FANS COMMENT

Inept and without ability!!!

What did City do? They stopped Arteta (or he didn't fancy the match) and we were pathetic as a result. A first half that we controlled in terms of possession, but a first half that showed the failings and inability of too many players. What did the midfield do? How many chances did they create? Did anyone who was sitting there actually expect us to score? Well, I know all those around me knew we wouldn't score with that team.

I sat higher in the stands today than I do at GP and saw a sad truth of many of the players. Davies ambles around only ever reacting never anticipating. He makes tokenism look a fine art, doesn't really want to defend and only pretends to tackle, and as for his bad points...

Osman is a powder puff, he is lightweight and totally ineffective. Yes, he's got quick feet, but the episode by the touch-line late on when he tried to go outside the defender only to be gently eased out of the way sums him up — no pace, no strength. He is completely out of his depth in a team where huffing and puffing is our watchword. What does he contribute? The goal was made by Arteta's quick thinking, Neville's good run and even I would have scored — however it was a good job it was Osman and not Beattie!

Carsley — the unsung hero!?! Bollocks — he's a no brainer with no skill and no ability. He sits in front of the two best centre halfs we've had for some time — WHY??? — and then hoofs the ball in whichever direction he is facing. Today, because City were so crap, he had countless opportunities with the ball at his feet to go forward; for Christ's sake, he plays in midfield — not as a sweeper! What did he do? Go sideways or backwards and more often than not with poor passes.

I was always taught to pass in front of the player so that he can move forward; watch how many times our players spend the first two touches from his passes getting the ball under control. He constantly puts us on the back-foot and not moving forward.

Sure, Carsley gets some tackles in, but shouldn't a midfield player of supposed international repute be able to see and make a forward pass at least once a game? And should he not be able to pass consistently to his own players? The man is an average Championship hacker and no more. Compare him to anyone (apart from the last 8 years) in a midfield of the past, would he even have got on the bench?

Beattie — well, words can't express the frustration and anger at watching a six-foot-something centre-forward making a more than passable imitation of a ballerina. He runs 10 yds to attack a ball like a ballerina and then misses the ball and falls to the ground like a dying swan. The boy has the size and physique to be a real centre forward but plays like a poor man's Emile Heskey!!!

Tactics and the manager. Well, Evrton we came out early at the start of the second half, aimlessly kicked the ball around for a few minutes waiting for City, got cold and as a result started slowly and handed them the impetus. What manager and coaching staff worth their salt would allow that to happen? Even at semi-pro level, somebody would have been on making sure they were still fired up ready for the second half. Whos fault? probably not DM directly but shambolic non the less. P> So we go a goal down and he tries to change tactics. First he swaps Arteta and Davies over; that doesn't work, then he swaps Osman and Arteta over and that doesn't work. It's the players not the positions!!! Then he decided to make a substitution but dithers so long we are two behind and he's forced in to two substitutions. Spends another 3 mins telling McFadden what to do, why not put Anichebe on whilst he sorts McFadden out? It's a straight swap!!! Then McDiabolical comes on and forgot to put a Royal Blue shirt on cos every pass goes to someone in sky blue. Why swap players over? If they are performing badly get them off, they are very unlikely to improve just because they are running on different blades of grass !!!

So his tactics are - wait for it .... play exactly the same way but with different players! If these players had been good enough to win the match then why weren't they playing from the start? Had he got his team selection wrong in the first place or is he unable to actually think differently? Make your own mind up, I know what I think.

The team has no midfield apart from Arteta, and do we have any on the bench? No; two defenders and two forwards. Why is Weir on the bench? Club captain, old pro, blah de blah. If we are winning, you don't take defenders off, and most certainly nobody would put a centre-half in midfield would they??? (Apart from at Portsmouth and that was a resounding success wasn't it?) We have defensive cover and forward cover 'cos McLiability is no way a midfield player. So what is he thinking about with his bench? Is Weir's pension linked to his last year of earnings and he's on a squad bonus? cos its the only reason I can see for having a centre half sitting there who's 35+, slow and doesn't play.

