I couldn't believe some of the doom and gloom after the match on Monday night, yes we didn't play that well, but without being terrible. It's not as if we have that great a record at Goodison in recent years, but who has, unfortunately for Everton, apart from possibly Liverpool. Jonathan Wilson looks at our summer spending and goes back to our lack of midfield enforcer.
I'd love a Bryan Robson or Roy Keane myself, but two points need mentioning, first we haven't played with one since Keane himself left the club and our record over that time hasn't been that bad. Secondly i hear all these names mentioned, such as Tiote and then players such as Schweinsteiger who we're never going to get, are any of these really that good. I think Schweinsteiger is a decent player but a Roy Keane, not for me, and don't even think of comparing him with Bryan Robson.
Let's see where we are around christmas and just as importantly for me how attractive a style of football we're playing. I'll start properly assessing our midfield when they're playing in front of a recognisable back four. One thing i would say about the line up for the first game and i'm fed up saying it, Valencia is not and i'm not sure he ever will be a right back. My worry is that with the options up front, Fergie is going to persist in this experiment with him at right back.
After mentioning out options up top, this Sabotage times piece from Zac Smale ponders the formation United will adpot in order to make sure Robin Van Persie doesn't become Gary Birtles. I don't know if the author ever saw Birtles play, but i'd say the chances of Van Persie becoming a Birtles mark two areclose to zero.
What he could become is Rodney Marsh mark two, is he the luxury buy that unbalances a foward line that wasn't really that much of a problem last season. Looking at Monday night, it could be argued that we got a foretaste of just that problem. I don't buy that, yet anyway, the problem to me was a patently unfit Wayne Rooney spearheading the forward line. In fact if we went into Saturday's game with the same formation, i'd like to see Van Perise in the middle with Kagawa behind him in the hole. I don't think we will see that, it seems to me as i said after the game, Ferie is going to play him back to fitness.
It was good news to see Danny Welbeck sign a new four year contract, playing on the left probably didn't suit him on Monday night, but he still threatened the Everton goal more than Rooney did. I can't be the only one to wonder more about the long term implications of Van Persie's arrival for Wayne Rooney rather than Danny Welbeck.
There's another local lad in Will Keane who will have a great chance of making the break through to the first team squad, touch wood, he comes back from his cruciate injury the same player. One thing Welbeck and Keane will share is being through the ranks playing 4-3-3, if that is the route we will be going back to. For those that think Welbeck was uncomfortable playing wide at Goodison, he played there all the time coming through the youth team, the reserves and even at Sunderland, all be it usually one the right.
It seems Fergie has gone forward mad with the news that we have finally wrapped up the signing of 18 year old Chilean Angelo Henriquez from Universidad. I know diddly squat about him, so there's not much to say, except i hope he can play out wide. It does make me wonder how long Hernandez will stay at the club.
Music
Barry Adamson - I will set you free: Another excellent album the Mancunian ex Magazine bassist. Less left field with more tracks that in a former age that might have made singles.
Cass McCombs - Humour risk: It's took a bit to get around to listening to this, it was worth the wait. Off beat US indie, that veers into alt country almost at times.
Julian Cope - Psychedelic revolution: This is a seriously good album, i can't take the lyrics that seriously, which i don't suppose he'd be glad to hear, but the music is superb.
Neneh Cherry and the thing - The Cherry thing: I love this as well, She's fronting an experimental/free jazz trio that cous mainly on her father's music. The nearest comparison i can think of, would be maybe, Acoustic Ladyland. Serious music that the most will truly hate.
The Walkmen - Heaven: The latest effort from the US indie outfit is chock full of cracking tunes, at times they sound like their influences, but with such strong songs, who cares.
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant corner: I'd never really got Monk before listening to this album as say i love Mingus, but this is indeed brilliant. Reading up this was the album that made his reputation, it deserved to do so.
I'd love a Bryan Robson or Roy Keane myself, but two points need mentioning, first we haven't played with one since Keane himself left the club and our record over that time hasn't been that bad. Secondly i hear all these names mentioned, such as Tiote and then players such as Schweinsteiger who we're never going to get, are any of these really that good. I think Schweinsteiger is a decent player but a Roy Keane, not for me, and don't even think of comparing him with Bryan Robson.
Let's see where we are around christmas and just as importantly for me how attractive a style of football we're playing. I'll start properly assessing our midfield when they're playing in front of a recognisable back four. One thing i would say about the line up for the first game and i'm fed up saying it, Valencia is not and i'm not sure he ever will be a right back. My worry is that with the options up front, Fergie is going to persist in this experiment with him at right back.
After mentioning out options up top, this Sabotage times piece from Zac Smale ponders the formation United will adpot in order to make sure Robin Van Persie doesn't become Gary Birtles. I don't know if the author ever saw Birtles play, but i'd say the chances of Van Persie becoming a Birtles mark two areclose to zero.
What he could become is Rodney Marsh mark two, is he the luxury buy that unbalances a foward line that wasn't really that much of a problem last season. Looking at Monday night, it could be argued that we got a foretaste of just that problem. I don't buy that, yet anyway, the problem to me was a patently unfit Wayne Rooney spearheading the forward line. In fact if we went into Saturday's game with the same formation, i'd like to see Van Perise in the middle with Kagawa behind him in the hole. I don't think we will see that, it seems to me as i said after the game, Ferie is going to play him back to fitness.
It was good news to see Danny Welbeck sign a new four year contract, playing on the left probably didn't suit him on Monday night, but he still threatened the Everton goal more than Rooney did. I can't be the only one to wonder more about the long term implications of Van Persie's arrival for Wayne Rooney rather than Danny Welbeck.
There's another local lad in Will Keane who will have a great chance of making the break through to the first team squad, touch wood, he comes back from his cruciate injury the same player. One thing Welbeck and Keane will share is being through the ranks playing 4-3-3, if that is the route we will be going back to. For those that think Welbeck was uncomfortable playing wide at Goodison, he played there all the time coming through the youth team, the reserves and even at Sunderland, all be it usually one the right.
It seems Fergie has gone forward mad with the news that we have finally wrapped up the signing of 18 year old Chilean Angelo Henriquez from Universidad. I know diddly squat about him, so there's not much to say, except i hope he can play out wide. It does make me wonder how long Hernandez will stay at the club.
Music
Barry Adamson - I will set you free: Another excellent album the Mancunian ex Magazine bassist. Less left field with more tracks that in a former age that might have made singles.
Cass McCombs - Humour risk: It's took a bit to get around to listening to this, it was worth the wait. Off beat US indie, that veers into alt country almost at times.
Julian Cope - Psychedelic revolution: This is a seriously good album, i can't take the lyrics that seriously, which i don't suppose he'd be glad to hear, but the music is superb.
Neneh Cherry and the thing - The Cherry thing: I love this as well, She's fronting an experimental/free jazz trio that cous mainly on her father's music. The nearest comparison i can think of, would be maybe, Acoustic Ladyland. Serious music that the most will truly hate.
The Walkmen - Heaven: The latest effort from the US indie outfit is chock full of cracking tunes, at times they sound like their influences, but with such strong songs, who cares.
Thelonious Monk - Brilliant corner: I'd never really got Monk before listening to this album as say i love Mingus, but this is indeed brilliant. Reading up this was the album that made his reputation, it deserved to do so.
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