Home » Fan Articles »
Comment: Why Moyes must work the market to rescue our season
Whilst undoubtedly today’s defeat at Villa Park was a bitter pill to swallow given the pressure that Everton applied during the second period, a part of David Moyes’ post-match interview rung all too true to my ears, and left me asking myself a simple question; Why don’t you put it right then, Mr Moyes?
The point in question is that this team lacks ‘guile’ in the final third of the pitch.
This has been clearly evident for well over 12 months, and was particularly obvious towards the back end of last season, as we lumbered to painfully poor goalless draws with both Wolves and Stoke.
During the summer, almost to a man, Evertonians have agreed that we need some real pace adding to the side, we need a right-sided player, and ideally a new centre-forward too – highlighted yet again as Jermaine Beckford struggled to get a sniff and Louis Saha went a 16th consecutive Premier League game without a goal.
I would add to this that we need someone who can dribble with a ball. Everton are looking increasingly good at getting the ball down on the deck instead of simply lumping it every time, but the problem with that right now is that the players we currently operate with only seem capable of playing really obvious sideways and backwards passes. In fact, when it comes to breaking teams down, it STILL looks to me as though the big hoof, or maybe a set play, offer our best chance of getting a goal.
Fellaini has proven beyond doubt now that he actually IS a player, and has plenty to offer this side. He isn’t an attacking force though, not as a footballer.
In front of him, Tim Cahill, the man I have put my neck on the line many times to criticise. Yet again today, Tim couldn’t trap a bag of cement, continued to turn like the QEII and has all the guile of Mick Harford in his pomp.
I am a massive Cahill fan for what he has done, and I remain a massive fan of Tim Cahill the man. Let’s be serious though, no club with top 4 aspirations in this league can continue carrying such a player playing in the position he does.
Any player playing in ‘the hole’ for any serious team across europe has a completely different skillset to Tim Cahill.
The days of a combative 5’10″ warrior arriving late and terrorising defences are long gone, they are a good 5 years outdated in fact, and the sooner people wake up to that fact, the sooner we will maybe start to progress.
Playing in that position we need a player who can get the ball down and play, a player who is equally liable to thread an inch perfect through-ball to one of the forwards or unleash a piledriver from 25 yards. Maybe, if we dare to dream, it might even be a player with a turn of pace, or someone who could drop the shoulder and run at a defence?
Cahill has none of this. If a team can stop Tim in the air, then 99% of the time you have completely neutralised his worth to the team. Today, against 2 6’3″ centre halves, that was again the case.
Out on the right, we have nobody. Maybe Seamus Coleman could do a job? He certianly looked useful again as he made one particularly impressive foray into the Villa area….but I don’t think we need to rely on Seamus, as I will come on to.
Some will no doubt say “why is Arteta playing so deep…move him forward”, which is something I would completely disagree with.
Mikel is playing in his ideal position, and he is excelling. The reason we ‘bossed’ the game today, goals aside, was in a large part down to Mikel. He takes the ball from the defence, he is always available as an ‘out’ to any of the midfielders, and he generally keeps things ‘ticking over’. That is his job, that is what he is a master of, and in terms of the quality and control of our overall display, it is vital that he stays there.
To move him further forward would be to put a sticking plaster on a compound fracture, it needs more than that.
So, what is the point I am making?
Well, I will get to it…it is a simple one.
Everton, David Moyes, needs to sell to buy….and he needs to do it right now.
Historically(in Moyes time), Everton has excelled through operating this policy, when FORCED.
I am putting it that right now, without being forced, it is essential that the club cashes in some of it’s higher value playing assets in order to address the pressing issues we have in clear problem areas.
On the bench today, we had Bilyaletdinov, Heitinga & Saha. Yakubu and Yobo not even in the squad. Add to that, Jack Rodwell has been used as nothing more than a bit-part player.
