Team based on form

[billycopper]

In the good, old days, if you were playing below par, you were dropped and had to fight to win back a starting place. On that basis, our starting eleven would possibly look more like this:

_________Mucha
Neville Jagielka Distin Baines
_________Rodwell
Coleman Cahill Pienaar Baxter
________Beckford

Howard's form has been improved recently, but he's been quite error-prone. Heitinga, Arteta and Saha have been well off the pace for a good while. Baxter has been particularly influential for the reserves and a regular goal-scorer. He's due the odd cameo atleast.

 

[Allezfan]

In the good, old days, if you were playing below par, you were dropped and had to fight to win back a starting place. On that basis, our starting eleven would possibly look more like this:

_________Mucha
Neville Jagielka Distin Baines
_________Rodwell
Coleman Cahill Pienaar Baxter
________Beckford

Howard's form has been improved recently, but he's been quite error-prone. Heitinga, Arteta and Saha have been well off the pace for a good while. Baxter has been particularly influential for the reserves and a regular goal-scorer. He's due the odd cameo atleast.

I'd be happy to see us try it. Our current team hasn't been getting the results after all and Arteta, in particular, needs to knows he's not undroppable, imo.

 

[Gwladys Nights]

I don't feel confident when I see Rodwell starting. He doesn't do enough over 90 minutes yet to warrant a place.

I find myself grumbling when I see him coming off the bench as well. I was fuming when he came on at 2-1 against Man U last year, and then twotted me shin jumping out me chair when he scored to teach me a lesson.

That's how he's best used though I think. Fellaini at DM based on form I think. Surely Rodzilla hasn't had chance to hit form yet.

I'm loving all the talk of Baxter burning up the reserve league, dying for him to come good.

 

[billycopper]

I don't feel confident when I see Rodwell starting. He doesn't do enough over 90 minutes yet to warrant a place.

I find myself grumbling when I see him coming off the bench as well. I was fuming when he came on at 2-1 against Man U last year, and then twotted me shin jumping out me chair when he scored to teach me a lesson.

That's how he's best used though I think. Fellaini at DM based on form I think. Surely Rodzilla hasn't had chance to hit form yet.

I'm loving all the talk of Baxter burning up the reserve league, dying for him to come good.

I think that using players based on form can be as much of a stick as a carrot. Back in the day, players didn't want to get suspended because that would give someone else an opportunity to stake a claim for a starting place. Fellaini and Heitinga might clean up their acts if Rodwell or even Neville cemented a place in their absence.

 

[davek]

Heitinga deserves to be dropped? I'd bet big money that opposition managers looking to get their team on the edge of Everton's box would be delighted about that. I think he's had a real effect in the past few weeks. So what he wanted to come off on a couple of occasions? Surely it's a professional attitude to recognise you're not operating at 100% and alert the manager to it?

 

[Ezekiel]

Heitinga deserves to be dropped? I'd bet big money that opposition managers looking to get their team on the edge of Everton's box would be delighted about that. I think he's had a real effect in the past few weeks. So what he wanted to come off on a couple of occasions? Surely it's a professional attitude to recognise you're not operating at 100% and alert the manager to it?

i have not been impressed with him this season but i think he is a much better C/B, and not as good as a DMF, were he was superb last season.

 

[bluebloodinmyveins]

Heitinga deserves to be dropped? I'd bet big money that opposition managers looking to get their team on the edge of Everton's box would be delighted about that. I think he's had a real effect in the past few weeks. So what he wanted to come off on a couple of occasions? Surely it's a professional attitude to recognise you're not operating at 100% and alert the manager to it?

Has probably given the ball away more than any other player. His positioning has been awful too. Not sure who you've been watching if you think he's been good.
Add to that his attitude. It's plain to see he doesn't want to be here.
I'd have him playing for the reserves tbh.

 

[Alio]

In the good, old days, if you were playing below par, you were dropped and had to fight to win back a starting place. On that basis, our starting eleven would possibly look more like this:

_________Mucha
Neville Jagielka Distin Baines
_________Rodwell
Coleman Cahill Pienaar Baxter
________Beckford

Howard's form has been improved recently, but he's been quite error-prone. Heitinga, Arteta and Saha have been well off the pace for a good while. Baxter has been particularly influential for the reserves and a regular goal-scorer. He's due the odd cameo atleast.

