The Regulator

i'm surprised hibbert was given first team action so quickly after his injury......hes a poor right back......but maybe coming back off injury has caused a drop in form? And i can't undertsand moyes logic, luckily for us he's allowing baines first team action after a rocky start and i think baines is starting to shine, much better than lescott, a good crosser of the ball and younger by miles than valente..... but why doesn't castillo get more 1st team football? Surely neville in right back and castillo in front of the defenders makes a much better system, then two on each side and either one or two infront of casti, depending on the formation. I don't understand moyes willingness to play fellaini and his unwillingness to play casti......

I don't get it. Moyes is a brilliant manager, he halved the age of our squad, got us european football, cemented us as one of the best teams outside ther top 4, and made us stronger for it. To Jimmy the Blue, Moyes has the talent and capability to take us into the top 4. It's never going to be easy, and i remember looking on here the other day and someone posted a load of comments from this time last year, when everybody moaned about our defence, how we were shit and wouldn't get anything out of the year, liege was dissapointing BUT, now we have one focus: 4th. It can be done, we did it before, I'm shocked at the lack of faith on here and the instant something goes wrong Moyes has to go. I love moyes as our manager, i think at present there's noone who can do better for us, and i think everyone needs to take a breather and give it a few games before deciding that he's not good enough anymore. Seriously, just relax. We're hardly out of the running are we?

I'd like to think it's the constant reshuffling of the squad that is making things worse. Jags started the season in midfield, moving round the pitch until settling into CB. Phil Neville is being used as utility, half a match as a mid half a match as an RB, Lescott is being used between LB and CB, Anichebe is being thrown around right midfield, right wing and CF, Cahill and Arteta both as well being thrown into different positions. I don't think it's under performing, but look at any team who have a solid starting XI for every game, with changes only minor between weeks. There players know their role in the squad, where they should be on the pitch and when, when to push forward and pull back, and where to position themselves and who to mark when it happens. I think without giving people a solid role and position to work with they can't develop a pattern. And it's self evident. Jagielka has been our best player thus far, and it's because after a rocky start he settled into the centre back position and excelled at it. He know nows where to go on the field, who to look for in passing and who to follow in defending. I think if we settle people down into their roles and where they go on the pitch, passing shooting defending will all come together nicely. Goalkeeping - Nash is yet untested so i don't want him dropped in the deep end but Howard has made glaring errors influenced by but not exclusive to our frankly wank defending. Newcastle is an important game so Howard will start, but over Christmas I'd like to see Nash in a few games and see what he can do. Otherwise, our best is Howard so we have to make do. Defense - Hibbert and Neville are right backs, but hibbert isn't back to match fitness just yet so I think Neville should be our primary right back. he's settled in that position, better at progressing up the field and a solid defender in that position. Hibbert could then come on if moyes is reshuffling the midfield and moves Neville central, just in front of the defense. Centre backs should most definitely be Jags and Lescott. Yes lescott has disappointed but it's because HE'S NOT A LEFT BACK! He can't get back in time, he can't keep up with wingers, he goes to far forward to track back and teams expose us on the counter attack. he may like going forward but too bad. We need a solid defense and until we get confidence he needs to stay back and play in his best position. Yobo i think isn't making a good partnership with Jags and I think having two england hopefuls in central defense might benefit not only the players careers but also their influence and rep on the pitch. Yobo just hasn't been up to standard. I was impressed with Baines at LB and think he should be giving a chance, both him and valente while not being skilled enough to create chances up the field, are solid left backs and capable of shoreing up our woeful defense. If moyes can see that baines has enough pace to track back and push on the attack he'll get the games he deserves. Midfield - 5 with the Yak, 4 in any other formula. Fellaini is obviously not used to being central in a 4-5-1 as he's not a quick mover, he's a steady, storng holding midfieder and needs space to operate, he should be employed if it is in a 4-4-2. If it's 4-5-1 Cahill needs to take that central spot and push forward more. Castillo i believe has great potential and deserves a spot in the 4-5-1 as a defense mid, his capability to go forward was proven against liege in the 1st round. Yes we miss Carsley's simplicity in midfield and his ability to get back, but i think Castillo fulfills that potential and more if given a solid rotation, most likely in away games. Pienaar Arteta and Osman is tricky because moyes plays them all on the sides, I think Osman and Arteta can both pull central so I'd prefer to a 4-5-1 with one of them, either/or paired with cahill just behind the striker, able to actually feed the Yak. pienaar on either side is a threat and his ability to track back is vital, as well as having a deft little cross, he should definately playe every available game. Attack - In 4-5-1 the Yak all the way, making a sub around the 70th minute for Anchiebe or vaughan sacrificing a midfield spoto to allow them space just to the left or right of the Yak as dead ball men. In 4-4-2 I think Saha can have a chance but he is not a partner for Yakubu. Too similar in style of play and positiong they don't benefit each other more cancel each other out, leaving us not scoring anything. Saha amd Vaughn i think would work well vaughns pace and saha's link up play able to create chances, and leave something for the mdifield to mop up should it fail. Overall i think moyes needs to give players cemented roles, knowing your polace and your value means you know you have to earn it, and without the strength in depth of other teams we need to let players know they are necessary every game and where and why. look at Arsenal, out of the big 4 they have the thinnest team, yet they play the most attractive football in the prem and can demolish sides within minutes. More so than man u and chelsea who grind down their opponents with possession, and Liverpool who are just......well shite. Good but shite. Knowing what our team are capable of and how they can maximise their strength is more important than who we've got; Hull are proving that. It isn't about the names in the team it's about how you play them. In the right formation, with the right players in just the right places, we will get 5th easy. How long moyes takes to figure out that magic formula is another problem altogether.

