Everton - Post match thread.

[jaiguruKun]

It's now a sending off for looking at your opponent. Maybe we should blindfold players to stop them doing it.

 

[trumpton]

Not read all 60 odd pages, but the consensus is that's it's same as last year. Well I'm not surprised because despite spending £200 mill the only new signings that started last night were in goal and right back!

 

[Chippy_boy]

I noticed us going at Everton from the minute the second half kicked off and then resorting to trying to kill the game even though they had an extra man.
I noticed us moving the ball quicker and using the width more which had Everton scrambling.
I noticed our desire to win the hall back and the midfield working their socks off to make up for our man disadvantage.
I noticed us creating several chances, some half chances some great chances which had we converted would have seen us deservedly come away with the 3 points.
I noticed loads you didn't and I'm ok with that.

No, I noticed all of those things too. But none of that is enough if, as it panned out, we lacked any sort of quality when arriving at their box. But for the Sterling volley - which lets face it, could have gone anywhere - we would have lost.

We played *better* in the 2nd half, but how anyone can say it was "excellent" is baffling.

 

[Blue Smarties]

I must have been at a different game as other than his goal, I thought he was awful

I think you were. Might want to check the MOTM thread.

 

[ONTHERUNWITHTHAKSIN]

Poor sending off of Walker and we seemed galvanised by it and performed better second half

Problem I have with the team at the moment is the need to always make the perfect pass and always having to look a second time to make sure player is available for pass.

Sometimes a quick flick or turn is needed to open up defences which Bernardo did when he came on.

Danilo should have started as Sane is excellent going forward but no awareness when defending.

Sergio seems not to be up to speed at the moment but this will come

Overall happy with the point not happy with the referee again

 

[bellsouth]

What is wrong with the finishing? The only shots on goal, apart from the equaliser, were from our defenders.
Sergio is taking more chances than ever to hit the target, it used to be one of his greatest strengths, his ratio of on target efforts was supreme.
If David Silva was wearing a Spain jersey last night he would have scored instead of hitting the post.
Sterling, great goal, but wasted two other golden opportunities

Is it mental?

 

[worsleyweb]

Slept on it and still very concerned. That side is not in the same league as the peak Mancini sides. Lightweight, no commander in midfield, wasteful up front and will always concede. I honestly feel the pressure on Pep is going to build and build.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

No, I noticed all of those things too. But none of that is enough if, as it panned out, we lacked any sort of quality when arriving at their box. But for the Sterling volley - which lets face it, could have gone anywhere - we would have lost.

We played *better* in the 2nd half, but how anyone can say it was "excellent" is baffling.

I wouldn't label it 'excellent' but it amuses me that we adopt a certain, more offensive pattern of play when we are up against it. EFC had very little to offer last night other than a constricting defence with players who would be up the arses of their nominated man. My query is why do we adopt the patient '1000 passes a move' approach instead of some direct offence as we did in the second half. Had Walker stayed on the pitch we might not have adopted the second half approach and Pep might not have been 'forced' into the kind of subs he made. We have seen this happen from Mancini's time - a patient, over-passing first half and then a clear rollicking at HT, and, bingo, fizz and more fizz in the second half.

I think the biggest difference over the last couple of seasons, apart from refs shafting us, is the number of good chances that are spurned. We should have been two up before RugRat got a sniff.

 

[City_Sean]

Maybe we're just not as good as we think we are and as supporters we massively overestimate the quality of the players. We've gone from having four top quality strikers to two, one of whom is far from the finished article.

In midfield we've got lots of technical players but no real steel who can battle when the going gets tough.

In defence we've got an aging Kompany who I think is past his best and John Stones who can't hold a candle to Demichelis or Lescott.

The defensive shape is a mess - and failing to add a top class CB will once again fuck us right up.

 

[onceabluealways]

We look a lot like last season - midfielders and defenders making the easy sideways passes when better forward passes are available.

The one thing I expected this season was to play faster but Pep seems happy that we keep possession and when we open up teams we should take every chance. The formation last night looked awful.

For the first 30 minutes Silva and KDB seemed to be playing just inside the wing backs so we actually had no one in the middle unless Jesus dropped back.