Macclesfield (away)

[Blue4Ever]

dissapointing performance but it'll do i guess!

 

Dissapointed Moyes didn't make changes earlier but then if we'd scored a second goal he'd probably have made the changes. Macclesfield didn't create much but 1-0 just isn't enough in a cup tie and with 1 in the first half we shouldn have finished it in the second half.

 

Macclesfield played ok but we just weren't creating anything.

 

Just a thought on the Fellaini yellow card situation, surely we'd rather have him suspended for the Hull game than any of the other 3 games? Could it not have been an idea to bring him on and get him booked now? Otherwise he should have done it last week!

He should have mate

Edited January 4, 2009 by Blue4Ever

[MikeO]

He should have mate

 

What odds on him avoiding a card against Hull but then getting a red in the derby ? Wouldn't surprise me.

 

Nice to see we got some decent coverage on the ITV highlights tonight....even though the commentator said the goal was against the run of play .

 

Curbishley picked Ossie the goal of the day. Spot on.

[GMorrison183]

Hibbert wasn't shit at all .

The team as a whole were poor , and uncreative .

 

 

I apparently am in the minority, but I thought he was absolutely dreadful.

 

Was out of position on the first half Macc chance, while he was going forward his crosses seemed to always deflect off the first guy.

 

Not to mention their first chance in stoppage time that honestly a better player would've buried, he slipped and allowed the lad a crack from 15 yards away.

 

The only player that outdid him was Anichebe. He was even worse.

 

Don't take this as a doom and gloom post, I actually thought we played our typical style of game and imposed our will on them. I just think Hibbert and Anichebe didn't cut it today.

[Guest efctaxi]

I apparently am in the minority, but I thought he was absolutely dreadful.

 

Was out of position on the first half Macc chance, while he was going forward his crosses seemed to always deflect off the first guy.

 

Not to mention their first chance in stoppage time that honestly a better player would've buried, he slipped and allowed the lad a crack from 15 yards away.

 

The only player that outdid him was Anichebe. He was even worse.

 

Don't take this as a doom and gloom post, I actually thought we played our typical style of game and imposed our will on them. I just think Hibbert and Anichebe didn't cut it today.

 

I don't think Anichebe looked fit , and to be fair to the guy , he's not exactly the most potent strike force in the prem on a good day , so an off day tends to stand out . Unless he gets a string of games under his belt , and let's face it , the opportunity to do that is available at present , then I think he'll always be rusty .

Hibbert did his job in defence , and yes , missed some passing opportunities , but I don't think he was particularly worse than anyone else .

The whole team lack creativity too much , and at the moment , it's Baines who is injecting a little , which is why I was a little dismayed not to see him get a run out more often .

 

There is nowhere near enough movement off the ball from our attacking players , with or without strikers , so passes tend to float around the area , and fade out .

Baines has proved that he offers a wide option , and the ability to go past a player , and deliver good crosses into the danger areas , but again today , the other guys were a little lethargic getting into positions to take advantage .

 

Artetas passes tend to be sideways a lot of the time , basically because the movement is poor .

If you look at the Reds , the attack are constantly running defenders ragged whilst off the ball , which gives Gerrard options , but we fall over 9 times out of 10 in the final jigsaw piece imho . Unless they start to inject more movement , we'll always be outside the top 4 .

Andy Johnson was great at it , but forgot where the goal was , but he had good pace , which we totally lack in our attack now .

Most of our goals come from set pieces , compared to passing the ball through the defence , and without better movement , that won't change

[toffee77]

I didn't think Chebes did too bad. When he got the ball he held it up well and created chances for himself and others. Although he did look a bit rusty due to lack of match fitness. I was horrified with the Setanta commentary, but the ITV highlights were even worse. They showed Macclesfield's 4 chances and our goal and Cahill's chance. And to someone who didn't see the whole game, it would seem as if they were the better side.

[MikeO]

...the ITV highlights were even worse. They showed Macclesfield's 4 chances and our goal and Cahill's chance...

