Fancy Dans

Kieran Kinsella 29/12/2015 46comments  |  Jump to last
When I was a naïve teenager my mates and I used to spend every waking hour honing our football skills. We didn't always use a football though. We used tennis balls, golf balls, even erasers because our focus was on heading, volleys, and Matt Le Tissier tricks. Full of optimism we entered a local tournament. We prepared for it by practising direct free kicks and scoring directly from corners. Much to our surprise, we lost our first competitive game 10-0 to a bunch of overweight, middle aged firemen. We were perplexed. Technically we were better. We could do all kinds of Le Tissieresque tricks but we were beaten by a bunch of talentless cavemen. The problem was that for all of our party tricks we didn't know how to play the game of football.

I bring this up because I see a correlation with Roberto Martinez. He doesn't shy away from giving Barkley, Geri, and even young "diamonds" like Dowell free reign to focus on producing tricks for the highlights show at the expense of hard work, and learning the game. Consider some of our phenomenal youngsters such as McAleny, Kennedy etc who've been sent on loan only to be sent back barely used despite their apparent talent. Could it be because they don't know the fundamentals? The basics of the game? Early reports on Jonjo Kenny at Wigan specifically mentioned his talent but his lack of positional awareness. The former is natural but harnessed the latter is learned.

Looking back at Wigan you can see the disservice done to a team when you put personal glory ahead of results. Case in point, Callum McManaman. For a season he was hailed as the new wonder kid but things went south once Martinez left town. Why? could it be because he had free reign to try his trickery without repercussion when his fancy dan leg work led to mistakes? Now he's a washed up journeyman bench warmer and only in his mid 20s. A latter day McGeady you could say. Hugo Rodallega, Paul Scharner and Moises are examples of others who were shining stars at Wigan but complete flops elsewhere.

That's what happens when you no longer have a benevolent coach saying "Don't worry about passing, tackling, hard work that is for the water carriers." Most professional football teams expect everyone to carry the water at least occasionally. In fact, there isn't a single Wigan player who went on to be a success anywhere else after a schooling in the Martinez class of showboating and trickery. They learned some tricks but they lack discipline, drive, desire and a sense of responsibility to the team.

Looking at our current crop it's fair to say Barkley is improving but look how quickly Dele Abele came out of nowhere to usurp him as England's midfield maestro. He was schooled in the lower leagues at MK Dons but quickly made the step up to playing for Spurs and England. Barkley on the other hand (three years older) is still young, carefree, bound to make mistakes. At what age do we say "enough is enough, you've got talent but learn the other aspects of the game." In the Martinez world that day never arrives.

The pro-Martinez camp will argue that the team would be poorer without the indulgent managerial approach of Martinez. Remember in the 90s how fun it was to watch Le Tissier at Southampton and all those great goals he scored? People would have said you were insane if you said he was handicapping the team. And yet, no big club ever came in for him. His England career can be measured in minutes not caps. Most interestingly of all, Southampton ended a years-long battle with relegation to finish eighth the year AFTER Le Tissier retired.

Far from building a successful team, Martinez is building a pipeline of Harlem Globetrotter style fancy dans. 20 years from now Barkley, Geri, Stones and co. might make a living sitting alongside LeT issier, Marsh and other win-nothing Flash Harrys who put self glorification above results. If you want tricks go to the circus. Football is about results, style is optional.

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Ged Simpson
1 Posted 30/12/2015 at 20:24:11
'Football is about results, style is optional. '

God that is depressing and not the philosophy I thought we shared. I don't want to watch a season of dour shite just for 1 day on St George's Hall steps.

Steve Hogan
2 Posted 30/12/2015 at 20:35:23
Not sure what this article is alluding to really, I certainly wouldn't call Barkley or Stones 'fancy dans', both will have long international career's that's for sure.

And at some stage, unless we have a change of ownership and subsequent new levels of investment, they certainly will win trophies, but with other clubs unfortunately.

