Let's address the management question to begin with. Was this result down to Zola? Well, there were three management calls to be made today given the injuries:
Selection poser one: who plays at left back, Spector or Daprela? Good call Zola, Spector was at fault for BOTH goals. The header for the first goal was shocking and I have seen Daprela bend his neck twice this season to clear the ball from danger rather than head it across his box. And for the second, Spector lost possession in our final third and we never recovered our shape. I don't blame the guy, he is not a left back and Daprela is. What did Kev from Manchester say about the basics of management? Play players in their correct positions wasn't it? Don't crucify Spector this Easter, why should he carry Zola's cross for him?
Selection poser two: who plays up front alongside Cole? Mido or Ilan? Good call Zola, Mido misses a penalty, makes a hash of another good chance and, when he is replaced belatedly, Ilan scores the equaliser!
And what do you do when Behrami pulls out late? You send on Stanislas to replace him on the...bloody hell, on the right! Stanislas on the right? Yes Stanislas on the right! And did he look twice the player playing on the right flank? Of course he bloody did! So why, pray, hasn't he been used there all season? Over to you Zola, or to your apologist in chief, step forward Stani and explain to us all why Stanislas is a LEFT WINGER!!!!!
Were the players behind Zola? Yes. Was the team set up by Zola? No. Clarke was in charge of the tactics today. We were compact. We were set up to frustrate Everton and hit them on the break. And but for Spector and Mido, we would have pulled off an amazing victory!
Fact. Green did not make a single save in the game. Fact, Cole could have scored from a brilliant slipped pass by Stanislas who carried the ball on his RIGHT (in both senses of the word) foot. Fact, Da Costa looked so much better than Tomkins at the back. Fact, Faubert provided a brilliant cross for Ilan's header, showing why we should get him higher up the pitch. Fact, we looked so much more mobile once Ilan was on the pitch; suddenly Everton were worried by pace and had to drop deeper, creating space for us to play in. Fact, Noble did a brilliant job on the left, out of position but protecting Spector superbly and linking the play well. Had Mido not started, we would have won that. Had Daprela started instead of Spector, we would have won that. Like it or lump it, Zola's team selections again cost us points today whilst Stanislas showed the folly of Zola all season!
And remember, if Behrami had not pulled out, we wouldn't have seen Stanislas on the right - the decision was forced on Zola. But doesn't Zola deserve credit for switching Noble to the left and using Stanislas on the right? That wasn't done for positive reasons, the switch happened to protect Spector at left back!
But Hell, we got a point and I didn't expect that in a million years and that point could yet keep us up so let's look at the positives. Spector's errors apart, and Da Costa's foul in the box on Saha, we were remarkably tight at the back. Part of that was down to shape and the absence of Behrami was key here. Instead of a headless chicken charging all over the pitch, we had a unit of four marking space, in classic Steve Clarke fashion. We played like we played at Liverpool and Chelsea last season. It wasn't pretty but it was pretty effective!
Were we unlucky? I was calling for Distin to go after the penalty was awarded but I was pleasantly surprised it was awarded to be honest - it looked six of one and half a dozen of the other. The Everton claim for a penalty was much more clear cut. Da Costa was late and took out Saha around the hip. But, leaving aside Mr Webb's decisions, we were unlucky! Green did not make a SINGLE save. Typically, we still contrived to concede two goals however. So were we unlucky? Yes we were, unlucky that Zola picked the bloody team!
Player ratings: Green 6 (No saves but took three crosses well, albeit he dropped one!); Faubert 8 (no errors and a wonderful cross for Ilan's goal) Da Costa 7 (Two brilliant challenges and a goal. Thankfully Mr Webb gave him the benefit of the doubt on the penalty!) Upson 7 (Green didn't make a single save!) Spector 3 (Poor sod!); Stanislas 7 (brilliant slipped pass to Cole, stretched Everton down the right and went outside! See Stani?) Parker 9 (Booking could be expensive! Brilliant pass to Cole for the penalty. Everywhere!) Kovac 8 (did his job well all afternoon) Noble 9 (Out of position and played for the team. Corners were good and so unlucky when he hit the bar); Cole 6 (Still feeling that knee. Is he risking his World Cup place in the cause?) Mido 1 (The worst penalty I've seen since Harewood's. The guy is useless!) Sub: Ilan 7 (pick him up front from the start Zola you twat!)
