Stubbs finds new lease of life under Moyes

By Chris Kirwan
December 23 2002

The performance of Alan Stubbs in the Merseyside derby was simply phenomenal. A Liverpool attack that lacked craft and creativity simply could not breach the Everton backline, and Stubbs was instrumental in repelling any attacking effort of the R-S.

His assured performance signalled a return to the limelight for a man whose place in the first team squad was in jeopardy only 7 months ago. The performances of Alan Stubbs in the few games in which David Moyes was at the helm last season did little to convince Evertonians that he would be part of the new set-up; he looked slow, was far too wasteful of possession, and was poor positionally. And when Moyes took the step of signing Joseph Yobo in the summer we all presumed that he had been bought to partner David Weir at the heart of the Everton defence. But Stubbs has shown great determination to not only fight his way back into the first team reckoning, but to be one of the key components of the revitalised Everton.

It took a bit of luck for Stubbs to regain his first team place; an unfortunate sending off for David Weir at Old Trafford presented Stubbs with the opportunity, and Stubbs grasped it with both hands. And just as suspension gave Stubbs chance to get a foot in the door, the same may happen for Pistone and Weir, both of whom excelled at Anfield.

Stubbs looks a different player to the one who struggled at the tail end of last season. At Anfield he came out on top of every 50:50 tackle, he was dominant in the air, and could not be beaten in one on one situations. He was also instrumental in organising the Blues from the back right to the front. A centre back has the crucial role of maintaining the shape of the defence, which in turn dictates the shape of the whole team, and never were the Blues guilty of losing concentration, for which Stubbs and Weir deserve great praise. I will admit that when Smith signed Stubbs I presumed that the Blues would be changing the shape of the side as I, like many others, had serious reservations about whether Stubbs could play in a flat back four. And Smith tinkered with the formation before realising that the side functioned better in 4-4-2, and Stubbs struggled when the side reverted to a back four. But Stubbs has shown that his talents are far greater than just being a defender with good distribution, in fact I believe that Stubbs often over elaborates and wastes possession attempting over-ambitious passes. And Stubbs, like Campbell, looks a far fitter player in the Moyes regime.

We all love to see genuine Evertonians in the line-up, but they have to merit their place. But Stubbs’ love of the club must have been a crucial component of his return; he waited all of his life to get the opportunity to play in the Blue shirt, and was determined not to let the opportunity slip by. Stubbs has his place in the side on merit, and challengers to his position will find him very hard to dislodge.