Peter McHugh
3 Posted 30/12/2015 at 21:52:23
Loved Matt Le Tissier and like Roberto would have him in our team. The problem is we can't defend. For example we don't press, close down, or clear crosses and we have a goal keeper who was good (never too class) and has gone downhill coupled with two non dominant centre halves on EPL which is unforgiving.

The problem is not Geri, Barkley or Rom.

Mike Hughes
4 Posted 30/12/2015 at 22:11:12
What I don't get is the emerging view of having EITHER great football OR winning football matches.

We've certainly got the players for good attacking football.
But 6 wins out of 19 indicates renders that insufficient.

Currently, we are a team that receives praise from the likes of MoTD 'experts'. Screw that - we're not here to please a bunch of talking heads who couldn't care less whether we win, lose or draw.

I want to see us win matches first and foremost.
But I also want to see some entertainment.
I care less for 'Fancy Dans' than for a bit of silk and steel.

It is the steel we lack.
That's what I believe we need to focus on in the transfer window.

If we had a Peter Reid type that would be a start.
Also a hard-as-nails CB who knows how to clear his lines first and foremost.

Unfortunately, in my view, Martinez looks down his nose at these type of players. These are players that might create a winning team rather than a team in his image - i.e. a nice philosophy that ticks a box on his CV / career path.

I hope I'm wrong and he goes out and buys a Pit Bull rather than a poodle.

Kieran Kinsella
6 Posted 31/12/2015 at 00:34:43
Peter,

The point about LeTissier is you can’t carry a player like him and be successful in the prem. As soon as he left Soton jumped to eighth place. No matter who your defenders are you can’t expect to win with all out attack flash Harry’s in front of them.

As for entertainment, yeah it’s nice to see a 4-0 or 5-0 win. But I never get as emotionally involved in those games as I did in the old Big Dunc 1-0 wins against Man Utd, Liverpool etc in the old days. I like the excitement of seeing Watson or Southall keeping strikers at bay while we wait for the inevitable Big Dunc or Cahill winner.

Keith Monaghan
7 Posted 31/12/2015 at 00:35:53
Gerri & Ross are problems – they go missing when the opposition has the ball. The result is, particularly if a full-back is caught up the park, the central defence is exposed and pulled out of position. They both dwell on the ball too long – that’s why Gerri’s crosses are so poor (eg, against Stoke) and many attacks lose momentum when Ross dilly-dallies on the ball.

In the modern game, the best teams attack & defend as a team – we do the former, but not the latter.

John Daley
8 Posted 31/12/2015 at 00:55:41
"The point about LeTissier is you can't carry a player like him"

Le Tissier carried Southampton for long periods. Not the other way round. The fact they finished higher up the table after he retired doesn't automatically mean he was the one holding them back, particularly when he was in his prime.

John Daley
9 Posted 31/12/2015 at 00:59:29
Keith @7,

Barkley should be covering for the full backs now and Deulofeu's crosses are shite? What's Barkley's position again and how many assists does Gerard have to his name so far this season?

Kieran Kinsella
10 Posted 31/12/2015 at 01:02:53
John,

Southampton were better before and after him. They won nothing with him. If he was carrying them then aside from replacing him did they replace every other player in the squad he’d been carrying so as to explain their dramatic improvement?

Paul Hewitt
11 Posted 31/12/2015 at 01:07:48
Keith @7. The problem isn’t Barkley and Deulofeu. The problem is Martinez.

Barkley ain't a defender and should be told not to track back into his own half. Deulofeu is a top attacking midfielder and should be told to attack his full-back all the time. Maybe if the fullbacks were told not to get too far forward and the CB to clear simple balls, we wouldn’t have so many problems.

John Daley
12 Posted 31/12/2015 at 01:12:00
They finished 10th, 11th in Le Tissier’s final two seasons and then 8th. It wasn’t a sudden huge jump from skirting with relegation as soon as Le Tissier retired.. How can a player who contributed 24, 23, 18, 25, 30 goals in a season be classed as a passenger who was ’carried’ by his less skilled team mates?
Andy McNabb
14 Posted 31/12/2015 at 03:00:49
Not so long ago, TW was full of comments about our team being packed with defensive midfielders - it became a standing joke that anyone signed by OFM would play that role.