Come On You Back From The Dead At Easter Irons!
28 comments:
I wish this didn't appear on NewsNow
You don't watch games do you
Wow harsh. Uncalled for harshness!
We played really well today, I praise whoever gave the half-time talk, cause we were a different team in the 2nd Half.
You can't blame Mido for the penalty miss, even the best players miss penatlies (and in Mido's case even the crap ones do to).
Where is your basis for saying Clarke did the tactics today?! Until you give proof these were Zola's tactics.
As for Green's drop, it was a foul on the keeper.
Anyway instead of slating the team, praise them for a fantastic team effort, again tricky inform opposition
COYI!!
Insightful analysis as usual, HF. If I was to pick out ONE thing though that helped us improve today it would be this: STANI ON THE RIGHT!!! The whole shape of the team looked much better. When Diamanti plays there his first move is to STOP and check back inside, into the oh-so-crowded middle. The potential of Stan and Faubert in tandem on the right is actually getting me excited!
I cant understand some people, HF i think got it right. Stanislas i dont think had a great game but on the right was much much better. Personally I would of been happy to see Daprela on left of midfield as a he would cover for spector who was out of position plus seems decent enough getting forward, left footer on the left!
I think apart from the mistkes by spector he had a very good game. Dacoasta could of done better with the first goal but on the other hand he made up for it with a superb performance elsewhere, how many blocks did he get in?
Mido was embarrasing, he cant even get in the boro team for christ sake, yet walks into ours. Surely Sears would be better than him!
Overall great fightback and unexpected, lets hope Behrami stays injured for a couple of games, we get safe and then we sell him in the summer or we buy a left sided player (Not that he would ever play on the left)
AppyAmmer
Whats up with that terrible kit! The claret socks, those shitty blue sky shorts. We can't even make claret and blue look good, down right ugly. Remember the white away kit in the FA Cup final, now that was gorgeous!
The evidence is that we were set up first and foremost to defend. My argument all season has been that Clarke gave Zola his head tactically and then said, you wanted it, you have it. We were back to true 4-4-2 today with players marking space and looking to break upp play, then hit on the break. Stanislas was crucial to this because of his pace. He wasn't great but he was IN POSITION and gave Everton something to THINK about. The replacement of Mido with Ilan was crucial. How can any idiot say I didn't watch the game? The thing is, when I watch a game, I haven't got my head up my arse!
And as for Dan saying you can't blame Mido for not scoring a penalty - well who are we going to blame? I knew what side the penalty was going to from Mido's body language and the way he addressed the ball in the final two strides and there was no power in the shot - it was a pass back! Of course we can blame Mido for missing the bloody penalty!
1852, nobody forces you to follow the link you gormless twat. Just ignore the link! Bloody moron!
Apart from making all these wrong calls as very well articulated by HF and I totally agree with, what I don't understand is why Zola persists with some players despite them having terrible games. Mido and Spector were the culprits in many of our previous games. Their weaknesses are so obvious to everyone except Zola. How was it possible to pick Zola after his very poor showing in the Stoke game is totally beyond me. And he stuck with him today for more than 70 minutes although it was obvious he couldn't put a foot right all game. What is this? Some sort of blind loyalty from the manager to some players? Could anyone see Mido running the length of the pitch to head in the goal the way Ilan did? Absolutely impossible to imagine (its not physically possible as his running years are behind him). Yet, I wouldnt be surprised if Zola picks Spector and Mido to start in the next game. This is why Mr. Zola football is not a game of chance. Perhaps we should let HF make up the team against Sunderland. He surely understands much better than GZ what it takes to put a winning team together. And I think he will do that for free.
Sorry, I meant "pick Mido" not "pick Zola" in my previous post.
