22 Aug 2017 07:20:06
I find sometimes it's pointless writing in here. Some people are so blinkered. People watching the game saying we had a brilliant game and exciting to watch. We were dominated how is that exciting. We were against 10 men for the majority of the game and we struggled. Yes the youth we played has a lot of talent and each game they are learning. They actually prove Ross Barkley is a waste of time. 1-1 Before the game and I would of accepted the result. BUT WE PLAYED AGAINST 10 MEN and still looked the worse team. We have definitely improved for sure but once again we are still lacking something.
Thank you COYB for pointing out I was 15 million off when I stated we had spent 140 and selling Lukaku for 90 and a few others. So in actual fact we only spent £50 including tax. You've missed my point you clown. People are saying "Oh we were never going to beat them" That is more negative than me getting upset of the fact we had a brilliant oppurtunity to get the 3 points and we never took it or tried to. AGAINST 10 MEN. So COYB to your request of "get real" I have again, and it's a top half finish for us.
{Ed025's Note - i agree with you to a certain extent mowfee but i think looking on the bright side is not a bad thing mate..
22 Aug 2017 07:39:50
Everyone is entitled to their opinion mate and sometimes they differ but that's what makes banter, banter. If we all agreed then how boring would it be?
My assessment/ opinion is that we came away with a decent point at a hard place to go against a top side who are favorites for the title. We aren't shopping at Harrods like them regardless of what we spend and therefore we have to expect to spend large portions of the game in our own half defending. We did that really well. Yes they had 10 men for a little under an hour, but look at the 10 they had and the players they had to bring on and that is why they are favorites. I am disappointed we couldn't hold out for the 3 points but I see it as 1 point gained from a difficult away game.
22 Aug 2017 08:52:21
Not many clubs will go to etihad this season and take points home with them. I understand the 3 points were there for us against 10 men but they are a quality team even with only 10 players. Glad to take a point and go on to chelsea. Gylfi to start there and sandro should be back fit. May even have another striker by then with any luck.
22 Aug 2017 08:58:33
Guardiola showed his technical ability. I thought city's change in tactics was exceptional. We dropped two points last night but we did it to this seasons champions in my book. Calvin is exceptional Rooney is a new man. I thought Pickford's distribution was off last night he seemed to slice everything, but that was just last night he's usually mint. Jags done really well for me. Aguero Jesus where looked after well enough. Good start.
22 Aug 2017 09:06:40
Mowfee we were playin a team in the region of £500 million we done really well to keep them at bay and we had our own chances too.
22 Aug 2017 09:07:51
Mowfee - agree with you to an extent.
Would I have taken 1-1 at the start? Yes
Am I happy with a point away at one of the top teams? Yep
Do I think it's an opportunity missed to be more positive and take 3 points? Absolutely
Had it been 11v11 the whole game I would have been delighted with the performance.
But they had 10 men. If we have genuine ambitions for top 4 then those are the situations we need to be more positive and ruthless. In the 2nd half we didn't cause them any problems whatsoever - didn't test a questionable defence missing a man.
In my opinion, RK changed too early. Once GS and DK were on after 60 minutes, we lost all our counter attacking threat allowing them to come onto us without fear of being caught at the back.
In the grand scheme of things, I saw an improvement yesterday in the team and how we performed so at this moment in our development as a team, I am happy with a point.
But, moving forward, we need to have a more positive mentality. We need to ditch this 'plucky losers' / 'hard-fought draw' mentality Everton fans have had for as long as I can remember, and be positive to push for the win.
None of the top 6 would have been happy with that result given the circumstances of the game. If we're to catch them and stay there (not just 1 off season) then we also need that mentality. Not there yet, but it needs to come in the next season or 2.
22 Aug 2017 09:24:04
I my opinion that was Everton's best performance this season, sometimes it can be harder against ten men and teams train for this, City have the worlds best players and you would expect them to mount a massive challenge in the second half, i thought all Everton player would get a score of 7 with Jags, Baines, and Calvin stand out and Holgate but for that unfortunate clearance, they will take confidence from that performance.
22 Aug 2017 09:24:31
I should also add that I think Koeman is the perfect man to do this for us in time.
