da dobrowin： Upon the appointment of David Moyes as rightful successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, rumours have been rife that fellow Evertonians Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini would be following the former Toffees boss to Old Trafford, as the Sco strengthen the Red Devils’ squad and retain the Premier League title.
da stake casino： But earlier today came the word from a number of mainstream newspapers, including the Daily Mail, that Leighton Baines is keen to stay on at Goodison Park, excited by the prospect of playing a more expansive and attractive brand of football.
The England defender told reporters: “He [Roberto Martinez] has a different style to what we have been used to but I think it is progressive and it will move us forward. It is also exciting for the players to be able to try that now. The style in general appeals to a lot of people.”
Whether it was a deliberate attempt to or not, in praising Roberto Martinez’s attacking approach, he has in some ways condemned the Spaniard’s predecessor’s style of play, best known for its directness in nature and emphasis on strength, defensive resiliency and aerial ability.
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Should the United faithful be concerned, not only that one of their summer targets, set to replace Patrice Evra, has turned them down for footballing reasons despite the club’s reputation, but furthermore the Everton man has clearly shown a preference to the style of the incoming Martinez over that of the new boss at Old Trafford?
First of all, it’s worth dispelling a myth regarding how the Toffees played their football under David Moyes. Certainly, the height of Marouane Fellaini has often played a key role in results, whilst their most creative output has come from Baines’ ability to deliver pin-point crosses, often from deep, which can’t be regarded as the most progressive of styles of play, and it would be a rarity to say the least to see Everton play keep-ball tactics.
But at the same time, the heart of the Everton team, at least over the past few years, lay in a contingent of talented footballers, bearing no particular physical prowess, whose strength was undoubtedly their abilities with their feet, such as Steven Pienaar, Darron Gibson and Leon Osman. The latter two do their best to control the tempo of the game as much as possible via the ball, and the Toffees can claim the Premier League’s best team goal of the season, combining quickly and accurately, whilst always moving forward and positively, to allow Kevin Mirallas the opportunity to strike from long range in the Merseyside club’s 2-0 victory over West Ham.
Even so, it would be wrong to suggest that Manchester United’s playing style is considerably indirect in comparison to the Toffees. The Red Devils roster contains a number of players who are athletes first, such as Antonio Valencia, Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones, and furthermore, with United often praised for their English identity, they naturally play in a manner of mixed passing length and reliance on strength that can only be considered quintessentially English.
Statisitcally, the difference between the two clubs was minimal last season. Everton averaged 53% posession, whilst United can claim 56% -although the slight gap is undoubtedly due to the level of quality at both clubs, whilst the ratios in passing style are almost identical. According to Whoscored.com, 11% of the Red Devils’ passes can be described as long ball, in comparison to the Toffees’ 14%, whereas the former’s crosses contributed to 5% of their all-round play, and 6% of the latter’s. Both clubs created the majority of their chances down the flanks, and if anything, Everton recorded 13 less goals from set pieces, and also produced two more goals on the counter-attack.
Furthermore, David Moyes is no fool – he will not ignore the obvious technical talents at Old Trafford simply for the sake of a long-ball philosophy. Consistency and Stability have already become the soundbites of his appointment, and overall the Scot will seek to steady the ship amid his first season rather than reinventing the wheel based on his personal preferences. At Everton, the direct approach was on the most-part saved for clashes with the bigger teams, and more often than not the Toffees would come away with unlikely points against the Premier League’s top four for their combative and disciplined if unattractive displays.
Some have pointed to the potential signing of Marouane Fellaini as an indicator that Moyes will seek to switch up United’s current brand of football to one centred around aerial prowess, but should the Belgian make the move to Old Trafford, he will not be used in the same attacking vein as he was on Merseyside. The lanky midfielder’s primary role will be to sit alongside Michael Carrick and help protect the back four, rather than be utilised in attacking midfield, despite producing 11 goals and five assists this season as a supporting striker. It will certainly provide the United gaffer with a tried and tested plan B however, which he won’t hesitate to use should the situation require.
But overall, I do not expect to see a decline in the current footballing standards at Old Trafford, or a greater emphasis than what currently exists in terms of playing direct football. Everton have been unfairly criticised in the past as a long-ball side, but it is rather a case of David Moyes using his player’s specific abilities, namely Leighton Baines’ crossing prowess and Marouane Fellaini’s height, to the team’s advantage.
Either way, United can hardly be considered a polar opposite in terms of style to the brand of football we have witnessed from Moyes’ tenure at Goodison. If anything, their typically English approach, which Sir Alex Ferguson has maintained throughout his tenure, often emphasising the importance of wide-men and full-backs that support attacking play, is of an almost identical template to the standard Everton game-plan.
The only difference between the two clubs is the quality available and the versatility of the roster, which the United boss will only seek to take full advantage of and use to the benefit of the first team, rather than reject it under the pretentious notion of a long-ball philosophy.
Should Manchester United fans be concerned about David Moyes’ direct approach?
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