Everton supporters

[sotnas]

I figured as much.

If we can't land Moutinho, then we probably can't land him.

Have you seen Moutinho's goal?

 

[GhostOfDixie]

I dont know what some poeple expect to be honest, I really dont, they keep dismissing the missing players as if its nothing.

So did Jo give his all?

How about Fellaini giving the ball away twice in dangerous areas that led to goals?

I expect a bit of fight, and maybe a little pride. Bit of invention? A bit of tactical awareness from Moyes.

It seems that losing 5 nil to Benfica is ok.

 

[inMotionSLB]

I'm sorry to butt in, but don't make the same mistake Liverpool did about "doing us in" or something in the return leg.

Sure, we may lose, that's not impossible by all means, but having too much arrogance? think about that maybe it could backfire seeing your current injury situation...

 

[GhostOfDixie]

I'm sorry to butt in, but don't make the same mistake Liverpool did about "doing us in" or something in the return leg.

Sure, we may lose, that's not impossible by all means, but having too much arrogance and think about that maybe it could backfire...

come again?

 

[ToxtethBlue]

So did Jo give his all?

How about Fellaini giving the ball away twice in dangerous areas that led to goals?

I expect a bit of fight, and maybe a little pride. Bit of invention? A bit of tactical awareness from Moyes.

It seems that losing 5 nil to Benfica is ok.

Yes, but players giving there all can play poorly. Fellaini made two mistakes, I don't see how that equals not giving a [Poor language removed]. He had two lapses in concentration which cost him, I've mentioned many times that as a player he is not confident with the ball at his feet in deep positions. It just doesn't suit him and he made mistakes.

It's not ok to lose to Benfica 5-0 but you have to look at the bigger picture, that was an unbalanced B team missing more than the spine of our side. Yobo, Jagielka, Baines, Heitinga, Neill, Arteta, Neville, Osman, Pienaar, Anichebe, Vaughan - the list goes on and on.

Tactical awareness, what would you have done? Turned Cahill into a touch line hugging winger, improved Gosling's defending, Made Coleman a left footer instead of a right or somehow found a way to magically improve Fellaini's pace.

 

[inMotionSLB]

come again?

It's probably just me. I get stick all the time before we play English oppositions, be it Portugal or Benfica, and most of the time its like we have lost before we have even played... so I'm just saying look what happened to man utd, liverpool, and England in general.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Yes, but players giving there all can play poorly. Fellaini made two mistakes, I don't see how that equals not giving a [Poor language removed]. He had two lapses in concentration which cost him, I've mentioned many times that as a player he is not confident with the ball at his feet in deep positions. It just doesn't suit him and he made mistakes.

It's not ok to lose to Benfica 5-0 but you have to look at the bigger picture, that was an unbalanced B team missing more than the spine of our side.

Tactical awareness, what would you have done? Turned Cahill into a touch line hugging winger, improved Gosling's defending, Made Coleman a left footer instead of a right or somehow found a way to magically improve Fellaini's pace.

Oh come on it was not a B team. Apart from the defensive positions, there was nobody else who would not get into the side on a regular basis (not counting the Arteta being back situation).

First half we were with them, apart from some shocking final ball, we were in control just as much as they were.

We come out after half time and play like [Poor language removed]. The mistakes that were made were costly, but they were also schoolboy errors.

As for tactical awareness - I would have hauled Jo off for a kick off. Yak and Saha played well together against Wolves, I would have like to have seen more of that.

 

[sotnas]

I'm sorry to butt in, but don't make the same mistake Liverpool did about "doing us in" or something in the return leg.

Sure, we may lose, that's not impossible by all means, but having too much arrogance? think about that maybe it could backfire seeing your current injury situation...

Good shout that on the arrogance.

Have you read what people are saying in portugal?

Even Rui Santos yesterday was talking like benfica was playing United.

