Source: Liverpool_Echo
DAVID PRENTICE: Player power key to Everton FC's revival
David Prentice[LNB]EVERTON, usually, mimic their manager at Old Trafford. Tough, uncompromising, difficult to break down. But not this time. Not on a worryingly wanton Saturday night in Salford.[LNB]The Blues handed Manchester United a victory so routine that their own Scottish boss was able to effectively declare with 20 minutes to go, and replace Wayne Rooney with the absurd show-pony that is Gabriel Obertan.[LNB]David Moyes admitted afterwards he has a problem.[LNB]But this time the solution is, sadly, not in his hands to solve.[LNB]The appalling and ongoing injury crisis at Goodison Park means that he can't make changes to his side, even though he clearly wants to.[LNB]It's up to his players to provide the answer, but some of them don't appear to have the appetite at present.[LNB]Now, I'm mindful of the acute sensitivities of some of the players in the Everton squad. It's not so long since I was invited to the club's training ground to 'explain myself' to the assembled first team party after one damning critique.[LNB]So I'll let the manager point out their deficiencies.[LNB]'I'm looking for better performances from the players,' he rapped.[LNB]'I don't use the word, but I think in the past people have used the word 'over-performing' about the Everton players. I'll protect the players all day long, but at the moment they have to stand up and be counted because at the moment some of them are under-performing.[LNB]'Is the competition for places contributing to that? Massively because we can't change.[LNB]'You would hope that would mean they would get another opportunity to put things right, but I think one or two aren't taking that on board.'[LNB]That was clear from the outset at Old Trafford.[LNB]Under David Moyes Everton's visits to Old Trafford have been characterised by a steely resolve.[LNB]It took a last minute penalty and a dodgy penalty to beat them in each of the last two seasons, but the first 45 minutes on Saturday night were an unedifying sight for Evertonians.[LNB]There was more fight on show in the visiting section where some worrying examples of the human race decided to scrap amongst each other.[LNB]Louis Saha was commendably bright and classy but, largely left to his own devices with any supporting midfield bodies a distant blur, he was left to forage on scraps.[LNB]Crumbs of comfort were offered up when Yakubu was introduced at the break and Everton adopted a more ambitious formation, but only for 20 minutes.
