Everton (H) | Post Match Thread

[dhruvblue]

Very poor result to be honest and very strange we didn’t start with walker, cancelo, Foden today for energy and match fitness back with the team for a tough January

Probably Pep thought Lewis and Ake ansdGrealish be sufficient for struggling Everton at home. he thought probably resting Walker and Cancelo will help him to pick them for much tougher matches against Chelsea and then Rags

 

[Rammy Blue]

I heard a post match interview with Stones on gmr whilst travelling home. He seemed a bit shell shocked, he thought we created enough to win the match and we controlled the game. I can't say I agree with that at all. Have seen a Pep quote on City xtra saying we played 'really, really well'. Don't agree with that either. Doesn't bode well if neither see the problems with today's performance although I don't suppose they were ever going to come out and say it was pretty awful.

I predicted walking back to the car that Pep would say we played well and were unlucky, fuck knows what he watches.

 

[bert38]

3 times he went on 40 yrd runs shielding the ball and taking on players as he went.
Problem was, he was running away from their penalty area and back deep into our own half.
Thought he was going to go all the way and have a shot at Ederson on one of them

That is quite amusing but there’s something in it-the inverted winger tactic isn’t my preference-and all it does against a back 5 is narrow the play and kill the space.

We sold the pace in the team. I still think we can win the league but the next month or so will be tough.

 

[Stiff Little Wingers]

Hope you are right in a way as it would be good to see them down

As for the bloke in the middle not sure he warrants being called a referee

Not sure many of them do

 

[ysmsa]

Just about calmed down, so so disappointed about today’s garbage.

Game too far for young Rico, not his fault but he was far too conservative today.

Ake is a great defender but no use whatsoever in their half and consequently added to Rico not attacking its just not good enough to have 2 fullbacks who offer zero in the final third.

Kev was atrocious.

Bernie was ineffective.

Grealish and Mahrez just not good enough, once again Grealish did his masterclass in running at a fullback and then smashing it against his legs, meanwhile Mahrez can’t beat the fullback so consequently we had absolutely cock all out wide.

All in all, utter donkey spunk and all on Pep as he picked the side and tactics.

Wank.

Bob on about Lewis and Ake, fine in a comfortable win with a bit of basic defending to do.

Totally ineffective when we're struggling to get at the oppo and need to build from the back or try something different.

The sooner Walker, Dias, Laporte and Foden start more games and the likes of Ake, Akanji, Mahrez and Lewis come off the bench to see the game out the better.

 

[Kippax77]

That is quite amusing but there’s something in it-the inverted winger tactic isn’t my preference-and all it does against a back 5 is narrow the play and kill the space.

We sold the pace in the team. I still think we can win the league but the next month or so will be tough.

It will be tough but we've normally risen to the challenge of the better teams.
The drop off in intensity against the lesser teams is the thing that could cost us in the end

 

[Roachy]

Poor show, poor result. Need to buck up, otherwise no PL.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I predicted walking back to the car that Pep would say we played well and were unlucky, fuck knows what he watches.

He watches the same as you, but isn't going to expose his emotions in an interview which will be examined over and over and distorted for a media grab.

 

[Grassland Blue]

Mahrez set up the goal, did more than most, apart from haaland scoring from Mahrez pass what did he do? What did bernado do? I couldn't really pick 1 city player today and say yes they can hold there head up, so why pick Mahrez? And the games I have seen from Palmer I doubt he would have offered anyrjing better

I thought Rico Lewis played very well as did Ake.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

I heard a post match interview with Stones on gmr whilst travelling home. He seemed a bit shell shocked, he thought we created enough to win the match and we controlled the game. I can't say I agree with that at all. Have seen a Pep quote on City xtra saying we played 'really, really well'. Don't agree with that either. Doesn't bode well if neither see the problems with today's performance although I don't suppose they were ever going to come out and say it was pretty awful.

