Fulham 0 Everton 0 (Yakubu - oops, sorry, nearly!)

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And that's where a lot of us argue over. I think Pienaar is just as important, and good, as Arteta, but that is not the overall consensus on here. We offered Arteta £75k/wk, but won't go higher than £60k/wk (both allegedly), then why is that the case? I sure as hell don't know nor understand it.

Rather somber but accurate take on the game from Moyes.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/e/everton/9033485.stm

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And what the $£*& gives you the right to express an opinion?



















Oh, you were at the match?

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And what the $£*& gives you the right to express an opinion?



















Oh, you were at the match?

Was a good day out and we all had a few different opinions afterward. I'd agree with Uwist that perhaps it was the game to give beckford 20 minutes in, as there were opportunities to play balls to run onto. But we saw what the Yak gave us and that's a real physical presence and a lot of quality. I thought he was good, touch, passing, interplay...only really his finishing was letting him down (and his running, but that's nought new). A bit more fitness and he'll be back to the yak of old.. The positives were a clean sheet for the first time this season. The way we took the game to Fulham in the second half, especially late on. Yak, Pienaar, Distin and Coleman were all good in different ways. Everyone agreed on pienaar, though. Great player, would be gutting to lose him to anyone for any money (let alone free). The only real disappointment was a few boos at the final whistle (although I sensed/hoped it was disappointment with the result rather than the performance). Me and Uwie both said in unison "You can't boo that". Nothing wrong with the performance bar scoring goals and maybe panicking sightly less in the final third (which happened too much in the first half).

Tonteau wrote:

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And what the $£*& gives you the right to express an opinion?



















Oh, you were at the match?

Was a good day out and we all had a few different opinions afterward. I'd agree with Uwist that perhaps it was the game to give beckford 20 minutes in, as there were opportunities to play balls to run onto. But we saw what the Yak gave us and that's a real physical presence and a lot of quality. I thought he was good, touch, passing, interplay...only really his finishing was letting him down (and his running, but that's nought new). A bit more fitness and he'll be back to the yak of old.. The positives were a clean sheet for the first time this season. The way we took the game to Fulham in the second half, especially late on. Yak, Pienaar, Distin and Coleman were all good in different ways. Everyone agreed on pienaar, though. Great player, would be gutting to lose him to anyone for any money (let alone free). The only real disappointment was a few boos at the final whistle (although I sensed/hoped it was disappointment with the result rather than the performance). Me and Uwie both said in unison "You can't boo that". Nothing wrong with the performance bar scoring goals and maybe panicking sightly less in the final third (which happened too much in the first half).

Proper supporter.

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And what the $£*& gives you the right to express an opinion?



















Oh, you were at the match?

Was a good day out and we all had a few different opinions afterward. I'd agree with Uwist that perhaps it was the game to give beckford 20 minutes in, as there were opportunities to play balls to run onto. But we saw what the Yak gave us and that's a real physical presence and a lot of quality. I thought he was good, touch, passing, interplay...only really his finishing was letting him down (and his running, but that's nought new). A bit more fitness and he'll be back to the yak of old.. The positives were a clean sheet for the first time this season. The way we took the game to Fulham in the second half, especially late on. Yak, Pienaar, Distin and Coleman were all good in different ways. Everyone agreed on pienaar, though. Great player, would be gutting to lose him to anyone for any money (let alone free). The only real disappointment was a few boos at the final whistle (although I sensed/hoped it was disappointment with the result rather than the performance). Me and Uwie both said in unison "You can't boo that". Nothing wrong with the performance bar scoring goals and maybe panicking sightly less in the final third (which happened too much in the first half).

Proper supporter.

Too true.

Great to hear that a couple of members on here got together at a game.

I lurved Yak turning Haveland, twice, the first time the Plank was all over him and Yak spun him two yards away. Nobody else we have has that strength. Play im Davy, but ffs with Beckford!

Knight of Thorgothshire wrote:

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:

Statman wrote:

Tonteau wrote:I know a few folks won't agree, but the Yak's overall performance, glaring misses aside, was good today, IMHO. He links up the play really well, helped us keep it on the ground, too. But he's clearly still a fat, slow, lazy chuffer. Should have won that game by a mile. I know we're bottom, but I'm really not arsed, we keep playing like that and points will follow. Nice to see us keep fulham at comfortably bay for long periods and keep pushing for the win at a tough away ground, equally nice to see us keep a clean sheet. Standout performances today were Distin who was imperious, made one slight mistake , but cleared it up sharp. Coleman, who, although naive, did well cutting in from the right and Pienaar who was superb, our only player who really beat a man, tracked back all day long must have won possession back 7 or 8 times for us. I don't care if he's a greedy bastard, give him what he wants to stay here, Davey. He's class and he brings us every bit as much as arteta.