By the most conservative estimate, you would have to say that is £40m worth of player, at knock-down value in some cases….and a big stack of wage commitment on top.
Now, if I was to suggest selling Jack Rodwell for £20m, I know I would be faced with a typically backward mentality, along the lines of “Everton aren’t a selling club, we will look smalltime if we sell Jack” etc,etc.
Well, unfortunately, that IS the case.
With Bill Kenwright as chairman, we ARE smalltime. We clearly haven’t a pot to piss in, and we ARE a selling club – quite simply, it is the only way we exist.
Now, as much as the manager may be determined to prove we are growing as a club, I would suggest that at this current time, if he truly cares about winning and achieving, that he will simply have to put his stubbornness aside and accept that in order to do what we need to do, he is going to have to make sacrifice.
Everyone accepts, I think, that generally we are defensively quite sound. Yes we have had blips recently, but overall we are sound.
The midfield/forward areas are clearly the problem here, and I think that is highlighted quickly if I list the players who can play central midfield for Everton this season;
Rodwell, Cahill, Heitinga, Arteta, Fellaini, Osman, Neville. You could add to that, given where he has shown up best in the past, Bilyaletdinov.
So that is 7, arguably 8, central midfield players.
Any we currently have NOBODY who looks even remotely capable of playing the right hand-side. How can that be right?
Up front, with Yakubu seemingly out of the equation, we have a has-been lily livered, injury prone Frenchman who only tuens up when he can be bothered and hasn’t scored for 16 games, and a lad who has come from the third division. With the best will and wishes towards Beckford, can we rely on him? No. More to the point, should we have to rely on him? No.
So, how can we justify carrying 8 players for one position, even 7 or 6 if you want to discount the ‘utility’ aspect of Heitinga, whilst at the same time, leaving ourselves so obviously and painfully short and one-dimensional in other key areas??
You can’t, surely you can’t??
As much as people may want to believe that we are Man United or Arsenal and that we are now a serious entity, we are not.
If I hear another cliched idiot tell me that ” we need a squad”, whilst blissfully missing the point, I think I will go mad.
Yes, we need a squad….but you worry about your squad when you have a TEAM…a first XI.
Whichever way you look at it, whichever way you alter the team, with the current personnel you are always going to end up with £20m+ of saleable asset on the bench.
It is my view, given the current squad imbalance, that Everton are simply not in a position to operate in this way. It is absolutely senseless infact, stupidity, stubbornness and naivety of the very highest order.
It is clear that the manager has no funds to play with, so unless we start to be creative, what will change? We are going to plod along with 2/3rds of a team of top talent, yet never get anywhere as we continue to lack some of the key ingredient we require to crack some of the tough-nuts in this division. Where is the pride in that? I don’t see any, especially not seeing how close we actually are to being a real top side.
So my plea to David Moyes is this; Go back to what you know.
Go back to the methods that have served you so well in the past, and work the transfer market. It is down to the manager who he chooses to be the men to make way, but in my opinion you could sell any one of Heitinga, Rodwell or Fellaini without it damaging the TEAM in any way shape or form, because the backup we have is every bit as good. You could add into that both Yakubu and Yobo, even if we have to take knock-down fees, and you are looking at £28-30m of funds to play with.
Now, given some of the players in squads like Manchester City’s and Tottenham’s, players unlikely to see little if any action this season, I reckon we could get a fair bit of player for that kind of money, and I believe we could vastly improve the balance and craft of our side into the deal.
If we’d have freed up that money already, we could have had Hatem Ben Arfa, a player with more craft in his wrong foot than any of our current squad have in their best one. We could have had Craig Bellamy, as per the managers wishes, and incorporated a real ‘winner’ and some genuine pace into the squad.
The likes of David Bentley and Shaun Wright-Phillips, whilst not my personal cup of tea, would undoubtedly be available for knock down fees, or even on loan.