Now we find a dearth of those type of players at the Club and half the team seems to be camped in the opposition half, even when we are under attack outside our own box.

It is BALANCE that we need. Keith #7 hits the nail on the head when he talks about both attacking and defending as a team.

Shankly, from the bench in the '74 (?) Cup Final was seen making a sideways movement to the team with both hands. I didn't hear the rhetoric but surely he was indicating - we attack as a team - we defend as a team - up and down the pitch.

I wouldn't be a defender at Everton for anything. They are the ones being let down by the 'fancy dans' in the team. Until we get some real protection for our defence, I will shut my ears to much of the criticism directed at our goalkeeper, CBs or full-backs.

Ant Ellis
15 Posted 31/12/2015 at 03:01:47
No big team ever came in for Le Tissier? Man Utd tried to sign him twice, Liverpool tried once and he almost joined Spurs.

To claim that Wigan had "shining" stars such as Rodaellga is ridiculous, 24 goals in 117 games is hardly worthy of star status.

This just seems to be another pretty dull anti Martinez rant, not that I'm a total fan, but doesn't seem as though there's much thought gone into this.

Kieran Kinsella
16 Posted 31/12/2015 at 03:24:19
If the whole team is based around letting him slack off so he can have his moment of magic then he’s a passenger. He’s getting self glorification above team success which is why no big club ever came in for Le Tissier.

If he was half the player he was trumpeted to be he’d move to a big club. He was a Preki. Not a team player and not someone who could be integrated in a successful team. I’d take Moyes's boring team and sixth over Le Tiss and relegation battles.
John Daley
17 Posted 31/12/2015 at 03:51:50
Kieran,

I don't really give a shit about Matt LeTissier or Southampton but it's lazy, simplistic generalisation on your part that flair players don't make as significant a contribution as those who tear about tackling anything that moves.

Why would the whole team be based around him slacking off? What sort of nonsense is that? How can scoring 30 goals in a season possibly be perceived as slacking off in the first place? What's more valuable to the cause: goals or sweaty grots?

You claim Southampton were a dramatically improved side post LeTissier and his 'lazy' contribution, yet they were relegated within 3 yrs of him retiring.

You're also incorrect about no bigger clubs ever coming in for him. He turned down moves to both Spurs and Chelsea to stay with Southampton. He remained there out of loyalty (or possibly, if you prefer, laziness?) not because other teams/managers weren't interested.

He's regarded by their fans as one of their two greatest ever players. He's lauded by them as the guy who almost single-handedly saved them from relegation more than once. Yet, in your opinion he and his 200+ goals were holding them back and they'd have been better off with someone like Carlton Palmer all along.

Harold Matthews
18 Posted 31/12/2015 at 07:19:38
Matt Le Tissier was a fantastic player.
Ian Hollingworth
19 Posted 31/12/2015 at 07:23:14
The point of the article is that Everton do not do the basics right and they appear not to be coached in the basics as the phenomenal manager appears to disregard things such as set pieces.

For basics in this sense read positional awareness. Players should be drilled as a team where they should be for different phases in the game and this includes set-pieces.

Get this right and change some key positions e.g goalkeeper and we can maintain our attacking flair as once the attack breaks down to another phase the players automatically know what to do

Ray Roche
20 Posted 31/12/2015 at 08:46:56
Matt Le Tissier, like Best, Young, Marsh and Matthews before them, would get people of their backsides to go and see them in the flesh. I remember seeing THE Stanley Matthews, a player I’d heard about from school days, and looking on probably the way schoolies look at JLS or boy bands.

Football, especially then, was not a business. It was an entertainment as well as a sport. And those players entertained us. I don’t imagine many fans would travel to see Cattermole, Colback or Allen or Leiva.

Would I like him in our team. Bloody right I would.

