unable to win at Anfield for ten years, or the Shite, after handing out the usual drubbing to us?
There's no way you can put a shine on that whole match not even telling us how good Liverpool are with the form they have. As has been said and is known, they only beat shite teams and Moyes fielded our shite team last night! Only shite because they are coming back from injury! Form won't be theirs til they're ready! That's how it works!
The RS didn't play great at all. They only played good enough to beat us - and that wasn't much.
You mention defence. One of the few games you want Neville in leading the way is a Derby ? out. Heitinga are best central defender dropped to make way for a long term injured player ? fucking stupid !
Midfield. Coleman a one trick pony and another long term injury absentee in for Drenthe. That makes fucking sense! Rodwell absent long term injury in for the one player who could have upset Gerrard and their midfield big style, Cahill.
Strac ? well, the less said... as long as you want a headless fucking battering ram running around instead of a £5 million goalscorer who has just scored the winner 3 days ago.
Big Vic, another long-term absentee who has the skill of a dead fucking cat. Let's play him before Osman who had great reviews over his first half performance against Spurs when played just behind Jelavic.
If we'd had our so called " best eleven " out how do you know we'd even have gone 1-0 down? Gerrard was the main difference on the night cos fucking Moyes's team selection let him fucking be!!!
Mike
Even if it were true, I would still be pissed off with Moyes. He just fell a mile in my estimation. Your most important game should always be your next game, no excuses. Two months of hard work just wasted on an unbelievable joke of a team selection.
Moyes should offer to pay all the supporters who turned up last night for the wasted match tickets. All that shit about taking 20% pay cuts is just more hot air.
Oh the humanity!
Still feel sick now, sold down the river Mr Moyes. Win the FA Cup and no doubt you will be forgiven. Don't ever put us in that position again. From the moment I saw the team sheet I knew we were fucked.
Get over it ? it will take me days, if not weeks.
Add Your Comments
In order to post a comment to Column articles, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.
Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.
Top of the Page
555 Posted 14/03/2012 at 02:13:24
Report abuse
Disagree on Pienaar though I thought he had a nightmare. nothing he did came off and he was a liability with his sloppy passing.