Yakubu

[Matt]

ive been in the office since 6am with nothing to do so forgive me, im bored! Was chatting with me dad over the weekend and he was saying how Yak has looked like a different player in recent games, not just the goals hes scoring but apparently he's running and fighting for the ball? My main problem with him has always been how lazy he is, plus how easily he can go down for someone so strong (though strangely enough only in the opposition penalty box). Ive never doubted his ability but because of his lack of effort ive not thought he was fight to play in our blue shirt.

 

Ive not been able to see the last couple of games but you lot are (usually, there are some exceptions) quite balanced with your evaluations. Are we looking at a new improved Yak or is my dad talking crap?

[Romey 1878]

He has run about more lately, but he's always done that every now and again tbh.

 

And really, I don't give a shit if he's lazy. We bought him to score goals, not run round like a headless chicken a la AJ.

[Matt]

ive rarely seen him do any running. I know we bought him to score goals, but that doesnt mean he shouldnt have to work for them too. Imagine how many he could score if he tried more often!

[CraccerC]

he tried an overhead the other day, i nearly had a heart attack, thought the subsequent earthquake would take downgoodison

[Bill]

he tried an overhead the other day, i nearly had a heart attack, thought the subsequent earthquake would take downgoodison

 

Yeah, and nearly removed Anichebe's head in the process.

[Churinga2]

I had the same impression from the bits i saw of the fulham game.

like when he almost got the ball from the goalkeeper in the first half, altough the latter was clumbsy, still a good effort

[Romey 1878]

ive rarely seen him do any running. I know we bought him to score goals, but that doesnt mean he shouldnt have to work for them too. Imagine how many he could score if he tried more often!

 

 

Moyes and the fans knew what the Yak was all about when we bought him - goals and not much else. Personally, I'd rather him do fuck all and score 20 goals in a season again, than run about like a headless chicken and not be in the right place at the right time. We have plenty of workhorses in our side, let's not try and create another and lose what he's actually paid to do.

[Matt]

Moyes and the fans knew what the Yak was all about when we bought him - goals and not much else. Personally, I'd rather him do fuck all and score 20 goals in a season again, than run about like a headless chicken and not be in the right place at the right time. We have plenty of workhorses in our side, let's not try and create another and lose what he's actually paid to do.

when he starts doing it again i will ease up. but he should be putting in a shift too. cant stand lazy players.

[Romey 1878]

when he starts doing it again i will ease up. but he should be putting in a shift too. cant stand lazy players.

 

 

Well he's missed most of the season and still managed to get 5 goals from 9 starts and 14 sub appearances ( http://www.evertonfc.com/first-team-appearances-2009/10.html ), that's still a pretty good return so he's still scoring a good amount of goals. I don't want him to change one bit, goals win games.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Romey 1878

[CraccerC]

Well he's missed most of the season and still managed to get 5 goals from 9 starts and 14 sub appearances ( http://www.evertonfc.com/first-team-appearances-2009/10.html ), that's still a pretty good return so he's still scoring a good amount of goals. I don't want him to change one bit, goals win games.

 

and plus when you're playing a 4-5-1 system you want your striker in the middle up top, you can really afford to have him in the channels and all over the place.

[marcopaulo]

quite a lot of times against fulham i was annoyed with how often he was out wide to be honest! he looks a lot trimmer than he recently has in the last few months and definitely seems to have an extra yard of pace about him now which he showed with that turn against blackburn! but i agree with romey id rather he stuck around in the middle and was lazy if he scores the goals then it isn't an issue..cahill is the grafter up top along with pienaar

[Matt]

i get the point, but i dont understand why he cant be both; a worker and a goalscorer! We all know he has a natural eye for goal, if he could just work a little more he would be even better!

[marcopaulo]

cos if he works in a 4-5-1 as craccer said he tends to end up in the channels as the striker and not in the box picking up any half chances

[Romey 1878]

cos if he works in a 4-5-1 as craccer said he tends to end up in the channels as the striker and not in the box picking up any half chances

 

 

This.

