Soccer Sat Panel Opinion

[GhostOfDixie]

Just watching the Sky Soccer Sat previews, and Le Tissier, Merson, Walsh and Nicholas all said an awful lot of sense.

Effort
They basically covered the current situation with the players not putting their all in, and that Moyes had quite rightly publically had a pop.

Yakubu and Cahill were two apparently, and I agree with them - those 2 need to do more. Yak is fit now but you wouldn't know it. Cahill has 1 goal all season in the league and that is low by his standards.

Merson actually said that Cahill is the 3rd best player at arriving late in the box to score goals - and he said when he is not doing that, what else does he give to the team? And he's right - he offers very little else.

Injuries?
Jeff Sterling asked the question about injuries and can they still use it as an excuse. Well I don't think it can be as I have already stated - but it's definitely a factor, as Charlie Nicholas stated that Liverpool have been using it as an excuse all season, even though they have only lost 2 of the best players.

Moyes
Would he go? Where would he go? Could he go to a club with more potential?

Le Tiss said that no top 4 club would take him as he's not proving, and that there isn't a bigger club that he could go to that isn't Everton. Not sure if it was a compliment or not.

Investment
All of the panel seemed to agree that Everton are at the moment the most likely of clubs to be taken over and have funds invested into the club. Potentially they are more attractive, and Le Tiss, who walks in those circles seems to think that an investment is likely.

Relegation
No chance was the general feeling.

Normally I don't listen to these guys, especially when Big Nose is around, but today they actually made some good points.

 

[best little spaniard]

So they said what we all know.

Maybe encouraging about investment though

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Who added the thumbnail image? I never. Was that automatic because of the keywords?

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Who added the thumbnail image? I never. Was that automatic because of the keywords?

For the slideshow.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

Yakubu isn't fit.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

For the slideshow.

So you added it? Just wondered if it had been setup to pickup keywords and whack them in. That would be pretty cool if it did.

Yakubu isn't fit.

How many games has he played since he got back? Well I just worked it out. He made his comeback against Fulham 13th Sept and has since played 696 minutes of football.

Not fit? Well he bloody well should be. Would you not agree?

 

[toffeetower]

Just watching the Sky Soccer Sat previews, and Le Tissier, Merson, Walsh and Nicholas all said an awful lot of sense.

Effort
They basically covered the current situation with the players not putting their all in, and that Moyes had quite rightly publically had a pop.

Yakubu and Cahill were two apparently, and I agree with them - those 2 need to do more. Yak is fit now but you wouldn't know it. Cahill has 1 goal all season in the league and that is low by his standards.

Merson actually said that Cahill is the 3rd best player at arriving late in the box to score goals - and he said when he is not doing that, what else does he give to the team? And he's right - he offers very little else.

Injuries?
Jeff Sterling asked the question about injuries and can they still use it as an excuse. Well I don't think it can be as I have already stated - but it's definitely a factor, as Charlie Nicholas stated that Liverpool have been using it as an excuse all season, even though they have only lost 2 of the best players.

Moyes
Would he go? Where would he go? Could he go to a club with more potential?

Le Tiss said that no top 4 club would take him as he's not proving, and that there isn't a bigger club that he could go to that isn't Everton. Not sure if it was a compliment or not.

Investment
All of the panel seemed to agree that Everton are at the moment the most likely of clubs to be taken over and have funds invested into the club. Potentially they are more attractive, and Le Tiss, who walks in those circles seems to think that an investment is likely.

Relegation
No chance was the general feeling.

Normally I don't listen to these guys, especially when Big Nose is around, but today they actually made some good points.

Just out of interest who does he actually think is better? It wasn't long ago that they were all saying he is the best at that.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Just out of interest who does he actually think is better? It wasn't long ago that they were all saying he is the best at that.

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Which I would find hard to argue against to be fair.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

So you added it? Just wondered if it had been setup to pickup keywords and whack them in. That would be pretty cool if it did.



How many games has he played since he got back? Well I just worked it out. He made his comeback against Fulham 13th Sept and has since played 696 minutes of football.

