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Boring, boring Everton?

By Mike Oates :  11/11/2010 :  Comments (36) :
If you watched Match of the Day last night, you would have noticed that Everton were last on again, and once again I?d expect a lot of anti-BBC comments from all Everton based fan sites. But if you actually take off your blue tinted glasses you can really see that our games have become boring to watch.

It?s started to be brought to our attention in articles, and e.mails on this site alone, the predictability, slowness, lack of cutting edge to Everton?s play this season. We all ranted it was lack of fit forwards or new forwards who weren?t up with Premier League quality standards. Well while the statement has credibility, the real reason we don?t score is that we don?t create clear-cut chances.

We don?t test opposing keepers, we don?t shoot from distance, we don?t use set-pieces well enough, we don?t attack with pace, but we do play neat on the ground (or as Ken Buckley would state in his excellent columns ?joined-up") football. But there is no exciting end product. We can retain the ball, develop pretty shape moves, open up spaces but ? as has been said on thousands of occasions ? it finishes at the edge of the opponents box.

If you looked at the other Premier League match highlights last night, even the likes of Wolves, Blackburn, Villa, Blackpool and West Ham created good chances, tested the opposing keepers. Their games had excitement; ours didn?t ? it was like a morgue at Goodson at times last night. How many times did Arteta and Pinnear stride towards the edge of their box and try to play a neat little pass instead of taking responsibility and having a go?

I don?t know the answer, we don?t want a return to hoofball but we do need quicker movement, the more skilful players taking responsibility to take men on, shoot, one-touch football. Our aim to get into Europe will fail if Moyes doesn?t resolve the issue quickly, and if he doesn?t, or can't, expect us to remain last billing on Match of the Day ? as we don?t deserve anything better. Neutrals want goals, excitement, we are not providing either at the moment.

Reader Comments (36)

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Matthew Lovekin
1 Posted 11/11/2010 at 14:53:27
Why our most creative player, Arteta, is playing so deep, baffles me.

Moyes should insist he earns his £75k p/w by creating and scoring more goals. Tell him to play further up the pitch where he can do some damage instead of picking the ball up off the defenders and playing simple 10-yard passes sideways.

I would prefer to see Arteta in Cahill's role as the playmaker of the team, similar to where Sneijder, Ozil and Van der Vaart play. Although Cahill has been arguably our best player so far this season, he lacks the creative spark in that position that we need.
Guy Hastings
2 Posted 11/11/2010 at 14:53:54
Just returned from HMV where they've got five four-disc boxed sets of Premier League matches. I wasn't surprised to discover that we lose in all but one of our featured matches - the exception being the 4-4 against Leeds. I didn't stay to check if we're the last ones featured on each disc.
Terry Beeken
4 Posted 11/11/2010 at 15:26:05
Fair comment, Mike, but i think it comes from the fact that we have good ball-playing midfielders and a lack of cutting edge. Moyes has taken Everton to a certain level and I think he wants the flair direct players (Donovan) but doesn't have the finances to buy us that £20million cutting-edge striker/speedy winger.

You can say Blackpool/Blackburn are having exciting end-to-end matches but their style is different to ours, we keep the ball and probe and prod for openings... we just lack the killer ball. Other than the top teams (Man Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea), I don't think anyone keeps the ball as well as us (Villa away).

Max Main
5 Posted 11/11/2010 at 15:38:04
Mike ? I completely disagree. We're not at all boring to watch right now. I don't think so, and pundits don't think so... and yeah, that's a generalisation and I have no evidence, but if you ever watch Soccer Saturday etc, the person on our game is always raving about how well we're playing these days.

As for last night, here's the total shots tally from each of the games:
City - United - 10
Villa - Blackpool - 27
Chelsea - Fulham - 23
Everton - Bolton - 24 (15 of which were from Everton)
Newcastle - Blackburn - 10
West Ham - West Brom - 23
Wigan - Liverpool - 16
Wolves - Arsenal - 21

As you can see, there were more shots in our game than any other except Villa - Blackpool. Not sure how that can be seen as a boring game. My point is that whilst our finishing has been poor recently, we have still been getting shots in, and our moves do not always "finish at the edge of the opponent's box".

I don't know how anyone could call us boring right now. Really baffles me.
Andrew Ellams
7 Posted 11/11/2010 at 16:05:31
There was nothing boring about the Blackpool game on Saturday.
Jimmy Hacking
8 Posted 11/11/2010 at 16:08:20
Give us £600 million to spend on players like Abramovich gave Chelsea, or the infinite magic money-well that exists in Harry Redknapp's office, and I bet we won't play such boring football.

