tonyh

Did we? I seem to remember Plan A being HOOF!

Well I suppose technically that IS playing through the middle ...

But I felt they dealt pretty comfortably with almost all the crosses we put in. From what I remember the two best chances (apart from Pienaar hitting the bar) were the two shots Saha had, and both times it was worked in more from the centre. But to do that better we need Arteta further up.

And I don't think I said he was shit, but that it was a shithouse performance, i.e. a scared performance.

I agree he shouldn't have been playing so deep but I can only guess that was Moyes' plan as he stayed there the whole game. Otherwise Moyes would have been screaming at him to push up more. So we had two deep central midfielders, OK Cahill plays slightly off but he's not exactly a creative player with the ball to feet. So all the attacking play went wide with the aim of getting crosses in. There needs to be more variation than that.

ive been dying to use this:

Well that clears that one up then ...

It's my opinion. They have plenty of possession, but most of the play aims at getting the ball down the wings to get crosses in. Do we have the forwards for that? Beckford seems like the kind of player that would thrive on balls over the top or through balls, Saha we have seen score headers from crosses but he's got great feet and can do more with the ball at his feet. That's why I think it's too predictable at the moment. Arteta was too deep today and he's one of the players we need playing it through the middle.

I dont know what to make of that statement.

Why?

Big problem was I don't think we actually had a shot on target until Saha's two shots in the last ten minutes. Why is the only way to attack trying to work the ball out wide to get crosses in? It's too predictable.

Stick the lad in and let him learn from his mistakes or loan him to Blackpool and let him make them there.. He's 22, he's a big boy and he can handle it.

I agree he's got to learn, and he'll only do that from playing. But what I'm saying is that we can't just stick him in – he has to be brought in gradually and protected. The way some people talk about him you'd think he's been playing at the top level for a couple of seasons and we know he can handle it. He hasn't and we don't.

Totally agree. Some people are going way, way overboard about him. We can all see he's great going forward but he's got no Premier League experience and could be found out defensively. I think he's going to be a very good player for us, but if he gets thrown in too early and has a shocker or two defensively his confidence could totally collapse. I agree with Moyes that patience is very important.

Presumably there'll be a decent loan fee, too? So we do get some cash, aside from saving on the wages of a player who's not playing.

We had only two methods of trying to create chances: i) long ball, looking for flick ons, ii) work it out wide, get crosses in. Do they not realise that DUNCAN FERGUSON NO LONGER PLAYS?

Another thing about Fellaini is that Moyes keeps picking him. If we trust Moyes then I suppose we have to trust his apparent opinion that Fellaini is decent. And don't tell me that he's picking him because he doesn't want to lose face or admit that he was a waste of money – look at what happened to Per Kroldrup, who Moyes obviously realised was a dud after signing him.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/nov/18/mikel-arteta-knee-surgery-everton

Mikel Arteta has offered Everton consolation over his delayed recovery from knee surgery by saying the ordeal has brought a realisation he should end his career at Goodison Park.

 

The Spanish midfielder has been out since rupturing a cruciate ligament at Newcastle United in February and has postponed two scheduled returns because of complications that have required further surgery. Arteta underwent a third operation on his knee a fortnight ago after contracting an infection and is reluctant to set a third date for a comeback while he recuperates at home in Spain.

 

A nine-month absence, however, has given the 27-year-old perspective on his status at Everton and heightened his desire to extend his four-year stay on Merseyside.

 

"I think when you are away and you look at things – not just as a professional, as a footballer, but as a person – you realise you have got good people around you," he said. "It is not easy to find that in football. I have been in other football clubs and I'm telling you this is a special one. People say we are a family – we really are. We really are different and we really do things differently from other clubs."

 

The former Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain, Rangers and Real Sociedad player added: "You never know how long you are going to spend with a club, but what I can say is that I can see myself finishing my career at Everton. That wouldn't surprise me at all.

 

"The papers say, 'Mikel wants to go back to Spain soon'. That is not true, I never said that. They say would you like to come one day, probably I would like that but maybe I am going to stay for another seven years. I would like to win a trophy with the club. We have got the potential to do it."

 

Arteta's influence on David Moyes's team has been sorely missed and, while Everton are hopeful he will return in January, the midfielder admits he cannot put an accurate timescale on his recovery.

 

"It has been a hard period for me but sometimes you can avoid problems and sometimes you have to take it the way it comes," he added. "There was no explanation for the infection. They have had three cases like that in 35 years and the surgeon does thousands of operations a year.

 

"The surgeon and the medical staff at the club don't want to talk about time, because there is no point. The only worry is to get my knee fixed properly and to get it fixed for the next seven or eight years of my career. That is my only aim. I want to be playing as soon as possible; but only as soon as my knee says I am ready to do it, because there is no point risking it. I have had three operations and I need to take it carefully."