To be fair, i thought lescott did very well at center half against liege, more so than yobo has done, and i dont think hes suited to left back, he should just stick to CB.....without a doubt though his positioning on the left back has caused us some mad defense errors and conceeded us a hell of a lot of goals, id feel a lot better if in january we poached the da silva brothers of united on a half season loan.

pienaar is back but doubt he will start - hopefully moyes will play a 4-4-2 and bring peinaar on in the second half, maybe changing to 4-5-1 pienaar i hope will be back to his best and feature on sunday would bloody love that

Louis Saha Has a shot babe That can make you shit your pants But the bastard's Always injured So he never gets the chance Louis Saha Such a striker when he's paired up with the yak All the other teams are shaking when the pair start to attack Oh Alumnia Petr Cech man Look out little red shite Reina And old Van Der Sar Oh those big 4 keepers are fretting Now that Saha's back in town! sung to Mac the Knife by Bobby Darin hehe man this is great to pass the time

you taking the arthur bliss? or is it good? i just made it up in between calls in work i dont know what it would sound like sung by 40,000 drunk toffees

Little Timmy Cahill Scores another goal Little Timmy Cahill In a league of his own Watch when he starts running He's headed for the net Defenders try to stop him They aint seen nothing yet When your keeper stands well off his line then you suffer Tim Cahill everytime sung to Superstitious by Stevie Wonder what dyu reckon?

If moyes is basing his wage on us winning the uefa cup, winning the fa cup, and getting 4th, then yes he does. If hes basing it on coming top 8, not winning any silverware and making us a laughing stock, then no. moot point in my eyes, who would come into everton if he left and have a greater effect? newcastle are in a mess but buyers will probably come in before christmas, while weve been looking for new owners for ages and cant find anyone. Someone posted a load of comments from this time last year and we still finished 5th, and everyone was dismayed but we got our act together. In fairness to moyes, even if money is going in his pocket he knows how to get the ebst out of players, weve had the same start as last year so why all the fuss? in the words of the great richard pryor "Have a coke and a smile and shut the fuck up"

Baxter's performance was class to be fair and i'm surprised he's constantly being passed over by rodwell who i don't rate as much, i think Moyes would only play him though as a last resort because to be fair it could go one way or the other, Moyes would rather a team who's played man u before and knows what needs to be done, than a young and restless player who may be on fire, or may just fall short against and experienced and powerful team like man u. I would love to see it, but Moyes isn't the kind of manager to take risks, not with formations or strategies, which is frustrating because i'd love to see a mix-up of our style of play, and try and get goals out of different situations. Imagine a 3-6-1 with jags yobo and lescott at teh back, castillo osman pienaar cahill arteta and fellaini in midfield, and yakubu up front.....again, moyes won't take risks but it's worth it if as you say the scoreline will be crap in any case....

