Hi guys...been off for a while, but keeping upto date with posts. Watched the game last night, first home game in almost a year(hard to get to all games living in Cardiff) And I think to get rid of Hughes now is crazy. Firstly he's brought in top back room staff, is improving our training facilities, improved our squad(although not clicking yet),and brought in a professional set up which we haven't had in years. Yesterday we played well, looked good on the ball and had plenty of chances. I do disagree with the subs brought on and the starting line-up but we still got a point playing well in as game we could of won. The team every week is improving but we are not gonna be amazing straight away, and I think I can see us being a very strong team just before or after Christmas. Look at arsenals start last season, man Utd terrible start a couple of years back, even reading last year in the championship...we need to stick by our manager, stick with the players and stick together because all this negativity will create unrest and nervousness at the ground and within the team. Let's get positive guys You R's ( thought the stadium looked great too btw)
Supa -even from your own post it's not ridiculous - "I do disagree with the subs brought on and the starting line up" - He's under pressure and his default position of defensive minded is reinforced in these circumstances. Yes we played better but Everton were there for the taking yesterday - I'm afraid Zamora and Cisse are not cutting it this year (his buys) and will ultimately be our downfall. There's not much we can do now until Jan and hope that he can bring in someone of the necessary quality then. I'm sorry but also cannot see how Faurlin does not make that side for either Diakite or preferably Park. But agree that unless we can get the right man to come in there's no point in changing now and at that expense, certainly no Mcleish,McCarthey etc.
Everton were not there for the taking. Even with ten men they're possibly the best drilled team in the league and always pose a threat going forward. As for Faurlin, as wonderful a player as he is, where does he fit in in that team? Diakite was excellent yesterday and clearly complements Granero better than Faurlin can. None of them can play on the wing unless we start playing someone out of position for the sake of it so putting one on the right over Park is a non-starter.
Agreed Watford; Everton were not there for the taking. We looked more attacking from the midfield forward when they went down to 10 men simply because Everton dropped back to create a more packed defence. They were very organised and if i'm honest the only thing that they lacked with one less man was a quick outlet. They slowed the game down, wasted a good 5-7 minutes (and which team wouldn't?) and in all fairness deserved the point they earnt. We move forward knowing that all the teams we have lost to have have great starts to the season, possibly bar Swansea, but they find themselves in 10th. I do believe it will get better, surely it has to......
"Everton were not there for the taking" - Then, I'm afraid guys that you have accepted the bar to be too low. Any team that has to play for 30 mins with 10 men away from home is there for the taking IMHO. Fully agreed a much better performance and great to see Traore back but we have to start winning these games and fast, didn't see Diakite's performance in the same light as yourselves as I missed him dominating, perspective, he was up against Neville and Osman. Still fail to see what Park offers or does and Hoillet seems much more suited to a wide position. Take away the 1st 2 games the real problem for me is that we've not played badly against anyone, this is it guys, it ain't going to get that much better, (which isn't bad, but at the moment points wise is atrocious).
You just have to look at the Sunderland vs. Newcastle game earlier in the day to see that a home side with 11 players cannot necessarily break-down a well-disciplined away side playing with 10.
Agree Danish. If Mangement have set the bar at a 1-1 draw for a home game against a good, but solid only Everton team missing their best attacking option in Fellaini, and reduced to 10 men for 30 minutes - we are accepting relegation. But I don't think Hughes has done that.
Have to agree with this. I'm a big Faurlin fan but both Granero and Diakite were outstanding yesterday and it's hard to see what more he could have offered. It's basically another example of the selection problems MH has caused himself by overstocking the midfield with such strong talent (among the best options in the PL IMO) while forgetting about central defenders and strikers. I'm not yet convinced M'Bia is an out-and-out CB and he is yet another good looking player looking for a midfield berth.
Thought it was a perfectly acceptable squad rotation regarding Faurlin, still not long back after his injury remember. Overall I thought it was a pretty good all round performance let down by some appalling marking for their goal.
Everton there for the taking??? We've seen some pretty ridiculous comments on this board but that one is surely up there. Everton are 4th in the league (and justifiably so) and are one of the best drilled sides in the league with a manager of ten years standing whch shows you what benefits you can see by sticking by your manager. Everton have see rough and smooth with Moyes at the helm but by standing by him look at what they are achieving now. Its also worth noting that Moyes has had the negative tag attached to him in the past much as some people are doingwith Hughes.
I'm sorry but if there was ever a good time to play Everton...it was yesterday. At home after the international break where we had minimal players on duty, an Everton side without their best player in Felliani and their most underrated player in Gibson. It was the weakest Everton midfield they've fielded in years, to the extent Phil Neville played in centre mid, and for those who know Everton well, that doesn't happen often. They were reduced to 10 men with 30 minutes to go, and didn't take off their centre forward until 5 minutes to go, and we're saying they were not there for the taking?! Everton may be 4th, but yesterday was best time to play them and we've once again ****ed it up.
Deano. We're rock bottom without a win in 9 games and no away wins for a year. I can understand that not everyone wants rid of Hughes but to describe the "Hughes out" campaign as ridiculous is a bit of a stretch.
OTT. Phil Neville regularly plays in midfield. His job was made far easier by a referee who refused to book him even to the point of getting the card out and being talked out of it by Neville. Even with Pienaar off they had two banks of four including one of the best defences and goalkeepers in the league. Howard made some excellent saves in the last half an hour. Jagielka made one absolutely brilliant block for Park that looked a certain goal. We had a very good penalty shout from Coleman on Hoilett. It really wasn't that bad.
Yep. People seem to be overlooking the fact that we had the majority of possession even before the sending off and could easily have been a couple to the good if Nelson had taken his headed chance before our 5 minute meltdown at the back. The Everton side was still fundamentally the one that has done so well thus far but we managed to keep Jelavich, Baines, Pienar and co pretty quite for most of the game. Our overall performance was good but as ever we fail to execute front and back.
Yes, courtesy of an unforgivable 0-5 mauling by a team who had never won at Loftus Road who recently changed their manager and brought lots of new players in - sound familiar CCJ?
So you would say that Tevez, Holt, Gervinho, Mata, Di Santo & Long are not cutting it as well? They all have 3 goals in the Prem...same as Zamora...Torres, Crouch & Jelavic all have just one more than him with 4 each. Does not seem too bad to me...surely the problem is that goals are not coming from too many other places on the pitch. I agree Cisse has been disappointing, but he has not really had a great deal of game time.
I think there is still time left before we panic...I'm may not agree with Hughes tactics but his record is good as a manager and he has completely overhauled things...takes time