Not fit? Well he bloody well should be. Would you not agree?

You do realise that he missed around 9 months of football, he's just come back from one of the worst injuries a footballer can get. One that has ended footballers careers in the past.

"Yakubu has been in and around the first team, but I find it difficult to say if he is fit or not because he has recovered from his injury - but I still think he runs with a limp."

That's what Moyes said last week, speaks for itself really. He's still got a long way to go and that is only natural. And he's hardly been awful, he's just been inconsistent. He was our best player in the second half against Manchester Utd and man of the match against Villa.

Other players should be getting looked at, those who have played week in week out and have failed to step up. Yak's names just being mentioned because he's a big player, but you have to look at the bigger picture.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Of course he isn't the only one. But these are people who don't have blue tinted glasses and sometimes we need to look outside of the box.

If Yak isn't fit and he's got a limp then he shouldn't be playing should he? I would rather play a young and eager Agard than an unfit Yakubu. But still mate, 2 months and almost 12 hours of competitive football - pretty hard to accept that he is not match fit.

 

[toffeetower]

Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. Which I would find hard to argue against to be fair.

I wouldn't say they are better at 'arriving late'. I wouldn't argue that they are better all-round players though.

Cahill's forte is arriving late and I would say that is something he has over those two for sure, very little else though.

It should also be noted that Cahill has been played out of position for a while now, either on the flank of in a more orthodox central midfield position. He should be playing as an advanced midfielder/ second striker, why oh why doesn't Fellaini drop back into the position he plays for Belgium and Standard, ie in central midfield.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

I wouldn't say they are better at 'arriving late'. I wouldn't argue that they are better all-round players though.

Cahill's forte is arriving late and I would say that is something he has over those two for sure, very little else though.

It should also be noted that Cahill has been played out of position for a while now, either on the flank of in a more orthodox central midfield position. He should be playing as an advanced midfielder/ second striker, why oh why doesn't Fellaini drop back into the position he plays for Belgium and Standard, ie in central midfield.

Because Moyes picks the team, not the Belgium coach.

Cahill being played out of position is not a reason why he is not scoring. He arrives late for corners, set pieces, and right midfield isn't exactly defensive position, he can still cut in - arrive late from left wing crosses.

 

[toffeetower]

Because Moyes picks the team, not the Belgium coach.

Cahill being played out of position is not a reason why he is not scoring. He arrives late for corners, set pieces, and right midfield isn't exactly defensive position, he can still cut in - arrive late from left wing crosses.

Not as effectively though, it's like asking Saha or Yakubu to operate from the flanks, they wouldn't be quite as potent.

I'm not defending him in any way, just saying that I'd prefer him to be played in a more advanced role, he's not a conventional central midfielder which is how he is being employed.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

Not as effectively though, it's like asking Saha or Yakubu to operate from the flanks, they wouldn't be quite as potent.

I'm not defending him in any way, just saying that I'd prefer him to be played in a more advanced role, he's not a conventional central midfielder which is how he is being employed.

I'm confused, are you saying his is playing central midfield or not?

 

[ToxtethBlue]

Of course he isn't the only one. But these are people who don't have blue tinted glasses and sometimes we need to look outside of the box.

If Yak isn't fit and he's got a limp then he shouldn't be playing should he? I would rather play a young and eager Agard than an unfit Yakubu. But still mate, 2 months and almost 12 hours of competitive football - pretty hard to accept that he is not match fit.

Think outside the box how? Those who get angry and feel the need to blame a different player after every defeat.

It should only be hard to understand that he isn't fit if you don't understand the seriousness of the injury. Rathbone and Moyes have said, it'll take the Yak a while to get back to where he was.

Yakubu is coming in a building his fitness, sometimes he's been poor and sometimes he's excellent. That's part of his rehabilitation, he obviously sees Yak (even half fit) as a far better option than Agard. And so do I.

As I said, there are players that you could point the finger at, those who have played week in week out and have not done it. Yakubu is not one of them though, he's been used sparingly and is battling his way back from a serious injury.