With that kind of money, why not show some REAL ambition, and go and sign a top young player from Spain like Diego Perotti, who has pace and attacking flair in abundance? If you want a little more experince, why not take advantage of Valencia’s perilous financial plight and make them an offer they can’t refuse for the exhilarating Pablo Hernandez? Would I even dare to suggest bringing Manuel Fernandez back for a 3rd spell? One thing is for sure, the boy has a lot more ‘craft’ than our current midfield, and I could easily see him developing into a wide berthed play-maker in the Seedorf mould.
Whoever your personal preference, surely we must all agree that we have to do something?
If the manager sits on his hands and once again decides to “go with what we’ve got”, then unfortunately, it looks as though a season that offered so much hope, will essentially be over before it has begun.
Fortune favours the brave they say……I think it’s time our manager took the bull by the horns.
Discuss this in the SOS Everton Forum
Leave a Comment
Loading ...
19 Comments
I was with you on this until the last few paragraphs. Lets get a few things straight here. The bench looks like it is full of expendable players right now, and people like yourself with narrow vision could be excused for rubbing their hands together for potential transfer fees. However you seem to forget that come December when suspensions and injuries are piling up, that bench you seem to think is full of luxuries will look a hell of a lot different.
Also to say that Fellaini and Rodwell could be sold without disrupting the team is laughable. Rodwell is a superstar in the making. How do you make sense that a player, who is wanted so badly by Man Utd is expendable by Everton? Also Fellaini is one of the best midfielders in the prem, and to be honest I never expected him to come back to form as quick as he has. His break up play and composure is impressing me as the weeks go by, I should mention apart from the small error today.
Also a couple of other points on the transfer targets. Ben Arfa was on a season long loan, so I think we could have stretched to that if Moyes wanted him. Craig Bellamy was wanted by a number of premiership clubs, but stated that he wanted to go and play for his home town club. Real life is not champ manager. You can’t simply get players because you want them and have enough money, there is a human element involved.
Pointless rant. Probably written in the car or on the bus on the way back from villa. I can’t see a good point in it. We need a strong bench full of exoendables because when players get injured, and they will then those players fill in and your yaks yobos and vaughans etc will get to move from the stand to the bench so why weaken the squad. To suggest selling Rodwell has to be a joke and you know it is. The lad looks like the next Steven Gerrard and you want him sold for a quick fix?!?! What’s with the save our season headline? It’s 3, THREE games in for gods sake! I know we should really have 7 or 9 pts by now but so what, there’s 35 to go. The way we are dominating teams and controlling games leaves me thinking it’s only a matter of time till we click in the oppositions box. In 3 games this season nobody has tried to play against us. All 3 have defended with their lives and we will break them down. Stop panicking.
Whilst the specific details (ie which players are expendable or whould we prefer to see go) are always going to be debatable, because we al have our favourites and see things differently, I agree with the sentiments of the article.
Clearly, Yak and Yobo are not realistically going to be considered for a starting berth, and it would be conceivable to ‘cash in’ on one of our other assets IF it meant filling the gaps within the starting XI. Because we ARE missing something in the final third…
On a personal level, I would be gutted if we let Rodwell go, and think Fellaini is too valuable to us and we would regret selling him… If Cahill was the man to go, it would have to be now if we wanted to truly gain financially (plus the new contract makes this look very unlikely).
Simply, I think Pienaar holds the key here – despite Moyes stating he can run the contracxt down, we know that we can’t afford to lose a player of his value for nothing. My prediction is that Pienaar will go before the deadline.