Judge Fellaini at the end of teh season, not half a dozen games in. I work in a call centre, and i started this time last year. For the first few months, i knew noone and hung around by myself, did my work and worked hard but didnt know a lot. Half a year later, i know a bit more and more people, peopel recognise me and i go out with a few of them. A year on and i know all there is to know about my job, pretty much everyone in the call centre recognises me or knows my name or ive spoken to outside of work, and im good at my job. Apply the same dynamic to football, and next year is a much fairier judge of whether or not he is worht keeping. Either way we've spent a chunk of money on a solid midfielder, who barely speaks the language his manager and majority of his team amtes speak in, he has to adapt and the first month is nowhere a good judge of how well he will do. Plus, he has never played in this league, and although i dont watch as much as i used to, the EPL is one of the fastest leagues to play in, and as was said, in midfield like saturday one of the most clogged onthe pitch. Give him space and time and the boy will do well, but he's 20 in a new country and a new team. One month is hardly the point to decide how you feel, yes he cost £15m, so what? we needed him panic buy or not so judging him now is pointless, judge him end of season when we see exactly what he has been able to acheive. The fact that he's a player with european experience is enough to justify him, can you imagine what kind of midfield we'd have if we didnt sign him last minute? Im sure rodwell would love it but i wouldnt

Totally agree, liege would be a boost and crashing wouldn't help our confidence, i think newcastle will be the real must-win though. If we can't beat a team in the state their in, then we will be in serious trouble. Man U and Arsenal are going to be hard as nails, arsenal a draw is feasible and i will be happy with it, but man u will bring it to us looking to get back into the fray, and if we don't pull out at least 5 points, 8 with bolton, then we will be in dire straights....then again, optism abound we could grab 12 points and shoot up to the top of the table. Doubt it but hey who knows....

Defensively there's not a lot we can do to change, it just needs improvement. Hibbert/Neville are the same RB's from last year, same goes for Valente/Baines/Lescott on the left, and jags and yobo center. Yes it is shocking but at the end of the day these players are the same that got us to 5th last year. I personally think the lack of competition at the back, Lescott's constant selection for left back even though we have 2 spare, and jas and yobo as our only center half's means that they know there is noone else and so have becoming complacent. Last year we were fighting for 4th and came close, they expected in the summer that we would get in more players of high quality threatening for 1st team action, defensively that hasn't happened. If Yobo and Jags got injured, we'd be fielding rodwell and lescott every game, so they know they don't have to work hard to play 1st team football. That being said Jags is working his arse off, and Yobo is a solid player who needs to work a bit harder. we have the options and the strength to keep clean sheets, we just need the confidence to know that we're capable of that. that's what's lacking and they know it. How long til they do something about it is the key.

Either way you look at it, we've got a rough road in the prem in the next few weeks. Man U and Arsenal will be looking to settle into a winning pattern to cement their place at the top of the league, while Newcastle look to break a bad spell under the temporary management of Joe Kinnear. We've yet to win at home, and based on our performance on saturday, our confidence is not at its highest peak at present. Pienaar and Cahill, 2 vital midfielders for us last season are not going to feature, pienaar may be an option towards the 3rd game but i doubt moyes will be looking to rush him. So we're looking at at a tough few games with key players missing: How would you play it? Surely a 4-4-2 formation would benefit us more and hopefully create more goal oppourtunities, but then anichebe may still be out leaving us with 3 strikers to fill 2 places for 90 minutes, and whether Saha is at a level to win us games is debateable. With Hibbert back, Moyes has the option of pushing Neville into midfield, and maybe play a 4-5-1 with 2 defense mids, but this is an untested formula and may or may not work. What are your predictions for the next run of games? How much do you think the liege match will affect them? Will a win and further progression in the uefa cup boost our confidence? Or will a loss and abrupt exit from the competition narrow our focus to just the prem, making each game a vital contest and drive us towards a champions league spot. I'm interested to see what happens next as the next few weeks will begin to shape the league as we get closer to christmas, and give a more solid indication of who is flying (eg Chelsea) and who is crawling (eg Tottenham)...either way, we need some decisive victories to earn us the points to stay in teh fight, as other clubs liek Aston Villa and Man City(especially after january) will be threatening the big 4. If you were in the managers chair, how woudl you play this?

