Our main weakness...

Dom1878 · January 12, 2012

Our main problem is the midfield imo, there is no balance in it whatsoever, if it were me, id be playing (given a fully fit squad):

Bilyaletdinov
Drenthe - Rodwell - Fellaini - Donovan

Pace down both the wings, two great centre mids, and Bily in the attack role - you cant deny he hasnt looked better in the centre the past two games, bit more attacking and it will be good. Then put Osman in the attack role if he isnt performing.

The striker is a problem, and Saha is shocking at the moment, but to be honest that is down to the midfield also, because put anyone there and we dont do well, we have no one upfront, so Saha is the best of a bad bunch. To be honest, id be tempted to put Donovan on the left and play Drenthe upfront getting behind some players!!

ODM · January 12, 2012

McBain said:
The main point though, aint who didn't sign, it's who weve kept hold of for too long.

My point is that we have been in for other players a couple of times to adress that position. I doubt anyone has been in for Hibbert.
But I think the time is way overdue for Coleman to be slotted in. Might as well give him the latter half of this season, as soon as he's hale.

Azzurri · January 12, 2012

Dom1878 said:
Our main problem is the midfield imo, there is no balance in it whatsoever, if it were me, id be playing (given a fully fit squad):

Bilyaletdinov
Drenthe - Rodwell - Fellaini - Donovan

Pace down both the wings, two great centre mids, and Bily in the attack role - you cant deny he hasnt looked better in the centre the past two games, bit more attacking and it will be good. Then put Osman in the attack role if he isnt performing.

The striker is a problem, and Saha is shocking at the moment, but to be honest that is down to the midfield also, because put anyone there and we dont do well, we have no one upfront, so Saha is the best of a bad bunch. To be honest, id be tempted to put Donovan on the left and play Drenthe upfront getting behind some players!!

Yes, except Bily is complete and utter gash however you look at it. Osman over Bily any day.

The problem comes from Rodwell and Fellaini. Neither can spot an attacking pass to save their lives.

Dom1878 · January 12, 2012

Azzurri said:
Yes, except Bily is complete and utter gash however you look at it. Osman over Bily any day.

The problem comes from Rodwell and Fellaini. Neither can spot an attacking pass to save their lives.

Bily makes so many ****e mistakes yes (normally passing to the wrong player..), but compare his skill compared to Osman he beats osman anyday, Osman is good for a few games, but then just ends up being that player who runs about alot and does nothing.

And can Osman spot an attacking pass? Thats why i put Bily in there, he ****s up alot but seems to be the only player who has vision on the team - and isnt scared to try to utilise it.

Dom1878 · January 12, 2012

Azzurri said:
Yes, except Bily is complete and utter gash however you look at it. Osman over Bily any day.

The problem comes from Rodwell and Fellaini. Neither can spot an attacking pass to save their lives.

Btw you should know that im one of those people that see potential in Bily haha

ODM · January 12, 2012

Dom1878 said:
Our main problem is the midfield imo, there is no balance in it whatsoever, if it were me, id be playing (given a fully fit squad):

Bilyaletdinov
Drenthe - Rodwell - Fellaini - Donovan

Pace down both the wings, two great centre mids, and Bily in the attack role - you cant deny he hasnt looked better in the centre the past two games, bit more attacking and it will be good. Then put Osman in the attack role if he isnt performing.

The striker is a problem, and Saha is shocking at the moment, but to be honest that is down to the midfield also, because put anyone there and we dont do well, we have no one upfront, so Saha is the best of a bad bunch. To be honest, id be tempted to put Donovan on the left and play Drenthe upfront getting behind some players!!

As soon as Osman is back he should get the attacking berth in midfield. Otherwise I'd rather see Donovan there and lumbering Gueye on the left and Drenthe on the right.

Dushku · January 12, 2012

I was listening to a guest on talksport t'other day, I think it may of been an Arsenal player who said that during training sessions, the manager / coach during five aside/ match practice sessions would stop the play and ask the man on the ball to tell him where everyone was on the field of play without looking- to test the players awareness of where his team mates where and to be able to chose his options. Sounds complicated and maybe a little anal, but there are times when our players look devoid of any 'awareness' or the whereabouts of the 'next pass'

billycopper · January 12, 2012

1. We're toothless. We had some good passing from midfield last night but there was nothing at the point of our attack. No penetration.
2. We're not organised enough defensively. Our backline was strung out across the length of the pitch, making it easy to play through us. We should have been much more compact.
3. We're inflexible. We struggle to move from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2, so trying anything more sophisticated could just end up as a mess.
4. Players don't know their roles. Baines doesn't know whether he's a wingback or a leftback. Saha doesn't know whether to play as a target man or to drop deep. Heitinga, until recently, has tended to get forward from midfield as much as he liked. Osman isn't sure whether to stay out wide or move in to the middle. etc
5. Unfathomable tactics. Everybody back for corners, for example.
6. Continuing to play out of form players. Namely Saha, Cahill and Neville.
7. Lack of movement. We play at a walking pace and we expect to be passed to even though we're marked.
8. Lack of leadership. Cahill and Neville have tended to lead by example in the past. It's difficult for them to do that when they're struggling so much for form themselves. We need players like Fellaini, Osman and Heitinga to step up.
9. Staleness. The majority of the side have played together for 3-5 years, whereas most other sides change a couple of players each year. While it can be a benefit, I think we need to start refreshing the team now.
10. Off-field distractions. Distin, Baines, Jagielka, Rodwell, Heitinga, Bily and Saha in particular must be wondering if they'll still be at the club next year.

faddy the blue · January 12, 2012

McBain said:
The main point though, aint who didn't sign, it's who weve kept hold of for too long.

