The Regulator

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11671_4500019,00.html This is unfortunate, you can't blame him for wanting to be called and he is right, the chances of him playing for the first brazillian team rise exponentially if he plays and scores in the Champions League. Maybe if we had stayed in the UEFA cup we would have had a better chance at nabbing him, but I wouldn't want him here after this, knowing that he would just be settling for everton and looking to move the first chance he got. We wouldn't get the best out of him.

Hope that post was ironic

Love him. If i'd have known about Mike's willingness to supply Moyes his daughter I would have though twice about taking her virginity. Moyes deserves it more than me. In any case, Moyes may not be the best tactician, but his ability to take a razor thin side and shape us into a formidable force in the prem takes more than just ability, it takes faith. Moyes believes in Everton, and I believe in Moyes.

romey is right about pace, last year we had AJ. Look at the difference that one fast player can make. I think really, we don't need a new DM. Originally, we leaked so many goals it seemed absolutely necessary to have one on the pitch. But let's look at the top 4: Walcott + Nasri, Riera + Babel, Malouda + Kalou, Ronaldo + Nani. They all have players, at least 1 of, starting almost every game with ability down the side of the pitch. REAL ability. Pace, strength, technique, crossing, its all there. So its no surprise that they generate more attacks and create more goals. In reality our weakness is in our ability to pose a credible threat. Teams aren't afraid of us attacking because we don't look like scoring. Yes our midfield is good on paper, but arteta and osman aren't the sort of players to bomb up and slam a cross straight in front of goal. Arteta as romey said is slow on the break, and this season it seems, inept at grabbing an attack by the horns. A player that can at least get to the opponents bottom third, and then bring it back, gives us a chance to flood their half with 5 or 6 players, and give us a chance at a scoring opportunity. At the moment, it just isn't happening. We don't break fast enough, we don't pass well enough and we don't threaten often enough. If we want half a chance at getting to the level we know we can play at we need someone who isn't afraid of running straight at the opposition defence. Walcott does that, Riera does that, Ronaldo does that. You don't need to be the best player to have the confidence to take the other team on, you just need balls. So yeah to sum up, a winger with a big round hairy pair of cojones would be a step in the right direction. In my opinion anyway

I wouldn't go that far, this guy seems to be more in the vain of Obinna, giving us an option down the wing to widen our attack and get some backup in midfield. He can also play CF from what Ive heard so he'd be a backup striker, or could play in a 4-3-3. He'd be useful anyway and hopefully coming from Twente not that much in price either.

No one is questioning his ability to score, or the poor form of the team at present, but the Yak's workrate has been poor to say the least. Yes he needs to get good passes and be set up in goalscoring opportunities to have a chance at scoring but when he's on the field he reacts slowly, he rarely pressures the opposition defence and he doesn't show willing to get on the ball and cause problems. Vaughan isn't ready to be our main striker, but look at him whenever he comes on. He runs his arse off threatening the opposition and whenever we have possesion they get worried because there's someone who is going to cause problems. Part and parcel of being a good striker is being good at creating pressure on any defence. I know we hate the red shite but the best example i can remember seeing this season is Robbie Keane against Man U, for the whole time he was on he ran circles around the manure defense, everytime vidic or ferdinand had the ball he gave em 1 or 2 secconds before they had to pass it otherwise he was on top of them. It's these situations where they can make mistakes, instead of playing fluent football they might hoof it downfield, or panic and make a poor pass that can lead to a goal like sidwell did on sunday. And Tuncay, who will cause us similar problems, was straight on that ball going for goal and he got it. The Yak on his day is at the top with the best strikers in the league, but he just simply isn't going that extra mile. Saha did against West Ham, and set up a goal as well as netting 2 of his own; and I dont think it's just me who thinks if it was Yakubu in that game instead of Saha we would have walked away with 1-0 or worse. The Yak may be good, but you can't pin the blame solely on the midfield not supplying him. If Yakubu ran his arse off and drag defenders away from the midfield when we attacked creating space instead of standing around waiting to get fed who knows we might end up sneaking a few more passes and then shots through. Sorry but I think you give as good as you get and if Yakubu was on form then he'd get the goals, same as Saha did.

Luckily we have Fellaini, Osman, Lescott, Arteta, Saha and Cahill who will hopefully combined bag somewhere around 30 goals this season, but really adding Yak's name to that should put us closer 50+ goals. If anyone has been impressed by his form, then slap yourseleves cause hes played shite. Hopefully he'll find some form but at the moment all he's finding is Aunt Bessies secret recipe for sweet FA.