I'm guessing thats picked on "lack of form".....i.e. you've dropped players who arent playing well, and therefore picked players who aren't necessarily playing well too, if thats makes sense. Rodwell has played a few mins, Beckford scored a nice goal, and tried one nice shot this weekend, Mucha....not really sure, and Baxter seems to be doing the biz in reserves, but not sure about getting a start yet. Other than that,.....yeah I'm with you! =)

As for Heitinga, he was having an aweful run of games a few weeks back, got stuck in on Sunday mind, but don't see him starting if everyone else is fit, for me. Not even over Distin which I'm amazed to say.

 

[toffeebhoy]

maybe its just my opinion r its hindsight but Heitinga wasnt too pushed about coming here in the first place im nearly sure only an increased offer at the last minute got him hhere coz i remeber chattin bout it at the time wit my mates i play footie wit so the fact that he seems to want to go doesnt surprise me let him go i say if he wants to go

 

[billycopper]

I'm guessing thats picked on "lack of form".....i.e. your not playing well, someone else is in, rather than those being picked because they are in form, if thats makes sense. Rodwell has played a few mins, Beckford scored a nice goal, and tried one nice shot this weekend, Mucha....not really sure, and Baxter seems to be doing the biz in reserves, but not sure about getting a start yet. Other than that,.....yeah I'm with you! =)

As for Heitinga, he was having an aweful run of games a few weeks back, got stuck in on Sunday mind, but don't seem him starting if everyone else is fit, for me. Not even over Distin which I'm amazed to say.

Yeah, exactly. If you don't do the business, then somebody else gets a go. On form, Saha shouldn't be starting. He hasn't scored in 9 months and his overall contribution is no better than Yakubu's. Heitinga doesn't bother closing people down. If he had to outshine Rodwell to get a game, hopefully we'd see more industry from him. Baxter could score hattricks every week for the reserves but, without a meritocracy in place, he won't get a sniff of the first team.

 

[Hayee]

Tony, Tony Tony, Tony Tony, Tony Tony HIBBERT!!!

 

[RFUS]

Based on form:

Mucha : Howard has been poor.

Neville Jags Distin Baines: The back four has actually been excellent, so no probs here.

Coleman Rodwell Pienaar: Coleman and Pienaar have been good, and Rodder's deserves his shot. Arteta and Heitinga have been poor/lazy of late, and Felli's banned, and he disgraced himself last week too.

Beckford Cahill Yakubu: Saha has been weak for 9 months, but Cahill's been good, Beckford's looking sharp and so is the Yak.

 

[Hayee]

Louis looks much sharper and fitter than he has in a while

 

[DionDublin]

Based on form:

Neville Jags Distin Baines: The back four has actually been excellent, so no probs here.

Excellent, is that a possible type of inadequate?

Neville is shocking, Jags has been well below par, Distin is distin and Baines while good going forward is still vunerable at defending.

I agree with a few of the other users on here, our defence is becoming as big a concern as our attack.

 

[billycopper]

We have leaked a lot of sloppy goals this season. I can only think of Ben Arfa's effort where it's taken something special to breach our defences.

I'm quite happy with the personnel that we have in place, but we need to be managing them better.

Howard- has been playing all year round football since about 2006. I think that burn out has contributed to his recent errors. We have an international goalkeeper on the bench, so let's give him the odd game.

Neville- has been doing pretty well this season, especially with regards to helping to develop Coleman. No real complaints.

Jagielka- still nowhere near the player he was before his injury. He has looked better for England than for Everton which might suggest that there's a psychological reason that he's not producing his best form in the league. Maybe he doesn't feel under the same pressure to perform for club as for country?

Distin- is performing more consistently at the moment. He's still prone to lapses of concentration, over-playing and dithering on the ball. That could be coached out of him.

Baines- probably doesn't get up and down the touchline as much as he would do if he was at one of the big four. If Gary Neville is still capable of busting a gut to get forward, Bainsey has no excuse. When he's in the box, he gets snuffed out too easily. He also needs to work on closing the winger down. He has the potential to be as effective as Cole or Evra.

Generally speaking, we're too pedestrian about getting back. Against Blackpool, Cahill half-heartedly cocked a leg out and allowed his opposite number to stroll past him. Arteta didn't close down Sagna with any conviction at the weekend. There have been several examples of both Osman and Neville jogging back and allowing crosses to come in. Heitinga's closing down is non-existent. We need to be more committed if we want to be challenging at the summit of the league. As someone correctly noticed on Sunday, Arsenal get everyone up the pitch and everyone back defending again very quickly. That's what we need to aim for.