FAN ARTICLES
If I was the boss
Comments (32) : We all need to cheer up, none more so than than our Celtic pretender... Once this is out the way, I'd get back to keeping myself in a job by doing the following:
1) Drop Tim Howard.
It would make a nice change from Howard dropping us... right in the shite!
Howard is no longer trusted by his defender's and this leads to uncertainty at the back, this is half the reason we concede so many soft goals. I don't know if Mucha will be much better but there's only one way to find out.
2) Drop Distin
Jagielka and Distin are poor on the ball and surrender posession far too often. Heitinga is the defensive equal of both these players and is far superior with the ball. He's also comfortable starting attacks from the back, for that reason he must start. Distin has outplayed Jagielka most fo the season. If he were 5 years younger, I would be saying drop the Jag. I don't think we'll do anything of note this season so we need to start building for the future. I still think Jagielka is a very good defender and I'd be happy with Heitinga and Jagielka as a centre back pair.
3) Sort Mikel's head out!
Arteta is bang out of form and is not playing well at all. His passing, decision-making and tackling are not up to playing in the centre in the Premier League while he's in this form. I think his problem is psychological, rather than physical as he looked back to his best at the tail end of last season. At a guess I think he wanted to go back to Spain but never got a suitable offer.
I believe his affection for the club means he wouldn't play for another English side. I would move him out wide and if that's not acceptable to him sell him on in January when there is a chance of an inflated fee. Probably not as easy to do as it is to write...
4) And...
I see no place in the squad for Osman, Anichebe, Vaughan, Saha or Hibbert. Turner is also highly rated in the lower leagues. A risky strategy but we always perform better with a smaller squad. I would sell all of these and see what we could do with the money. The priority being a good regular scorer at this level. Darren Bent would be a major player for us, as would Pavlyuchenko.
Rodwell and Fellaini would get the rest of this season to see if they can be a pairing that could dominate games and play together. If not, I would sell one of them at the end of the season and try and get Moutinho or Fernandes, both players who can pass forward, through players, go past a man and play good football. I actually think Rodwell will be a good rather than great player and Fellaini will have the better career... I hope for our sake it turns out they are mustard together and we can build a side around them.
The player contracts situation also needs sorting. As a club, we cannot afford to let good players who we can't afford to replace leave for free. This has happened far too often lateIy. I would be more than happy if we got away with a straight swap with Kranjcar coming this way and Pienaar going the other way although I'm hoping the club wil see sense and keep him, he's making concilliatory noises in the press and I like what he brings to the side. This is more than likely blue tinted shite on my part and he's leaving at the end of the season for free.
If I was Bill I'd sack Moyes.
Reader Comments (32)
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3 Posted 13/12/2010 at 22:08:38
4 Posted 13/12/2010 at 22:06:41
As for Pavlyuchenko and Bent, I doubt that we could afford their travel expenses should they come to sign for us, nevermind their transfer fee and wages. Are they even available?
And why even mention Fernandes and Moutinho again? Do we even know how these players are faing these days? They might be totally past it for all I know.
5 Posted 13/12/2010 at 22:40:07
Sell Arteta, Bily, Aichebe, Osman, Hibbert, Saha and Yak.
Make Pienaar the highest paid player in History and bring in Donovan.
Hold this ship till May and pray for new money.
COYB
6 Posted 13/12/2010 at 22:39:32
I have just read here:
http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/10/12/13/manual_091911.html&TEAMHD=soccer
that Moyes is after a new striker in the January window though. He admits it will probably have to be someone on loan. How about that Jo fella from City. I've heard he's looking sharp in training!
On a more realistic shout though, how about that Bendtner chap who I hear is getting frustrated with the Gunners.
7 Posted 14/12/2010 at 00:03:46
(apologies if there was a hint of sarcasm there)
8 Posted 14/12/2010 at 00:33:50
9 Posted 14/12/2010 at 00:33:59
10 Posted 14/12/2010 at 00:46:18
11 Posted 14/12/2010 at 02:22:23
12 Posted 14/12/2010 at 05:22:19
13 Posted 14/12/2010 at 07:49:20
14 Posted 14/12/2010 at 08:24:42
It's the blatantly obvious decisions, tactics, substitutions that the rest of us in the stadium can't fathom. You could give us some insight into how these top managers like Moyes work (apologies for any sarcasm).
15 Posted 14/12/2010 at 08:39:14
16 Posted 14/12/2010 at 08:33:24
All hypothetical as Kenwright and Moyes are never gonna leave, we will never have any money and the tactics will never change.
However, for what it's worth...
Heitinga in defence alongside Jag.
Arteta in Cahill's role.
Cahill as the striker.
Sell Hibbert, Yobo, Saha, Yak.
I would like to buy another striker for whatever money we generate by selling players, but there is not one good enough that we can afford. Therefore play Cahill as a striker in the meantime. For the wages we save in selling those players, offer Pienaar what he wants.
18 Posted 14/12/2010 at 09:10:57
19 Posted 14/12/2010 at 09:29:06
And you others who haven't voted your excuse is???
