My Club My Love

This is what I just wrote to Bluekipper. I don’t know if they will put it on the site though.


We take on the Villans at Goodison in a game that could make or break our European aspirations.

According to fan sites and the media, injuries to Saha and the Yak have left Anichebe the only ‘recognizable’ striker available to Moyes. Moyes himself is saying he’s ‘looking at everybody’ come the January transfer window. Owen, Nugent and Larsson have been linked to the club, although the answer to the striking crisis may be found closer to home.

Much has been said about Everton’s youth academy but the real talking starts on the pitch. Jose Baxter played in the first two games of the season; since then he has not gotten the nod. Moyes is a manager who keeps faith in his players, but if the Yak, who found the net only once in eleven games prior to his injury, had been a regular starter, I don’t see why Baxtor should not get a chance. What is the point having youth development programmes when you don’t let your youngsters play?

The Yak’s unavailability could be a blessing in disguise. He was slow and lacked commitment. It was nauseating to watch him play. Like the Yak, Anichebe is a physical type of player but he always chases lost causes and is a handful in the box. For a young player Baxtor has certainly impressed with his movement. The two would make a good partnership.

The 4-5-1 formation Moyes deploys is hardly a positive one. Instead of packing the midfield and wait for the opponent to make a mistake, why not play 4-4-2 and attack them straight from the start? Moyes should play Arteta and Peanuts on the flanks, with Fellaini and Castillo in the middle of the park. Why Castillo is not playing is anybody’s guess. Since his arrival, he’s been mostly frozen out. If Moyes does not want to play him, why bother to buy him? We badly need a terrier-like player like Carsley snapping at heels, winning balls and protecting the back four. Cars may have hung up his boots but we have Castillo now and it’s high time he starts.

Cahill and Rodwell should be on the bench. The former is simply not at his sharpest at the moment. If we lead against Villa with 15 minutes to go, Rodwell can come on and buffer some of the Villa onslaught.

Lescott is hardly the solid defender he was last season and should be dropped. His performances have been inconsistent lately and Baines is a better choice at left-back. Neville should take the right hand slot, with Yobo and Jags occupying the center.

A goalkeeper is only as good as the defenders in front of him. Howard has been impressive lately but the team cannot keep counting on him to perform miracles every time. The back four must be firm and a lot will depend on how expertly the normally reliable Jags marshals his defence.

Everton’s abysmal home record could be due largely to the Blues’ unadventurous attacking play. One cannot shake off the feeling that the team only attacks more when they are chasing a goal. It’s up to Moyes to be more ambitious. We are at home so attack! It’s easier to score when it is goalless than when we fall behind and the other side parks the bus in front of the goal.

Attack is the best way to obviate the attacking threat Villa poses. Young and Agbonlahor are very fast and if we sit back Jags and Company could be in for a long afternoon. Villa are a very good side but one suspects they play better against the Big Four. If Boro played them off the park it is surely not beyond the Blues to replicate the performance, if not the result.

To do that the boys must play the ball on the ground. All that long balls out of defence are not helping our cause. Yobo has been poor with his distribution; it’s time he shows his class. Arteta can hopefully deliver some quality crosses in for once. Everton have only been impressive in that second half against ManUre and the last 15 minutes against the Hammers. The Goodison faithful are dying for a real performance and Everton must deliver, starting with Villa.



Great site! Keep up the good work mates!


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Liu Weixian