Everton 0, Wigan 1
Just checking in with my weekly rant against David Moyes! Surely, surely someone at Everton has to see the light and we canwash our hands of this idiot loser. It’s almost like he’s being paid by some other power to run the club into the ground. if he was in any way a decent human being with a conscience, he’d resign tonight, wouldn’t he? God, won’t someone free my beloved club from his clutches!?
mm
Well, I hate to say this, but I think it’s pretty obvious that Everton will be battling to keep from getting relegated. While I’m not quite yet on the “dump Moyes” bandwagon, it’s clear that things are in serious disarray; and Moyes is definitely part of the problem.
The thing is, he did try to shake things up by changing tacticsagainst Wigan. But for whatever reason, the players don’t seem to be responding. I’m not sure how one should handle the current situation. Would things improve if Moyes began reading the riot act to the players? Or would a fire-and-brimstone approach push an already demoralized squad further into a tailspin?
Since January, Everton has lost 16 of 22 matches. Clearly, the magic is gone - will they be able to right themselves to keep from getting relegated? Is Moyes up to the task? So far, the prognosis is bleak…
My guess - if things don’t improve by the end of October (when all of the injured players will be back and getting accustomed to playing with one another), Moyes is toast.
So, you on that bandwagon yet? 
Another week, another HUMILIATING Everton defeat and another mamborant against that poisonous buffoon David Moyes. Moyes the Moyesiah, Moyes the master coach, Moyes the master motivator - I’m actually heading towards the light at the end of the tunnel because I cannot believe that anyone in the world still supports this Moyes and that we are now counting the days until he is finally, deservedly and hopefully degradingly sacked. “Nil Satis, Nisi Optima” - yer having a laugh!
Wigan 2 - Bolton 1
Wigan now in eighth position after the first local derby versus Bolton. Looks like they’re not going to sink without a trace like so many naysayers were predicting before the season started.
Heh. I admit to avoiding this thread, and the web in general, as it forces me to contemplate the cauldron of shite that is the current Everton football team. I’m thinking its a while since you’ve been down County road, mamboman, so let me spell things out for you: T H E P L A Y E R S A R E N O T G O O D E N O U G H.
They weren’t good enough last seaon either, but its surprising what you can achieve with a good attitude and a bit of luck. Correspondingly, its no secret what happens when your attitude stinks and you don’t get the breaks, witness our current predicament. Sacking Moyes would be the worst possible decision for Everton, and is not being considered by anyone as a serious proposition right now. That said, there comes a time when results are so bad that the manager’s position is untenable, long term considerations notwithstanding. As **eponymous **points out, a bad October could break Moyes.
I’ll admit I was a naysayer - I’d have predicted Sunderland and West Ham to manage upper-half positions in the table until Christmas. So I got one out of three.
Today, I was discussing the idea of Wigan making it into the Uefa Cup…it would turn the tables for those obscure European teams who we hear mentioned, and reply ‘who?’. They would be able to look at their opposition and say about an English Premiership team “Who the fuck are they?!” 
Well, I’m running along side of it, but not quite yet…
I’ll stick to my original assessment - Moyes has until the end of October to start turning things around. Getting Beattie, Koldrup, and VDM into the line-up on a regular basis will be key. If Everton can somehow pick up at least a couple of points (ties against Tottenham and Birmingham; Chelsea a likely loss), then I think Moyes is safe for another month. Less than 2 points - he’s toast; especially if all three games are losses.
And then I’ll officially be on the bandwagon.
Everton 1 - Chelsea 1
Everton ended their losing streak, and stopped Chelsea’s consecutive win streak in the Premeriship. Everton is still bottom of the table, but maybe Moyes can use this match to build on from here on out. With at win or tie at Birmingham, Moyes will have saved himself for another month - at least with respect to my jumping on the “sack Moyes” bandwagon.
All is not lost (yet), but a lot of work still lies ahead.
[hijack]
Everton are bottom.
You’re perfectly entitled to use American idiom, since this an American message board, but referring to English football teams in the singular nevertheless sounds really weird. We generally use the plural over here, as in this example that I have chosen completely at random: “Reading FC are poised to move into the top tier of English football for the first time”.
And, if it comes to pass, the serendipitous moment in twelve months time when “Reading ARE rooted to the bottom of the table”. You bastards.
I can take inevitable relegation as long as it is doesn’t violate the rules of English grammar.
Moyes is the great satan and must be ousted now. I am sorry but I refuse to see scraps from the table of mighty Chelsea as the light at the end of the tunnel. For the love of God Wigan Athletic are showing us how it’s to be done! I see no particular improvement, no greater desire, no more of a clue how to end the rot from woodenheaded Moyes and no clearer hope of deliverence. If you have a cancer you CUT IT OUT, and Everton’s cancer is a manager who is in waaaay over his head. It is long past time for him to go.
mm
The same David Moyes who managed the Toffees to fourth place in the Premiership last season? The same David Moyes who took them from relegation zone to European challenger in the first year he was manager? The same David Moyes who took Preston North End from being candidates for Third Division and ended up a playoff game away from promotion to the Premiereship?