Substitutions: Boro: My Uncle John 50" President Elect John McCain 93" Everton: A guy who won't score 59" A like for like Midfielder 84" Someone unnecessary and ineffectual 99" Assistance will come in the form of a young fat kid wearing a sash made by his grandmother... No cards but Neville will get a parking ticket for parking his white astra in a disability parking space (the ensuing trial then establishing that the inability to pass the ball on the floor is not a disability and he will be fined £25 when the whole process will cost our government close to 10 grand) The weather will be like a coach trip with the WI to the lake district....incredibly drab, grey all over and wet and windy throughout In attendance will be Field Marshall Haig, Lady Haig and their tortoise Alan Don't try pulling the sarcasm on a Monday with me Mike you're only setting yourself up

There are 5 possibilities: 1) The Yak starts scoring but wants a move anyway, through which we lose a striker who can net 20 + goals a season and get a good price for it, allowing us to go for another striker. 2) The Yak continues the drought, at which claims will be heard of a dispassion at the club and a change of envrioment needed to spark him into life, through which we lose a striker netting only half a dozen goals this season and get a fair price, allowing us to fund a player on loan, maybe an option to buy. 3) The Yak starts scoring but doesn't want to move, sparking a transfer battle and a lot of attention to Everton, the latter creating a buzz and allowing us to attract slightly more high-profile players although still not being able to afford them. 4) The Yak doesn't start scoring and doesn't want a move away, to which end Moyes will babble about having faith in him and playing him every game. Vaughan will suffocate, Saha will hit double figures but won't be able to hodl the season together himself, and Anichebe will be loaned/sold in a bid to acquire funds for someone who will score. 5) Nothing will happen. Personally I think the Yak needs another 4 or 5 by Christmas to prove he is worth hanging onto, because at this rate, there's little difference to putting The Yak on the field than an actual Yak, and I'm sure an actual would probably be a bigger threat

Let's be fair it's a prediction thread, no point being unspecific is there and i'm gonna hold you to that I hope you realise

Team: Howard, Neville, Jags, Yobo, Lescott, Pienaar, Osman, Fellaini, Cahill, Yakubu, Saha Bench: Nash, Hibbert, Baines, Arteta, Castillo, Anichebe, Vaughan If Yak can get back on the score sheet, we'll do alright. I think we'll have a stronger performance this time 3-2 Tuncay 24'' Yak 42'' Fellaini 56'' Yak 63'' Mido 82''

Vic and Vaughan will come good, but not this season, which means its just Yak and Saha, hopefully Louis is finding form that will last throughout the season and hell get into double figures, but Yak hasnt scored in 9 games, I'd take a striker with a 1 in 2 average in January for sure.

The point to take from all this is while we have 3 points how long exactly can we keep this up? If we played every match like this and came 5th I wouldn't be a proud evertonian, I wouldn't wave it in everyone's faces like I did last season because last season we actually played some decent threatening football, last season we actually built an impression in people's minds that could win games down to skill and determination, and teams didn't want to play us knowing this was the case. The impression teams are rapidly developing of Everton are that we're a team who'll play absolute shit, rely on luck to help them survive to the dying minutes and then string a half decent attack together and nick the win. Try and think of this if you were a West Ham fan...or better if the score was the other way around and we were the ones who owned the pitch for 80 minutes and then lost 3-1? I'd be fucking pissed off. We are not a different team to last year by way of players, far from it, we can field exactly the same team we had last season bar mcfadden johnson and carsley, and I shudder to think that it was those 3 players that gave us the form that took us to 5th, because at this rate our luck will run out, and we won't get very far on the form we are on at the moment. While I'm happy with 3 points I'm more than disappointed with the way we are playing compared to how we can play, and I think Moyes needs to start earning that 3.5 mil a year if we are going to get any respect back.

On the money again Romey, we need a massive turnaround in how we play, but for now I'm still ecstatic that we got the 3 points!

Second, Blind optimism is a hell of a lot worse than constructive criticism. Moyes is being paid good, make that great fucking money to get us results, the quality is available in the team and yet bewilderingly we've managed one of the worst first halfs we've ever played. Saying we're not behind the team when there playing absolute bollocks is just ignorant, we need to play a hell of a lot better in the 2nd half if we want to show other teams we can threaten for UEFA cup, let alone champs league. Moyes has known enough of the players for long enough that even without Pienaar, The Yak and fellaini we should still be caining this match. We should have the confidence to play as well as we did last season, so yes we support the team but when they play shit they play shit and they need to recognise it....otherwise we'll get nowhere.

sorry Paul lol whenever I'm in work I'm only allowed on sports sites for an hour the rest of the time i'm on here Completely agree with the points though, Chebe has not shown this season that he's up to quality to start a game, and Rodwell should only be a last resort in any circumstance, while talented, he's simply not experienced enough for the prem. A loan to a championship side that used to be in the prem would be good for that, but even against west ham starting him looks like a sign of weakness, especially with a seasoned player like Casti on the bench. I don't know what Moyes is waiting for with Vaughan, at this rate we'll lose him to a team who will actually play him in as many games as he deserves.