And I'm sick of hearing about how "entertaining" Blackpool are by all the patronising journalist wankers; they are living a charmed life at the moment. The goals will soon come flooding in and they can play all the pretty little football they want in the Championship or lower. They remind me of West Brom under Mobray and Swindon in '94. Who gives a shite?
Jay Harris
10 Posted 11/11/2010 at 16:20:37
Roger the point is they didnt.

My Dad who is a lifelong Evetonian since 1930 calls us the "Nearly" team.

We nearly got a great goal.

We nearly got 3 points.

We nearly finished above the RS.

We nearly won the cup.

The point is we didnt and all the pretty football in the world is no good unless you can score goals and keep clean sheets.

Neither of which we're very good at at the moment.
Nick Entwistle
11 Posted 11/11/2010 at 16:38:38
Blackpool game was a corker! We're playing good in the build up, really good. When we can get a guy to start lashing the ball, we'll be on fire!
Tony J Williams
12 Posted 11/11/2010 at 16:55:13
We need players to have a dig (not Joey Barton style) at goal. Simple as that.

I can guarrantee that had Kevin Davies been in the positions Pienaar/Cahill/Bily/Arteta had last night he would have shot on sight... and more likely than not scored a chance or two.
Lee Kidd
13 Posted 11/11/2010 at 17:06:54
We're actually really entertaining to watch right now. The football in midfield and down the flanks is great. The goals aren't following it though.

The best comparison I've heard of us thus far is "the poor man's Arsenal". I think that's a pretty apt description.
Ged Simpson
14 Posted 11/11/2010 at 17:20:30
I have now started a weird campaign to applaud Baines in every post match thread.

Bear with me......may be a senior moment !

Nelaj Behajiha
16 Posted 11/11/2010 at 17:30:05
Classic fucking Everton performance under Moyes Cahill,Felaini and Arteta playing fucking defensive midfield against Bolton at home.
Jon Cox
17 Posted 11/11/2010 at 17:19:58
As with the Blackpool game and last nights, we seem by all accounts to be getting in quite a few shots.

Hardly the point if most are scuffed, weak or miss the mark altogether. It's making the other teams keepers work, and at the moment we just aren't doing this with enough menacing regularity.

The approach play is all well and good but if we do it at such a slow pace as to allow the other team to get 11 men behind the ball then whats the point.

I dont believe our strikers are rubbish I think our tactics are and should be reviewed PDQ !!
Brian Waring
18 Posted 11/11/2010 at 18:52:12
I see Beckford has been dropped from the squad for Sunday's game, and been fined a weeks wages for having a shot on goal, even though it went in.
Jon Cox
19 Posted 11/11/2010 at 20:07:33
Brian, I've heard he's in court tomorrow...

Charged with bringing the Everton way of life into disrepute.
David Price
20 Posted 11/11/2010 at 20:11:44
Just managed to get the minutes for Wednesdays match of the day pre- screening meeting.

Producer:
Ok chaps, here?s how we?ll go tonight, Lineker, pin back your lugholes and listen please.
Well obviously we will start with Man Utd v Man City.

Lineker:
Er Boss? The game was fucking crap, it should be on last.

Producer:
Look here trouble maker luvey, I?ve been supporting Man Utd for as long as Arsenal stopped winning things and besides they are playing Man City with all those superstars plus I just love the close ups on Mancini to check his new suit. Simply divine.
Then we?ll follow with Chelsea, because they are so multi cultural London and represent our society perfectly.

Lineker:
But that was shite too and should be next to last.

Producer:
Talk to the hand Gary darling, the ears aren?t listening.
After that people, we?ll go in goals scored order leaving enough time at the end for review of Spurs and a detailed Harry Redknapp interview.

Lineker:
That means Liverpool then Everton on last boss, again, what the fuck?

Producer:
Tosh sweetie, Capital of Culture my arse, roll the credits boys.
Matt Hunter
21 Posted 11/11/2010 at 20:40:44
Hi guys, this is a copy of the e.mail I have just sent to the BBC:
I feel the time has come to draw attention to the appalling bias that is shown on Match of the Day against Everton Football Club.

These are the times spent showing Everton highlights and position in terms of match order that Everton have been shown on MOTD excluding Sunday fixtures this season:

V Blackburn Rovers
7th/8.... 3 mins and 21 secs

V Wolverhampton
7th/7(Last) 5 mins and 36 secs

V Man. Utd
1st/ 8 11 mins and 46 secs

V Newcastle
4th/ 7 6 mins 53 secs

V Fulham
5th/6 4 mins 11 secs

V Birmingham
3rd/7 5 mins 40 secs

V Tottenham
6th/ 7 6 mins 3 secs

V Stoke
6th/ 6 (Last) 4 mis 37 secs

V Blackpool
5th/7 7 mins 12 secs

V Bolton
8th/8 (Last) 4 mins 49 secs

I also note that the editing of the highlights has been biased against Everton, I attend the matches and as such see the full game, I also watch Sky?s Football First highlights which last 50 minutes, however the MOTD highlights are always edited to make it appear that Everton have been outplayed often leaving out many Everton chances and focusing intentionally on the other team chances. In fact, such was the laughable highlights shown on Saturday the 6th of November against Blackpool, I heard one Everton fan comment that he would never watch MOTD again due to the bias you show against Everton.

