FANS COMMENT

A positive spin

I watched the "AJ rubs their noses in it" derby match last night. We were top of the table at the final whistle, and everything was coming up roses. I then tried to find a reason for the current malaise which has infected our season.

The beginning of this season was better than I can ever remember, after 22 years of supporting Everton. A home win on the first day, battling back from a goal down against Blackburn, an unbelievable away win at White Hart Lane and then the amazing derby victory. The whole club were on such a high. So how did things start to slide?

First of all, the number of international breaks at the start of the season could be held responsible for disrupting any rhythm the team had built up. And obviously, the number of injuries we have sufferred have had a massive impact. From the team that played Liverpool, we are currently missing Phil Neville, Gary Naysmith, Tim Cahill, Mikel Arteta and Tony Hibbert, all of whom are arguably first choice picks.

But the main reason for the slide, in my opinion, is psychological. And this was witnessed in the game immediately following the derby. David Moyes sent out exactly the same eleven to play Wigan, a team who were struggling desperately at the time, and we outplayed them for large portions of the game. However, we failed to kill them off despite twice going ahead, and the game petered out into a tame draw.

In the weeks that followed, we were unlucky to see Ameobi's goal ruled onside, and then exactly the same scenario as Wigan occurred against Man City. We batterred them, we scored, we capitulated. The team just don't seem to have the psychological strength to believe that they can win a game, and sometimes David Moyes's defensive tactics just seems to invite pressure onto ourselves.

And since then we have scraped a few away draws, lost to Villa at home, and won a few home games that, from the outset, we should have won easily. But despite this, the goals are drying up and confidence beginning to wane.

Against West Ham, however, the pattern changed. Instead of scoring then capitulating, we scored and then James Vaughan got a clinching goal at the death! How rarely does that happen? That feeling of relief at the ball sails into the net to give us more than the usual one-goal cushion.

Could this be because we actually had four strikers on the pitch at the time, rather than just Andy Johnson sitting in the centre circle? Due to the major midfield injuries, David Moyes was forced to field an attacking line-up, filled with players who were not skilled at the negative keep-ball tactic and whose instinct instead is to attack whenever possible.

Clearly, Arteta, Hibbert, Naysmith and Cahill and maybe Leon Osman will be missing for a while, so the current team is all we have. Whilst I yearn to have all those players back fit, the fact that we seem to be left with central defenders and attackers may yet reap some benefits. Mainly, goals.

We have some really tough games over the next couple of weeks — Portsmouth away, Chelsea at home and Reading away. The battle for 4th spot in the league is incredibly tight at the moment, and we are still very much in the mix, but a few poor results could see us left behind and sucked into the Middlesborough morass of mediocrity.

Responses:

I want what Joe is smoking.... 'Due to the major midfield injuries, David Moyes was forced to field an attacking line-up, filled with players who were not skilled at the negative keep-ball tactic and whose instinct instead is to attack whenever possible.'

So, attacking football is about giving the ball to Alan Stubbs or Tim Howard who then hoof it 80 yards to the opposition goalkeeper while AJ runs around in circles? Of course.... why hadn't I thought of that before. Holland in 1974 lost the World Cup because of all that fannying around dribbling and passing the ball.

Total Football is dead, long live High Goal Efficiency Route One Football! Let Moyes and his six centre-back approach be the future of Everton FC. Nurse!!!
Mark Wynne, Bury St Edmonds

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