QPR Great Marsh Gives His Verdict / News Archive / News / evertonfc.com - The Official Website of Everton Football Club Tuesday 16th August 2011 15:57 by Rob Jones@efc_robjones Rodney Marsh is never shy in offering an opinion on football and evertonfc.com caught up with him ahead of Saturday's game against one his former clubs, Queens Park Rangers. We got Rodney's view on QPR ahead of the meeting at Goodison Park and asked him about his experiences of facing Everton as part of a question and answer session. What did you think of QPRâs 4-0 defeat to Bolton on the opening day of the season, and what more do they need to be competitive? I watched the game live over here in America and it was very disappointing - they started okay but as soon as the first goal went in it was all hands to the pump and they came up well short. I would say they need eight more players to be competitive. I don't think there is one player that plays for QPR who would get in the Everton team. A lot has been said about the role that Adel Taarabt has to play, how important do you think he is to Rangersâ fortunes? Before the season started, QPR called me to ask my opinion about the season and I said similar to what I've said already and added the fact that Taarabt isn't a ball player, he's a ball holder. In the Premier League unless you're a top player like Wayne Rooney or Thierry Henry then you can't hold on to the ball. Taarabt playing in a poor QPR side holding the ball is almost a liability and he got dragged off on Saturday of course. Can DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd score the goals to keep QPR in the Premier League? I donât think QPR have spent more than £1.25m in the summer and you won't get quality for that amount of money. I'd like to add that this isn't Neil Warnock's fault, he's been outstanding at QPR and he's a terrific manager but I just think that when your hands are tied then you can never compete. Judging by what youâve said so far, would you say that Neil Warnock faces a tougher task in keeping QPR up than he did when he was in charge at Sheffield United? Yes I do, but I tell you what when teams come up from the lower division they don't appreciate how quick and skilful the forwards are that they are playing against. Iâve seen it year after year from teams down at the bottom. If you don't improve your defence when you come up from the Championship, it's like deer in the headlights for the first dozen games. At Sheffield United Neil Warnock had a better squad of players than he does now at QPR. What do you make of Everton? Everton have a very good squad of players and they are solid mid-table team. I think David Moyes is one of the most underrated managers around, I think he's superb. Iâve spoken to Danny Donachie many times and David is progressive, he is enthusiastic about bringing in new ideas and is an absolutely wonderful manager. Which Everton players stand out for you when you watch them? Everton have a lot of good players. Arteta's been injured but came back against Bohemians and is a terrific player with really good feet. Cahill of course scores plenty of goals and comes from deep for headers, but the all round performances of Everton are good. Tim Howard in goal is my man, I'll tell you a quick story about him. Ages and ages ago I got a phone call and this guy and he said âRodney I have a 12-year-old goalkeeper who is fantastic and could be a player'. He was playing in a tournament in Tampa and I thought crikey he's a great little player - and it was Tim Howard. That was nearly 20 years ago and he's gone on to be, in my opinion, a world class goalkeeper. What are your memories of Everton and playing against them? When I was a very young player before I got in the team at Fulham, they had the golden vision Alex Young who was one of the greatest centre forwards that ever played. Then you go on to Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall and Alan Ball and Everton were just a superb football club and football team and will always have my respect. Which defenders did you come up against when you played against Everton? Oh my goodness, I played against Brian Labone, who was like a lamp post you couldnât get past him, it was like he was made of granite. I played one of my first games against a battering ram of a centre forward called Fred Pickering, and there was a little left winger called Johnny Morrissey who was a terrific player. I got into a fight with Jimmy Husband once and I head butted him they are all really good days that I remember, playing against a great, top-level football team. To buy tickets for Everton's game against QPR on Saturday, click here , call 0871 663 1878* or visit the Park End box office.
Spot on, our defenders are not good enough and Tarbs is over rated. There are several players a lot better than Tarbs on the bench at some clubs. Take Joe Cole for example, he also has an attitude problem but unlike Tarbs he has produced it befor at the highest level including playing well for England. We desperately need the takeover to be completed and several millions released quickly for NW to buy some decent players.
Ciarrai, I fear he is. I think i said it in my very first post on here. I admit that due to my globe trotting i have only seen him live twice but IMO he is a luxury that we cannot afford in this division. His work rate is not high enough and his attitude stinks. He is also not a leader and if we were offered anything over 5 million for him then we should of taken it. I know i will get stick for this and i hope i'm wrong but IMO he will be found out badly at this level. Kerry 1-15, Mayo 1-13
I would settle for this. Fear is, as is the case with Tyrone, that this Kerry team is in decline. Taking my 6 year old son to his first game at Croker. Hope he is not a magpie.
He's completely right about the defense and the need for bringing in players, but I think he is far too dismissive of Adel. Yes, he likes to hold on to the ball and when he first arrived at Rangers he could be more of a liability than an asset. But he is not just a ball holder, as Rodney puts it, he can play the ball too. Just look at the passes for the Tommy Smith goal (cov away) and Routledge goal (cov home). How can someone who set up 16 goals last season not be a ball player? Rodney quite rightly doesn't like the fact that Adel has been mentioned in the same breath as Stan Bowles and himself, I think this has caused him to overemphasise Adel's flaws. And it's not just Rodney. We've played one game in the premiership and he's being written off!
Can't agree. I admit I could be proved wrong but I still think Taarabt is our best chance of a match-winner in the squad. As for Marsh.....I loved him as a player, but as a pundit, I think he regularly talks a load of ****!!
Loathed as I am to agree with Marsh, there is more than a semblance in truth in what he said. We did flow better as a team when Buzsaky came on. There were some decent first time exchanges involving him, Campbell and Bothroyd, where we moved the ball around quickly. That doesn’t mean I’d drop Taarabt, but he needs to learn from it.
You could be right, mate. We may find it easier away from home this season, counter attacking rather than trying to dominate the match.
Alas I also fear that Marsh is right,not many QPR players would make any of the Premier league teams, Kerry 2-10 Mayo 0-10
DHoops, Marsh is right on one point above ...... In the Premier League unless you're a top player like Wayne Rooney or Thierry Henry then you can't hold on to the ball......... So, it appears that Henry was right all along to hold on to the ball - (I'm over it, as you can see!!) Kerry 1-10 Mayo 0-14 ..... And that's with O'Sullivan scoring a goal with a spectacular overhead kick from outside the box (which he learnt at QPR of course!).
Enjoy the game Ciarrai - your little fella will enjoy it. Brought my young lad to the semi last year - great day was had and it really helps when you win! Mayo will make it difficult for ye - but ye're cute enough to get through!
Well that's that resolved then. As for 8 players Mr.Marsh, bit over the top? Most of us think we need 3. I'm wondering what positions he thinks need replacements? His response doesn't actually contain any assessment of the relative merits of the players in question, he just mentions a pricetag. Clearly not a clue about either of them, so skirts around the question.
Rodney Marsh brilliant player on the pitch in his time but the mother of all toss pots off it. He talks a load of cumquats and was always taking rubbish as a sky pundit ... He was proved wrong most weeks when he was on Sky
I think Marsh is right in saying 8 players as all areas need strengthening and cover. I've said we need 5 players to be competitive with the teams just above the relegation zone and Marsh is merely emphasising how weak we are in depth. It won't be sorted by the end of this window, I think what happens in January will define our season...