I should add this is not new to the 10-11 football season; this has been going on for seasons. It's clear someone within the MotD program is prejudiced against Everton and I would like to remind you that Everton is one of the best supported teams in the world and has more tenure in the top division than any other team and it is time that MOTD started improving the quality of the highlights and distributing them more fairly. It seems Man Utd, for example, is first every week even when then drawing 0-0.
If any of you guys agree with me, can I suggest letting them know by using this address: https://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/forms/
Albert Perkins
22 Posted 11/11/2010 at 20:48:25
We have been railing at the lack of shooting on sight by midfielders. A good example of this is Baines. I think twice in each of the last two games Bainsey has found himself in the box with a good angle to shoot and has passed instead.

Meanwhile, Coleman has been giving it one at every opportunity and scored with a pretty hopeful belt.

Nelaj Behajiha
23 Posted 11/11/2010 at 21:01:14
I'm sorry MOTD have to gain viewers somehow Everton are less intresting. The Goodison crowd are so chilled and silent at the moment we might stop global warming.
Micheal Lynch
24 Posted 11/11/2010 at 21:20:50
I might be more worth while matt e.mailing Moyes asking him why he dropped Yak and Coleman. Well the latter is simple cause he attacks teams and this is not part of Davey's plan. Seriously tough the lack of atmosphere is worrying at Goodison, the derby aside, it's like a morgue there. Can't remember the last time we had a new song or chant.
Jon Cox
25 Posted 11/11/2010 at 21:13:14
Nelaj, Shut it about global warming. It's a political thing. You know percentage of the differnecial of the earths axis and all that.

But the bbc have for some reason had this anti everton thing which has been going on for years.

I dont suppose it could be Lawro, or Hanson by any chance. And before Anyone says Lineker, He only played for us for five minutes.

The BBC have always been partial to Liverpool. It's a NWO thing. Even if they were relegated we would see them near the top of MOTD.

I wouldn't of course watch this shite, because I will never ever watch this behemoth called BBC which is a tax on the british people and I dont just mean to do with football.

The BBC is a cancer to our country and i get the impression that a few of us are getting to understand the way the BBC works.

Sheeple = X factor, Dancing on shite, Eastenders, and anything your missus makes you watch on a Saturday night.

I dont have that THANK FUCK
Ernie Baywood
26 Posted 11/11/2010 at 22:30:17
Jon, Everton have a reputation that we haven't outgrown. We're dire and defensive and play a 4-5-1 formation at home.

The fact that formation is more attacking than most teams (and certainly more than our version of the 4-4-2) is beyond people. The fact that you can play good football without scoring 4 is beyond people.

But the fact is, our reputation is built upon some history and some fact. We have been that team in the past, and we don't score enough goals to make people give us a chance to change their opinions.

So, rightly or wrongly, we are low down on the list of teams that the average punter wants to watch.

On the shooting/pace problem. Hopefully we see Seamus back, and the one midfielder we have who will scare teams out of sitting deep against us... Jack Rodwell.
Nick Entwistle
27 Posted 11/11/2010 at 22:36:45
The BBC though reducing its own standards keep things reletively high on the standards front for terrestial TV. If you think they're bad already, imagine what it would be for a purely commercial TV landscape.

Still, its not that difficult to not pay your licence. There is no authority for anyone to do anything against you unless they physically see the TV in your home, and you don't need to allow them access should they call... if they call. Vans are propaganda, and inspectors are so miniscule in number it's ridiculous.
Jimmy Hacking
28 Posted 11/11/2010 at 23:48:39
The reason why we're often last on MOTD is the same reason the BBC show East-enders, the Apprentice, "Strictly" etc. during primetime, and show a documentary about some 13th century Nepalese courtesan at 1:30 am on BBC 2.

Seriously, some of you lot need to get a grip. There is no BBC conspiracy against Everton. The fact is that Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and, yes, Liverpool appeal far more to viewers. Nobody but us lot give a shiny shit if Everton win or lose, face it.
Jon Cox
29 Posted 12/11/2010 at 00:55:11
Jimmy (24) ? funny that, cos all I ever hear from Aunty Beeb is EQUALITY. Don't see it much were EFC are concerned.