Dean Adams
21 Posted 31/12/2015 at 10:24:05
Let Tissier was one of England's gems. Not his fault that the English management was very poor for, well 40 years or more.
Dave Ganley
22 Posted 31/12/2015 at 10:24:41
Totally get what you are saying Kieron. Look at the United team of the late 90s. Very talented players like Beckham, Giggs, Scholes etc but when they didn’t have the ball, worked their socks off to get it back. Barcelona the same. Remember when Barca played United in CL final at Wembley? When United had the ball, they didn’t get a moments peace and quickly surrendered it.

The point some people are missing is that for all the talented people in the squad, they may as well not be there if they don’t do the basics to go with it. Kieron is not saying, or at least I don’t think he is, that you can’t have flair players in the team, just that if you do and they don’t work hard at other aspects of the game, ie tracking back and covering, defending from the front then you may as well not have them because the team will ultimately suffer.

How many successful teams carry players? Very few if any at all. Forgive me for saying so but even the RS teams of the 70s and 80s all worked very hard off the ball and they had a lot of good players. Rush didn’t just stand there for 70 mins doing nothing waiting for the ball, he never stopped running, defending from the front and harassing the back 4 to death forcing them into mistakes. Then when he got a chance he was deadly.

Our great team of the 80s was the same. A midfield that never stopped but can you say that team was without talent? No, it's all very well having talent but you have to have the work ethic and fundamental basics of football to go with it. Good post Kieron.

Paul Olsen
23 Posted 31/12/2015 at 10:47:58
Yep, it was obviously Le Tissier that let Down Southampton. they would have been annual contenders if not for him.

After all they boasted great water carriers like Francis Benali, Jason Dodd, Neil Heaney, Neil Shipperley, Jeff Kenna, Iain Dowie and Jim Magilton........

Just listen to yourself

Brian Denton
24 Posted 31/12/2015 at 11:09:24
I think the comparison of Le Tissier with Preki is one of the most surreal postings I've ever seen. Whatever you were trying to prove, you chose the wrong example. Embarrasingly so. The sort of 'luxury player' to back your case would be one who turned up every six weeks, but even a glance at Le Tissier's scoring record shows that he did the business he was paid for, and then some.

One of Glenn Hoddle's managers said he didn't expect Hoddle to rush back and tackle like a tiger any more than he expected his centre back to turn on a sixpence in the 18 yard box and chip the opposition keeper....

Derek Thomas
25 Posted 31/12/2015 at 11:18:07
The basic point is right...Talent without application may flare the odd time, but as a rule they don't win much or last long at the top level.

You need both in a Player, Team and Manager.

I hesitate to say it again ( no I don't really) I'll just whisper the term...'The Goldilocks Option'

Niall MacDiarmada
26 Posted 31/12/2015 at 12:02:58
Hard Work beats Talent, when talent doesn't work hard.
Adam Smith
27 Posted 31/12/2015 at 13:11:51
This post makes me sad. I hear far too many Evertonians afraid of a team displaying attacking intent. Loads of fans claiming that we need to sit back when going in front. No! We used to do that under Moyes and threw away plenty of games despite an air of resilience about his teams.

We are too cavalier at the moment and it needs addressing very quickly but I feel that so many of us make statements that show very clearly that we have been a nothing team, starved of good football for so long now. On the one hand people bemoan the lack of ambition at boardroom level and then some of the same people want us to bring back Moyes, or at least bask in his halcyon days of, oh wait, no trophies in eleven years of management.

It is important that we try something different. I for one have much preferred watching us under Martinez than any previous manager, given I was too young to truly enjoy Kendall mark 1. However, us being Everton, we still managed to frustrate and bewilder in equal measure. I have supported Martinez but I am finding it increasingly difficult to do so. If you dislike him then he will dig his own grave, however if we appoint a defensive minded manager and return to dross to appease many of our defensive minded fans I'll lose the will to live.

The best teams have an abundance of flair and imagination. Is it imaginative for so many fans to rave about a player purely because he played well against Everton? Or every time there is a crisis call for Dunc or Stubbs or Unsworth to take over? Yes they were tough and love the club but such attitudes again show us for what we have become as a club - losers lacking in vision. Two of them won one trophy but even they flirted with relegation regularly.

