Everton (H) | PL | Post Match Thread

We need more pace all over the team, but surprisingly the experts on here would rather we sell Doku and Savinho, another great shout from the know it alls.
 
Thought we played reasonably well first half but the second half was rancid yet again after the missed pen. Lucky not to lose in the end with that ridiculous 4 on 2!

Pivotal moments were the pen miss and the ridiculous shot by Bernando when he had time to take it down, move it forward and then shoot.

Bottling 50/50s and not challenging for 2nd balls is just unacceptable though.
 
RayCTID said:
Got nothing to replace him with. Akanji is only returning through injury and Walker is out of sorts
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I think there’s a place from him, just not playing the negative way he is.

As a collective observation, we seem happier to play risky passes across the back/holding, than we seem prepared to play in the final 3rd. Ultra safe in their half.
 
WesthoughtonJohn said:
Pretty much sums up my earlier view - for 15 minutes we looked settled and MUCH improved.
Inexplicably, after we scored, we reverted to everything that has got us to this point.
So I ask: were the players playing against instructions for 15 minutes, and Pep gave firm instructions to revert to type?? Or did he choose to revert to type hoping we'd regained some confidence and it would miraculously all come together again???
Either way it's a worry that we had something working and turned away from it!
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I have absolutely no idea how to answer that, apart from to say Pep has always shown a propensity to over-complicate matters, when the logic of Occam's Razor should be applied... The simplest explanation is usually the one closest to the truth. Why would Pep revert to inverted FB's, when his famed 4-3-3 was working so well? It had to be on his instruction, & if it was, it makes the mind boggle as to why...

We've seen this when Guardiola has reserved the most curious of selections & tactics for our biggest matches, leading to shock defeats, like the CL Final against Chelsea. He inexplicably changed what had worked so well for us that season & fucked us for that final.

However, I recall Pep's penultimate pre-match CL Final interview as we prepared to face Inter, where he told the world's media "Don't worry guys, I won't over-think this final". The only shock he delivered was dropping an in-form Walker for Akanji, but luckily it didn't affect us too much & we went on to complete the treble.

It's during that summer that we needed to start our succession planning, which we failed to do. We had the funds, & fans were crying out for us to go big, but our big purchase was a 21 year old Gvardiol. We were also not forceful enough in moving Kalvin Philips on, especially after Rodri's warning that he was close to burnout & feared for his health... A warning we failed to heed with devastating consequences!

As Rat Boy said during the match against the Dippers, the problem isn't having 30+ year olds playing in your team, it's when half your team are 30+ year olds it becomes an issue. We've got a lot of rebuilding to do, but our rivals & the clubs who possess our transfer targets know this too which weakens our negotiating position in the transfer market.

This is all on City. We've allowed this situation to develop for the last two years & now our usual squad evolution has now become a critical squad revolution. We need younger replacements for our ageing Superstars, as we can't afford time for the promising youngsters to develop as we did with Foden.
 
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