Upson was at fault for their first goal but if you want to blame the manager for selecting Spector (who HF was giving good reviews to), then you have to put the blame on Spector otherwise the plan wont work. We must have something to reinforce this negativity bias (psychology) against Zola.
You was dissing Ilan not so long ago HF. I think had Zola gone with McCarthy, Ilan or Mido to partner Cole, some of us would have found fault in each just to put Zola down. Be honest.
Stanislas is a left winger because he wants to be HF. Whether me you or anyone else says he shouldn't, is besides the point. I don't see why you don't understand this. I didn't tell him to be.
Stanislas was hardly involved in the first half but it is strange how you pick out the good things he does when he's on the right and completely ignore the good things when he's on the left....as with Diamanti. Most of his good work was when he came into the middle anyway, not when he went around the outside...if he did. Have a look at what Bellamy and Adam Johnson did to Burnley and tell my why a right-footed player cannot play on the left and a left-footed player on the right? Have a look at what Ashley Young did yesterday. When I told you to have a look at what Messi did on the right, you even disagreed with me that he was left-footed?!?!
Stanislas' selection on the right shows Zola's folly but Noble does a brilliant job on the left? Zola could have put Noble on the right and Stan on the left when Behrami got injured. He didn't so credit where credit is due?
Did Clarke tell you he was in charge of the tactics? You say Zola picks the team (you have to say that to blame him) but Clarke does the tactics (you have to say that so Zola doesn't get credit for a battling draw)? Does it hurt you that much to give Zola credit?
I'm glad you finally admit that the players are behind the manager though HF....the evidence was irrefutable though.
I have never said the players aren't behind Zola, Stani. I've said that their statements of being behind the manager mean nothing, because to say anything different would result in them being loaned to Sunderland and then sacked. Ask Callum Davenport! I've consistently said that the players like the guy - I think that's indisputable - but asked if Man Utd players like Ferguson. Being a successful manager isn't about being liked as I've repeatedly said in these discussions.
Let's take your points in turn Stani. Stanislas is a kid, he doesn't know what he's best at. Maybe as a youth player he was so much better than his contemporaries that he could cut inside and score for fun. I used to at school and thought I was brilliant until I went for a county trial. He's up against big guys now. He is NOT a left winger, no matter what he thinks. Why is he better coming off the right flank? Because he is carrying the ball with his right foot whilst running in a straight line and because it keeps the defender guessing. When he plays on the left, the full back KNOWS he will come inside. When he plays down the right, the defender has to expect him to go outside, so when Stanislas cuts in, the full back is off balance. It really is very very simple. You keep quoting Young but Young has a much stronger right foot than Stanislas and does go outside the full back - Stanislas NEVER does. Comparing Stanislas to Messi is just silly as I'm sure you appreciate. Bellamy is electric quick and has a great low centre of gravity - and he is a far better player than Stanislas. Defenders are terrified of him cutting inside so they over compensate and show him the outside, which Bellamy is happy to take, unlike Stanislas! You never quote Lennon in these discussions. How useless is Lennon on the left? And how useless is Wright-Phillips on the left? And how useless is Etherington on the right? I could go on! But the evidence was there today for everybody to see. Stanislas did not have a great game but he looked so much better for playing on the right, his NATURAL flank.
There is also the matter of a packed defence when we play at home. We can't use that midfield at home to Sunderland and Wigan, we will need an attacking option down the left as well. Noble was an auxillery defender today. He kept the game tight, closing off the left flank and pulling inside to congest the middle of the park too when we didn't have the ball. I rated him 9 because of the job he did for the team. He was disciplined and selfless. You also miss the fact that the presence of Stanislas gave Baines something to think about. Baines looks more like a left winger than a full back sometimes but today he had to be conscious of the threat posed by Stanislas and Faubert down the right flank. Our offensive POTENTIAL forced a tactical adjustment from Moyes. Back to Noble on the left, I have no problem with a right footer on the left if you are trying to congest midfield. But tell me, what attacking threat did we pose down the left? Zero. A return of Ilunga might help here - if he is EVER going to return. Remember, I said that Collison and Ilunga worked because Ilunga does go to the byline in a 4-4-2 formation - but he can't get forward when we play 4-3-3 - another tactical mistake by Zola!
