Timmy and Donovan don't walk alone: Merseyside Derby 2/6, 7:45am

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I think it'll be interesting on Wednesday to see how Arteta and Donovan link up with Pienaar and Fellaini out. Especially if Donovan plays in front of Baines.

 

One thing I noticed about the Neville-LD combination is that they don't combine. And one reason they fail to combine is that they never seem to be together horizontally...one is wide and the other is narrow, all the time. They don't get into positions where they force the fullback, for instance, to make a choice.

 

Game spoiler, hilight to reveal: You should have bet the Hull game!!

 

Interesting.

seeing your screen shot, my message box doesn't have any of those buttons or drop-down menus. That's why I can't do that lineup thingy either.

My settings must be off somehow.

Bummer.

 

Have a feeling it will either be Arteta and Osman central with Cahill ahead and Bilyaletdinov and Donovan wide, or he might put Neville to CM with Osman and bring in Coleman/Hibbert (if fit) at RB.

Then again Rodwell could come in...

Wow, a long time since I could say we have options!

 

I hope Landon gets to play on the left. I think he's better when he can cut inside, plus Baines will do a better job getting him the ball.

 

I was watching Donovan on this play, and he made a great diagonal run into the box after sending Arteta the ball. I know Arteta was running away from LD, but if he had seen him I think he could have put him through. It's the kind of thing that will come with time if LD has the opportunity to work with these guys a little more.

 

I would cut Arteta a bit of slack since IMO he's still not quite 100%. I think when he is, or if he was, he'd have a little more confidence and of course more time to mix with Donovan. I think the two will play well eventually play well together.

Otherwise I think Donovan had a good match. I really thought he'd have a few more chances to score but it wasn't meant to be today and Fellaini going off hurt them, and IMO Donovan as well since I think the link-up with those two was pretty good in past contests. Upset that Liverpool managed to win when Everton were up a man for a good part of the match... I think they could've put a bit more pressure on them and stretched them more but again, without Fellaini it's not as easy a task. I think with him there for the full match they probably would've snagged at least a point. But they're Liverpool. I don't like them, but they do have terrific players and these kind of results goes a long way for that level of club.

 

Liverpool the dominate force on merseyside wasting time from 50mins onwards. You'd be lucky to get anywhere near the champions league places. You guys a shocking mate.

The guy who rates the game is the same guy who does the internet score centre. Amateur pundit, and that's just his opinion. Donovan was NOT our best player.

Neville wasn't goalside, and Howard forgot he could use his hands. ********ing shit from both of them. For Howard to come flying out at Neville is a cheek though. He could have caught the ********ing ball.

 

Just because that's your opinion doesn't make it so. People disagree with you...and that's ok.

 

In the past, I never thought of Howard's gesturing and rants toward his defenders as much more than GK excitability, but going at Neville on that goal was way too much. I know a lot of folks don't rate Neville all that much, but going at the captain when Howard had plenty of blame himself was over the top. He needs to be careful.

 

The one part of his game I have never cared for. Goes at his defenders too much.

...but still a big T Howard fan nonetheless.

 

Wow. Someone is cranky!

Everton was out hustled by a disjointed, undermanned and hardly world-beating version of the Reds. Yet, we are shocking? After all of the crap of this season we are still sitting alone in 4th place with David F***ing N'Gog as a lone striker up top. Looks like we are in a far better place to reach Champions league than the Toffees.

Sorry, don't bitch when you got swept.

And just to rub salt in your wounds; Landon Donovan was your best player today! Who was better? FAILliani? Cahill? Saha? Arteta? They were all crap today.

 

for me the best player on the field most certainly.

i've seen all the games and it is a bit frustrating that

a. his teamates don't quite yet have the understanding with him. it has nothing to do with lack of respect and everything to do with lack of time together

b. he sometimes makes a poor decision or two at the end. but he was classy and elegant today.

ps maybe first post in five years? i go back to the nas mailing list and the old metrofan board days. man im old

 

This post wreaks of the same post-loss stress syndrome that so many US fans experience after losses.

I won't touch on the other parts of the post, but criticizing someone for making a non-expert critique and then making a non-expert critique is heavily hypocritical.

If BigSoccer was the only place saying that LD was Everton's best player, then I'd agree with you, but right now LD seems to be the consensus best player of the day, simply because he was most consistent. Like I said before, just because the players aren't picking up on his dangerous runs doesn't mean he's not making them, and everyone watching the game notices. Fellaini and Pienaar were dreadful for their lack of composure, while Arteta, Saha, Cahill, etc were all lacking.

 

As much as I thought Donovan could have played better and made some better decisions, I have a hard time thinking of a player for Everton that performed better. That being said, who cares? Everton just lost the derby to their hated rivals, it doesn't really matter who their best performer was.

 

The Howard error we saw today was as random as seeing 28 inches of snow in the DC area today...he's a brilliant keeper who got taken out of the game by a adeceptively brilliant player in Kuyt. He'll be just fine.

 

Dirk Kuyt would probably get more respect as a footballer if he didn't have the Rocky Dennis face.

 

i gotta say, i follow ALL the euro Donovan threads ALL the time, and i've never seen one featuring so many anti-club posts as this week's did. so many people rooting for Donovan to "ruin Liverpool's season" and "destroy Liverpool's dreams" and etc, etc. then you had Tony Dellbird's whingiest post of the decade, it is a bit too much. CALM DOWN. i don't remember anyone wishing ill on Arsenal. (and don't give me, "it's a derby", you're not everton fans, you're LD fans)


Everton were terrible. Donovan was part of it. When you have a game like that -- especially one in which your team is up a man for a large portion of the game -- it's pretty pointless to denote a MOTM. they were all pants.


Bottom line is, it was a great experience for LD, playing in this derby in this stadium. he wasn't meek like so often has been the case in the past, he was moderately aggressive but just had some lapses in decision-making. losing Fellaini obviously hurt LD because he's the one who's been pulling the strings in the midfield during this run of form. I think LD will bounce right back. maybe even score another goal next time out.

 

Tim might've blown it with the goal, but it happens.

Can't put the blame on the keeper if your team can't score a single goal, though. Everton just needs to chalk it up as a bad performance across the board and move on.

 

Difference is what the derby means to Everton and its fans. If he performs well in a derby win, there's a lot of pressure to buy him outright. No so much with Arsenal. If that sentiment gets reflected in "crush Liverpool" it's understandable.

Your reaction demonstrates the dilemma: Everton lost, they were bad, ergo Donovan was bad. If Everton won, then the glory reflects on Donovan. Imagine if they came back and won, assuming LD had anything to do with the goals. Losing to Liverpool creates no pressure to buy Donovan.

 

Not reaslly, flapping at crosses is hardly something new for Howard, probably his weakest area. I don't think Howard has been that good this season, decent ehough, but he's not really building on last year which was arguably his best ever.

 

Agreed.