 

We need him uptop where he can either score, or hold up the ball so our midfield can get involved too.

 

I don't want Yak to on the wing being the one putting the ball into the box when it's him that should be on the end of those balls. Look at Rooney last season; he was a work horse and forever running his balls off but he wasn't getting the goals he should have been. Now look at him this season; he's not running about as much and he's in the right palce at the right time more often than not and banging them in.

 

We've got a midfield to do the running and to create things. We've moaned about us not having that clinical touch upfront this season, so leave Yak to do what he's good at - being a lazy bastard but having the quality needed to put the ball in the back of the net.

 

FEED THE YAK!

[Lowensda]

sorry Spidey, i agree with the others.

 

He's looked a fair bit sharper in recent weeks and as Mark pointed out, his goal scoring return hasnt been that bad considering. I cant stand seeing him on the wings, does my nut in, i'd rather his dick be glued inside the penalty area so he can poach anything and everything that comes in, than fannying around the sides.

 

On a side note i didnt get rid of that ticket i was offering, and had the other seat next to me free...the first time in goodison history that a supporter could spread his legs out from under his chin. Luxury

[Matt]

woah woah woah! ive not once said he should go down the wings! im just saying he should work a but harder and try to stay on his feet more! That, and to see if me dad was actually telling the truth over his improved performances, since ive not seen him play.

Edited April 27, 2010 by galacticaracnid

[Romey 1878]

woah woah woah! ive not once said he should go down the wings! im just saying he should work a but harder and try to stay on his feet more! That, and to see if me dad was actually telling the truth over his improved performances, since ive not seen him play.

 

 

But to work hard and run around like you want him to he'd have to chase balls down the wings etc, meaning he wouldn't be where he's supposed to be; in the box.

[Lowensda]

But to work hard and run around like you want him to he'd have to chase balls down the wings etc, meaning he wouldn't be where he's supposed to be; in the box.

 

What he said <_<

[duncanmckenzieismagic]

I think Im with Galactic on this one. I dont necessarily want to see him running down the wing but surely a bit of effort wouldnt go a miss.

 

In his first season he was putting a good shift in and managed a bag full of goals so there must be a happy medium

 

Definitely agree with galactic about him going down too easily keep having flashbacks to the time he did it in the derby when he was clean through

[marcopaulo]

he has done the effort hurrying defenders and that and im pretty sure blocked schwarzer's kick at one point or as close as possible, if that is the work you want then that is what he is doing. personally always thought that is more cahill's job to be honest! yak has more class than aj and marcus bent who were the workhorses in the 4-5-1 and arsed about in the channels! he is chasing down defenders more than he did for me and that is all i want from him work wise

[marcopaulo]

This.

 

We need him uptop where he can either score, or hold up the ball so our midfield can get involved too.

 

I don't want Yak to on the wing being the one putting the ball into the box when it's him that should be on the end of those balls. Look at Rooney last season; he was a work horse and forever running his balls off but he wasn't getting the goals he should have been. Now look at him this season; he's not running about as much and he's in the right palce at the right time more often than not and banging them in.

 

We've got a midfield to do the running and to create things. We've moaned about us not having that clinical touch upfront this season, so leave Yak to do what he's good at - being a lazy bastard but having the quality needed to put the ball in the back of the net.

 

FEED THE YAK!

 

 

and tevez now he has had the chance in the middle..

[Matt]

he has done the effort hurrying defenders and that and im pretty sure blocked schwarzer's kick at one point or as close as possible, if that is the work you want then that is what he is doing. personally always thought that is more cahill's job to be honest! yak has more class than aj and marcus bent who were the workhorses in the 4-5-1 and arsed about in the channels! he is chasing down defenders more than he did for me and that is all i want from him work wise

exactly what i mean, exactly what i was asking if he was doing.