As for Clarke determining today's tactics; I would have a lot of money on it. We played as we played last season. There has been a power struggle going on and Clarke won it after the Stoke defeat. My worry is that we will do what we did last season after our result at Liverpool, sticking with a defensively organised team for a winnable home game. Spurs said thanks very much and left Upton park with all 3 points.
I mean Young has a much stronger left foot than Stanislas! Sorry! I'm turning into Zola and don't know my left from my right!
We're running out of players - esp in midfield. Parker banned for 2 games, and Noble got his 5th yellow, i THINK - does that mean a 1 game ban? Will Behrami, Dyer or Collison be back? Otherwise, who is there? Josh Payne???
If that was Noble's 5th, that's a worry. Last game that counts for bookings so that's typical. How long is Behrami out for? And Diamanti? Dyer might give 45 minutes! Spector right back, Ilunga left back, Faubert right midfield? Or Daprela left midfield? Please God not Ilan wide on right with Mido down the middle!
Spector was at fault for the two goals and Mido is rubbish. Who ever nominated a player who hasn't even scored for us to take such an important kick need's his head examined. But overall it was a great performance today and a vital point away from home. Could have been a fantastic win though, but i don't think anyone was really expecting anything from this game, so very happy with the draw.
I wouldn't say it was a great performance,still think the team is clueless going forward and a worry in defence.The only good football I saw today was FAUBERT's run down the wing to cross for ILAN'S well taken goal.Apart from that not a lot to praise them for.
Bit harsh Essex mate. It was a brilliant pass from Parker for the penalty and a fabulous from Stanislas and run from Cole when he fired tamely. Mido should have scored and we chalked up two goals away to a team who have won their last 7 home games on the trot. It was a good performance, Mido and Spector apart.
Our general passing and movement is not that good.EVERTON were not firing on all cylinders today,if they had been we would have been dead and buried.Can't work out why SPECTOR is in the side ,he is a weak link that is so often exploited.FERGUSON recognised that fact early on when he was at MAN UTD ,before he got shot of him.Niow we are lumbered with him.
Spector isnt a left back mate. That's not his fault
I should've put money on that one HF. A well won point & our squad showed much more determination & grit. As for Faubert, the cross of the season, i haven't seen a better one. From 30 yards, he can put the ball on the head of a pin. Well taken by Ilan, watched the ball in & Howard had no chance. We owe Faubert for that cross. Yes, Stanislas plays better on the right. I thought that Da costa could have have marked Cahill a bit better for the first goal. Da Costa did well for the goal but, scored while still on the ground & that lifted us. Yes, Mido was thinking more of placing the ball, he didn't want to miss the target, but Howard is to good for that. Mido was largely ineffective, he doesn't get up there with Cole when he needs to. Ilan is better for that. We will miss Parker but i don't think he is 100% fit. The two weeks off will do him well & he will be rested for the last three. It's time for Noble to step up for Parker. Noble plays well in the middle & we need him to take control there while Parker is off. I tend to agree that Clarke may have had more input & it produced results. He may have given the half time round up. The short passes into Cole are what we need. He is forever having to bring down long balls & fight off defenders. Our strikers seem to want to take a first touch, they need to hit it first time more. We can take points against Sunderland & Wigan & we need to get behind the squad from a positive result. Faubert, the cross of the season, magnifique. A link for Faubert, if he does actually read this stuff. Funny. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxoLXV3qivk
In response to 20:50. 5 yellow cards doesn't mean anything now, that deadline passed ages ago, so noble is available
0440, I thought that was the case but these rules seem to change season by season.
you thought is was the case - hahahaha did you indeed? just a shame you didn't mention it
Come on you lying toe rag own up irons!
I had no idea it was the case if you like. Does it matter?
Normally I don't suppose it would matter to most but seeing as you spend your whole time ramming it down people throats how great you are - it because rather important
Oops. You've forgotten who you are Turds Out. Remember you were H4MM3R but now you have replied as anonymous. Getting confusing isn't it?
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