20 Posted 14/12/2010 at 10:22:07
21 Posted 14/12/2010 at 11:55:21
22 Posted 14/12/2010 at 12:21:19
I'm looking forward to having Osman back. Although Coleman has been superb in hugging the touchline and running at the opposition, i think Osman is a shrewder football and may provide the link to attack from midfield that we need. You notice Arteta when he's gone, we weren?t able to switch the play to Coleman in good positions against Wigan.
I have been impressed by Distin, he's done nothing wrong of late. Moyes should clearly be more flexible with the timing and variety of his subs. I don?t understand why Yakubu hasn?t had more game time. We are crying out for a physical presence in the box and his hold up play allow the midfield to get closer to the box. Saha should be dropped, no question. I don?t think major surgery is required, but good inventive coaching and tactics. We should just be doing a lot better with the players we have.
23 Posted 14/12/2010 at 12:45:43
24 Posted 14/12/2010 at 13:15:14
If Pienaar tries to pick out an another inch perfect pass from 8 yards out I don't know what will happen to the idiot who sits in front of me.
25 Posted 14/12/2010 at 14:13:53
26 Posted 14/12/2010 at 15:53:11
Thanks for the gee up.
I often wonder why football fans feel the need to talk about and debate things that are going to make absolutely no difference as Matthew rightly says, but we do.
I also wonder why some people feel the need to state we can't possibly know as much about a game most of us will have played, watched and been involved in most of our lives.
Pretty much the only way to get into the football industry is to be a talented player. In my mind this qualifies you to do nothing more than play the game, it doesn't make them an all knowing sage. Yes Moyes is clearly more qualified to be Everton manager due to coaching, man management, experience and a hundred other factors but we are ALL qualified to talk about what we see on the pitch and comment on which player may improve the side. Vis a vis you don't need a business degree to see that letting valuable assets leave for free is detrimental to the club that constantly cries poverty.
Pete/Ray
I agree that Distin has been easily our best defender this season. I'm starting to think he may also be a better player than the Jag. But he is 33 and will not be around for more than another season or two IMO if he plays week in week out. Players of his age can be managed to play into their late thirties and I think this is what we should look to do. Heitinga and Jagielka can be our CB pair for the next 5 years, as can Rodwell and Fellaini in the middle.
This season is a write off to me and we may as well start building for the next one now, this means some hard decisions need to be made. The hardest of these will be about Mikel as I don't see how he Fellaini, Rodwell and Cahill fit into the same side unless we carry on exactly as we are fitting square pegs into round holes. Rodwell needs to be on the pitch learning his trade, this is the only way he can develop.
IMO big decisions that the David Moyes who first joined us wouldn't have shirked. This version almost certainly will.
27 Posted 14/12/2010 at 17:24:59
28 Posted 14/12/2010 at 18:34:21
Matthew #18 - I can't see Beckford and Vaughan as anything other than an enthusiastic pairing but not an effective one. Besides, there is talk of Vaughan returning to Palace in January on a loan to buy contract.
29 Posted 14/12/2010 at 20:18:07
Oh and you woruld have to also do this every season because your first bad season and they would want you sacked aswell and want good managers like Holloway,Hughton or O'niell in.
IMIT COYB
30 Posted 14/12/2010 at 20:44:43
I'd also be able to waste millions on players then leave them on the bench, make baffling subs and blame everyone else for our problems while collecting a massive wage. I don't think it's as bad as some would have you believe, but neither are we going to get relegated if Moyes goes. The frustrating thing for me is with the way the game is now we need an Alex Ferguson type to get back to the top and I thought at one point we had found him. That is clearly not the case anymore. The guy can't see the wood for the tree's.
31 Posted 15/12/2010 at 00:09:40
GK ? Howard (though I'd look for a better keeper in the summer)
DR ? Coleman (don't care about his defensive deficiencies, hes our best right back in my opinion)
DL ? Baines (superb yet like Coleman suspect defensively)
DC ? Heitinga (if hes committed to the club which is in doubt)
DC Jagielka (harsh on Distin whose played well lately but I think Jags is the better defender)
DMC ? Neville (has to play simply for his leadership, personally feel his leadership comes to the fore more in this role)
DMC/CM ? Fellaini (he frustrates me but hes undoubtedly our best central midfielder)
LMF ? Pienaar (needs a better end product but hes our only option in this role)
RMF ? Arteta (not his best position but he is our best option in this position at the moment IMO)
AMF/CF ? Cahill (our only goalscorer but I agree with the people who say he is a problem player regarding having to build the formation around him)
CF ? Yakubu (past his best and personally I would sell him but hes the best lone striker we have IMO)
32 Posted 15/12/2010 at 01:30:48
33 Posted 15/12/2010 at 10:01:33
I didn't...
34 Posted 15/12/2010 at 10:26:21
Were people calling for Moye's head for his negative tactics and one dimensional style of play then?
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1 Posted 13/12/2010 at 21:32:38
Thanks for the editing.