FAN ARTICLES
Another Oz topping the charts?
Comments (36) : After recently scouring through the famous books of our illustrious history/the archives section of the website, I stumbled upon a section listing Everton's goal-scoring achievements.
The archive lists Everton's top 3 or 4 goalscorers in every season since the founding of the football league, something that makes for interesting reading on it's own merits. It delighted me to see the names of Dean, Lawton, Vernon, Pickering, Royle, Latchford, Sharp and Lineker topping the charts for their respective seasons, and in more recent years Cottee, Kanchelskis and Ferguson.
The club's top scorer for each season is remembered and honoured over those that come runners up, and rightly so. Yet looking at our most recent history I noticed the same name cropping up, not for his appearances at No 1 but for his ever presence within the top 3 goalscorers since his arrival at the club.
This man has been a member of this top 3 club every season since he came to L4 in 2004, netting no less that 7 goals in any given season. Consider that this has been achieved by a midfielder, and you get a better understanding of this man's importance to the club. "Can yer tell who it is yet?" If that didn't give it away you should be ashamed...
Tim Cahill, of course, is the man dominating these charts season after season. The fact that he is such an ever-present is testimony to the greatest thing to come out of Oz since Kylie Minogue. It also highlights his importance to Everton, a sentiment I would like to voice loud and clear amid recently hearing various Blues calling for the Aussie to be benched.
Tiny Tim netted a remarkable 12 goals in his debut season at Goodison Park. Bear in mind that the 04-05 season was his first season in the Premier League, then 'remarkable' really does fit the bill.
His second season yielded 8 goals ? not a bad return, and his third campaign saw the ex Milwall man contribute 7. Think back to the 06-07 season and you will remember that Cahill suffered two serious injuries: one in November at home to Aston Villa ? no thanks to his then team mate Lee Carsley- thanks Lee; the other towards the end of the season (March I think) against Sheff Utd. Who was the culprit on that occasion? If I'm not mistaken it was brought about by our now very own Phil Jagielka... thanks Phil.
But we forgive and forget, and 7 goals in those circumstances is by no means a bad haul for a midfielder. The next season he broke the 10 goal mark, the season after he recorded 9 and last season he came runner up to Louis Saha with another 10.
Cahill is a natural goalscorer. I don't think any of us are naive enough to say that he is a great footballer; technically, he comes way down the pecking order in those charts headed by Arteta and Pienaar. But he has proven, year-in, year-out that he can and will score around 10 goals a season. Take Cahill out of the team and you take away this amount of goals and God knows how many points to go with them.
Tim Cahill is a vital part of this team, and if we have any hopes of finishing at the business end of the table this year, then we'll need Cahill to be once again at the top of our scoring table.
"I Should Be So Lucky"?...with this Aussie, luck has nothing to do with it.
Reader Comments (36)
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2 Posted 19/08/2010 at 01:26:50
One of the modern players you'd just love to have a pint with. :)
3 Posted 19/08/2010 at 02:13:29
4 Posted 19/08/2010 at 02:23:34
Good player though.
5 Posted 19/08/2010 at 08:54:32
6 Posted 19/08/2010 at 09:06:17
Limited footballer with his feet but one I would always want in the side.
7 Posted 19/08/2010 at 10:06:32
He just doesn't really fit as well into our more cultured (supposedly) style of football at the moment as touch and passing are probably the weakest parts of his game. Also has been mentioned before his aerial prowess can actually encourage the useless hoofball we saw last Saturday.
Yes, he is annoying to play against, but so is paul dickov. Doesn't mean I want him in my starting 11.
Yes he scores around 10 goals a season but considering he plays predominantly as a second striker this is the minimum we'd expect surely?
As for 80% of all defensive headers...seems generous to me.
Love the guy, but I for one would prefer to see Billy start in that role this weekend with Timmy being my first planned substitution if things aren't working out.
8 Posted 19/08/2010 at 11:03:09
9 Posted 19/08/2010 at 11:05:51
Sam Hoare what a ridiculous and uneducated comment you have just made.
If you are 12 then I don't expect any genuine sense; if you're 25 you should know better; if you're 60 then I respect your thoughts being a veteran.
