Come in David Moyes, your time is up

Everybody admires David Moyes for turning Everton from perennial relegation candidates under a succession of hopeless managers into regular contenders for the Europa League. In last year's close season all the pundits, and Moyes himself were talking of Everton having the best squad in 20 years, and there was talk of us pushing on to challenge for a coveted top 4 place.

Like I said, everybody loves David Moyes. Apart that is from what was a small but is now a growing and vociferous section of home support who see him as being tactically stubborn to the point of exasperation, unimaginative and indecisive where substitutions were concerned, showing favouritism towards certain players who would play no matter how out of form, and having far too cosy a relationship with Blue Bill, who is another story to be told.

I was never of that ilk, until this season that is. It has been obvious to the even most cluelessly loyal fan and neutral alike that Moyes' continued obsession with 4-5-1 had been found out a long time ago. He persists with this formation in order to accommodate Tim Cahill who disappears in a traditional rigid 4-4-2, and fans have been saying why not show a bit of nous, play a 4-4-2 but with Cahill turning it into a 4-4-1-1 when necessary? Surely Cahill despite being an Aussie (wahey!) is intelligent enough to adapt? If you believe Moyes', then, no he ain't. He's now off to the Asia Cup down under for up to six weeks, so Moyes' hand is forced, and one hopes he will change the bloody formation for once.

We also have three strikers who have scored less between them than Widdecombe in her entire lifetime. I don't consider this all the fault of the players. Yakubu was finally showing signs of losing some weight and gaining some form a couple of months back - he actually scored fer chrissakes - so Moyes' drops him, and it now looks like he's on his way. At least that's quite a few pounds off the wage bill and off the bench. Beckford, again, showed some form and gets dropped. The "1" of the 4-5-1 is Moyes' favourite Saha who looks less likely to score than Graham Norton in a brothel, although he was denied a nailed on penalty in our woeful capitulation against Stoke City on Saturday.

Which brings me on to Moyes' favourites. The most glaring of these at the moment is Arteta, who since becoming the club's highest paid player by signing a lucrative contract in the close season has done fuck all, yet gets picked every week. Even Moyes' now realises it might be time for a change as Arteta is beginning to get regularly substituted. Ah, substitutions....always dead on the hour mark, usually Osman for Arteta, Beckford for Saha, no change in formation until the 85th minute when desperation usually means throwing on the other striker. If someone like 'Appy 'Arry had our meagre squad I'm certain he would change the formation and tactics, and not be so bloody predictable with his substitutes.

Which brings us on to Steven Pienaar, probably off to play for 'Appy 'Arry very soon. OK, he's been, along with Leighton Baines, our best player going forward this season, but in the last transfer window we bought a French (I think) winger called Magaye Gueye, described as Moyes' secret weapon. So secret he's practically invisible. With Pienaar going, either this month or at the end of the season, why oh why not give this guy (sic) a run out?

Moyes has run out of ideas, and it's time he went. I never thought I would ever say that, but there it is. Get in a young ambitious manager who plays attacking football, as I and a growing number of Toffees are fed up to the back teeth of the dull one dimensional slow paced bollocks we serve up every week. I thank Moyes' for giving us some respectability and for some great games, but after 9 years his time has come to an end, and I wish him all the best at whatever club he goes to.
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Everybody loves "Blue" Bill Kenwright.......no. I'll do that another time.