Steve Round, it's time to go

Couldn't agree more Dave, I've been saying the same for a while.

No doubt Moyes has proved himself to be a good motivator, but he's shown himself to not be the total package as a tactician. A good manager needs a good coach to assist him. If we want highly technical, attacking football, with a solid defense, then we need a coach who can help Moyes achieve this.

Steve Round just isn't good enough for a team that wants to be competing for silverware.

I dont even think Doddy would have played Saha... but all credit to the lads for playing with 10 men.

How about a wholesale purging of the entire defensive-minded Moyes clones that infest our dugout and quite clearly contribute bugger all?

Onto something entirely different, having just watched a marvellous game between Spurs and Chelsea, two of the game's powerhouse teams, it came to mind that Everton proved their worthy equals.

I then remembered our shockers against 'lower' sides and wondered what can explain such sublime to ridiculous performances. The only answer I could raise is that the 'big' sides aim for a win against us while the 'little' sides are aiming to avoid defeat.

Dave, I was also excited about this season as I felt we had a squad that could compete with anybody & that it would be a much more open league this season. However, what I've since realised that I'd overlooked is the fact that our successful managers (Catterick, Kendall, Royle) all have a couple of things in common ? all English former Everton players.

Unfortunately, Moyes is obviously not qualified! Anybody know the number for Peter Reid, Adrian Heath, Paul Bracewell ...... [delete / replace name as appropriate!]

Is Ray Wilkins still looking for a job? Looking at Chelsea's record before, and after he left... a Premier League winning team immediately transcends into one which can't beat an egg... perhaps he could reverse our fortunes?

Something HAS to change. I agree it is highliy unlikely Moyes will leave, so it could be a decent call to axe Round. Let's face it, results can't get much worse!

Good post ? I'd like someone to statistically compare Mr Round's tenure to Mr Irvine's over the same period ? as my gut-feeling is that, despite the odd blip, it hasn't been as good. If I'm wrong then I'll hold my hand up, but I seem to think our real 'glory periods' in the Premier League were when Alan and Davie were in tandem.

Not sure about Ray Wllkins, as I can still remember his nickname of 'the crab' in his playing days. We are getting enough sideways passing these days wthout any more (although not as much as in the Mark Higgins era ? thankfully!!!!).

Good post and good shout regarding Ray Wilkins. I suspect he may be just a good shit talker but at least he has a bit of charisma and an attacking ethos. I wonder would he work for Everton.

That game was shite on Saturday.

I think it is time for Everton to try out a foreign manager. Frenchies, Germans, Italians, or Spaniards may have something to contribute. What about Jean Tigana?

If I had a dollar (or pound) for every time I have heard the expression "we are only one or two signings from being a great team", I would be a multi-millionaire! Even with one or two signings (which we cannot afford) we would not be a great team without excellent coaching ? which we don't have at the present time.

If Round is the problem, we need to get rid and get someone in who can change the way we play and instill some confidence in the players, and that person has to be strong enough to be his own man and not a Moyes clone.

You're absolutely messing if you think Round is to blame for results. The gaffer picks the teams, the gaffer picks the formation and the gaffer signs the players, and we all know how stubborn Moyes is... so any suggestion from Round would simply be dismissed.

Moyes Out!

The reason Moyes went for Round is because he just wanted someone to do the drills and take the training sessions. Moyes wants complete control of everything so he just wanted a little yes man who didn't cloud his judgement with regards to tactics.

I watched England train when McClaren was in charge. McClaren and Venables did all the talking and Round just put out the cones, handed out the bibs, held a stop watch and blew a whistle. Round had no tactical input whatsoever. That is the reason Moyes wanted him. Our predicament is not Round's fault, it is Moyes's.

Why just sack Round when Moyes bloody well chose & appointed him.

I know there is a consensus that we can't afford to sack Moyes, since we signed up to his king's ransom of a contract. I myself subscribed to this point of view but think there may be a way around this... If the board were to sell a couple of players behind the manager's back (It's happened before) then I believe Moyes's position would become untenable.

Now, whilst I doubt this would precipitate a walking-out, I think it may lead to a negotiated ending of his contract at a more reasonable level, as it would no longer be in his interests to stay.

"I don't know much about Steve Round" ? that's what you said, yet you are blamimg him for the recent run of poor results!!! Absolutely unbelievable.

Read some history mate ? Harry S Truman the US President used to have a plaque on his desk with the motto: "The buck stops here"... The buck stops with Moyes ? he is the bloke in charge, not Round.

Keep seeing blame attributed to Round... I can only assume that there are lot of people on this site who are "in the know" because if you're not then there's no way you could come to that conclusion.

