Yakubu did not let us down in his first season either. We played some cracking football, mainly coming from the midfield threesome of Pienaar, Arteta and Osman (yes, Osman!!), with all three players interchanging positions and passing freely, with Cahill in front of them and Yakubu in front of that. Yakubu benefitted from the chances that were being created by these three, looking like they were seriously enjoying their football, and he became the first Everton striker to bag 20 goals in a season for over a decade.
I was hugely impressed and, as always I have to say, looking forward to the following season, to see what we could do with another season of Pienaar, Arteta and Osman continuing to gel and Yakubu benefitting and banging in the goals.
Unfortunately, we all know what happened next, Everton endured another miserable start to the season in 2008-09 (something that was put down to injuries to some of our main players from the first team squad - does anybody remember the bench of kids for the first game of the season against Blacburn at home where we were beaten 3-2 ? ? and I guess that cannot really be argued with) but Yakubu had scored 4 goals in 14 games, certainly not an amazing return, but given the quality of the team behind him, certainly wasn't horrendous. Then on 30 November 2008, at an away win at Spurs, Yakubu ruptured his achilles and was going to be out for the rest of the season. Some people were aware of how serious this injury was, some were not so aware (myself included), but I have since found out that back in the day, it was basically a career finisher. This was certainly a dark day for Everton and Yakubu!!
Yakubu was indeed out for the rest of the season and did not make his first team return for nearly a year, and in his first start for the first team in 2009, against Hull City in the Carling Cup, he scored with a header. To come back from the sort of injury that Yakubu received was amazing, but to come back and continue playing Premier League football, was pretty much nothing short of miraculous. I was looking forward to the Yakubu of his first season with us returning, and goals a plenty to return to theEverton team, much like in 2007-08!
The problem was, that during the time Yakubu was out, Louis Saha picked up the mantle pretty well, culminating of course, with that goal in the 2009 FA Cup final (although he was pretty much anonymous in the game after that) and then following that, having a good season in front of goal in the 2009-10 season.
My feeling is, that since his injury, David Moyes has never fully supported Yakubu the way he did when he first arrived. (I remember confidence boosting articles in the Echo for Yakubu if he had a slight drop in form over that 2007-08 season and I remember Moyes banging the drum about how good a striker Yakubu was, and how well the team as a whole was playing that season.) I just don't understand why it didn't continue?
Obviously we don't see Yakubu in training and we don't know if it took Yakubu too long to come back from that injury, but when he did come back, rather gingerly as far as I remember rightly, he did score, (if only a few times) he wasn't the same Yak as before, but my feelings were that this would return over time.
During the 2009-10 season, when King Louis, as he had affectionately become known, got injured the Yak was granted the occassional start in the team and I always thought that we looked all the better for it. Yes Yakubu didn't have the pace that he had before, but his hold up play was so much better than Saha's and he allowed our goal scoring midfielder's (Arteta and Cahill) to come into th game, and we benefitted as a team from that. And you could still pretty much guarantee that if you gave the ball to Yakubu in a goalscoring position then a goal would be scored (you'll have to check the stats yourselves for whether this is definitely the case, but it's certainly my point of view anyway).
I was therefore, once again, hugely looking forward to the 2010-11 season and I have to say that I was one of those who thought that we had an outside shot at the title: with Yakubu with a full pre season under his belt, maybe we would see a return to him playing up top with Cahill just behind, and a return to the free flowing football and the goals scored in 2007-08.
As the season started however, Yakubu did not even get into the first team squad for the first few games and we started the season, horrendously badly, yet again (with little or no excuse) and still it seemed Yakubu did not get a look in. Eventually, Saha got injured again and Yakubu was given the start that I think he should have had at the beginning of the season anyway. Again, much like his return from injury in the 2009-10 season, his appearances did not yield the large amount of pace that he had prior to injury, and certainly not an instant return to goals, but game by game he appeared to improve, (his hold up play seemed to be far better than had been offered by Saha all season) and finally after a great performance against the red shite at home, he scored the winner at home to Stoke. Here we go I thought, this is it!! Yakubu is back, goals here we come !!
