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Dire Davie

By Carly Scott :  28/12/2010 :  Comments (20) :

I've posted before in defence of David Moyes and I'm certainly not going to join those who claim we'd be better off without him. But tonight's game, for me, shows just why those who are so frustrated with him feel that way.

I vividly remember going to watch what I think was dour Walter's last league game in charge: a dire 1-0 defeat at Upton Park in 2002. If memory serves me correctly we played a 4-6-0 formation in effect, with David bloody Ginola as the 'workhorse' lone frontman and a parade of immobile centre-halves in midfield. I thought those grim days were over after Walter left, and thanked God for that. How wrong I was.

Moyes' approach to the game last night shows exactly why - despite his obvious successes since his appointment - he still attracts hefty criticism from these parts. No doubt there'll be general bafflement among sports writers and other club's fans, but the West Ham game infuriated me. I'm sure it did some of you too.

West Ham went into last night's game off the back of a decent win at Fulham, but hardly brimming with confidence. They have, by all accounts, had a pretty shocking season and were second bottom going into the game.

So with all that taken into account, why did Moyes take such an unremittingly negative approach? Cahill might have scored nine this season, but why oh why wasn't this a chance for Beckford (or, if you don't like him, choose from any of our host of centre forwards) to show us what he's got against a team that's seemingly there for the taking? No. Instead it's the absurd safety first approach yet again against a team that's virtually bottom of the league.

Cahill's threat was neutered as the last man, and we had no pace whatsoever to threaten their back line with for nigh on 65 minutes.

I don't know what you lot think, but for me this was Moyes at his worst. Setting up cautiously against a team with brittle self-belief, watching them go 1-0 up, allowing the confidence to trickle back through their side and then do sod all until, as always, the 65th minute before even considering making a change. When he did he went for the one striker we have who looks permanently disinterested and seemed to be agitating for a move to West Ham in the summer. Oh, and then we have the token Beckford substitution for a couple of minutes at the end. Unambitious, yes. Remorselessly negative, yes. Uninspiring, yes. And saddest of all, totally and utterly predictable. It makes me so angry.

Bar Smith, I can't think of any Everton manager in the last 30 years who would have set up his team so negatively against a side near bottom of the table. No wonder people are voting with their feet.

Coleman's goal, in a sad way, just made me even more frustrated as it just served to mask the issue. It allowed Moyes to do what he always does at halftime - nothing - and pretend there wasn't an problem..

I'd like you all just to close your eyes for a moment and imagine us up against a bottom three side some time in the future, where we take the game to them, with two centre forwards and a sensible attacking philosophy which balances keeping it tight but with coupled with real offensive flair, a la Spurs vs Villa the other night. Nice, isn't it?

Anyway, rant over.

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