Moyes selected Saha.

It's not easy to judge an assistant manager as a fan, although if someone like Ray Wilkins said he'd like to bring his experience as Everton's No 2, it would be difficult to say no.

So now it's the assistant manager that makes all the difference? Get a life people.

I just typed a reasonably lengthy comment on this then my connection went, so I am not sure if it got through. Anyway, seeing as I can't be arsed to type it again, I will sum up.

To slag Steve Round is a fuckin' joke. None of us knows if he is to blame for ANYTHING. You are either really stupid, really pissed off, or you have just caught Round nailing your Mrs. Absolutely fuckin' pathetic! The buck stops with the manager and the players for missing chance after chance!

Its about time the chairman took his show biz glasses off, and did something about the Horror show we have to put up with every week.
He took all the plaudits, when he announced the signing of the young up and coming manager.
Well it aint working, Mr Chairman so get your act together.

Got to agree with Owen (10)... If DM didn't think Round was good enough, he would be out the door... he obviously does, so he's not going anywhere.

Either way you turn it over, the buck stops at DM. He thinks Saha is a good striker, so why should we be surprised ????

Moyes has said why he plays Saha: he sees him day in, day out in training.

That's a lot more than we, the fans, see him.

If it was up to me, I wouldn't play Saha either.

But at least Moyes gives a valid reason for playing him.

For as rubbish as Saha is playing, he is far more proven at Premiership level than Beckford, for all of Beckford's endeavour and enthusiasm. Barlow and Angell were hard workers and enthusiastic too, but they couldn't score for the first team either. Saha's no great shakes idea this season, but there's always the hope he will bounce back.

I remember us getting rid of a good manager in Joe Royle because people tired of him - a decision that set us back 5 years and nearly cost us our Premiership status several times. People would do well to remember their history!

Owen (10), David (16), Lee (17)
Not for one minute am I saying it is all Steve Rounds fault.
What I am saying that something positive needs to happen fast. I agree with you that the results and style of football are down to David Moyes, but I amsurmising that we cannot afford to get rid of him and continue paying him £3,500,000 a year. Just maybe if Round went, Moyes may feel his position
was untenable and walk.
Worst case scenario, we would freshen up the training ground with a more attack minded coach who at least could train our right backs to pass forward to one of his own players or a least cross a ball.(seamus not included)

Simon Jenkins, you've not got a very good memory. None of us wanted Royle to leave. He left because the shithouse chairman made his position untennable.

Also Moyes's defence of Saha is pathetic. We see him where it matters and he looks utter dog shit. We also see Beckford scoring then being dropped, same with Yak. Players should be judged on their activity on the pitch during a game ? not in training.

Moyes has bought every player except Osman and Hibbert.and he set Round on if anyone should go its Moyes.4 4 1 1 is his prefered formation but we dont have a right sided midfielder or a mobile fit striker except Beckford who is still trying to find his feet, and it looks a bit too much for him.

After doing some digging around I found this article I remember posting posted in 2008 (I think)...Hate to say I told you so.

Our first signing of the summer has been tied up and Steve Round has completed his move to Everton from Newcastle. Alan Irvine, Moyes's first assistant, has been missed a lot since he left and I think that the results from the last 6 or so games proved this. But who can begrudge him a shot at being manager of one of the biggest Championship clubs, Preston North End?

Alan Irvine was a winger in his playing days. We could do with a decent winger next season in my opinion. One who could feed the Yak. Now last season, with Moyes and Irvine in charge, we were strong at the back with Jag's, Yobo and Joey Lescott and we had Cahill, Arteta, and Osman, who had a great season last campaign. Who can forget that goal in the Uefa Cup? Then upfront we were feeding the Yak and scoring. For three months of the season we were playing the best football I've seen in my whole life at Goodison. I don't want to compare it to the 80s because I wasn't alive then but my Dad says it was just as good as the times when Peter Reid and Trevor Steven were feeding Sharpy.

However, as I mentioned before, some of the football last season was awful. Hoofball was an understatement. Our defence was sound but our attack seemed non-existent with AJ running wide and Yak not seeming to be able to hit a cows arse with a banjo. Moyes is a fantastic manager and he has shown his coaching attributes defensively by the amount of goals conceded this year. It's no coincidence that since he's been in charge, clean sheets have been increased ten-fold.

I've done some research into Steve Round and found out that he was a full back at Derby County until an injury ended his playing career and he went on to become Newcastle's assistant manager. I don't want to be pessimistic but, like Moyes, he was a defender in his playing days and usually defensive players tend to be defensive managers ? Brian Robson, Steve Bruce to name but a couple.