You know, sometimes bad results aren’t the result of the manager. Sometimes, you have to look at the players. 
And who bought those players? That’s part of Moyes’ problem - he thinks it’s all a game of Championship Manager and he’s bought the half crocked, overweight shower of shit that we have at the club.
And as for taking Preston to the cusp of the premiership, I’d say that was the high arc of Moyes’ career and where he belongs as a manager - on the cusp of the premiership.
If he were even a quarter if a man he would have resigned weeks ago.
mm
Yeah, right. Where were you last year when Everton were finishing fourth? Probably on the bandwagon that said Moyes was manager of the year for such a result. Where will you be when the season ends and Everton are comfortably in mid-table? No where to be seen, unless you have much more balls than I suspect.
If and when the club fails to perform as expected, for a lengthy spell, despite the best efforts of its players, players who are capable of handling the Premiership, and it becomes clear that it isn’t just players being selfish, or management not having the purse to stay with the task (see: Leeds), then you can start to worry about Moyes. Until then, shet your yap.
Nah - I goofed. I forgot that reference to British football clubs should use the plural rather than the singular.
Now - what’s the deal with “an historical” rather than “a historical”?
To be fair to mamboman, Everton’s performance since December 2004 has been abysmal. While it’s true that they were able to finish 4th in the Premiership last year, by all accounts it’s looking as if last year’s finish was a fluke. Much of the “sack Moyes” crowd are speaking, I think, more from frustration based on their own expectations on the team than anything else (although mamboman has been quite vocal with regards to Moye’s ability as a manager, regardless of expectations).
And while Everton’s performance this year can be somewhat attributed to a rash of injuries (which they did not have last year), part of a manager’s responsibility is in anticipating that one’s luck isn’t necessarily going to hold year in and year out. And also being able to adjust to circumstances. So far, Moyes hasn’t done a very good job in that respect.
However, I’m not of the opinion that Moyes deserves to be sacked (at least, not yet). I think he’s a decent manager that’s had a bad run of luck - but even the best managers can run into situations where, eventually, they need to be held responsible. An example I can think of that is somewhat analogous to Moyes’ situation is Bill Belicheck, coach of the New England Patriots. Today, he’s hailed as a coaching genius (has won multiple Super Bowls). But Belicheck’s first head coaching job was with the Cleveland Browns. While many agreed that he was a fine coach when hired, he just wasn’t suited for the job in Cleveland. He was eventually fired.
I suspect that something similar may be going on at Everton, although I am not certain. I don’t know much about the people holding the purse strings (Wyness?) that may be hindering Moye’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances. If Moyes is sacked, then some members of management need to go as well.
Supposedly Joe Royle is good at that, too. Funny how things work out.
Seriously, I can understand the anger and sheer bemusement going on in Liverpool, at how a team can disintegrate over a few months and end up bottom.
For Everton, not even a full quarter of the season has passed, and already everyone is ready to rip out throats. Mind you, with a game in hand, the Toffeemen are easily able to escape the relegation zone, and with away games at St. Andrews and the Baggies, sandwiched around a home game with 'Boro, it isn’t hard to see them out of the zone by end of November at the latest.
Or, they could go the way of Leeds. But there simply isn’t enough evidence that they are headed that way, yet. And “sack the manager!” as a rally cry after a spate of poor results is so predictable it’s silly; no one ever cries out, “Sack the supporters!” when the manager steers the team to a good result.
Be really carefull what you wish for.
If you sack Moyes, who is going to come in and take over?
You won’t get anyone leaving a current club to do it, so lets take a look at who’s out of work:
Martin O’Neill: a man well used to getting teams to punch above their weight, but family committments effectively rule out a full time job. Still wouldn’t be a proper job in football without MON being linked with it.
Phillipe Troussier: Another linked with every job going, it has to be noted that ne never gets any of them.
Georgie Graham: Ha.
Bobby Robson: Currently linked with the Hearts job, doubt he’d want to take the pressure of a Premiership club again. the Hearts job is going to be a yesman role for romanov anyway, regardless of Romanov’s “no interference” decree. indeed.
Burley: good manager, lots of baggage though. linked with the Villa job, which brings us on to
Dave O’Leary: what does this guy actually have to do to get sacked? How much money has he spent in his professional career and still not won anything? Linked with the Ireland job. I’m rather scared.
Not to mention, Everton will want to keep the wage bill to a minimum (in the event the unthinkable does happen), so a bumper payoff to Moyes, coupled with the associated fees needed for a new high profile manager, as well as a new transfer budget for January… it might be for the best that they keep Moyes on to try and turn things around.
Have they spent the Rooney cash yet, BTW?