WEST HAM v EVERTON LINE-UPS West Ham: Green, Neill, Collins, Upson, Ilunga, Faubert, Parker, Bowyer, Sears, Bellamy, Boa Morte. Subs: Lastuvka, Lopez, Etherington, Mullins, Reid, Collison, Di Michele. Everton: Howard, Neville, Yobo, Jagielka, Lescott, Arteta, Cahill, Rodwell, Osman, Saha, Anichebe. Subs: Nash, Hibbert, Baines, Castillo, Vaughan, Jutkiewicz, Gosling. Referee: Mark Halsey (Lancashire). From this lineup im predicting another dull game, why rodwell and anichebe are starting ahead of vaughan and and castillo moyes only knows. Pienaar down is a massive disappointment although im glad the yak is missing, and i hope this squad can quell my doubts and get a decnt result from this. Heart: 3-1 Head: 0-1 im glad im in work for this. All uncertainty aside, COYB!!!!!!

being dropped certainly gives players an impetus to prove their worth, which is why arteta should be benched against boro. He will be too valuable to lose tomorrow but when fellaini is back he should definately get a rest, and I 100% agree about the yak, his work rate is poor and we need a goalscorer who will bully the opposition defense not sit upfield grazing until a ball comes up. Im fed up of the red shite bastards in work chanting week after week feed the yak and hell get fat wish hed get back to form, maybe a drop will make him realise we have more options and spur him on heard he is an injury worry anyway

with both fellaini and yakubu out or this game i can see vaughan playing up front with saha and a midfield of cahill osman arteta and pienaar, osman centre dropping back. Im hoping though, that we go 4-5-1 and stick castillo in a holding role, allowing osman to join cahill in attacking. I think it;; make us more dangerous plus castillo has got a hell of a shot on him, which means well have five players able to shoot on sight, whether they get back into attacking form is up to them.

our luck defensively won't hold and they will score, but I reckon we'll pull a win out due to our higher confidence. 3-1 - Yak 1st half, Osman and Jags second

Even if the offer matched his worth we'd only have to get in another midfielder to replace him so whats the point? Ill be very surprised if he leaves after signing a 3 year deal this year <_<

absolutely not; Hibbert is one of the finest right backs in the premiership and we are lucky to have him, everytime he is on the pitch i feel inspired

starting squad for saturday is bound to be Howard, Neville, Jags, Yobo, Lescott, Osman, Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Yakubu and Saha.....maybe Moyes will be adventurous and put hibbert at right back and neville in midfield, dropping saha. Either way vaughan and nich will be bench players for the rest of this season unless yak or saha or both get injured.

ditto, you skimmed over what I said and made a retort half as informed as the guy who decided we should be looking at santacroce. We won't go for him/get him anyway so it's all a moot point.

I never said i was all knowledgeable did I? All i did was give my opinion on a youngster who i rate above Santacroce who has been playing shit this season. Lescott is barely an england international let's be fair, he's only called upon when there's noone else to do the job, and Yobo has been good granted, but that doesn't mean we don't need cover does it? I thought that was what getting another centre half was for; cover. What if Yobo breaks his leg and Lescott gets a calf strain? All we have left to play the position is Jagielka. I never said he was the next nesta, or that he was invaluable to chelsea, the whole point of them loaning him out to QPR and Wolves was to get experience, because he's not at a stage yet where he's developed enough for the 1st squad, but he's showing signs of becoming a great centre half, and it's my opeinion that you only get better by playing better opponents. Mancienne isn't at a stage yet where he can replace yobo, but then again, for one of the best centre halfs in the premier league, a nigerian captain, how many goals has he let through this season? How well is Lescott playing this season? Last season they were the dons, but what if this radical change becomes something altogether more permanent and this dip in form becomes a giant pitfall? We were lucky not to conceed against fulham because they hit the woodwork on every shot, a striker with a decent boot wouldn't have trouble putting goals past us. In the end he is worth keeping an eye whatever the case, and who's to say, when Jagielka arrived last year, we didn't know what to do with him. Where would we be without him this year?