I agree, however we did manage to get a certain Seamus Coleman who too has blistering pace and would be more useful from right back but that's only gonna happen when Hibbert retires at 35 and Coleman hasn't been offered a move elsewhere by then.

faddy the blue · January 12, 2012

Our manager doesn't have the balls to do something brave.

Fletch · January 12, 2012

I think our players, and in some respects quite rightly, to keep possesion, therefore, by speeding things up you put yourself at risk of losing the ball and counter attack.
WE build up slowly where the emphasis is on keeping the ball until we can get a shot off, if you alsonotice wedont counter in any numbers, in fact, we attack with very little support from the defence or wing backs and midfield, hence isolating the striker.

You can bet if Saha was to go to another club today, like a QPR or Swansea for example he would get a bagful of goals.

Moyes negative build up and play ensire strikers are in a graveyard at Everton. I can't work it out, he said he likes the way spurs play but then wont let Drenthe and Donovan raid the flanks with pace.

Fletch · January 12, 2012

Kneeg said:
Our main weakness is financial.

This is bullsit, I'm sorry, even my lower league Saturday side can move the ball around at pace and make runs, find space etc, were not even doing that.

ODM · January 12, 2012

billycopper said:
1. We're toothless. We had some good passing from midfield last night but there was nothing at the point of our attack. No penetration.
2. We're not organised enough defensively. Our backline was strung out across the length of the pitch, making it easy to play through us. We should have been much more compact.
3. We're inflexible. We struggle to move from 4-4-1-1 to 4-4-2, so trying anything more sophisticated could just end up as a mess.
4. Players don't know their roles. Baines doesn't know whether he's a wingback or a leftback. Saha doesn't know whether to play as a target man or to drop deep. Heitinga, until recently, has tended to get forward from midfield as much as he liked. Osman isn't sure whether to stay out wide or move in to the middle. etc
5. Unfathomable tactics. Everybody back for corners, for example.
6. Continuing to play out of form players. Namely Saha, Cahill and Neville.
7. Lack of movement. We play at a walking pace and we expect to be passed to even though we're marked.
8. Lack of leadership. Cahill and Neville have tended to lead by example in the past. It's difficult for them to do that when they're struggling so much for form themselves. We need players like Fellaini, Osman and Heitinga to step up.
9. Staleness. The majority of the side have played together for 3-5 years, whereas most other sides change a couple of players each year. While it can be a benefit, I think we need to start refreshing the team now.
10. Off-field distractions. Distin, Baines, Jagielka, Rodwell, Heitinga, Bily and Saha in particular must be wondering if they'll still be at the club next year.

I agree with most of the list, and can't understand how it's not apparent to any coach or manager at the club. I'm wondering if it's a coaching, tactical, managerial, form-related or skill-related problem though. Our mindset doesn't seem exactly positive at the moment but I fail at understanding how the hell we can't set up better with movement, passing and general positioning.
It makes you wonder what they do at practices all week. Another thing that makes you wonder how mostly everyone that comes to Everton say they have some of the hardest physical training they've experienced. So how come they look completely worn out just running from one end of the pitch to the other. Or is it because of?

billycopper · January 12, 2012

ODM said:
I agree with most of the list, and can't understand how it's not apparent to any coach or manager at the club. I'm wondering if it's a coaching, tactical, managerial, form-related or skill-related problem though. Our mindset doesn't seem exactly positive at the moment but I fail at understanding how the hell we can't set up better with movement, passing and general positioning.
It makes you wonder what they do at practices all week. Another thing that makes you wonder how mostly everyone that comes to Everton say they have some of the hardest physical training they've experienced. So how come they look completely worn out just running from one end of the pitch to the other. Or is it because of?

I think part of the problem is that Moyes is a fixture at the club. You either do things his way or you're out and once he takes a disliking to you there's no going back. At other clubs players might take a chance and be more expressive because they're likely to get a second chance if things don't come off. Moyes is immovable, however. With him defending comes first. If you're not working hard enough for the team, it doesn't matter how many goals you've scored, you're out. See Yakubu, Beckford and Vellios for proof.

Moyes said after last night's game that we lacked someone like Assou-Ekottu ourselves who could pull something out of the bag. He doesn't seemto understand that they can't be regimented and free at the same time. If the Cameroonian had done that for us and it hadn't gone in Moyes would have given him such a bollocking for being wasteful. And, in any case, we shouldn't be relying on something out of nothing. We should be able to create chances through our pattern of play.