To be honest, i don't know whether he's underrated but Leighton Baines certainly isn't being given much of a chance to prove himself. In the first match i saw a glimpse of what is a promising player for us, he played LMF that match and did a solid job, linking up play and getting back to defend as well putting some nice balls in the box. Overall i think he's a better crosser of the ball than Lescott, and he's a solid leftback albeit a little more lightweight. But against a club like liege where their winger tore lescott apart i think baines' pace and resiliance would come in handy. I certainly think he is undervalued here as lescott takes preference when i think baines deserves a shout. Moyes eems to test him out and then think he's a weak link if we play shit, when relaly as saturday proved even with our (almost) strongest first team we can still get torn to pieces. Its about finding the right formula.

Pardon my cyncism but i dont think we'd come that close to a goal. "Feed the yak and he will score" well we need to feed him first, liverpool play straight down the middle football, and now that they have riera theyre starting to work theyre way wide. Hitting them down the center isnt an option, so id like to see arteta and osman run up the sides pull in and crack some shots away, or lay up cahill or castillo to have a crack at goal. If we can connect to the yak and get him shooting opportunities fine, but i think wed be better to have 4 or 5 players firing in from all angles and creating chances than I would our usual style, stick the yak up front and direct traffic towards him hoping for magic. We have strength in our lads and both osman and arteta on their day are masters of a low driving shot from distance...usually diagonal across the box. Saha will link passes creating chances across the box. Granted he's not fit at the moment, but that's why i said half a game. Put the yak on first and will try hard but not necessarily get the goal, i personally would like to see if saha can help link up play and have a few digs himself. If it doesnt work out give the yak 45 to try and get the win.

true blue all the way but this game is going to the shite.....you can see it can't you? Howard has not been the best in goal, i'm happy enough to have him but he's made some glaring errors in these games and I think it's time to start looking for a real contender for 1st team goalie, I haven't seen much out of nash but i don't think he'd be the one. Jags and Yobo just aren't linking it up, we've conceeded so many it's unreal and I hope Stubbs can work some magic but Torres, Babel, Gerrard, Riera...these are guys that can tear our defence to shreds if we're not careful. Add to that Lescott's woeful defending at left back, and Neville on the right, and we need something special to keep the goals out. Castillo I hope will come into his own and start pulling back giving the RS something to try and get around not pass through, and if Fellaini plays i want to see a drastic improvement because so far he's not settled and not showing his worth. If we play 4-5-1 i dont trust that Osman Cahill and Arteta can get it together, Arteta has just been sick Ossie will have a hard time splicing through the liverpoop defence and Cahill has looked nowhere near as sharp since he got back as he was last year. Last season he was a threat, and one who defiantly carved his name on teh score sheet, this season he's started off very slow and does not look match fit. Saha and the Yak, well personally i'd like to see Saha up front alone and see what he can do, at least for the first half, maybe a work around in midfield in the second and bringing the yak on, but overall itll be a hard fought game and if we score first they will score 2nd and 3rd, that is academic. I'd settle for an injury time 1-0 win, but i can't see it. COYB! pull it out the bag and show the red shite what youre made of

i knew cahill would be benched and i hope the tet is set by saturday, a little surprised hes put 2 strikers out when he could have put neville in defense mid and hibbert right back, id favour that instead of rodwell in midfield, but there we go. Anyone know if 5live are covering this?