I am by no means saying this is the majority or saying I have any answers but this is a significant minority. I am glad we have tried something different and we can all see that some basics in defending and squad management can sort this. If Martinez doesn't he will be gone. If we return in style to the way we were, we literally will never progress.

Nigel Gregson
28 Posted 31/12/2015 at 13:36:08
"Don't worry about passing, tackling, hard work that is for the water carriers." PASSING ? really ? Enough said about the validity of this article. We are one of the best passers in the entire league at the moment and apparently Roberto tells his players to not worry about passing. Yet another boring hyperbolic anti manager post.
Patrick Murphy
29 Posted 31/12/2015 at 13:36:48
Everton have won a total of 327, drawn 261, and lost 317 of the 905 Premier League game played.

Roberto has won 39, drawn 28 and lost 28 of his 95 matches in charge.

During the Premier League era, Everton have won 36% of their games, overall Roberto has won 41% of his PL matches as Everton boss; however, since January 2014, he has won 26 of the 76 matches played, giving a win percentage of just 34%.

So, whilst the team may be easier on the eye, we are winning fewer games than the historical average.

Andrew Clare
30 Posted 31/12/2015 at 13:54:02
Kieran you are obviously too young to have seen the Golden Vision. I always believed that all Evertonians wanted to see class ball playing footballers not a bunch of hard grafters grinding out 1-0 wins. For me everything is right about Everton now apart from the defence which may prove to be Martinez ’s downfall in the end.

We are without doubt the most entertaining team in the league at the moment but unfortunately not the most effective. We go out to win every game and we are constantly looking to score throughout the match. That’s what I want to see. Now only if we could get that defence organised......
Peter Howard
31 Posted 31/12/2015 at 16:27:52
Just remind me Kieran, how many minutes did Howard Kendall play for England?

I hope you get a job as Jurgen Klopp's assistant.He would love your 'philosophy'.

Jim Hardin
32 Posted 31/12/2015 at 17:31:35
John Daley #9,

What is Lukaku’s position? How many goals and assists does he have? Yet, he made continual runs all the way back to our box to get involved in the defense. If our striker can do it then surely DelBoy who is supposed too be providing some cover to Coleman can do it too?

Of course he would have to stop his whining and throwing himself down and actually run back to help out wouldn’t he?

Count the number of times he loses the ball and stops and throws his hands out and starts yelling at the assistant refs all the while the ball is proceeding down his side of the pitch towards an outnumbered Coleman.

Two of Lukaku’s longer defensive runs were right to the area where Deulofeu should be. The way he took off, it was as if he knew Deulofeu wasn’t going to get there so he had to.

Yes, Deulofeu can score and set up assists but why can’t he also defend? Maybe another reason why Barca didn’t want him the last two seasons?

Eugene Ruane
33 Posted 31/12/2015 at 17:49:56
Jim (32) – ’Yes, Deulofeu can score and set up assists but why can’t he also defend?’

Maybe for the same reason as Hibbert couldn’t attack (figure it out)

Plus something tells me if he did, it wouldn’t be long before you were on here saying ’Yes he gets back, but when we break, he’s always too deep and by the time he gets forward, opposing defenders are in position...’ etc blah.

By the way, beating Deulofeu with a ’Barcalona didn’t want him’ stick is a) ludicrous and b) given the details of his ’transfer’, not strictly true.

Ray Said
34 Posted 31/12/2015 at 18:19:43
The team is unbalanced:
  • A goalie who has never had any technique but relied on reflexes that have now faded away;
  • A central defender that looks great striding forward but gets lost when asked to head the ball away, pick up a man or clear the lines;
  • A left back whose entire game was based on attacking and crossing and who now can't cross his legs;
  • A right back that used to bomb on and beat his man on the outside and who now runs forward and either cuts in or passes it off.
If we had a goalie and 4 defenders whose primary strength was defending then by all means let the attackers have free rein.
Balance is the key but Bobby does not do balance
John Daley
35 Posted 31/12/2015 at 18:44:43
Jim @32,

If you haven't noticed that there's been a considerable imcrease in the number of instances Deulofeu does 'track back' to try and help out Coleman, compared to his first spell at the club, then you simply aren't judging his play with unbiased eyes. Then again, if your track record with Tim Howard is anything to go by, that's pretty much a given. (The whining about 'his whining' kind of gives it away as well).

