Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:44 pm  

I think its refreshing to see a merseyside club and its fans standing up to racism. Rather than say he didn't say anything wrong just to protect the image of its supporters.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 2:54 pm  

Leyther_till_death wrote:

.

Southampton v Everton will be interesting tomorrow night I feel with the Atkins saga in the week.

Really? I think if the game was still be played it'd still be 0-0.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 6:05 pm  

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote:

Really? I think if the game was still be played it'd still be 0-0.

Yes, it was possibly the most turgid 90 minutes of football I've ever seen - It was like the bad old Walter Smith days again.

Also, Steven Naismith - What's the point in him??... ...... I remember when Southampton signed that Ali Dia character, it only took them 15 minutes to realise he wasn't a footballer - Why is it taking David Moyes so long to realise that Naismith is a similar charlatan?...

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:08 pm  

I know what you're saying about Naismith and tend to agree. He frustrates the hell out of me with his poor touch, vision and general football ability. On the other hand, he's a striker and has proven at Rangers and with Everton tbf, that he does know where the goal is but Moyes plays him as a wide midfielder?

So I do sympathise with Naismith slightly as he's never going to be a beat 2 or 3 men and score or create a chance. He's a (albeit a poor one) poacher. We'll never see the best of him unless Moyes plays him upfront with Jelavic.

Speaking of Jelavic. What has happenend to this guy? Remember he was always referred to as 'one touch Jelavic'. Now, probably needs three or four touches, then misses.

I just hope Big Vic has now 'made it'. Too many times has he scored and played well only to get injured and lose form. Fingers crossed he is over that now.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:42 pm  

Well done Bradford, what a remarkable achievement

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:43 pm  

At least we went out to the finalists

WELL DONE BRADFORD.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:48 pm  

Fresh Prince of Chesh-air wrote:

Speaking of Jelavic. What has happenend to this guy? Remember he was always referred to as 'one touch Jelavic'. Now, probably needs three or four touches, then misses.

I just hope Big Vic has now 'made it'. Too many times has he scored and played well only to get injured and lose form. Fingers crossed he is over that now.

Jelavic looks mentally gone, and its all to do with Moyes' continual persistance with his 4-5-1 strategy.....Is there a striker who has left Moyes' Everton a better player than when he joined?...Simple answer is no, because Moyes basically flogs them to death.

I've said before, while its difficult to be critical of Moyes, considering the state we were in before his arrival and with the limited budgets he has had to work with, he is NOT the messiah that some believe him to be - His inability to be more flexible with his tactics indicates a big weakness which would be exposed at a club with a higher expectation.

As for Anichibe, personally I don't think he will ever be anything more than an impact sub....Against Swansea the other week, he was poor, simply because the opposition were at the same pace and fitness level as him - He only looks good when brought on fresh against a tiring defence.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 9:50 pm  

All aboard the Brad-Wagon

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:01 pm  

Dita's Slot Meter wrote:

Jelavic looks mentally gone, and its all to do with Moyes' continual persistance with his 4-5-1 strategy.....Is there a striker who has left Moyes' Everton a better player than when he joined?...Simple answer is no, because Moyes basically flogs them to death.

I've said before, while its difficult to be critical of Moyes, considering the state we were in before his arrival and with the limited budgets he has had to work with, he is NOT the messiah that some believe him to be - His inability to be more flexible with his tactics indicates a big weakness which would be exposed at a club with a higher expectation.

As for Anichibe, personally I don't think he will ever be anything more than an impact sub....Against Swansea the other week, he was poor, simply because the opposition were at the same pace and fitness level as him - He only looks good when brought on fresh against a tiring defence.

Johnson, Yakubu, Beattie, Saha all started off their first few seasons on fire but gradually declined. Seems to familiar with Jelavic now. Maybe it is Moyes' doing as I imagine in training so many of his drills will be defensive minded.

But 4-5-1 or now this 4-2-3-1 appears to be all the range and its very rare teams play 4-4-2 these days but Evertons problem is Jelavic is the only striker who can play this role. Other teams have 2 or 3 Jelavic's in their squad.

I agree with Moyes tactics away from home but far too many times as he played 4-5-1 at home to lower placed teams and we haven't been able to break them down.

Its well known we are cash strapped but a loan deal for a srtiker I'd have as priority over anything else. Cheeky Welbeck offer?

I'd sell Heitinga too. Clearly doesn't want to be at the club and has struggled this season.

Re: Football Chat Thread PART II : Tue Jan 22, 2013 10:22 pm  

The key man to Jelavic finding his feet again is Kevin Mirallas. He is the man that can provide the support for Jelavic and will provide heaps of chances if he can stay fit. Jelavic is just doing too much work, he runs round too much to be any use going forward. If you watch Van Persie for United at the weekend against Spurs, he barely moved. He scored the header, but didn't chase down a single ball and stands still almost as soon as the ball is lost. It's not laziness, he's just told not to involve himself once the phase of play after United lose the ball. Jelavic on the other hand spends far too much time and expends far too much energy chasing back. He was probably Everton's most effective defender, Southampton had a really hard time getting it past him high up the field, then he'd chase it back through the midfield as well. At one point he was in the right back position having triangles passed around him as he threw himself at the ball. He also cleared one off the line and cleared several corners. All well and good and I'm sure Moyes is telling him to do that, but when there are 10 other players doing it, there comes a point when someone has to tell him to just conserve his energy.

Everton under Moyes have always been far, far too defensively minded. He threw off the shackles a bit early in the season after picking up a few unexpected wins and things went really well. But we had a couple of silly results, drawn games where we were naively chasing another goal and conceded a late equaliser and that has seemingly set him off on a defensive binge again.

The problem with Jelavic and running around too much is the same for the rest of the team because we have no squad depth at all. At the top clubs there are usually four or five that always play, at some like City it's probably three (Hart, Kompany, Yaya Toure) at Everton it's more like 9. Howard, Baines, Jagielka, Distin, Neville, Osman, Fellaini, Pienaar and Jelavic play pretty much every minute of the season when fit. Leon Osman is playing absolutely terribly at the moment. Every time he got the ball against Southampton he tripped over it, got tackled or gave it away with a pathetic pass. He's not got the engine to play box to box which he is doing as Gibson is out. I don't know how tight the wage budget at Everton is, but they need to go and get another 3 or 4 in somehow or the potential this season has will be lost.