Q & A vs. Manchester United

[The Hole]

Hello all,

 

I am the creator of a Manchester United website called Stretford End Arising. We're in the process of putting together a match preview for Sunday's game. Are you interested in answering 4/5 questions? Members of Toffee Talk answered several questions earlier in the season for the meeting at Goodison. Here is the preview from earlier in the season: http://www.stretfordendarising.com/2011/10/29/match-preview-everton-vs-manchester-united/

 

Cheers,

Andrew

[The Hole]

1. What are your thoughts on Sunday’s game? What team is David Moyes likely to select and what formation will he adopt? What weaknesses in United’s team will Moyes look to exploit?

 

2. What are your thoughts on Everton’s season to date? In recent years Everton have started the season slowly but there is a marked improvement during the second half of the season – why is this?

 

3. What are your thoughts on Darron Gibson? Has he impressed, surprised or disappointed? At a reported £1m (rising to £2m on appearances) is he proving to be a bargain?

 

4. Who have been your standout players this season? And why?

 

5. What is the latest on Ross Barkley? How is he performing for the reserves? Are you still excited by his potential?

[pete0]

1. What are your thoughts on Sunday’s game? What team is David Moyes likely to select and what formation will he adopt? What weaknesses in United’s team will Moyes look to exploit?

It's a shame they make it an early kick off, as the early games tend to be laxy-daisy which will encourage Moyes to sit back and roll over. Can't see the squad being much different from this, Moyes tends to be predictable.

Howard

Hibbert Jags Heitinga Neville

Osman Gibson Fellaini Pienaar

Cahill

Jelavic

Exploit the RB, love Rafael but he's not quite ready yet. Rio as he's very vulnerable against us.

 

 

2. What are your thoughts on Everton’s season to date? In recent years Everton have started the season slowly but there is a marked improvement during the second half of the season – why is this?

 

Awful, simply not good enough. Moyes is too negative plays for the clean sheet and the hope we'll magically score if the midfield square the ball enough times. Once we're safe he opens up a bit and play a more natural game, that results in a top 4 form.

 

3. What are your thoughts on Darron Gibson? Has he impressed, surprised or disappointed? At a reported £1m (rising to £2m on appearances) is he proving to be a bargain?

 

Worst player on a pitch that had Jay Spearing on last week. He done well in his first game, and put his best performance against Swansea. Mostly been a passenger with Fellaini doing the extra work. That said he's still better than expected, don't think he's fully match fit yet. Expect him to up his game next season after he's had a preseason with the club and no more hang ups on leaving you.

 

4. Who have been your standout players this season? And why?

Distin, Heitinga, and Fellaini. They've had the hardest job, we havent went forward enough for the attacking players to stand out. Tim Howard is probs having his best season for the club as well. Distin and Heitinga just make for easier viewing, as Jags and Distin really are a shambles together. Fellaini is a boss.

 

5. What is the latest on Ross Barkley? How is he performing for the reserves? Are you still excited by his potential?

In the papers today he's back on the bench Sunday. The club are working on his defensive side, he had missed last season after a leg break so had to catch up on defensive duties, still poor decision from Moyes as his creativity is something the team has craved this season. More so than I was with Rooney, although Moyes is doing his best to kill any form of hope in the youngsters. Think he's scared of losing him, as he did after Rooney got so much exposure.

[The Hole]

Thank you, pete0. Any more takers?

[Dalziel Kane]

What, another survey?

 

 

 

#1 Not good. Mr Moyes will seem to go on the defensive here and keep it damage limitation time, an up and at 'em approach for the weekend seems dead in the water, I don't think we will even score, wish I could be more hopeful.

 

#2 Better than expected, I mean an FA cup semi-final place is not to be sneezed at, we fucked it up on the day when progress was there to be had but it's no use crying over spilt milk. The league has been disappointing, but we have fought our way up as the season' progressed. Bottom line is, it's another season now without an actual trophy, been waiting since 1995, but really don't know how long the Toffee drought will last for. Having an attack minded manager along the way would have been beneficial to our objectives, but fair enough, the man has done well for us in his ten years here.

 

#3 I haven't seen him play live yet, apart from some sporadic moments on TV when they show it, heard some good words for the kid, for the price we paid United, it seems like a good deal etc, he still has something to offer.

 

#4 Howard is always a reliable addition, this season has been no exception, Heitinga has proven to be a very good signing, Fellaini is something of a fan favorite and you can sometimes see why, Pienaar has been impressive at times since returning also.

 

#5 I think the last post eloquently sums it up. Still only young and the kid has a future.

[The Hole]

Thank you, Dalziel Kane. Anyone else interested?

[Steve_E]

1. What are your thoughts on Sunday’s game? What team is David Moyes likely to select and what formation will he adopt? What weaknesses in United’s team will Moyes look to exploit?

 

I expect Moyes to play 4-4-1-1. Howard in goal; Hibbert, Heitinga, Distin, Neville in defense; Osman, Gibson, Fellaini and Pienaar in the middle; Cahill and Jelavic as strikers. We'll probably sit back all game. If we aren't out of the game completely by the 75th minute, he'll throw Fellaini forward. I expect a comfortable victory for you lot though.

 

2. What are your thoughts on Everton’s season to date? In recent years Everton have started the season slowly but there is a marked improvement during the second half of the season – why is this?

 

Right now, I'm feeling disappointed. Probably due to that FA Cup blow. Though in general, I guess we should be quite content. Probable top 8 finish and an FA Cup semi isn't that bad, I just feel there was a lot more in it. No idea why we always play better in the second half of the season. Maybe it's just down to chance. This year a lot of the improvement has to do with the players we added in the winter though. Pienaar, Jelavic and Gibson have been doing well. Donovan as well in his time here.

 

3. What are your thoughts on Darron Gibson? Has he impressed, surprised or disappointed? At a reported £1m (rising to £2m on appearances) is he proving to be a bargain?

 

I do think he's a bargain, though I think the jury is still out with a lot of other members here. He's been playing as a holding midfielder, allowing Fellaini room to play box-to-box. He's got a bigger range of passing then the other players we've tried next to him (Rodwell, Neville) which is something we need. I'd like to see him use that passing range a bit more though. He's been playing it safe a lot of the time, while I think he's capable of more. I agree with Pete in that he was shit against Liverpool though. Even his short passing was horrendous that game.

 

4. Who have been your standout players this season? And why?

 

Heitinga, Fellaini and Pienaar. Heitinga has been our leader on the pitch, he's a determined defender, he's comfortable with the ball... Class act really. Fellaini makes a lot of things seem easy: how he strips opponents from the ball, how he gets the ball down on the floor off his brilliant chest controls... Then again, I don't think he's had his best season at the club this year. He's been a much more dominant force in more games in previous seasons. Pienaar is the type of player we'd missed in the first half of the season. A creative force, always linking play up. Standout player in most of the games he's been in this season imo.

 

5. What is the latest on Ross Barkley? How is he performing for the reserves? Are you still excited by his potential?

 

I certainly am. He's scored 3 goals in 4 four games at the Dallas Cup recently; sadly he didn't against you lot . I hope we'll see more of him this season. His strenghts clearly lie in his ball handling, not in his athletic abilities (though he has those too), which is promising to me. He isn't your typical English midfield player.