Comparisons and Verdicts

Whilst 4-5-1 does seem to be the prevalent first team set-up, both this and the safety first approach are based more on pragmatism (ie, trying to keep up with with better-funded and better-skilled attacking teams and lacking sufficient talent at the front) than ideology.

Despite what most people say on this board, I think Moyes does genuinely want to play passing/possession football and the gradual move in personnel and style from the hoof-ball of the early years to the at times dazzling build-up play we've seen in the last two years (albeit lacking an end product) underpins that.

However, I feel in the face of resources, results and the direct gung-ho approach of the Premier League he's been forced back towards what appears to work in terms of securing results, which is the 4-5-1 hard-working, try and hit on the break approach (more Mourinho than Ferguson/Guardiola).

However, perhaps the time has come for Moyes and indeed all of us to stop resisting and resenting this 'pragmatism', to stop seeing it as 'settling', but rather to accept that in the current situation (and for the next few years at least), this sort of approach is best suited to our budget, playing staff (and the level we can attract) and management team.

Perhaps the time has come to stop endlessly looking back to our glorious history, to yearn for the 'School of Science', but to instead embrace the realities of our situation today, to pin our colours to the mast and commit to this 4-5-1 style. In short, to commit all our efforts and resources on the coaching, youth/reserve team and scouting/transfers to the pursuit of achieving the best possible version of this footballing philosophy (hard to break down, great team spirit, ability to soak up pressure and counter-attack).

In essence, that's what Barcelona have done and if you've read any in-depth interviews with Pep Guardiola or other senior representatives you'll appreciate that their approach is NOT actually all about playing beautiful football first and foremost, rather it's about playing the most effective system to win. It just so happens that their version, the one that fits their resources, their native league, et al is also mesmerising to watch.

However, as we've seen with Wenger's 'Barcelona Lite', the same approach doesn't necessarily hold sway in the Premier League (much as I love them ? and I was at Wembley with my Blaugrana shirt last night) I genuinely don't know if Barcelona would win at a canter for instance when faced week-in, week-out with the relentless pace, direct play, agricultural challenges and differing surfaces/weather conditions of English football).

Anyway, the point I'm making is that what we need to do this summer is face realities and build a system/style football we can commit to and deliver brilliantly and then we can build from that.

Osman is better than anything you'd find in the mid-table of the Premier League and Fellaini, as good as he might be, is already a year older than Busquets and nowhere near him positionally, passing-wise or tackling. They are both very good players for Everton, why do people have to overhype them absurdly in either direction?

The tactics argument is a pile of shit, it all comes down to who has the best players and the money to buy the best players and the ability to motivate them. ? Once again, not a place where Moyes has exactly shone brightly. Insufficient motivation to get his better players going sufficiently to put some of the "park the bus" specialists to the sword was a recurring theme this season gone.

I think "tactics" is the wrong focal point. It should be "coaching" ? especially if Everton are to draw any benefit from the Barca masterclass. The simplicity with which their three front-man envisioned and then followed through with three simple yet wonderful goals is exactly what appears to have been coached out of the Everton players ? especially Rodwell.

Having witnessed such a magnificent display of ALL the football arts totally overwhelm the Champion club of England, we are simply light years away from ever witnessing such individual and collective skills here at Everton while things remain as they are at the club.

When one witnesses such abilities on display, one can easily think that such standards are achieved simply by wishing it or the fact that they are "talented players". They are what they are because of the exacting standards and demands of technically gifted coaches and a long historical culture at the club.

Quite simply, at Everton and elsewhere, even in the so-called top teams, we see players getting away with murder in terms of technical development, application and quite frankly the mastering of the basics.

While it is wrong to single out players one has to use some individuals simply as exemplars: Tony Hibbert ? a professional of long standing who cannot pass the ball accurately or deliver a cross of any significance; Phil Neville, won countless honours, represented his country on numerous occasions and yet similarly cannot accurately pass a ball or cross a ball with any degree of consistency; Victor Anichebe, a member of the young brigade (some couple of years younger than Messi!), an appalling example of ineptitude at both the technical and application levels etc... one could go on.

The point is that, at the levels at which Barca are capable of playing, the players have WORKED at their craft and been MADE to do so in order to bring to fruition the skills that are there. Bandy about the names of current "flavour of the month" managers all you want but do we really think this will take Everton to the "next level" ? whatever that means?

I am 66 years of age and have seen all the great Everton sides of the past and a few of the dreadful ones! I remember seeing fleetingly the great Real sides of the late 50s and 60s and am reminded of the great Di Steffano's comments recently about Real being made to play like "mice" under the tutelage of the great Mourinho.

Barcelona's display has laid down a challenge to every Chairman, director, manager, player and supporter of football to do all they can to once again make football the "beautiful game" they so clearly showed it could be. At Everton the "next level" might well be to nurture and develop players who can excite and entertain and establish the team as a successful team within its own national competitions first of all. Ludicrous competitions such as the Europa League are simply a distraction and Champions League at this stage an illusion. As in everything first of all ? let's get the basics sorted!

The one great reservation I have about my admiration of the Barcelona performance is that it included that awful creature Mascherano ? which once again proves that NOTHING is perfect, not even at Barca!