So what will happen in January? Well, we all know ... Jack Shitt. He's waiting for Cahill, our creative, passing, tackling, shooting, running midfielder to return. Sorry, I may have over-egged that — he really is a good runner.

Am I pissed off and disillusioned? Guess what!!!

Responses:

I'm just writing in response to Mr Jim Hourigan's description of watching his first ever Everton game at City and his clear disapointment at the result. Now I know he doesnt mention its his first ever game but I am making an assumption as that is what the points he raises lead me to. He starts off by attacking everyones favourite whipping of the moment, Simon Davies. Now I like Davies but Im not blinded by that, he hasnt lived up to expectations, but to say he doesnt like to defend or tackle is very harsh in my opinion, the one single thing that Davies cant be criticised for is his effort and commitment, he constantly tracks back and makes tackles in the games Ive seen him play in, its simply that he has no confidence, no first touch and an inability to pass to a team mate, this may all come if he ever gets his confidence back but for me its now a big if.

"Osman is powderpuff, lightweight and totally ineffective" Crikey, someone get this man a job as scout for the club, he's really picked up on something there !! Of course hes lightweight, he's 5ft nothing, totally ineffective, no way ! Was Mr Hourigan saying this a few seasons ago when Ossie was a regular in the team that finished fourth in the league, was he lightweight then ? Osman has good vision, a fantastic first touch and scores goals from midfield, personally I see him as a squad player but you have to look at our midfield, Cahill out, van der Meyde cant cope with 2 games in 2 days at the moment so what does it leave you with ?

"Carsley the unsung hero !?! Bollocks !" Again Mr Hourigan has picked up on something everyone knows, Lee Carsley isnt the greatest footballer in the world. Nearly every Everton fan is calling for that strong holding type midfield player at the moment just as last season we were calling for a pacy goalscoring striker. Carsley plays because he is the best at that in our squad, unless of course he would prefer we play Davies there ? Then we come to one of the biggest fan dividers we have had at the club since err, James McFadden, namesake James Beattie. At his best he's practically unplayable, at his worst he's like a fat useless Bambi on ice. Beatts is at his best when he's playing regularly and with confidence, he hasnt been and is paying the price. Its hard to defend him now though because this all stems from him coming back to pre season overweight, he's still capable of scoring ten goals this season IF he gets fit and IF he gets a run of games.

Moyes tactics and his dreadful idea of swapping players positions round, somehow I get the feeling that if he hadnt even tried that Mr Hourigan would be criticising him for doing nothing. Well as Ive alread mentioned in this post, we dont have many midfielders, as Mr Hourigan doesnt rate Carsley, Davies and Osman and they are basically first choice midfielders who exactly does he expect Moyes to bring off the bench ? This actually ties in nicely with his criticism of who was on the bench, with Cahill and van der Meyde out we are left with Carsley, Davies, Arteta, Osman to make up our midfield, so tell me, who exactly is Moyes suposed to put on the bench ? Would Hughes for example have any more influence being on the bench than Weir ? Should we have tried Kissock to bring him on for Osman(He makes Leon look like Arnold Scharzenegger). I suppose that at a stretch you could say our mystery Brazilian player Da Silva but as hes not even on the OS squad list, not really been mentioned by Moyes and has generally been shrouded in mystery I wouldnt be at all surprised if I never saw him in an Everton shirt. So basically we put out as good as we had available against City, and being as they are one of the ten or so clubs that we are battling with for a finish between 5th and 15th and we were away, we lost. Probably a slightly over simplified statement but I'll stand by it.

What will happen in January, Jack Shit, not quite, Bill will ring his hands, say he will make ever last penny he can get his hands on available to Moyes(£4.52p) and that he is still looking for investment 24/7 (the four years or so now with no sleep is probably the reason he missed out on the investment oppurtunities that Villa, Pompey, West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpoo didnt). David will say he tried, but the players he wants either werent available or not at the right price and we will soldier on hoping Cahill comes back in the same form that he was in pre injury and that Beatts goes on his seasonal 10 game run where he is actually effective

Am I pissed off at losing to City, of course I am, am I realistic and objective... I'll leave that for you to decide.
Gary Carter

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