And what the $£*& gives you the right to express an opinion?



















Oh, you were at the match?

Was a good day out and we all had a few different opinions afterward. I'd agree with Uwist that perhaps it was the game to give beckford 20 minutes in, as there were opportunities to play balls to run onto. But we saw what the Yak gave us and that's a real physical presence and a lot of quality. I thought he was good, touch, passing, interplay...only really his finishing was letting him down (and his running, but that's nought new). A bit more fitness and he'll be back to the yak of old.. The positives were a clean sheet for the first time this season. The way we took the game to Fulham in the second half, especially late on. Yak, Pienaar, Distin and Coleman were all good in different ways. Everyone agreed on pienaar, though. Great player, would be gutting to lose him to anyone for any money (let alone free). The only real disappointment was a few boos at the final whistle (although I sensed/hoped it was disappointment with the result rather than the performance). Me and Uwie both said in unison "You can't boo that". Nothing wrong with the performance bar scoring goals and maybe panicking sightly less in the final third (which happened too much in the first half).

Proper supporter.

Too true.

Great to hear that a couple of members on here got together at a game.

The biggest loss TBH was the "half-loss" of the Official 606 Fulham Watering Hole. In the past we met up at a very quiet bar in the Premier Inn on Putney Bridge. Over the last 3 years - we have met the same Fulham crowd and had a good banter - however the hotel no longer allows supporters to drink after the match. Its pissed the local boys as well and split them up as a group - and its a shame.

BB wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

BB wrote:

Goodison_Gringo wrote:

BB wrote:The Yaks job is to score goals. He failed. How is that good?

I'll refer you back to this in a 2 or 3 months when he's banging them in for fun again. Yak is looking better and better every game. The service hasn't been great but he looks stronger and sharper each week.

Snapping an Achilles tendon is one serious injury, it takes a long time to come back from and many wouldn't, fucking hell it even killed Brad Pitt. It looks like he will start to get the playing time that he needs (albeit through no other choice). If he gets back to scoring goals like before, and you can't argue with his scoring record, then all of a sudden we are an attractive team scoring goals again.

With respect to your own thoughts.............

When he knocks them in I'll gladly praise him. Until then, we have other strikers who deserve their turn on the pitch. Stick Yak in the reserves if he isn't ready. Then I'll say 'Aww shucks Yak, you didn't score but you sure looked great out there on the pitch again after your injury'. While he's in the first 11, I expect goals, not sob stories about injuries. If you're not fit, and you're not scoring, then get off the pitch. Forgive me for not sympathizing with a guy who gets paid £60k per week to score goals. The pitch is not there for recuperating. It's there for performing.

Who are the others exactly? The only one available is Beckford who has had more minutes on the pitch than the Yak this season and also scored 0 goals, a league cup penalty aside.

Louis Saha
James Vaughan
Jermaine Beckford
Magaye Gueye
Yakubu Ayegbeni
Victor Anichebe
Joao Silva
Kieran Agard
Jose Baxter

The above is a list of our strikers. If our midfield players such as Bilyaletdinov, Osman etc are more likely to get a goal, then why have strikers?
If Yakubu and Beckford can't score ( and Beckford scored great goals preseason and hasn't played in every match, and certainly not from the off ) then their contribution is 'nothing'.

Why not give Aggard or Baxter a go, or Gueye? Why play Osman every week, and either sub him on, or sub him off, every week? If Osman can't hold his job down for 90 minutes, then he isn't good enough, surely?

Last season Yakubu scored about 5 goals. Beckford scored over 40. Yakubu isn't fully fit, and rarely has been since arriving. Beckford is. My money is on Beckford, not Yakubu, as Beckford has the chance of a long career with us. Yakubu on the other hand wants out. Why resurrect his career at the expense of Beckford? Why not try and get Beckford up and running instead of Yakubu?

Louis Saha - Injured
James Vaughan - out on loan
Jermaine Beckford - has been given as much playing time as Yakubu and hasn't scored yet either.
Magaye Gueye - appears to be a winger from what i've seen.
Yakubu Ayegbeni - fat, lazy and improving
Victor Anichebe - injured
Joao Silva - not ready for the first team
Kieran Agard - not ready for the first team
Jose Baxter - not ready for the first team and an attacking midfielder

The choices we have at the moment are Yakubu or Beckford. Granted we could play both but that's the 4-4-2 v. 4-5-1 argument.

Yak is looking better and at the moment we have no other options.