22 Aug 2017 09:28:00
One mistake cost us 2 points we didn't look like scoring a second and gave the ball away too easily. The tactical changes both PG and RK made proved both are very good managers it just didn't pay off for us. I think we gave them too much respect our pressing was not really effective in the second half with a man up and I don't understand why we didn't go man marking on DeBruyne and sacrifice a player, just my opinion, everything seemed to go though him. On a positive note as a team we have been together 5 competitive, games now and are still gelling. Once we have I think we will be much harder to beat and we will see much better all round performances. We will be in the top half at the end of the season and will be pushing for the top 6 may be even 4.
22 Aug 2017 09:29:52
That Jamie Carragher does piss me off, sometimes.
22 Aug 2017 09:40:00
Mowfee I don't think anyone has said we were exciting to watch. It was a very good defensive display against one of the best attacking sides in the world. And the key point about transfer spend wasn't our figure in isolation, but that they have spent far more than us even this summer, let alone over the last few years. I know where you're coming from - I was gutted we conceded last night and was disappointed we didn't have more of the game against 10 men, but if you think that we're going to play City away and dominate them at this stage in the team's development, you're being unrealistic. We're not top 4 contenders and it will be a great achievement to finish in the top 6 this year. Look at the resources of the 6 clubs who finished above us last year. All of them are far further on than we are just now. The club are doing a great job of moving forward. The team is still developing and dealing with the loss of our key striker from last year. A draw at the Etihad - while disappointing given that we were leading for most of the game - is realistically a good result and it was a good performance.
22 Aug 2017 09:59:58
bloody eck two games in and to get a point away at champions to be when half of the squad has rarely ever played together is a decent result, take it with a pinch of salt we will only get better.
22 Aug 2017 10:18:23
Against a team with the players city have got you can't go toe to toe. You have to play to win and the way we played last night almost paid off. If you play fantasy football with them they come out as winners.
Don't get me wrong we didn't keep the ball how we should and we need to work the ball better against this type of opposition but moaning about everything and not seeing the positives will drive you insane Mowfee.
22 Aug 2017 11:21:05
4 points in 2 games, what is there to moan or criticise about, new players all trying to play together, you cannot play well every game, city with 10 men are still a team with world class players in every position, they have had many years to bring the level up now, we are just on our journey, let not start moaning at every little thing, I don't care if it's true or not, it doesn't help .
22 Aug 2017 12:04:22
Its nit as simple as we had an extra man so we should have won. An extra player notoriously can have an unusual effect on a match and doesn't always benefit the team with the extra man as simply as it seems. Thoight we did well when we had 11 players on the pitch. I felt the first 15 or 20 of the first half could have been better but at the end of the match 10 mins or so at 1 nill up expect backs to the wall at the etihad 10 men or 11 men. Thought pickford put unnecessary pressure on us with his kicking I felt that disturbed the flow. We look a very hatd side to play against and it is pivotal we kept that this season. We need a bit more creativity and improve ball retention in opponents half and further but I feel we have the players to do that and that those will improve significantly. The big thing we are missing is a CB which unbalances a good balanced team in my opinion. The young lads are qaulity but mistakes will be made by them, it is part of it, as long as the frequency is not concerning. I don't think people should focus too heavily on city having ten men. We could have done better, but there are enough positives for me, remaining undefeated is a big one for me, especially with two more big games coming up. Last thing, the match was a real tactical battle and I feel like pep almost got that goal for them.
22 Aug 2017 12:31:39
I meant CF not CB.
22 Aug 2017 08:00:57
Don't get me wrong ed. I've never been more excited about Everton. The youth looks really good. The players we signed are definitely making a difference. I even have a man crush on Pickford. He's just outstanding definitely World Cup 1st choice keeper. I've never been so confident with him between the sticks. All I was trying to state is I feel we still have a way to go to be competing with the big 4. I was just saying last night was a bit of a reality check although the future is most certainly Everton Blue.
{Ed025's Note - thats fair enough mowfee, i said on live chat that i would have put lookman on and gone for it, we all have differing views on things mate and thats healthy as far as im concerned..