Well they are right in a sense. The xG was something like 2.0 - 0.06. So we did control the game, nothing he said will have been incorrect. I just wish we were more entertaining. Our football is mind-numbingly boring. Pep has gone from being synonymous with beautiful, attractive football to producing kind of stale, slow, overly-cautious football with little to no risk ever being taken. It’s boring.

 

[WestGorton]

He watches the same as you, but isn't going to expose his emotions in an interview which will be examined over and over and distorted for a media grab.

Exactly. I would say the same as Pep.

 

[WestGorton]

I thought Rico Lewis played very well as did Ake.

Ake has been good all season.

 

[Stelea]

Stones said on his TV interview…
“Don’t really know what to say, it feels like we have lost 2 points”

 

[Craig]

This 3 2 build up shape just isn’t working and if this is Peps answer to getting Haaland in the team he needs a re-think

Lewis has been great but he’s no threat to the opposition playing inverted, he keeps it tidy but we need more creativity from the midfield 2. CancelI needs to come back in if he persists with this line up

Mahrez and Grealish give us control but are too predictable when playing against a low block

i would love him to try a 3 4 3 something along the lines of

Ederson

Stones Akanji Ake

Cancelo Rodri De bruyne Bernado

Foden Haaland Alvarez

I agree. Lewis is class and what a talent we have on our hands. He’s giving us an extra man in midfield and probably playing perfectly to instruction of keeping the ball. Playing a centre back at left back and an inverted right back seems strange when playing with 2 wide men who lack pace and need to constantly cut inside. Even though Walker is far from a great attacking fullback just by backing up Mahrez and making runs on the outside helps Mahrez create space for himself and obviously it would help Grealish if he had a fullback who could go past him. He’d get to cut inside and twat it against defenders legs miles more often.

Also the inverted fullback was a big reason we were so stretched down the left for the goal after Rodri’s poor pass

 

[coolcity]

Well they are right in a sense. The xG was something like 2.0 - 0.06. So we did control the game, nothing he said will have been incorrect. I just wish we were more entertaining. Our football is mind-numbingly boring. Pep has gone from being synonymous with beautiful, attractive football to producing kind of stale, slow, overly-cautious football with little to no risk ever being taken. It’s boring.

Wow, seriously? If that's what you think you don't deserve City.

FFS man, I know it wasn't the result we wanted but that's quite possibly the most absurd comment I've ever read on this forum.

 

[bluemc1]

I thought Rico Lewis played very well as did Ake.

I’m really impressed with Lewis so far, not nervous but smart enough to just ease himself in and keep it simple, very mature head for 18 year old, he’s got bags of energy and can run all day and is always there as the extra option in midfield if someone just needs to get rid

Think he’s a gudden

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

Exactly. I would say the same as Pep.

Not sure what some really expect him to say, but he fully understands the fucking media are like hyenas , unlike some of our supporters .

 

[Craig]

Probably Pep thought Lewis and Ake ansdGrealish be sufficient for struggling Everton at home. he thought probably resting Walker and Cancelo will help him to pick them for much tougher matches against Chelsea and then Rags

Yeah but you’d have thought with half hour / 40 minutes to go he might have seen that wasn’t the case. Fuck knows what Foden is being rested for he’s hardly played in ages

 

[Newman Noggs]

I bow to no-one in my appreciation of Stones, Akanji and Ake as centre halves. What they are not, however, is playmakers. And yet, it seems that every move ends up back with one or the other and they are then expected to either thread a Silva-esque through-ball to the forwards or make a Yaya-esque rampaging run to unsettle the defence neither of which they are capable of.

It just isn't working and I hope Pep tries something else soon.

 

[MadchesterCity]

3 times he went on 40 yrd runs shielding the ball and taking on players as he went.
Problem was, he was running away from their penalty area and back deep into our own half.
Thought he was going to go all the way and have a shot at Ederson on one of them

You need to ask yourself would he start regularly in the front 3 for any of Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern, PSG or Madrid?

If not why is he deemed good enough to start every match for City?