4-4-2 brigade

[harry]

It's not the formation. No formation will work if you play the wrong players in the wrong positions and play the wrong tactics.(I.e hoofing)

Is it really that hard to understand

 

[TheBlueGibbon]

We didn't play 4-4-2, we played 4-2-2-2 with two holding midfielders for the majority of the game. The formation can hardly be written off when your two central midfielders are actually defenders.

 

[Elong]

Elong....

If u read the bottom of my post it clearly says,..

" we need to realize our squad isn't up to scratch"

Which makes the rest of your post invalid.

Edit: Well, not invalid, bit harsh sorry, let's just say I disagree.

 

[Blue 1]

Come back when we've seen it with Fellaini & Rodwell rather than Neville & Heitinga and no Cahill or Saha anywhere near the team. Till then this discussion isn't worth having.

Kthx.

 

[Loz]

Hi All,

New member here so you can't be too hard on me...yet.

I don't think 4-4-2 is the problem. I am in favour of that more "attacking" formation over the usual 5 or 6 man midfields that DM sticks out. I would also urge fans of the Everton attacking football of old to stop saying that we lost last night because we played 4-4-2. We lost for two reasons....firstly injuries to key players that weakened our defence and midfield and allowed Bolton to run riot in the second half. Secondly, whether 4-4-2 or 1-10-0, we had players on the pitch last night who have not played together let alone in those positions.
I thought Straq showed a couple of half decent touches and we might have prospered if Saha could remember where the goal was. We can't argue for a change of formation again after one game and one defeat.....the players need to play together for a few games in that formation and only then will we know whether they can gel and play some football. We also need to hope that Rodwell and Osman get back quickly as there is no point trying to attack the opposition when your central midfield is Heitinga and Neville. No pace, no defence splitting pass, no vision....need I go on?

Donovan is clearly tired and will need a game or two just to get used to the pace of the premiership (there is a reason that ageing players from Europe go to the States for the final years of their careers.....the game is slower and their age and dwindling pace won't be showed up as much). When Donovan is firing and the Straq has a couple more games under his belt and our better midfielders are back fit...we should be able to win games. If all else fails, we can let Howard shoot every time he gets the ball! 102 yards.....who would have believed that?

 

[Pabbers]

We got over-run in midfield.

We missed Fellaini BIG TIME.

If Fellaini or Rodwell are missing, we NEED to play 5 in the middle, regardless of who is upfront and who we play, as we will be over-run.

 

[Cena]

Neville & Heitinga

 

[Zatara]

Howard

Hibbo/Coleman - Jags - Distin - Baines

Rodwell - Osman - Fellaini

Donavan Drenthe

Velios/Anichebe

4-3-3/4-5-1/4-2-3-1 - Whatever you wish to call it....this to me would see us playing better football.

Donovan and Drenthe on the wings supporting whichever Striker, when attacking down the left the right winger comes inside to make it 2 in the box and vice versa. Both able to swap wings if necessary to come inside on their stronger feet, although I prefer a left footed player on the left etc to create that little bit more width.

Osman/Barkley as the creative midfielder, also joining up with the 'lone' Striker to offer support.

Fellaini/Rodwell as the so called defensive Midfielders. Both have a good passing range (especially Fellaini in my opinion) so add the the creative effect in the centre, whilst having the option of covering Donovan or Drenthe if they have stayed upfield.

Defense is as is, because we don't have anything better at this point.

Sell Billy if possible. Ship out Saha. I'd even sell Timmy for a couple of million if we were offered it (regardless of whether the money goes to the bank or Moyes) despite being a legend, you've got to think for today, and he doesn't offer anything anymore. Give Neville his coaching role, but whatever you do, get him off the pitch and out of our midfield.

I, like others, feel Cahill, Saha and Neville are massively in decline as players and don't offer anything that our younger more technical players couldn't offer.

I understand people's frustration that the money from transfers is going to the bank, but at the end of the day, these transfers are keeping us alive as a club and Moyes should take a lot of credit for taking average to good players on a cheap fee and selling them on for millios more than they're worth. Of course, on the flip side, I feel his negative tactics and team selections are having a major impact on confidence throughout the team and it's almost like nobody wants the ball and must get rid as soon as they receive it.

I've written this season off now and accept we're going to be piss poor for the majority of the rest of it. However, if we don't spend a lot in January and still survive in the Premier League I'll be happy knowing we're in a lot better position with the banks/loans, which in turn makes us a better proposition for a buy out (Kenwright dependant) and hopefully we have a god base of youngsters that we can build a side around in the future.

