James McCarthy

[DualityNSNO]

In his last season we played with 2 up top. Felli and one other, either vic or jelavic.

We sold all 3 and bought in lukaku and kone who both played as lone strikers. And we put an extra man in midfield to make up the gap.

So you genuinely think Fellaini is a striker and wasn't just lumped up there as a plan B so we can play long ball, despite the fact no one other than Moyes for a bit played him there and he looks like he's got no idea (but has the ability to knock a ball down, which is obvious)?

Alright.

He was also played behind the striker hen, so unless we consider every "playmaker" ever as a striker - he's not a striker.

 

[Allezfan]

So you genuinely think Fellaini is a striker and wasn't just lumped up there as a plan B so we can play long ball, despite the fact no one other than Moyes for a bit played him there and he looks like he's got no idea (but has the ability to knock a ball down, which is obvious)?

Alright.

He was also played behind the striker hen, so unless we consider every "playmaker" ever as a striker - he's not a striker.

I think everybody changes their opinion on fellaini's best position every five minutes, to be honest.

And we defo didn't put him up top as a plan b given we always started him there. Nor do I think we played long ball.

But I think his position and role in the team was replaced by Lukaku rather than McCarthy, yes. He was our goal threat, he was our target man. We didn't use him the way we used James, we used him the way we use Rom.

 

[DualityNSNO]

I think everybody changes their opinion on fellaini's best position every five minutes, to be honest.

And we defo didn't put him up top as a plan b given we always started him there. Nor do I think we played long ball.

But I think his position and role in the team was replaced by Lukaku rather than McCarthy, yes. He was our goal threat, he was our target man. We didn't use him the way we used James, we used him the way we use Rom.

 

[Allezfan]

"Gerrard, 32, said: "Every single time they get the ball to the goalkeeper it comes in long.

"There was only one team who came to play football and that was us. Everton are not better than us."

Gerrard added: "I thought we were fantastic and stood up to a team that are very similar to Stoke.

The statistics, however, showed that Everton enjoyed greater possession, made more passes and completed proportionally fewer long passes than Liverpool."

It's an age old argument. You're on the side of Gerrard, I'm on the side of facts.

 

[DualityNSNO]

"Gerrard, 32, said: "Every single time they get the ball to the goalkeeper it comes in long.

"There was only one team who came to play football and that was us. Everton are not better than us."

Gerrard added: "I thought we were fantastic and stood up to a team that are very similar to Stoke.

The statistics, however, showed that Everton enjoyed greater possession, made more passes and completed proportionally fewer long passes than Liverpool."

It's an age old argument. You're on the side of Gerrard, I'm on the side of facts.

Oh aye, defo on the side of Gerrard, from that one game, not from watching us lump it to Fellaini for 6 months when we couldn't find a shot on target or any kind of penetrative pass. Plus Liverpool's tactics those days were to lump it to Suarez in any way they can and we actually managed to shut him down for a bit, so yeah their passes sucked. And who except a few RS journos agreed with what he said? That's right, no one.

I don't know what's wrong with you lately anyway, are you on your period or something? Trying to pick a fight with everyone will defo not make it go away regardless, like.

Ninjaedit: Or are you moulding yourself into a Davek/Damon hellspawn of "read between the lines" arguer?

 

[Allezfan]

Oh aye, defo on the side of Gerrard, from that one game, not from watching us lump it to Fellaini for 6 months when we couldn't find a shot on target or any kind of penetrative pass. Plus Liverpool's tactics those days were to lump it to Suarez in any way they can and we actually managed to shut him down for a bit, so yeah their passes sucked. And who except a few RS journos agreed with what he said? That's right, no one.

I don't know what's wrong with you lately anyway, are you on your period or something? Trying to pick a fight with everyone will defo not make it go away regardless, like.

Fellaini's and Moyes' last year here we played really good football and were not remotely a long ball team.

Nor was it infective, I think we had more shots on target than any other team in europe at one point. So I very much disagree with the revisionist history you're trying to pull.

 

[Pabbers]

Gerrard retracted what he said and apologised the day after he made those comments

 

[Saint Domingo]

Oh aye, defo on the side of Gerrard, from that one game, not from watching us lump it to Fellaini for 6 months when we couldn't find a shot on target or any kind of penetrative pass. Plus Liverpool's tactics those days were to lump it to Suarez in any way they can and we actually managed to shut him down for a bit, so yeah their passes sucked. And who except a few RS journos agreed with what he said? That's right, no one.