Tim Cahill is more to us than Duncan Ferguson was. Look at the stats, look at him off the field. SHOOT ME DOWN.
10 Posted 19/08/2010 at 11:08:04
Please don't mention Paul Dickov in the same breath as Tim Cahill with regards football. Cahill is a proven international footballer who has a 1 in every 2 record for his country and has scored in consecutive world cup tournaments.
Also, if you were to keep a record of who clears the majority of the corners everton concede this season i bet you will see 80% is not being generous.
Also, is it really Tim Cahill's fault if our defenders punt the ball down the pitch to him? Is it not more a fault of the defenders for not playing a more simpler ball into the midfield were our more creative players can dsevelop the play?
11 Posted 19/08/2010 at 11:24:48
Expected this.
Eric- yes, true. And its not his fault. However i do think that his main talent being in the air is not helpful to our new style of play. Did you see last saturday?
Charlie- Don't know what to say as you accuse me of being a 12 year old without actually making any exact criticisms.
David- I am not of course comparing Cahill directly to Dickov. Just pointing out that being a nuisance on the pitch while useful is not anywhere near enough. We usually have about 8 defenders for set pieces...80%?! Really?! Maybe 40% at a push. Which is impressive and is one reason I love timmy. And yes, it is the defenders fault.
12 Posted 19/08/2010 at 12:53:12
13 Posted 19/08/2010 at 13:44:42
14 Posted 19/08/2010 at 14:09:35
The technical ability to perfom that skill is something to be admired. Of course he should always be in the starting 11. Preferably in the 'Cahill' position.
15 Posted 19/08/2010 at 14:00:19
Yes he's been an important player and fantastic servant for Everton, popping up regularly with match winning goals and his enthusiasm and endeavour are there for all to see. However, he is without doubt the least technically proficient of our current midfield players (note I am not classing Phil Neville as a midfielder) and is no longer as crucial to the side as he once was.
For years Moyes has stubbornly persisted with a rigid 4-5-1 formation, partly to accomodate Cahill in his favoured position playing just off the front man. When deployned in central midfield he has often looked lost and simply ran around giving away needless fouls and contributing little else but nuisance value. The strict adherence to this 'Cahill' formation means that we are often extremely predictable in our play.
There is no reason why we should be so reliant on Tim anymore and he should not be slavishly selected simply because he is one of Moyes favoured sons. We now have a number of players capable of sharing the goal scoring burden from midfield. Bilyetdinov, Arteta, Rodwell, Fellaini, Pienaar, and even Osman will all get their fair share and all of them are much more comfortable on the ball than Cahill.
We're continually being told that this is the best squad Moyes has ever had, so let's utilise it. If certain opposition call for Cahill's tenacity, arial ability and aggression then play him. If a more patient, passing game is required, or a 4-4-2 formation looks to be the better option, then bench him.
16 Posted 19/08/2010 at 15:20:55
Agree wholeheartedly.
18 Posted 19/08/2010 at 15:54:31
I agree he should not be an automatic starter unless form and circumstances permit. I hold that view for everyone of Everton's squad... No point having a squad that permits competition if that is not brought to bear. For example, I would prefer to throw on a fit and hungry James Vaughan pretty damn sharpish if Louis Saha is not putting the required effort in.
The point re comparing Dunc to Cahill is also relevant. Big Dunc was also a hero of his time, that time being perennial relagation battles mainly of course.
If onwards and upwards is the direction, then competition for squad places must be evident by means of playing form players on merit; fuck knows why Coleman was not even on the bench vs Blackburn, he would have been a valuable sub in my view and as we were losing we had nothing to lose either. Nothing ventured and nothing gained, as seen last week, sadly.
More attacking verve needed against another opposition on Saturday who will be happy with a point so need to be got at from the off in my view. Go for it, Davey!
Editorial Team
19 Posted 19/08/2010 at 17:14:45
20 Posted 19/08/2010 at 17:36:09
Plus take Cahill out of the current team and who's going to hold the ball up?
21 Posted 19/08/2010 at 18:43:54
Coleman.