Just my thoughts, sorry to go on!

Great post.....I've said for 3 seasons that our older players should have slowly been moved on and replaced.....

And now we see the results of keeping older players......they decline, have no resale and leave us with zero cash to spend.,

 

[Azzurri]

4-4-2 without 2 centre backs in midfield and an absolute donkey up front would be better.

 

[Greek Fisherman]

When fully fit.

Howard

Coleman Jagielka Rodwell Baines

Fellaini

Bilyaletdinov Barkley Drenthe

Donovan

Saha

Still furious about last night but it proved a couple of things.

A/ Heitinga is too slow for the premier league. The N'gog goal was all tooooo easy, he stepped inside him like he was standing still. If anyone mentions the world cup one more time i'll choke. Over the last 18 months Distin has been great but he is not the future. Rodwell's marking job on Silva earlier in the season was his best match and he should be given a crack as the centre back next to Jags. Heitinga should remain as a squad player.

B/ Neville, Hibbert and Cahill are done. Their best days are well behind them and all of them should go over the next transfer window or two.

C/ We desperately need a creative midfielder. The loss of Arteta and Pienaar is killing us. I can't see how Gueye at 19 has shown anymore than Barkley has. Had Bilyaletdinov been playing last night he would have been crucified. Unfortunately for the Bily haters he wasn't. He needs to start and be given the chance to be our creative outlet and not wasted wide out on the left. We don't really have any other options.

 

[Azzurri]

When fully fit.

Howard

Coleman Jagielka Rodwell Baines

Fellaini

Bilyaletdinov Barkley Drenthe

Donovan

Saha

Still furious about last night but it proved a couple of things.

A/ Heitinga is too slow for the premier league. The N'gog goal was all tooooo easy, he stepped inside him like he was standing still. If anyone mentions the world cup one more time i'll choke. Over the last 18 months Distin has been great but he is not the future. Rodwell's marking job on Silva earlier in the season was his best match and he should be given a crack as the centre back next to Jags. Heitinga should remain as a squad player.

B/ Neville, Hibbert and Cahill are done. Their best days are well behind them and all of them should go over the next transfer window or two.

C/ We desperately need a creative midfielder. The loss of Arteta and Pienaar is killing us. I can't see how Gueye at 19 has shown anymore than Barkley has. Had Bilyaletdinov been playing last night he would have been crucified. Unfortunately for the Bily haters he wasn't. He needs to start and be given the chance to be our creative outlet and not wasted wide out on the left. We don't really have any other options.

Generally very good post, but Bily starting? He's had plenty of chances to prove himself and the only thing he's proved is that he's gash.

And Rodwell isn't big enough or good enough in the air to play at centre back.

 

[BigDuncNo9]

OP - you say its not the formation thats at fault then why are you so against the 4-4-2 formation. With the current negative lineups moyes sends out then not much would work. We have been pretty ****ing dire all season and if it wasn't for a few luckbox wins then we would be possibly be were we our performances deserve us to be, in the bottom 3. Lets face it QPR, Stoke, Bolton and Norwich have all taken points off us at home this season. That is ****ing disgraceful. Forget what personnel we have now and who has gone, we should have taken at least 9 points from that lot and we get 1. The quality of football we are playing is nothing short of appalling, the manager and the players should be ****ing ashamed to pick up there over inflated wage packets this month.

The only glimmer of hope I had was that moyes may have seen the light after that god awful dire performance at WBA on Sun. He threw caution to the wind and put a few attacking players on with 10 mins to go and we actually looked threatening. Then he plays 442 last night and low and behold he plays neville/heitinga in the middle of the park, I mean ffs can we be anymore ****ing negative!

 

[harryjam]

Generally very good post, but Bily starting? He's had plenty of chances to prove himself and the only thing he's proved is that he's gash.

And Rodwell isn't big enough or good enough in the air to play at centre back.

You messing mate. He's huge and intimidating.

 

[Brownie]

Fellaini and Rodwell is just a better version of Heitinga and Neville. We have no true centre mids at the club anymore to balance out Fellaini, with that being the case I'd much rather see Marouane controlling the game from deep on his own and have a bit of variety in the players around him.

 

[Roztitute]

Ffs it doesn't matter what formation you play if you have Neville and Heitinga in central midfield.