FAN ARTICLES

Problem #1 ? our best are doing nothing

By Mike Gaynes :  18/09/2010 :  Comments (21) :

All those points are valid. All those criticisms are appropriate. But they all overlook the biggest problem of all.

A team is only going to go as far as its BEST players will take it. And our best are playing very, very poorly. It?s utterly ridiculous to keep complaining about Everton?s weaknesses when the number one issue is that our strengths are nowhere to be seen. I see 20 mentions of Osman and Hibbert for every one I see of far greater disappointments, like:

Arteta ? captain? Spanish wizard? Outside of the magic moment against Man U, Mikkie has been just plain awful. His long passes have been short or wild, his decision-making poor, his inspiration and leadership nil. He?s still trying to pick out runners wide, but he either drops the ball on the defender?s head or sprays it into touch. Today, late in the game, he picked up the ball on the right side with a clear path to the center, but instead turned back outside to his right foot and walked into three defenders. Five seconds later, Newcastle were pouring back upfield with only the magnificent Distin to stop them. Arteta is supposedly Everton?s best. He has not remotely looked it.

Pienaar ? and where is the Toffees? tireless inspiration? He appears to be operating at three-quarter speed. His once-precise crosses are flying 20 yards long. He?s turning into traffic instead of choosing space. His relentless pursuit of the ball (remember when he could seemingly get the ball off anyone?) is now coming fruitless. And his by-play with Baines is nowhere to be found. Eight months ago, Pienaar with the ball at his feet, running at defenders, was cause for panic in the back. Not now.

Heitinga ? I really thought the Netherlands? crusading World Cup hero would displace Distin and pair with Jags to form the best central defensive partnership in the Prem. Foolish me. He?s a disaster. He was easily trounced for the goal today, acting as if he didn?t know (or care) that Ben Arfa was left-footed, and Newscastle midfielders repeatedly rampaged through his territory unimpeded. Heitinga?s endlessly surly visage and his scowls at his teammates for not providing him the ball (ridiculous, considering he does nothing when he gets it) help neither the team nor the game.

Jagielka and Howard ? England?s man in the middle? America?s shot-stopping genius? Yes, when there?s someone to stop. But they both suffer from the same disease ? call it Clearance Catastrophe. With the ball at their feet and pressure approaching, they frighten all of us. You just hope that the misdirected disposal will benefit from a happy accident and go to one of ours. Today most of them seemed to go straight to Barton.

Saha ? Saha? Anybody seen Saha? Even when he was healthy?

So... criticize Moyes and the rest of the usual suspects all you want. The fact is that, as long as our best players are (except for Cahill) bumbling like church leaguers, we?re going nowhere ? no matter who else Moyes puts on the pitch, or where.

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