Ernie, so you want to play good football and not score any goals? Sorry mate but I'll go for hoofball as long as we score 4 goals per game.

I just like to win, strangely enough.
Eric Myles
30 Posted 12/11/2010 at 01:07:18
Shooting and possession are unreliable stats. The other week when we played Blackpool the BBC reported something like 60/40 possession to us, Soccernet had 52/48 for the same match. This was unusual 'cos Soccernet mainly has better stats for us than the Beeb ever does.

A mate is a RS supporter and he reads the glowing BBC reports of their performance while Soccernet is more realistic. The Beeb shooting stats for the RS must include all the shots that hit the floodlights or the corner flag as they bear no resemblance to the actual chances.

Jip Foster
31 Posted 12/11/2010 at 02:32:47
1) Perhaps we should all start shouting "SHOOT!" when Arteta or Pienaar get in a good position ? just to encourage them.

2) It would be interesting to see how Everton's MotD coverage time-wise compares to all the other teams. Unfortunately I'm not in the UK so can't watch it, or time it. (Long shot ? would that sort of thing be available on Freedom of Information from BBC?)

Ernie Baywood
33 Posted 12/11/2010 at 09:38:57
Jon, that's a complete twist of what I said. I said that we don't score enough goals to change people's mind about the type of football we play.

Was simple enough, wasn't it?
Jon Cox
34 Posted 12/11/2010 at 11:50:59
Ernie, sorry mate re-read your post (holds hand up)... Correct about Rodwell too.

As for the Beeb, if they were to go commecial and have to survive on subscription and not a forced tax, I wonder how long they'd last.

What was it? 400 people on a jolly for the World Cup. Nice to know thay had a good time at our expense.
Tommy Coleman
35 Posted 12/11/2010 at 12:34:07
Well done, Matt Hunter. Glad you got the Man Utd bit in as well, I've actually stopped watching MotD because Man Utd are always on first.

And Jimmy, you are right that in what you say but the BBC say all teams get treated equally, it's complete bollocks and Jon C is right.

As for the football, we've been playing shit football for years with the 2nd half of last season being the exception.
Wayne Thompson
36 Posted 12/11/2010 at 13:38:39
I had TalkSport on in the car last night and an ad came on for ESPN which was actively promoting the fact that their next 6 or so games were Redshite games. They were using it as a selling point to gain more subscriptions.

Sign of the times, I'm afraid. Thanks to the Sky era of football saturation, you can be a "TV fan" of a club. You see it everywhere you go.

Nelaj Behajiha
37 Posted 12/11/2010 at 14:26:48
Jon, I'm sorry but I believe that it's perfectly understandable. We have no huge names, our best player is probably Pienaar. Arteta is shite in the majority of games, all we do is pass sidewards.

Obviously the Manchester derby was a high profile game which is why it was first. But for example the Geordies are known for being lunatics. Sunderland fans are known to be extrmely loyal. West Ham are quite famous for their support. Liverpool are known for their european successes. City are in the spotlight due to their wealth. Spurs and Arsenal both play attractive football.

The way certain teams play puts me off watching them and I think that's why many neutrals don't like watching us.

Jon Cox
38 Posted 12/11/2010 at 18:03:27
Nelaj, every neutral I've spoke to after the Blackpool game were more or less saying that the game was so engrossing it had the feel of a cup tie and was one of the best and exciting games they'd seen to date.

I of course declined to agree.

The pretty passing game is great for some but it's even better when there is and end product which at the moment we are sadly lacking.

Even Spain bored me in the World Cup with their approach play.

COYB
Lee Kidd
39 Posted 13/11/2010 at 18:15:29
We've been brilliant to watch recently! If we'd won the last two games none of these comments would be being made. Unfortunately we just don't appear to know that the ball ultimately has to find the back of the net at some point.

Calling Everton "bland" at the moment is an indication of someone who has not been watching the games. A neutral watching the full 90 minutes of the Blackpool/Bolton games would have been very happy with the entertainment ? as an Evertonian, I'm simply disappointed with the results.

On another timeline, those two games would have produced ten Everton goals between them.
Mike Oates
40 Posted 13/11/2010 at 18:27:08
As a final point: I noticed Moyes has said we are boring at the moment. He agrees with me then!!!
Mike McQuaid
41 Posted 13/11/2010 at 23:31:45
Well said Matt Hunter. I posted comments re MoTD after the Spurs game and was similarly angered by their coverage of the Stoke and Blackpool games. Despite that, I'm still watching the programme tonight and, guess what, mid-table Spurs are on second and we've already had a profile of their old manager Martin Jol on Football Focus today. I'm a journalist myself and reluctant to have a go at fellow hacks, but this bias towards the Champions League teams is too much.

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