True, he might not be the best at covering a caught-up-the-pitch defenders arse but, on the evidence of this season, you can't claim he's been shirking that responsibility and not even making a token effort to do so.

Ray Roche
36 Posted 31/12/2015 at 18:47:36
John, his tracking back is probably the reason he’s knackered after 60 minutes.

Anyway, a Happy New Year to TWebbers everywhere. See you next year.

Jay Harris
37 Posted 31/12/2015 at 19:02:25
Niall (#26),

I couldn't agree more which is why Moyes teams always got the better of City.

I watched a video of the 80’s team recently and Peter Reid, who wasn't well known for his stamina, was in the opposing penalty area one minute and back making tackles in his own area the next.

I think they get paid so much these days, they are too lazy to put themselves about.

How often does it take a goal against to get us going and then we equalize, take the lead and then slow down again.

I am a firm believer in better fitness and preparation whereas Roberto seems to want them to do ball work instead.

Mark Frere
38 Posted 01/01/2016 at 13:32:46
Its all a bit silly really Kieran, especially the way you use Le Tissier as an example. At his prime he was a top player and should’ve been a regular for England. At the time, England had a wealth of talent to choose from up front:

Shearer, Sutton, Cole, Sherringham, Wright, Fowler, Dublin, Les Ferdinand. Its fair to say he was in good company... but as England managers have always tended to do, they ignored the flair. Le Tissier was the one with the most natural talent and like in generations before him, the likes of Currie, Hudson and Worthington were also overlooked. Le Tissier’s continual omission from the England squad really encapsulates what has been wrong with the set-up for decades: Real talent sacrificed for reliable average players.

Football is all about putting the right blend of players together in a system that works. By no means ’Fancy Dans’ (if you want to call them that) should be excluded from this. If that was the case, Brazil wouldn’t have won 5 World Cups.

Andrew Laird
39 Posted 01/01/2016 at 17:53:00
Fair enough stance Kieran, but a slight on Le Tissier?

I don’t remember any "Le Tissieresque tricks" but I do remember a magnificently balanced footballer who had the best touch of any English player barring maybe Scholes and Gascoigne in the Premier League era. The guy could hit 30-yarders with either foot and could change direction quicker than an obese blob with a tenner still left in his moo moo leaving Mcdonalds.

He single-handedly "carried" a Southampton team full of extraordinary talent like Francis Benali, Ray and Rodney Wallace, Iain Dowie, James Beattie, Neil Ruddock and the infallible Dave Beasant.

As others have stated, Matt Le Tissier (and players like him) are THE reason why England is miles behind other national teams where cart-horses who could put a shift in gain far more caps Phil Neville has over 50 ffs and currently the "king of everything average, yet nothing exceptional" James Milner has assumed the 7 shirt and is now taking all set-pieces.

Ged Simpson
40 Posted 02/01/2016 at 14:28:12
I return to my point. Dour football for arsing around in Europa League or being exciting with a team that is developing and could become brill?

The Blue Way is the latter to me...

Ed Fitzgerald
41 Posted 02/01/2016 at 15:11:48
Kieran,

Your argument is flawed because football is not just about winning it is also about entertainment and at its best is an art form.

I would agree that the team is a little naive at times in terms of strategy but hey are going to be as many of them are still relatively inexperienced and it is still a relatively ’new’ team.

Despite the traumas of the last few weeks I would still advocate an attacking approach over the dour defensive approach we have adopted for much of the last 20 or so years. Barkley, Funes Mori, Galloway, Stones, Lukaku, and others still needs to gain more experience together if they are going to become a ’top’ four team consistently.