I find myself agreeing with most of what you say. I think the most worrying thing of all is basically if we dont achieve something worthwhile this season then the likes of Rodwell, Pienaar and even Arteta could well leave anyway next year as signing a new contract isnt worth the paper its written on these days, clubs just know that a player with four years left on his contract fetches a lot more selling fee. Although that is really my point. What I think most people miss out on is its not the players we have that is maybe costing us but the type of players we dont have. I agree with you when you say we have too many players who basically dont look comfortable on the wings but hasnt that always been the same under Moyes? Over the years even when he had all the Rooney and Lescott money he has always ended up back where he started with square pegs in round holes. When you look back you have to ask yourself, did he really spend the Rooney/Lescott money well? 5 million on Kroldrup? 5 million on a 32 year old Distin? 10 million on a supposed wide man in Bilyaletinov? surely Moyes didnt do his scouting well with Bily, he is not a wide player and we were never going to fit him in in the middle. 12 months on its still square pegs in round holes, yesterday Rodwell, usually Osman, sometimes Cahill out wide. The problem for me is Moyes cant spot this, if he could then why do we have a good squad but no real cohesion or blend? Its a problem that has long been a problem in my opinion.
There are some valid points in the above articles that could be taken on board by the club. Unfortunately we will never know what the Everton FC policy is because we are fed so many lies by BK and to a lesser degree Moyes. If as every Evertonian knows we can only
buy if we sell first, we must be a selling club. We have proved after 3 games with a full squad we can’t win one. That means our squad is not good enough. So why are we keeping rubish like Hibbert and Osman and retaining Yobo, Yakuba who appear to past there best. As a ex fan of Pienaar, he has proved to be a mercenary and hold the club to ransome so let him go too. Surely
we could get one or two better players from the sale of at least these 5 players. David Moyes was quoted as saying it is the best squad he has had. I think this is where Moyes limitations show because I don’t think most people would have picked his team or formation. Moyes greatest asset has and always will be, securing a mediocra team punch above their weight and finish in a respectable league position by whatever it takes. Although most people say he will succeed Ferguson at Man U. Moyes would be out of his depth. My only conclusion is despite my optism of pre season results the truth is we won’t win anything with Bill and Dave.
Ed – your post has nothing to do with this article Brian. If you want to discuss other issues, feel free to join the forum.
I agree with most of what your’e saying, but for me the problem lies entirely with Moyes. It’s nearly 9 years now and will still tell you,”he’s on a learning curve” It seems to me that he just doesn’t want to learn,he is so stubborn, and he gives me the impression,that he thinks he is right every time.
Totally agree Colin. Moyes is and always has been very ponderous and methodical in the market.
Despite a few clangers though, the signings he has made have been generally good.
What he needs to do now is a take a lesson from Harry Redknapp and do some ‘wheeling and dealing’.
A couple of idiots who responded earlier suggested that “we need a squad” (as I pre empted because I know such fools exist),whilst completely failing to acknowledge that I was suggesting selling some players to ADD NEW ONES.
In any case, when you have the likes of Yobo and Yak not even making the bench, there can be no disputing that we could easily afford to trim numbers by a couple.
Selling 4 who are contributing zero to buy 2 who would go straight in certainly wouldn’t have any detrimental effect at all.
My only concern with that is whether it would realise enough money to do what we need to do.
In all honesty I am clutching at straws here anyway. He has left it so late in the day it would be hard to make these moves happen overnight.This should have been considered 2 months ago, but as always, Moyes is a step behind and only ever addresses issues, be it substitutions, team selections, tactical changes or transfers…..after the horse has bolted.
His flippancy during the post match interviews is getting right under my skin too. I wouldn’t suggest sacking him but given the lack of ambition he is showing,and the complete lack of hurt in defeat, I am once again coming to the conclusion that a change may be best for all parties.
He seems to have lost that winning mentality to me and defeats can now be laughed off. That shows a serious lack of ambition.
