Moyes Has a Decision to Make

Then we signed Pienaar who was fresh after warming the bench at Spurs for a good 12 months. He was a revelation; now he looks tired and devoid of ideas. Moyes wont put him on the bench – just as he won't rest Jelavic. Of course Jelavic needs to forget about running the flanks and just do what he does best and that is sniffing out goals in the box.

There have been so many occasions when the likes of Osman and Naismith have had guilt-edged chances and spurned them when in fact these chances should have been provided for Jelavic. Having said that, those two glaring misses are ample evidence that he is off his game and should be benched to come on as perhaps an impact sub.

Moyes just does not do this and is content to play Neville in midfield when we have better options. He has 10 years to get this shit right and still it goes on. Oh for a bit of bottle, some invention, and a 'devil may care' attitude from time to time.

While I don't agree with the common interpretation of Moyes as a dull and defensively minded coach, I do think he is a pragmatist who has conservative leanings. So all other things being equal he'll stick with the status quo.

I think Jelavic would benefit from a rest, and the team could use a shake up. But I can see the other side, that dropping him may further harm his confidence and motivation, and I tend to think that Moyes will keep playing him through this "slump".

The player himself needs questioning as he's getting chances but not taking them. I'd drop him / rest him as other players deserve a chance.

Anto thats one huge exageration you have there!! He left as soon as they could ditch him.

Because we have better players, we should win but if it comes down to tactics I would not fancy Moyes winning that battle. In trying to blind them with science the danger is we could blind ourselves to their much simpler approach. Now where have we seen that happen before.

The lad Vellios has a lot more movement than Vic and can put himself about better. Vic has had ample opportunity but never really progressed despite the occasional goal.

We will miss the raiding of Coleman for a while but hopefully this means Pip will get the hell out of midfield to right back unless Hibbert is fit but against physical Bolton please don't play Naismith and Osman together.

I'm not sure Mirallas is ready to start, so I'd be inclined to start both Jelavic and Anichebe, if Moyes opts against dropping Jelavic.

And Yes Dick... Who would fancy Moyes, who has us 5th in the league lately, winning a tactical Bolton against the tactical mastermind of Dougie Freedman.... Dick, did you even read over that comment? or has the ostensible anti-Moyes agenda affected the eyesight?

We were treated to an in-form Jelavic... and his goal ratio was always going to be an impossible feat to repeat. I for one think he is the best striker of the Moyes era, bar Rooney, and I expect he will start scoring again soon. Simply out of form, and he looks tired.

After we got his body right or as right as it could be, his second season was as good as it was ever going to get for him.

From then on it was diminishing returns and in his last season before leaving in the window he was, to my eyes, clearly finished. He was done in this league as a starting striker.

Bench cameos were his limit as when starting he was having to pace himself through matches and pick and choose when to do it due to his physical decline. He was static, no threat in behind at all and ran zero channels which a lone striker has to do, you have to give your midfielders an option. He was a centre halves dream. Even The Strac was an improvement.

Moyes and his staff rehabilitated Saha mentally and physically and, after nursing him back to fitness first season got him playing the best football his injury plagued body was going to play post United.

Yakubu was great for us in his one full season. But there’s something about Yak people aren’t mentioning................he likes a move, likes the dollar and likes an easy life and is basically a lazy bastard.

After getting the injury he took ages to get fit and then even after having a major tournament in the summer returned the size of a house, was out of shape and was taking the piss. There was clearly a blow up as he was just frozen out after a decent run of form; coincidentally after he looked he may have been getting some weight off!!

Personally I don't think it should have made it that far. We should have cut our loses in that summer and if anyone was offering £6 million as rumoured it should have been taken as Yak was basically being unprofessional. That was what was mishandled, we threw away millions not getting rid of a player who wasn't arsed!!

He was clearly playing for a contract at Blackburn last season, he was lean and after a deal or was looking to make a big impact for a move......and look what happened!! Even by January last season he was starting to look heavier.......

I think that's complete bollocks.

For me Moyes was exactly the kind of manager he needed, as Yaks, erm, relaxed attitude to things meant he was always capable of more. He was a very, very talented striker and a superb finisher. And Moyes had him going great, then he got injured and then he took the piss.

I don't know but Yak basically strikes me of one of those players who is good at football but isn't arsed about it, it's his job. But sometimes he would open up and you would see the pace, strength and ability and I would think, "More of THAT!!" But Yak does like to cruise.

He could go from sublime to awful from game to game. But he gave us quality and goals up top and was one of the reasons we played some great stuff in that full season he had, another thing people have conveniently forgotten.

I know that this is nothing that Moyes would ever think of doing, but do we think it may work? Maybe with Coleman and Pienaar playing a bit more defensively minded on the flanks?

And Saha was doing well until injuries took over.

And as pointed out The Yak performed well for a struggling Blackburn, he certainly scored more than any of our own players.

Give Jelly a break whilst we have some competitors for his position. Anichebe, Vellios or Mirallas can play up front and would all benefit from a start for different reasons.
Maybe Jelavic will come back in a week or so with a clearer head and a rich vein of form will follow. Maybe he wont. At least Moyes will have acknowledged that there is a problem and will be seen to be trying something different after two 0-0 draws in a row.

unfortunately the 'fringe' players are just not good enough, hence the manager is reluctant to start them.

I personally am from the side that thinks we should play our best team at all times.

It is frustrating that Jelavic is struggling to score but until we get an equal or better striker bought we may have to stick with him and I'm okay with that as I believe he will start scoring again soon.

Jelavic has missed a few chances, so do all strikers, he'll come good again. I seem to recall it was him who cleared off the line against Southampton the other night and followed that up with another clearance when the ball came back again off Howard.

Give the guy a break. Big Vic is doing well when he gets his chance but Moyes has said he's carrying an injury, so he'll be used sparingly as will Super Kev, so there's not many options other than Naismith..hmmmm.

I'm not advocating 'resting' Jelavic, I'm talking about dropping him to the bench based on form. Victor may disappoint and Jelavic may be back for the next game. But if Vic does well, he should keep his place.

I don't think Vellios is anywhere near a first-team start.

Jelavic looks a really really poor player at the moment but he's going to stick with him... I could scream, I really could.