 

[Dublintoff]

By my reckoning, there would be only 3/4 who started last night who would be in moyes starting 11 if everyone was fit. Jakielka,Yobo,Baines,Heitinga,Neville,Arteta, Pienarr and Saha would start along with Howard, Billy and Cahill or Fella, so i think its safe to say it was like a 'B' team.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

By my reckoning, there would be only 3/4 who started last night who would be in moyes starting 11 if everyone was fit. Jakielka,Yobo,Baines,Heitinga,Neville,Arteta, Pienarr and Saha would start along with Howard, Billy and Cahill or Fella, so i think its safe to say it was like a 'B' team.

Yakubu would not play then?

Jo is a first team regular, and Rodwell has played well for most of the season.

We need to stop with the excuses. We are a squad, not just 11 players.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

Oh come on it was not a B team. Apart from the defensive positions, there was nobody else who would not get into the side on a regular basis (not counting the Arteta being back situation).

First half we were with them, apart from some shocking final ball, we were in control just as much as they were.

We come out after half time and play like [Poor language removed]. The mistakes that were made were costly, but they were also schoolboy errors.

As for tactical awareness - I would have hauled Jo off for a kick off. Yak and Saha played well together against Wolves, I would have like to have seen more of that.

Phil Neville and Mikel Arteta: Our first choice centre midfield.

Leighton Baines: Our first choice left back.

Johnny Heitinga: Our first choice right back.

Phil Jagielka: Our best centre back.

Steven Pienaar: Our first choice left/right winger.

Leon Osman and Joseph Yobo: In and around the first team, after the best first eleven they are the players you think of. Some Evertonians would have Yobo in the first eleven, that's all down to opinion.

Add Neill, Anichebe and Vaughan and I'd say that's a B team, especially when you've got a right back at centre back, a right back at left back and a midfielder at right back. It's not even a B team, it's closer to a C team.

As you said, we did a decent job in the first half and individual mistakes and lack of experience in defensive positions cost us. It had nothing to do with lack of effort, our defensive mistakes where simply punished by a good side.

That's all you can really offer me to be honest - Saha for Jo. And whilst I'd agree with you the man is a fragile player and we have a small squad, we'll might need fresh legs for Bolton. Saha, as Moyes and Round have said themselves, is a player that needs a rest every now and then.

 

[Dublintoff]

Yakubu would not play then?

Jo is a first team regular, and Rodwell has played well for most of the season.

We need to stop with the excuses. We are a squad, not just 11 players.

So as things stand now you would have an unfit yak up front instead of saha, very strange. The reason why rodwell has played for most of the season is more through neccessity than anything else, we can all see he,s quality but moyes would not use him as much given the choice.

 

[inMotionSLB]

Good shout that on the arrogance.

Have you read what people are saying in portugal?

Even Rui Santos yesterday was talking like benfica was playing United.

Don't know what he was on about, but we were playing Everton.

 

[sotnas]

Don't know what he was on about, but we were playing Everton.

And everybody overlooked the fact that there are several key players missing. Arteta, Pienaar, Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines, Neville.

It's the usual crappy propaganda.

Arrogance is a word I don't think can be applied to this bunch of great supporters. Most of them in this forum were excited to play against the mighty benfica.

 

[bluebastardo]

Forget Arteta, Heitinga, Neil, Jagielka, Vaughan, Anichebe, etc etc.
They are not first team players.

They are long term injured or new and unproven.

This 11 first team absence baloney makes me raise both eyebrows, and it's a poor excuse that those who use it should drop.

Pienaar yes.
Yobo yes.
Neville yes.
Osman yes.
Baines yes.

They are the first team players that were missing.

The team has moved on from Arteta and Jags now, and they will have to win their place back. Jags got in because Yobo was injured, and now the tables have turned again. Arteta has been out since February, so can we class an 8 month absentee as being a first team player? No.

Anichebe and Vaughan are not regular first team players, and neither are Heitinga or Neil. Heitinga has to prove himself before he can be classed as a first team player, and Neil has barely kicked a ball.

We had 5 first team players missing against Benfica.

Let's stop talking crap and looking for excuses.