Moyes is a great manager but i’m starting to loose faith in this man his comments after the villa game made my blood boil he said we were in control of the game from the 1st minute till the end if he could see that why the fuck didn’t he change things at half time if he could see villa were there for the taking ? beckford by himself ? what is that about ? he needs to grow some balls we have some great attacking players yet he still sends the team out like its 2004 hoping to nick a goal im starting to hate the qoute david moyes teams are hard to beat bollocks lets see David moyes teams are attractive to watch ..as for selling players fuck that nonsense i think the problem is moyes mind-set his team talks on tactics must be lets defend and push on in the 70th minute basically the fella does not trust his players from what i can see and is too set in his ways to make changes
coleman needs to start games Arteta/cahill/jags need to be dropped
this is not a knee jerk reaction these 3 players are so far out of form its shocking that such a good manager can’t see this forget about loyalty loyalty dosn’t win games its looking like another season of catch up yet there are no excuses for it this season Mr Moyes
I wouldn’t sack him,I think after 9 bizaare years he should have the decency to resign. It would save the club quite a few shillings that way, With the money he is on,I don’t think we would be waiting that long for someone with a bit of a vision which lies beyond “top half”
Its obvious after more than 8 years he hasnt learnt that much. The fact that he still think Osman is the answer on wide right suggests that or are we fans who have watched Everton years all wrong? No. For whatever reason its a position Moyes has never solved, temporarily yes with Donovan but thats gone now. We are a good passing team but the problem is we just look so so slow going forward. We have had the same problem for years and this season is no different. I am now accepting that we are not going to be ready to challenge the top 4. Everton need to get back to basics and quickly find a winning formula because nothing is coming in before tomorrows deadline. We have some hard fixtures where we are going to need to play at our maximum, stop the talk and start the action is my advice to the players and Moyes. Man Utd, Newcastle and then Fulham and Birmingham away are not going to be easy. We need to get it sorted before the catch up game is well under way again and its highly unlikely we will lose just 2 games from december to May again like last season. Even with that run we still only mustered a mediocre 8th. . People say its early days. Well early days can prove very pivotal and how long do we say early days for? Dont beat United and its end of September without a league win, not good for confidence.
Hi there, Im a junior at everton (no really I am) and I can tell you that Peanuts will be leaving for Italy tomorrow. Sad day.
bentley was at halewood last friday as was a west ham official re the Yak and Yobo (loan). I know you probably think this is a wind up but you will see. right now there is a lot of unrest at the club as its common knowledge that the gaffer is leaving at the end of next season for united and rodders has a clause in his contact for a 20million move with united getting first offer. Finally, this will get you – seamus ramos (as he is know by us) is going out on loan to the championship.
i obviously can’t tell you my name or anything, but my info is 100% correct and i will keep the fans up to date. right, back to waterloo for crappy tea.!
I think that’s a load of crap stitch, but time will tell of course.
Most of it is believable, Moyes to United is frankly laughable though.
also, teachers pet got punched in the neck by hate-iga after tha game yesterday in the dressing room….i guess thats him out of the club. no one is allowed to speak down to him let alone smack him one when he goes on, and on, and on, and on about how man utd bring up younger players and have a winning mentality. my view and the senior players (so im told) is that mikel (or as they call him down) Michael should be skip.
hi staveros. the gaffer to united is common knowledge within the club. my previous post did not appear but to let you know that i am one of the younger players at the club and while i dont know everything, certain senior pros let us know whats going on…trust me, the season after next the gaffer will be at m.u.
If that were so Stitch(moyes to utd )I’ll have a few bob on utd not getting in the champions league next season.
Moyes has done a fantastic rescue job at everton he has a eye for rough diamonds that can operate in a limited team structure but i think this is the level he will never progress past
manchester united is a totally different scenario they are a squad of mostly big time money superstars or players who have won everything it would be like getting teached by a student teacher
Moyes has won nothing his tactics at times are inept to say the least so my opinion is they will look eleswhere for a manager with champions league experience they don’t need a manager to come in to stabilize the club like we did. Moyes have proven that he is very capable of putting fires out and like the man said himself the likes of pienaar & arteta have found the level at a club like everton he should of inclueded himself in that quote
I like your blog. I will certainly be looking into it often.