trebilcock66
Player Valuation: £8m
I read in this morning's Guardian about Chelsea's recent surge to challenge Man U for the title. The author wrote that confidence was the key to Chelsea's reslience - players like Terry and Lampard expect to be challenging for honours every season.
According to the writer, that was the secret to them eventually overpowering Newcastle last weekend - the mentality of the Chelsea players was that they would win in the end, if they held their shape and discipline. Certainly, my memeories of our great teams in the eighties is that they overshadowed many opponents - the Everton players belief was stronger and so the win usually came. Same with some games this season such as Sunderland 7-1 or Man City away or even Fiorentina at home - the players were confident enough to play at the top of their game.
That got me thinking about our inability to overcome the sky four. (Leave aside the Clattenburg derby - that was a one-off). I thought of the game against Arsenal last week and how Yak was on the bench and we lacked penetration up front - seemed to me that DM played for a draw.
I think that Davie doesn't really believe that we can challenge the top four yet. What's more, I think he communicates that lack of confidence to the players.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a Moyes believer. He's an excellent manager who has worked wonders this term. I just think that his pragmatism about the gulf in spending between us and the top few leads him to be conservative in tactics and selection. If we played as we did when we were having our long unbeaten run, we could take Liverpool, Arsenal and maybe Chelsea too. We came within a whisker of taking a point at Old Trafford. Since that run ended and we went down to Fiorentina, the confidence has gone - from DM as well as the players.
The other difference for me has been Cahills absence. He has some detractors on this site but I think his absence has been huge. Not just his goals but his drive, passion and pure belief that we can score - I'm sure it rubs off on those around him. Not having him chivvying up AJ and the others has been a huge loss to us - bigger than I thought at the time his injury was announced.
According to the writer, that was the secret to them eventually overpowering Newcastle last weekend - the mentality of the Chelsea players was that they would win in the end, if they held their shape and discipline. Certainly, my memeories of our great teams in the eighties is that they overshadowed many opponents - the Everton players belief was stronger and so the win usually came. Same with some games this season such as Sunderland 7-1 or Man City away or even Fiorentina at home - the players were confident enough to play at the top of their game.
That got me thinking about our inability to overcome the sky four. (Leave aside the Clattenburg derby - that was a one-off). I thought of the game against Arsenal last week and how Yak was on the bench and we lacked penetration up front - seemed to me that DM played for a draw.
I think that Davie doesn't really believe that we can challenge the top four yet. What's more, I think he communicates that lack of confidence to the players.
Don't get me wrong. I'm a Moyes believer. He's an excellent manager who has worked wonders this term. I just think that his pragmatism about the gulf in spending between us and the top few leads him to be conservative in tactics and selection. If we played as we did when we were having our long unbeaten run, we could take Liverpool, Arsenal and maybe Chelsea too. We came within a whisker of taking a point at Old Trafford. Since that run ended and we went down to Fiorentina, the confidence has gone - from DM as well as the players.
The other difference for me has been Cahills absence. He has some detractors on this site but I think his absence has been huge. Not just his goals but his drive, passion and pure belief that we can score - I'm sure it rubs off on those around him. Not having him chivvying up AJ and the others has been a huge loss to us - bigger than I thought at the time his injury was announced.
