Donovan

[littlepowell]

How do you think Donovan played against Liverpool? I thought he looked pretty good in the first half but mostly disappeared ( as did the whole Everton squad) in the second half.

[finnster01]

I think he looked disinterested more than anything. You do not play "disinterested" in the Merseyside derby. Just look at Dirk Kuyt. Got beat up, fouled Donovan got his yellow, went on with his business including scoring the winner. Surprised there were actually players left at the end. He had one great run that nearly created a goal, but most of the time he was pushed off or not in the game. If you can't get up for Liverpool - Everton, I really do not know what you can get up for.

Bottom line, I just don't understand the man. Great player that I think can carry himself in the Prem but his head needs some serious therapy

[YankeeJim]

I think he looked disinterested more than anything. You do not play "disinterested" in the Merseyside derby. Just look at Dirk Kuyt. Got beat up, fouled Donovan got his yellow, went on with his business including scoring the winner. Surprised there were actually players left at the end. He had one great run that nearly created a goal, but most of the time he was pushed off or not in the game. If you can't get up for Liverpool - Everton, I really do not know what you can get up for.

Bottom line, I just don't understand the man. Great player that I think can carry himself in the Prem but his head needs some serious therapy

Finny, you have just hit on what drives people nuts about Donavan.

[Steve_orino]

I think he looked disinterested more than anything. You do not play "disinterested" in the Merseyside derby. Just look at Dirk Kuyt. Got beat up, fouled Donovan got his yellow, went on with his business including scoring the winner. Surprised there were actually players left at the end. He had one great run that nearly created a goal, but most of the time he was pushed off or not in the game. If you can't get up for Liverpool - Everton, I really do not know what you can get up for.

Bottom line, I just don't understand the man. Great player that I think can carry himself in the Prem but his head needs some serious therapy

Finny, you have just hit on what drives people nuts about Donavan.

Amen Finn.  Amen YankeeJim.

Wasn't there a thread started on the old forum, aking that question...Why is it that Yanks don't like Donovan...or something like that.  That's exactly why!

[clintclintdeuce]

He plays like all Californians do, its just they style of life, man. He was probably thinking about surfing, rock climbing, or snowboarding.

To say he doesnt care though is rubbish.

[Logicalman]

He plays like all Californians do, its just they style of life, man. He was probably thinking about surfing, rock climbing, or snowboarding.

To say he doesnt care though is rubbish.

mebbe that's it, mebbe not.

I believe he has what it takes, perhaps, to achieve prem status, the problem he faces (and has done every time he's outside the US) is that he is not considered a god of the game, or anything special, and after being spoon-fed the same god-like status hype his whole MLS-time, he might be finding it a tad difficult to come to terms that he actually needs to try, and not just turn up.

[SteveM19]

Just wanted to reiterate what everyone else has said, plus add the fact that it irks me when I hear people say he is the best outfield player to come from America. Maybe the most talented, but the best? He does not have the heart of a lion. I won't say that he doesn't care, but there are some things that he does, or more accurately fails to do, that make me wince, because I want to see him do well for Everton and, more so, the USMNT.

For me, the number one player from our shores is Clint Dempsey. I asked myself if that is just because he plays for my club, and I think I came up with a definitive "no" for an answer. Has anyone seen Clint fail to man up in a Fulham uniform, or show an unwillingness to do dirty work when it lands on his doorstep? Remember a game against Our Next Door Neighbors when he delivered a forearm shiver to The Former England Captain? (It might not be a forearm -- somehow Terry tried to get under his skin and intimidate him, and got Clint's Texan blood riled, I remember he retaliated in definitive fashion to say I'm not going anywhere, boss). I don't think my point of view would change if I was a fan of Team X or a team in the lower leagues.

[YankeeJim]

Odd thing is that Sky Sports called him Everton's besy player in the aforementioned derby.

Landon is more of a finesse player than a scrapper. The book on him is thump him early & often. Most Americans respond with a thump with one back at you with a tad more relish on it.  Still, the US Nats don't win without Lannycakes. I think that perception of him is not entirely accurate. When he gets his Irish up, he can be a handful. Ask Mexico. He just won't punch you in the mouth like out street kid Dempsey will.

[HatterDon]

Sigh.

Donovan is the MOST TALENTED outfield player we've ever produced. Dempsey is a BETTER outfield player.

As for the derby, I'm not sure what you guys wanted Donovan to do. He created space for himself, kept the team's attacking shape, and made Everton's one decent move on goal in the second half. He did NOT run away from any tough tackling, nor was he anywhere near the least effective player in blue -- that belongs to either Louis Saha or Mikel Arteta. As I said elsewhere, Everton lost the match when Fellaini went off and was replaced by Arteta. When you've got a team down to ten men you make them run their butts off covering the flanks. Fellaini made some killer passes before he hurt himself trying to break the Greek's leg. What Arteta did was to slow the game down and make Everton's attacks more methodical. Sometimes this is a good thing, but when you do this against 10 men, you give them plenty of time to rest, and resting is exactly what they wanted to do -- especially with a lead.

Now I know I'm never going to convince Mr. Finn of anything, and SteveM19 already thinks I'm a kumbaya-singing pansy, and I know that pretty much every American [including me] loves to get down on Donovan every chance they get, but the truth is that since January 2008, we've seen a fitter more-committed and more-dominant Landon Donovan internationally and with the Galaxy. He's done a creditable job with Everton, and he's nowhere near an embarrassment. Ask Moyes.

[Logicalman]

Don,

I guess I'm one of those that will need a LOT of convincing about Donovan.

Having seen the likes of Demps and McBride, I know that there is a lot of talent in the states, but it takes a lot more than just talent to get somewhere. I've said this many times before, but I do hope that Donovan makes it, not just to prove the likes of me wrong, but also because the USMT needs him to be successful, and lead them into a good WC2010 campaign, especially against England.
His continued run in the Toffees starting line-up will ensure he doesn't hold the likes of Gerrard, Terry and Rooney in awe, but realizes they can be beaten and looks to help his fellow countrymen in that effort.