But, immediately after that game, for no reason whatsoever, other than the return from injury of Louis Saha, Moyes goes and drops the Yak, just after it looked like things were beginning to click for him. This was the strangest decision that I believe Moyes has made this season, with regards to Yakubu anyway!!! There was no reason for it, Yak had started beating his own drum again, with an article in the Echo appearing, stating that he was going to get the goals Everton needed, conveniently matched by Louis Saha of course though, his play was getting better and better and all of a sudden he gets dropped for a Louis Saha who was only just returning from injury.
Subsequently we have struggled game after game for goals and it is only more recently that goals have returned to the team, with Saha having the perfect, pacy foil for himself in Jermaine Beckford, but I believe that those goals would have returned much quicker if Moyes had stuck with Yakubu instead of reverting to Saha upon his return from injury.
I haven't been able to get to the game for a long time, and I will also add that I very rarely watch MotD (although given a lot of people's comments on here it wouldn't show a fair reflection of the game anyway), but I do alwats read Ken Buckley's brilliant reviews of the game and also, most of the other reviews as well, in fact I have to say I read pretty much every article posted on Toffeeweb if I can, and people's opinons of the Yak when he has come on from the bench this season, post being dropped, are that he has looked lazy and disinterested, but I have to say: wouldn't you feel like that? ? after the shabby treatment he has received from David Moyes. Some people will say that he should just get on with it and prove himself to get back into the team, but it must be hard, I just wish that he was given the proper chance he deserves after that amzing first season with us.
Maybe I'm just in dreamland, but I'll always be of the opinion: Feed the Yak and he will score!!!
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WHEN Saha gets injured again within the next 4 weeks that will leave us with Beckford and Anichebe... therefore we have to trust that Moyes has someone to come in (on loan).I am disappointed in this decision... and also in Moyes for first dropping Yak in the first place at the exact time he was finding his form and confidence again. Then again, you don't cross Moyes!
Also, he was joining Spurs for £15 million in the very transfer window he got injured! Not going the match probably means you didn't see the pathetic joke of a performance he put in when he came on at West Ham away, and at the final whistle he was right infront of the away end yet didn't even bother to turn around and clap our away following! He just walked straight off!
He's a disgrace to all footballers! You don't just lose talent, he's still got it but he doesn't have the hunger (for football anyway)!!!
Answer is simple, he is fat and lazy. There is a reason why LEICESTER... yes LEICESTER, are the only team interested in him. His first season was brilliant and as a finisher he is best we have had for years. The lack of effort though is frustrating and Moyes obviously wont stand for minimum effort. Hopefully we have someone else lined up though.
The reason Moyes isn't playing him is obviously based on what he sees on the training ground i would hope, and judging by most of his appearances on the pitch for us this season, you would have to say Moyes is right not to play him.
The guy will not get fit unless he was playing in a decent run of games (something that Saha has been afforded), 3 1/2 games and then the bench was not enough and he has subsequently never got his fitness back.
I have personally heard this injury from 20 yards away whilst I have been playing (sounded like a whip cracking!). And heard about the subsequent 14 months of treatment of my ex team mate so I do have an idea of how bad it is culminating in a rather large man breaking down in tears (my sympathies to you).
Perhaps we will find out if he joins Leicester if he was ever going to get going or not or if his career is effectively over as we will never know if he stays here as Moyes has obviously had enough of something.
I have argued before that when you have a striker who can finish well play to his strengths. Why Moyes insists that his strikers must do all the donkey work, chasing back pushing out wide I will never understand. I would happily bet anyone that if you played the current 4-4-2 (without TC) Yak would score more goals than Saha. Yak and Beckford or Vaughan would make a far more successful pairing but of course Moyes has ruined another player, stubborn because he has to have his cake and eat it.
"We don't need to sell" were the words he used last summer; too right we don't Davey, because of your dick-arsed management style, we will lose the entire current squad on a free!!!! Well done, Davey!
Maybe he is sending him on loan to get him 90 minuets each week which he badly needs but Moyes doesn't feel he can give him in the Premier League and then he will come back fully fit in the summer... who knows?
All I know is, unless Moyes has someone lined up to bring in, we maybe in trouble if King Louis hurts himself again!!
I like his face, I'd go for a pint with him, but scoring 21 goals one season doesn't give you a pass for life. Mmm, his unfortunate Anelka-esque celebration. I was sorry when he was injured, wanted to put my arm round him ? can you tell I'm pissed?
Good luck Yak, you gave us some nice moments, but then so did Pembo. I wouldn't pick him before Saha or Beckford tho, sorry. Or TC for that matter.
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