Yes, we need some devil and leadership in central midfield and at the back and I would argue that as that group of players develop and mature together that will happen. We are missing James McCarthy and perhaps Besic needs a run to add some steel in the team. Martinez has made errors, all managers do; he does however give youngsters a chance and the gives the confidence to express themselves. A commanding goalkeeper would be my priority above all else.

You aren’t really serious about Matt Le Tissier are you? A joy to watch and a one-club man by choice – something to be commended.

Sid Logan
42 Posted 02/01/2016 at 16:53:28
Kieran, your piece makes for a very amusing read but I’m not sure there’s any real substance in it.

What is clear, and I suspect in part is the motivation for your comments, is that many of our defensive problems derive from Roberto Martinez’s own flaws. There are probably an array of issues and I’m not clear myself exactly what the problem is but there are a number of factors that need addressing.

Unfortunately the main problem is to do with Martinez’s personality. First, the players will never gets nasty streak as long as he himself doesn’t have one.

Second, it’s clear he prefers attack to defence. Successful managers combine good attacking qualities with strong defensive ones. Martinez apparently can’t do both.

Third, his thoroughly annoying relegation of set-pieces to side issues is pretty clear for all to see. Yet at the same time he talks about fine margins. Someone needs to tell the cocky fool that set-pieces can provide the fine margins needed to win games.

Fourth, he needs to learn the benefits of timely substitutions. He never seems to have a Plan B... or, for that matter, a Plan C. He often stares as if in a trance when things start to not go to plan and can’t seem to bring himself to change the players he sent on to the pitch unless an injury intervenes.

When we went 3-2 up against Stoke, if that didn’t cry out for Besic to come on and do what he does best, I don’t know what did!

I could go on but I must save my energy for tomorrow. I suspect it’s going to be a long day!

Gary Reeves
43 Posted 02/01/2016 at 18:29:12
There are people on here who slag off our defending, whilst also lauding one of our "star" players, who for me is the main culprit. He plays in no particular position, offers no disruptive attributes (tackling, covering, marking), and is constantly in danger of putting ourselves in trouble (misplaced passes, silly dribbles, and continually losing his man).

I can’t be arsed naming him, and am really tired of arguing this point. And he ain’t Spanish (that kid IS a Fancy Dan – but potentially a very special one). You’re all watching the games too – go figure!

It’s fundamental to our current problem: THE SHAPE IS WRONG WHEN THEY’VE GOT THE BALL!!

Pete Scofield
44 Posted 03/01/2016 at 01:02:53
Gary (#43),

That wouldn’t be Barkley would it? If so, I couldn’t agree more.
John Daley
45 Posted 03/01/2016 at 03:53:29
Who could this mystery man be? This non-contributing waste of space who continually misplaces passes, puts his team in danger with silly dribbles, shoots the entire side in the collective foot with his sloppiness and lazy arsed demeanour?

Could it be the guy with a passing accuracy of 88%, the 4th highest ranked midfielder in the league in that regard (and only Stones with 89% bettering that in the Everton squad)?

The same player who has, this season, made the most key passes of any Everton player, played the most through balls of any Everton player, successfully completed more dribbles than any other Everton player, has the most assists of any Everton player, and created 34 goalscoring chances for his side? 

Yeah, he’s by far the main problem with this side and any defensive frailties should be laid firmly at his ’non-disruptive’ door.

Eric Myles
46 Posted 03/01/2016 at 06:43:02
Kieran, surely you've heard the expression "School of Science" that Everton were renowned for? I can only guess that you are too young to have witnessed it.

Football is about results, style is optional.' is more the philosophy of our neighbours 'win ugly' style.

Brent Stephens
47 Posted 03/01/2016 at 07:12:06
John #45 - has this mystery player also scored 7 goals this season?

Gary Reeves
48 Posted 03/01/2016 at 09:14:46
Brent (#47)

When a player is given no other responsibilities than causing trouble in the other half (if that IS his role??), 7 goals ain’t that brilliant a return.

John (#45),

Do you count those ridiculous two-yard passes, back to the player, who just gave him the ball?!?

Paul (#44),

I guess that answers your question!


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