What Was Worse to Watch? This, or the Smith Era?

[Mvflusk]

I honestly believe its just a massive lack of confidence.

 

[Christiffa25]

It is a combination of alot of things..

No money to improve/replace squad
Defensive minded approach
Out of form seniors
Massive lack of confidence
Loss of goodison crowd
Injuries

Solving just 1thing won't help... Once we start improving on all or even 1 by 1 we will improve again.

 

[ToffeeBlueNose]

IMO the players we have now on paper are a much better squad, however on the field is an abomination we do not play football at all. Our players cross that white line and forget the basics like passing and shooting and moving and running. The dogs of war had passion, they weren't the greatest but they played their hearts out for the jersey every week for me thats what has gone missing this season, passion there is none just a defeatist attitude emulating from L4

Just a footnote but the dogs of war were Royles men. Just carried on under smith but without the super pie man parkinson.

 

[harry]

about the same, both gutless and boring to watch, only thing really diffrent is smith knew it was time to go .

I agree with this.

 

[nsno-chris]

I'm glad you've finally acknowledged the serious effect it has had. Plus the fact anyone brought in has been in on loan unless we count 500k Darren Gibson as some sort of direct replacement which he's not. And who' only played 2 games so probably still isn't 100% match fit.


Moyes does have these players week in week out, but what with selling off all the players and injuries we're playing Shane Duffy at centre back players out of form with no one that can genuinely be replaced for (until next season; when the likes of Vellios and Barkley will really come into their own).

You're expecting wine from water when Kenwright's not even filled the mug up in the first place. FFS.

Yak's wage demands. Beckford being a tit.
So where are the replacements then Fox?

Faultless logic Matt, almost as good as saying Yobo was booted out of Everton for hoofing the ball.

The football Everton are currently playing is on par with, or in some circumstances worse than, the good old days of Walter. Argue all you want but money will only get you so much, tactics and the ability to influence a game from the touchline are far more important than the ability to purchase people. If you remember correctly Walter Smith spent a considerable amount of money in his first season (on par with most clubs back then and it was close to £20mil in his first summer), yet we still got dire, unattractive football.

Greece won the Euros, beating many favourites for the competition on the way, because the team was set up correctly for each game, they knew the strengths and weaknesses and made sure they always played to there strenghts. Granted, the EPL is a bit different but it was just a point to show that the tactics can always prevail over quality.

Moyes' football and tactics is now becoming a joke. We've lost Arteta, yes. But was Mikel really like Messi, did he get the game by the scruff of the neck and command the midfield, no. He was a creative person who over the last 18 months was a fraction of the player who first arrived; in fact he was awful last season apart from the Derby and maybe a couple of other games. So loosing Arteta this year, whether sold for the bank or sold because he wanted to go, has nothing to do with Moyes' ability to tactically change a game.

We all know that the next game will have Cahill and Saha up front. He may suprise us and play Drenthe from the start, but its highly unlikely considering he publicly said he sees Royston as a game changer from the bench. Moyes substitions will also be as predictable as the sun rising, with either Denis or Vellios getting 20 mins up front by themselves; I mean god forbid he changes from lone striker.

 

[The Equaliser]

Yes, it's debatable! Dunc was a hero or a crocked waster, depending on the banter. And just because the cannonball kid was the last good striker you saw, it doesn't make your opinion more valid.

No need for the snidey comments. I didn't say that my opinion was more valid. You asked me to name good players from the Smith era, and I obliged. If you think that the cannonball kid was the last good striker at Everton, you haven't a fcuking clue what you are talking about. I suppose you were there at Goodison to see those players yourself ? No, wait, you were in America watching gridiron. It's all very well supporting us from across the ocean, but don't come on here and put down someone's opinion who knows far more about EFC than you ever will.

 

[Zatara]

The problem is that Moyes' mantra was meant to be signing young players.....

Now we see Neville, Distin, Saha, Cahill in the side when they should have been binned off.....

How to improve a side with youth -- sell high and buy low....including saved wages....