 

I just watched it again off the Sky+ . It lasted about five minutes, the first minute (rightly) covered Macc's two early chances, then there was three and a half minutes unbroken Everton posession and pressure before Thomas' late shot over the bar and Howard's save took up the last thirty seconds. Commentator said the goal was against the run of play which made him look a bit stupid but other than that I thought it was a balanced representation of the game.

 

Hate ITV's coverage normally but credit where it's due. It was still a "main" match even though we won....I fully expected to see only the goal.

 

Curbishley and Earle were also both very positive about Everton in general....which Hansen and Lawrensen seem to choke over on the Beeb.

[dark]

I didn't think Chebes did too bad. When he got the ball he held it up well and created chances for himself and others. Although he did look a bit rusty due to lack of match fitness. I was horrified with the Setanta commentary, but the ITV highlights were even worse. They showed Macclesfield's 4 chances and our goal and Cahill's chance. And to someone who didn't see the whole game, it would seem as if they were the better side.

 

Thats the telly for you. Wanting to make the lower league sides better than they are. I didn't watch the match and judging from what I saw it seemed as if Macc's were on top for the game and the score-line was scraped. Judging by your posts this isn't the case.

 

Osman's Goal

[Blue 250]

That kind of performance was always possible!......That's how big clubs lose to lower/ smaller ones.

You can't tell me that Arteta, Cahill, Lescott and co ever believed they were going to lose to Macclesfield....therefore their whole mindset is wrong!!....Managers spend the entire week leading up to the game trying to install in the players the need to treat the game as any other, to avoid what could have happened yesterday!

 

Wasn't a good performance, couple of the lads were up for it more than the rest Baines and Pienaar stood out for me.Macclesfield played well and they can be proud of themselves.

 

In cup compotitions it's not always performances that matter but results....and 1-0 in a cup game is as good as a 4-0.

Id settle for and underperforming 1-0 win in the next five rounds of the FA cup!

 

BUT back in the league and our quest for europe via a 4th or 5th place we need to sort out the midfield to forward link and continue to improve like we have for the past few games.

 

Some pundit said yesterday "every manager would like an Osman in their team".....Well just go try Jimmy or Donny....because you not having our Leon!!

[toffee77]

Thats the telly for you. Wanting to make the lower league sides better than they are. I didn't watch the match and judging from what I saw it seemed as if Macc's were on top for the game and the score-line was scraped. Judging by your posts this isn't the case.

 

Osman's Goal

 

I reckon we had about 70% of the ball. Their only tactics in the 1st half was to lob it up to our defenders who IMO were too deep. In the 2nd half, when our defenders pushed forward, Macclesfield couldn't get out of their half and they had 2 chances in stoppage time.

[MikeO]

Some pundit said yesterday "every manager would like an Osman in their team".....Well just go try Jimmy or Donny....because you not having our Leon!!

 

Took a while for that one to register 250, then I wished it hadn't .

[The Beard]

1-0 or 10-0, you only get into the next round. Yes i know we all want to play superb football but that isn't going to happen every time (or ever, before the synics get in). Yesterday was about getting through to the next round, just look at teams getting through the champions league group stages, sometimes winning ugly or being negative works a treat, and i am not saying we where yesterday by the way. Apart from the initial flurry and a saved attempt in the last minute, it was as comfortable as can be. No yellows collected and no apparant injuries, apart from Anichebe's obligatory fall to the floor and treatment. On an individual player note, Arteta bossed the game and got stuck in as did Neville, Baines attacked well at times but could be quicker in decision making, Hibbert was also afforded tons of space, especially in the second half but for some reason tended to run straight to the byline when on numerous occasion he could have raced into the box, Osman and Pienaar where industrious without being spectacular and Howard did his job sound, whilst the rest had pretty average, normal games. All in all a professional job well done but we know the media will look for the alternative hard luck story on behalf of Macclesfield.

Edited January 4, 2009 by The Beard