---------------------------------------------------HOWARD----------------------------------------------------------- HIBBERT--------------------------JAGIELKA--------------------------YOBO---------------------------------BAINES -------------------------------------------------- CASTILLO---------------------------------------------------------- OSMAN-------------------------------------------FELLAINI---------------------------------------------------ARTETA ------------------------------SAHA--------------------------------------YAKUBU------------------------------------- Arteta may have a problem starting because of an illness but i hope he does start, Hibbert may get a run in as he's match fit and Cahill i think will get a rest for Saturday. We're not half as weak as we were in the first match, our midfield is certainly a lot stronger and will be more so when pienaar gets back, hiccup at right back frees neville to play just in front of defense but then again we have casti so unless he plays right back i cant see him playing.

my arsenal mate said this can happen, diarra wasnt reported until 2am after the dealine was 12.....we may be out of the woods boys GET IN YOU MIGHTY FUCKING BLUES!!!!!!!!!1

http://www.lesoir.be/sports/football/marou...01-634015.shtml anyone speak whatever the hell language this is?

I been checking sky sports all day, and the last everton news was nash signing...sorry lads but im gonna have to call it...COYB and all that but i gotta be up for work at 7, and it involves driving for an hour.....soon as i can get near a computer in work ill be straight on here though to see the news.... keep the faith im sure if moyes has half a brain he knows we couldnt possibly cope without another midfielder...fingers crossed

nice to know theres yet another player we had no chance of getting....correcting if im wrong but its all over now right? midnight is gone unless we just signed 3 players and its taking its time to to get the news back to anyone at all

i think i'd like to see moyes in an interview to grasp why the one signing he made today was a keeper when we have no midfielders..... it's mind boggling....was there no other midfielders we could sign?? nobody? osman cahill and pienaar are now injured.... never mind enjoying europe mate i think we won't make the flight...

I think this has been possibly the most over-analytical summer we've ever had....and I'm getting fed up with how "down" everyone one is..... I put 1, because the fact remains that moyes will be looking for a quality signing to bring in and it won't just be us dashing to get pen to paper in the 11th hour, everybody will be doing it, because they know they have a long half season ahead before they can make any additions, should things go tits up like they have at our yard they will need back up.... Yes, it is frustrating that Moyes has not been able to to get the quality players we wanted, and the phrase punching above our weight seems to have summed up our entire summer, but at the end of the day, are we that much worse off, bar injury, than last years team? If we could field our strongest team last year it would have been: Howard, Jagielka, Yobo, Lescott, Neville, Carsley, Pienaar, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Yakubu......colour me ignorant but once everyone is off injury why can't we field this team again? Albeit with Carsely replaced by Castillo? And this was the team that got us to 5th.... Now I can understand people getting frustrated by the fact that we were supposed to be bringing in more quality, building on a team that secured us europe places with a team that could win european competitions, and get us a higher place in the league, but at the end of the day these same players have the quality to do it again, and we've brought in cover in the form of a right back who plays internationally, an apprently world class defense mid, a striker who if fit will net us much needed goals, and a winger who looks incredibly promising and incredibly fast. As well as that, we have shown that we have talented young players desperate for experience who have potential to be very good for us..... Moyes is making the best out of a bad situation, and asking him to secure us players on a thin budget that we can barely afford to progress us further in the prem and europe is a tall order, considering that 5th is the highest you can get before entering tough territory, the kind where billionaires can aford to stock their teams with the most expensive world reknown players so they can look at shiny things in the cupboard. I think after tomorrow we should all re-evaluate our situation, and how hard it has been for moyes who throughout has done a fantastic job. Everton are a strong team going through hard times, and other clubs and managers know it, and we should have faith then when we have everyone fit we have a team that can challenge for 4th and do us proud...they did it last year and this year the top teams aren't showing that much sign of improvent.....2 of the big 4 played today, chelski drew with a team that hasn't won a game yet, and the red shite drew in possibly the most boring game of football ever imagined, and they drew against yet another team that are supposedly going to threaten, a team that lost to stoke... we're nervous because we think everyone else is ploughing ahead when we haven't moved, when really, nothing much has changed at all...this has been possibly the dullest transfer window in recent memory, and given that we've signed 4 players I think we should stop moaning and be happy that we support a fighting team, who on their best can rumble with anyone and come out the other side looking as strong as when they went in. Everton is the only team in the prem that has the resolve to push through when everyone seems lost, and it's evident because we have stayed in the top flight of british football longer than any other club.... Sorry for the rant but it needed to be said, let's stop whinging and start being the proud blues we are. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!