 

[Zatara]

No need for the snidey comments. I didn't say that my opinion was more valid. You asked me to name good players from the Smith era, and I obliged. If you think that the cannonball kid was the last good striker at Everton, you haven't a fcuking clue what you are talking about. I suppose you were there at Goodison to see those players yourself ? No, wait, you were in America watching gridiron. It's all very well supporting us from across the ocean, but don't come on here and put down someone's opinion who knows far more about EFC than you ever will.

Gough, Materazzi, Dacourt, Huchison would all walk into our side.

Ferguson would easily be in the first 11 every game....

 

[ganistuk]

This - because the expectation is higher and therefore the disappointment greater. Entering the new season 18 months ago on the back of a tremendous run at the end of the last, we were being considered as a good outside bet to finish 4th.

The inability to invest in two or three quality squad-fillers in that transfer window is the difference between us and Spurs now IMO.

 

[SteveSC]

Wait so finishing just above relegation or fighting releagtion every season under Smith was better than now?

Are you talking about just this season or are you comapring the entiree Smith era with the entire Moyes era?

If its the entire era that is just batsh*t crazy. If you mean by biting nails having heart attacks and then being elated when we find out we have survived that one more season is the entertainement then fine.

Moyes is boring his tactics are boring he has no ideas but i would rather the team he has anyday. The simple fact is Moyes record is far better than Smiths at Goodison. Both men made bad mangerial decisions but SMith was never able to get the best from nothing as he was used to spending cash. The only reason he signed for us as he was promised millions to spend.

Smith in my opinion was far worse in the transfer market and brought in far bigger lemons or has beens

The only parallels with both Manager is they were deceived by the board at the time and promised the world. The only reason Moyes is still in charge now is that the chairman now loves him and the chairman then did not care as much for anyone but himself it seemed.

 

[ScouseBlueBoy]

Are you talking about just this season or are you comapring the entiree Smith era with the entire Moyes era?

We are talking about THIS season, so all that was a bit of a waste.

 

[Chang Elephant]

should there be a cousin post on whether kenwright or johnson was worse?

Theoretically there should be, but that would encourage those that fantasise about Kenwrights testicles to back him by running down Johnson, and we don't want to be encouraging stupidity.

 

[Extratime]

I understand the frustration guys but we can't pin this all on Moyes. Our roster does not allow us a lot of options. Moyes is focusing on survival. We have seen some attacking lineups but we just can't seem to put the ball in the net. Cahill needed a Felli hand ball to get a goal, and Saha is just plain awful at this point. Tactics are not an issue for me, it's the man management. I only see Saha starting at this point because Moyes is wanting to show confidence in hopes that Saha will nab a goal and get over the slump. However it really is time to sit Saha and start Anichebe or Vellios up front. We know Cahill is going to start now that he finally scored a goal.

Regardless of all this....it comes down to the guys on the pitch. With the exception of a few players the team is just not delivering. At this point the only things I am positive about are Duffy and Tim finally putting one in the net. Looking at our roster it's not great, but is sure as heck is not bad either. We need certain players to sit, and other to step it up.

Again I need to mention Duffy. Anyone else proud of the lad? I know I am.

 

[flibbyflob]

Feel for Moyes and wonder why he hasn't walked to be honest. Been shafted by the board and now fans are getting on his back because he is papering over cracks caused by the board. This has to be the most frustrating season in ages and I can see next season being worse with Fellaini and/or Rodwell being sold.

Thinking about what he may be able to bring in with any money for Billy and it is very little, maybe the best idea would be to get Drenthe signed up long term instead?

The Smith era was dire, getting excited about a goalless draw at Villa when we had 6 defenders and 4 strikers in the starting 11 was about as good as it got.

 

[SteveSC]

We are talking about THIS season, so all that was a bit of a waste.

Not really the dogs of war era was not entertaining at all. There was not one season with Smith in charge that was memorable football wise. We started those seasons losing and never really got going then to fight for releagtion at the end.

I agree we are poor so far this season and the football is bad but we are certainly not as dire as we were then.