Hold Your Horses People...

[Tubey]

Look, I criticise Moyes as much as anyone, and he deserves a lot of it.

But you can't blame him for tonight. He was completely undermined by three injuries, played a fairly positive line-up considering what he usually plays.

At the end of the day, there were three players on the pitch at the end that wouldn't have been under normal circumstances. Donovan would have played 60 minutes, Stracqualursi not much more and Saha would probably have been withdrawn at some point too.

Mindless calling Moyes for all sorts when it's clear he wasn't to blame for what happened tonight is just stupid. It undermines the times you can have valid criticism of him.

You can't have your cake and eat it. He played 4-4-2, he started Donovan. That's what most fans wanted, and yes, the centre of midfield was still not ideal, but other than that, let's be realistic.

So, in short, stop having a melt and think about what happened.

 

[Roztitute]

Fairly progressive considering what he normally plays indeed, we shouldn't be comparing it to that.

Neville and Heitinga in midfield is a joke.

Saha is a joke.

Cahill came on, due to injury yes, but he still got the nod over others, and was a joke.

Barkley didn't make the squad, joke.

 

[Gufty]

Look, I criticise Moyes as much as anyone, and he deserves a lot of it.

But you can't blame him for tonight. He was completely undermined by three injuries, played a fairly positive line-up considering what he usually plays.

At the end of the day, there were three players on the pitch at the end that wouldn't have been under normal circumstances. Donovan would have played 60 minutes, Stracqualursi not much more and Saha would probably have been withdrawn at some point too.

Mindless calling Moyes for all sorts when it's clear he wasn't to blame for what happened tonight is just stupid. It undermines the times you can have valid criticism of him.

You can't have your cake and eat it. He played 4-4-2, he started Donovan. That's what most fans wanted, and yes, the centre of midfield was still not ideal, but other than that, let's be realistic.

So, in short, stop having a melt and think about what happened.

Well said!

 

[ijjysmith]

I agree. Can't go all crappy on Moyes this week.

Mhowever, sounds like we can have a go at some players!


Who's this weeks scapegoat?

 

[RFUS]

I'm not blaming him too much to be fair. The wind prevented real football, however it also gave us our goal, so I don't think it would be fair to blame that. Bolton had to contend with the weather and didn't benefit from it like we did.

The injuries were crippling but the subs questionable. Although given our squad depth, or lack of it, you can't moan too much.

What I do think was weird was the fact that he went 4-4-2 against a team playing 5 midfielders BUT didn't elect to have any assemblance of creativity or ball retention in the centre. That just seems like a kamikaze move going both ways for me. Sure we had 2 strikers but again our 'service' was left flank crosses and up the pitch hoofs.

Hopefully Felli can get back ASAP. We miss him badly.

 

[kenada_blue]

Look, I criticise Moyes as much as anyone, and he deserves a lot of it.

But you can't blame him for tonight. He was completely undermined by three injuries, played a fairly positive line-up considering what he usually plays.

At the end of the day, there were three players on the pitch at the end that wouldn't have been under normal circumstances. Donovan would have played 60 minutes, Stracqualursi not much more and Saha would probably have been withdrawn at some point too.

Mindless calling Moyes for all sorts when it's clear he wasn't to blame for what happened tonight is just stupid. It undermines the times you can have valid criticism of him.

You can't have your cake and eat it. He played 4-4-2, he started Donovan. That's what most fans wanted, and yes, the centre of midfield was still not ideal, but other than that, let's be realistic.

So, in short, stop having a melt and think about what happened.

No probs from me...minus the Heits, Nev and Osman trio in their respected positions.

Movement is not what this Everton team do.

I still think we'd struggle to score 2 without the injuries.

 

[BigBlueBalls]

Look, I criticise Moyes as much as anyone, and he deserves a lot of it.

But you can't blame him for tonight. He was completely undermined by three injuries, played a fairly positive line-up considering what he usually plays.

At the end of the day, there were three players on the pitch at the end that wouldn't have been under normal circumstances. Donovan would have played 60 minutes, Stracqualursi not much more and Saha would probably have been withdrawn at some point too.

Mindless calling Moyes for all sorts when it's clear he wasn't to blame for what happened tonight is just stupid. It undermines the times you can have valid criticism of him.

You can't have your cake and eat it. He played 4-4-2, he started Donovan. That's what most fans wanted, and yes, the centre of midfield was still not ideal, but other than that, let's be realistic.

So, in short, stop having a melt and think about what happened.

But but but.... Barkely, and Baxter, and Garbutt, and Duffy, and Coleman.... the kids would win us the league. All it takes is belief and if you don't agree with me then me and my cronies will start the abuse wagon.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

I agree that Moyes wasn't the problem tonight. Lack of a clue between certain people in blue shirts was.

 

[Tubey]

But but but.... Barkely, and Baxter, and Garbutt, and Duffy, and Coleman.... the kids would win us the league. All it takes is belief and if you don't agree with me then me and my cronies will start the abuse wagon.

Might surprise you to learn that this Clique crap is all in your head, you bad conspiracy theorist weirdo.

 

[kenada_blue]

I'm not blaming him too much to be fair. The wind prevented real football, however it also gave us our goal, so I don't think it would be fair to blame that. Bolton had to contend with the weather and didn't benefit from it like we did.

The injuries were crippling but the subs questionable. Although given our squad depth, or lack of it, you can't moan too much.

What I do think was weird was the fact that he went 4-4-2 against a team playing 5 midfielders BUT didn't elect to have any assemblance of creativity or ball retention in the centre. That just seems like a kamikaze move going both ways for me. Sure we had 2 strikers but again our 'service' was left flank crosses and up the pitch hoofs.

Hopefully Felli can get back ASAP. We miss him badly.

Think the bottom line is that he's clocked on to Cahill's gashness this season, and has acted to do something about it.

The midfield of Heits, Nev, and Osman out wide has served up a few results, so he's no reason to change it.

 

[davek]

Hold on, these players he had in midfield at the end - they weren't academy players.

That's exactly the time when a manager earns his corn, not when he's got all hands on deck.

 

[Matt Damon]

One of the best posts on GOT in a long time.

He was fuming when Rodwell injured with the coaches. GOT level fuming.

 

[Tubey]

Hold on, these players he had in midfield at the end - they weren't academy players.

That's exactly the time when a manager earns his corn, not when he's got all hands on deck.

I'm struggling to name a player he could have had in the middle instead, with the obvious exception of Barkley.

Bilyaletdinov is truly awful, I think we're all in agreement there. Cahill is so off form that he's in negative form. On a scale of 1 to 10 he's -3. Baines was used as a full time attacking winger basically so Osman was there to cover him, which Gueye couldn't have done.

Injuries forced that team selection, combined with an admittedly big lack of confidence in Barkley for some reason. He's got to be worth a try though, got to.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

One of the best posts on GOT in a long time.

He was fuming when Rodwell injured with the coaches. GOT level fuming.

Hopefully at himself.

Why risk him?

The lad was forced off at the weekend feeling his hamstring... That should automatically rule him out of a game a couple of days later.

Barkley.

 

[BigBlueBalls]

Might surprise you to learn that this Clique crap is all in your head, you bad conspiracy theorist weirdo.

Wasn't aimed at you, was demonstrating a point. And the closed Barkley thread is all the evidence you should require to notice the abuse wagon.