Spurs have got the right idea I think. A strict disciplinarian Juande Ramos in charge with a touch of flair alongside him in Gus Poyet. Spurs may've conceded a few goals last season but they scored just as many with some fantastic football all around the park. Yes, they have more money than we do, but I think the style of football a team plays is more to do with the type of management the players are given than the players them selves. Anyone can hoof the ball 70 yards to the striker... equally just as anyone can look for the nearest blue shirt and play neat one-twos to feet. Arsenal do this fantastically, the pass-and-move style they play is excellent on the eyes. I think that this just proves that it's more down to tactics than the calibre of player involved.

Now Steve Round seems to have some great qualities as a coach which I don't doubt for one minute. My only question would be are they any different to the qualities Moyes already possesses? He has built up a great spirit throughout the squad and management,which make us a team extremely difficult to break down. But to break into that top four, you also need to posses flair and quality which we showed in spells last season. Arteta provides this; so does Osman, but all too often, when we are struggling or have a few injuries, the ball gets launched in the air towards a striker who isn't that tall.

Now I know the old saying, If you don't concede, you can't loose. which is very true. But, If you don't score, you won't win. But I think it's time to decided what we want. Should we take a risk and play it on the floor? Or should we cut out the middleman and send it forward in the air, knowing that we won't concede many because Lescott and Yobo are at the back?

All I know is that I wish Steve all the best and hopefully next year we'll be playing like the class of the eighties week-in, week-out.

Lee # 17 and all those that slate us calling for Rounds head. I admit I jumped on the sack Round bandwagon, not necesarily because I'm convinced he's at the root of our problems, but because something has to change.

I believe it should be Moyes to go, but because I don't think this will ever happen a) because we can't afford to sack him b) BK is too pally with him to ever sack him c) he's far too comfy in his position to ever walk out - an assistant coach with fresh ideas might at least help shake things up a bit. And yes it probably is pure frustration which has me thinking this way.

I agree with Alan #22 about the defence of Saha. It's almost as useless as saying "he looked good on Youtube". If you aren't delivering the goods when it really matters then you need to be dropped.

I'm sure Hibbert has scored in training.

Maybe not.

Moyes is the Manager who bought Yakubu, Bily and Heitinga. Total outlay for the three : £ 26 million. He then field's player's out of position and decides that the above mentioned are not good enough. Can we seriously afford to have such waste languishing on the bench, earning big wages and contributing zilch. Its not Round who needs to have a word with himself its Moyes, and whist he's at it tell that lying, loathsome Chairman of his to call the taxi for both of them to depart Goodison Road forthwith.

"Spurs have got the right idea I think. A strict disciplinarian Juande Ramos in charge with a touch of flair alongside him in Gus Poyet "

Would of edited that bit out if I was you!

I have an irrational and unjustified dislike of Steve Round. Something about him just grates with me. I don't like the look of him, I don't like the sound of his voice, I hate his hair and I despair at him doodling tactical instructions on a note pad and shoving it in front of an oncoming subs face.

However, I have no idea of his coaching abilities or areas of expertise and no knowledge of what he's like as motivator or sounding board for the manager. Surely he only has as much input as Moyes permits?

Round is the coach, where ever the man as been disaster as followed him. Ask any Newcastle and Derby fans what they think of him.

Round is supposed to be the head coach. It's his job to ensure players are fit and or good enough to be picked by Moyse..however I agree..its down to Moyse..he picks the team..he chooses the wrong positions and the wrong tactics, and the dour negative football.

Ultimately it's down to Moyse he picks the team..it is he who needs kicking out of the door.

That is the funniest thing I have heard this season, Ray Wilkins has charisma??? I didnt know crabs had charisma.

Wasn't he just the translator for Ancellotti, when he learned to speak English he wasnt needed anymore?

Still don't agree with this thread at all despite your arguments that sackijng Round would freshen things up. The man could be a genius for all we know. Or he could be useless. But the point of this site is that we all get to air our views isn't it?

Allan Clarke #22 ? You are not quite right about none of us wanted Royle out! I clearly remember walking off the top balcony after the Bradford cup game in '97 and a bunch of "fans" were chanting "Royle Out"! I realise this was a minority but it is something i will never forget. Awful decision to sack Big Joe. A good manager and an absolute gentleman when my parents and i met him just before the home game against Forest in Feb '97.

And to replace him with Kendall was just insulting! We met Kendall at Bellefield in 97-98. He was an ignorant twat. Broke my Dad's heart seeing as he idolised him from the 80s glory days! (Sorry, this is a bit off-topic.)