I don't know what's wrong with you lately anyway, are you on your period or something? Trying to pick a fight with everyone will defo not make it go away regardless, like.

Ninjaedit: Or are you moulding yourself into a Davek/Damon hellspawn of "read between the lines" arguer?

Some of the best football we played was 2012/13 with Fellaini behind the striker. We went back to front how we always do, out to Bsknes then into Pienaar, Fellaini then brought other midfielders in before getting himself into the box. Some people think we had ten years under Moyes of Howard launching it to Fellaini who flicked on to no one. This happened occasionally when we were in poor form but mostly we had Pienaar Baines Arteta Osman Mirallas all pinging it about quite nicely. The one thing Moyes never had was a 28 mill striker so he got his goals other ways.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Fellaini's and Moyes' last year here we played really good football and were not remotely a long ball team.

Nor was it infective, I think we had more shots on target than any other team in europe at one point. So I very much disagree with the revisionist history you're trying to pull.

So basically you are confirming my edited point. It's alright to be whatever you want on here anyway.

We had the most shots for about a month in the beginning of the year, true, and 99% of them were from a light year away and threatened no one and we scored about 5 goals in 5 games. Cracking football indeed.. This changed nothing, and we still went back to occasionally passing it, occasionally hoofing it to Fellaini, hence the little "Fellaini can control a meteorite on his chest" or whatever started knocking about.

Let's go to where Fellaini plays for Man United and Belgium now though (or, in fact, where he played 90% of his time here with us) - oh yeah, central midfield. The fact he goes forward every once in a while doesn't make him a forward, unless, as I said, it makes Barkley etc one as well - they're both midfielders at the end of the day.

 

[DualityNSNO]

Some of the best football we played was 2012/13 with Fellaini behind the striker. We went back to front how we always do, out to Bsknes then into Pienaar, Fellaini then brought other midfielders in before getting himself into the box. Some people think we had ten years under Moyes of Howard launching it to Fellaini who flicked on to no one. This happened occasionally when we were in poor form but mostly we had Pienaar Baines Arteta Osman Mirallas all pinging it about quite nicely. The one thing Moyes never had was a 28 mill striker so he got his goals other ways.

Didn't say he didn't go forward, but he wasn't a striker. And I'd agree, we played good football for a bit (quite a few bits, mind), but when it didn't work - we started to go long/direct to Fellaini, which made him go even further up.

 

[Furey1878]

Someone I trust told me he was offered a contract with a 5 grand increase in weekly wages. He loves it here, but with players like Baines, Coleman, Barkley etc... all getting significant wage increases, a mere 5 grand increase for him didn't seem fair.

 

[MartSlinger]

Someone I trust told me he was offered a contract with a 5 grand increase in weekly wages. He loves it here, but with players like Baines, Coleman, Barkley etc... all getting significant wage increases, a mere 5 grand increase for him didn't seem fair.

Thats why he's annoyed mate. Lost a lot of money so he could sign on deadline day and was promised a significant increase if he performed well, which he did. £5k extra is a joke and no wonder he's annoyed. But as you say, and its what ive heard/seen is that he absolutely loves it here and has no intention of leaving.... yet.

 

[sportbillyblue]

Thats why he's annoyed mate. Lost a lot of money so he could sign on deadline day and was promised a significant increase if he performed well, which he did. £5k extra is a joke and no wonder he's annoyed. But as you say, and its what ive heard/seen is that he absolutely loves it here and has no intention of leaving.... yet.

exactly. McCarthy will go if he's offered more money, chance of playing European footie etc. ... let's not delude ourselves into believing McCarthy's devoted to Everton FC. At some time in the future he'll leave, we'll forget about him and life will continue. He'll be gone within the next year if we receive an acceptable offer for him ... and good luck son, now jog on.

 

[Blues Harp]

This is the one player Im worried about leaving ..why dont we give him more money than Cleverley ffs he was imo our best player last season..Lennon and Kaboul in exchange Do one Levy ..35k at least if he has to leave

 

[canuckblue]

This is the one player Im worried about leaving ..why dont we give him more money than Cleverley ffs he was imo our best player last season..Lennon and Kaboul in exchange Do one Levy ..35k at least if he has to leave

Damn keyboards.....