 

But why is doing the work down to one player or another? Everyone should be giving there all, not mincing around the area waiting to get a golden chance to stick away! Yes, his primary function is to score goals, but that shouldnt be in place of putting in a shift!

[Romey 1878]

exactly what i mean, exactly what i was asking if he was doing.

 

But why is doing the work down to one player or another? Everyone should be giving there all, not mincing around the area waiting to get a golden chance to stick away! Yes, his primary function is to score goals, but that shouldnt be in place of putting in a shift!

 

 

And putting in a shift shouldn't be in place of him scoring goals, which is what would happen if he was chasing the ball down the flanks etc!

[Matt]

And putting in a shift shouldn't be in place of him scoring goals, which is what would happen if he was chasing the ball down the flanks etc!

dude! ive not said running down the flanks! ive not said it once, you started that off! I meant putting pressure on, staying up, giving the defence a tough time rather than just standing around. Drop it with chasing down the flanks! Marco summed it up perfectly...

Edited April 27, 2010 by galacticaracnid

[Romey 1878]

dude! ive not said running down the flanks! ive not said it once, you started that off! I meant putting pressure on, staying up, giving the defence a tough time rather than just standing around. Drop it with chasing down the flanks! Marco summed it up perfectly...

 

 

He's on his bloody own up there, he can't cover 4 defenders and a goalkeeper!

 

And he ends up on the flanks because he's chasing down defenders and they simply pass it around him to each other because he's on own.

 

Let's knacker him out then.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Romey 1878

[Matt]

He's on his bloody own up there, he can't cover 4 defenders and a goalkeeper!

 

Let's knacker him out then.

he should be fit enough to run for more than 10 minutes and the occasional jump. Most other players on the pitch run around for most of the game. And as someone pointed out above hes not alone up there, Cahill is supposed to support closing down players. oh wait, theres no supposed to there, he does it all game long! And manages to score 10+ goals a season, which he can only do by getting into the right place at the right time, even if hes not playing in his favoured position (a luxuary the Yak will always have). And puts in a 90minute shiftchasing everything down.

[Romey 1878]

he should be fit enough to run for more than 10 minutes and the occasional jump. Most other players on the pitch run around for most of the game. And as someone pointed out above hes not alone up there, Cahill is supposed to support closing down players. oh wait, theres no supposed to there, he does it all game long! And manages to score 10+ goals a season, which he can only do by getting into the right place at the right time, even if hes not playing in his favoured position (a luxuary the Yak will always have). And puts in a 90minute shiftchasing everything down.

 

 

Cahill has been playing deeper for the most part for the past month at least.

 

Being a workhorse is part of Cahill's game, it's what makes him the player he is. But Yak's game is to hold up the ball, bring others into play, and score goals. Why try and change his game when he's effective enough as is he is? We've ruined enough strikers in recent times by trying to change their games, I'd hate the Yak to be another victim of this. He's not a kid that you can still mould into what you want, his game is set and Moyes bought him because his game is quality.

Edited April 27, 2010 by Romey 1878

[Matt]

Cahill has been playing deeper for the most part for the past month at least.

 

Being a workhorse is part of Cahill's game, it's what makes him the player he is. But Yak's game is to hold up the ball, bring others into play, and score goals. Why try and change his game when he's effective enough as is he is? We've ruined enough strikers in recent times by trying to change their games, I'd hate the Yak to be another victim of this.

i wasnt asking him to drastically change his game, i was asking is he putting in more effort recently! Apparently he is, which is the one thing i always thought he lacked. For me, he is improving his game by doing so, not changing it.

[Romey 1878]

i wasnt asking him to drastically change his game, i was asking is he putting in more effort recently! Apparently he is, which is the one thing i always thought he lacked. For me, he is improving his game by doing so, not changing it.

 

 

Fair enough.

[Matt]

Fair enough.

Phew!