22 Posted 19/08/2010 at 18:47:21
He will always be an Everton legend though.
23 Posted 19/08/2010 at 19:18:42
That advantage of course is that defenders never know where that player is going to be on the football pitch so that they can mark and close down. This is why Cahill is not only the guy who will always be picked when fit, but for Everton this is our man that no opposing manager will be able to give his team and strategy evaluation a concerted way to eliminate Cahill from his team talk.
As a loyal non hassle Evertonian, then yeah the guy is getting very near to all-time Evertonian legend.
Stay with him, Davey. Build around him he is the real Neville.
24 Posted 19/08/2010 at 20:26:12
Like Joe Carroll points out just look at the facts, the guy is a legend and would be one of the first names on the team sheet for me. A true goalscorer who you also get the impression would play anywhere he was asked for our club and even more importantly a damn proud Evertonian. You'll do for me, Timmy lad. NSNO
25 Posted 19/08/2010 at 21:01:56
26 Posted 19/08/2010 at 21:13:30
Maybe I'm getting the wrong end of the stick here when you talk about his influence waning but for me, I think Timmy's style of influence on games is his never-say-die spirit and lifting of team mates and ultimately sticking the ball in the back of the net, which in my eyes and when I have watched him has never waned.
He may not have the ball playing skill and vision of say Arteta or Pienaar (although his sublime through ball for Pienaar at the Emirates last season says maybe im doing him a disservice there) but I think he still has a hell of a lot to offer the team and, at 30, still has at least a good two or three years in him.
27 Posted 19/08/2010 at 22:11:45
Okay, then perhaps I shouldn't have said waned... I should instead have said "completely disappeared" ? because that's what he did against Blackburn. In that game, he did nothing like what you describe, which begs the whole question on the thread...
28 Posted 19/08/2010 at 22:22:08
Against Blackburn Arteta, Fellaini and Piennar did sod all as well. Maybe their powers have "completely disappeared" as well.
29 Posted 19/08/2010 at 23:09:07
30 Posted 20/08/2010 at 01:02:06
31 Posted 20/08/2010 at 05:30:43
COYB!!!
32 Posted 20/08/2010 at 05:37:38
Here's a thought for you (and David Moyes... but I know his mind is elsewhere): play Cahill off the bench!
He'd be fresher, when opposition players are getting tired or jaded. He can do something very different from the other starters... what a concept.
In his six-season league career at Everton, Cahill has been used as a sub by Moyes on just three occasions.
33 Posted 20/08/2010 at 08:55:57
34 Posted 20/08/2010 at 12:51:44
35 Posted 20/08/2010 at 11:40:30
Of course, I accept it could work both ways, and I guess that is the crux of squad rotation, one game Bily starts and Cahill gets to come on fresh and in another the opposite happens. This is not something that I think Moyes is used to, although he has moaned in the past that most/many Premier League games are won by the substitutes and Everton have rarely had the bench to change games. I think we can agree that a bench with Bily/Cahill, Yakubu/Saha, Beckford, Gueye and maybe Coleman, Osman/Anichebe or someone else gives game changing options. It's up to Moyes now to show he can use them.
Incidentally, my post refers to the players we have. With 12 or so days to go and loan players seemingly available around Europe, I think we're still two players short of the squad we need. I've referred to them in the past as Kanchelskis and Bergkamp. Obviously two players of that quality will make anyone better, but I'm really talking about the position they play in. We need a new starting right winger, and a new starting 'off-the-striker' capable of dropping off the opponents back four and offering the 'triple threat' of pass shoot dribble. Cahill doesn't really offer any of them and does his best work off the ball, making runs for others to create. If we're to genuinely improve, the 'Cahill' position should be the most creative person in the team, whereas he's one of the least.
36 Posted 20/08/2010 at 15:06:52
Hence the punch-up with the corner flag I suppose?
To say that TC is "not a footballer" is doing him a gross injustice.
37 Posted 20/08/2010 at 16:11:59
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1 Posted 19/08/2010 at 00:53:26
The scourge of opposition managers, we vastly miss him when he's not playing.
Legend.