15 Oct 2016 19:09:08
So before the international break I said I fancied us to come away from city with something if we got our tactics right. Yes they had the better of the game and missed 2 penaltys but this is apparently the best side in the league with the Messiah at the helm. I feel we are moving in the right direction and today highlighted that. We defended as a unit and Koeman had a plan b when plan A did not work. We now have another tough away trip but I believe our next 2 games are certainly winnable. So that's still only 1 defeat this season in the league. Progress is all I expected and I have to say that is what we have seen from the management to the squad. Are we still going to get the usual 'we haven't played anyone yet'
15 Oct 2016 20:22:04
Well said bluegray. Or the usual we need a big clear out and our squad is in a total shambles pragade. Good point today no matter what way you look at it. A point from the clear favourites in their back yard is a good point for any team in the premiership.
16 Oct 2016 08:31:09
A very very good point and progress is obviously being made. Defensively we are where we we where before Mr Martinez. I am not sure we are quite at the level with our attacking play and we are still a little too reliant on Mr Lukaku. I would like to see a couple of signings of good young midfielders and forwards who have a few goals in them. Does Tom Davies score with the u23's often? Do we have any other goalscoring kids coming through? I am not up to date with youth living down in Cornwall now.
16 Oct 2016 12:20:46
Calvert lewin will be class and I can see him getting gametime as the season goes on. a few good centre mids in Walsh, grant and baningime as well.
I was well impressed with defence yesterday, but it was a weird one as jag's played well but gave away two penalties. Williams was immense.
I think ronny will further strengthen the defence but may well bring in more attack minded players in the next window or two.
Definite progress.
Ronny said it'll take 2 years to get the team where he wants it to be and it looks like we're bang on track. COYB.
16 Oct 2016 14:42:31
It's also about getting the fitness levels upto the standard required for the high intensity pressing game that Ronny likes to play. Think once Bolasie is at that standard fitness wise he will be the support that Rom needs. The little flick on yesterday was brilliant to just know were Rom was. Still think we need a striker incase of injury to Rom, but can see the system Ronny will be using will see Bolasie and Delboy/ Mirrallas as support for Rom in a 3 pronged attack with Mccarthy instead of Cleverly in the midfield 3. 4-3-3 with wingbacks will probably be the system we will become accustomed to, which suits our current first 11. I am looking forward to next week already which with the previous regime I dreaded our next game all the time. Onwards and upwards.
16 Oct 2016 17:09:57
The problem is we haven't got any wing backs any more. Coleman and Baines are not the attacking full backs they were. Unless we play Holgate and?
16 Oct 2016 22:50:40
My god boys your all getting a bit excited over a draw at city well not me I thought we where terrible and should have easily lost we only got a point because of luck and I still think we need at least 5 or 6 top players to be brought in I must have been watching a different game and didn't see anything to get excited over.
17 Oct 2016 07:12:08
A solid defensive display from front to back. What would you have done differently skylark? Go all out attack and get beat by maybe 3 or 4 goals? Sometimes you have to accept that you are inferior in personell and go to a team and not roll over or be risky and stupid but defend as a team and when given the chance exploit the opponents weakness, which is clear to see is their fullbacks positioning or lack of, do it, which we did. Yes I am happy with a draw away to probably one of the best if not the best side in the league as this is a game last season we would have lost by a wide margin, and yes we did have a bit of luck but don't all teams over the course of a season? How about applauding the work rate rather than picking faults? We are not and have never expected to be title challengers so coming away from places like City with a point is something to be happy about, well for most supporters anyways.
{Ed025's Note - i cant believe some are having a go at koeman gray, the guy has told us that its a 2 year plan and for me he is making good progress, the performance at city was fine by me as we rolled up our sleeves and battled against a superior team and came away with a draw, rome was not built in a day but apparently if everton supporters were on the job it would have been mate..
17 Oct 2016 07:54:31
Well my post did not go wax lyrical about the performance. I just said a very very good point and we were starting to get our defensive shape back. I even said we were not so hot going forwards. so I don't think I did get over excited. but I am happy that we are headed in the right direction once again. With Martinez I would expect us to be in the bottom 3. Niasse signing and McGeady signing confirmed that to me.
17 Oct 2016 15:48:45
It was a strange game for me. You can look negatively and say they battered us or you can take the positives out of it like how well we defended and battled.
For me Koeman got it spot on. I've never seen a team command it's penalty area as good as us. Aside from poor defending from Jags to concede the penalty I don't remember anything inside the box. The two big saves were from outside area or the edge. We've also been like this all season. The goal they did score was an error in tracking from a midfielder but that was pretty much it.
When we get the forward play sorted out over the next 18 months we should be in a great position to really kick on and start challenging.
Don't think so short term and think where we'll be when Koeman gets a pre season and players in he wants.
17 Oct 2016 16:06:10
My god Skylark. You just can't compliment the team on a result. I have yet to see anyone get over excited about drawing with City. Just people being positive and being happy with the direction the club is going.
So we should all say nothing when we get a good result but give out like hell when we lose or get a bad result? Not a great way to look at things Skylark.
Lost once so far in premiership. Pretty good if you ask me.
17 Oct 2016 08:08:45
Exactly Ed025. Everton supporters should be over the moon with the direction the club is going. It's all good.
{Ed025's Note - it is mate..
17 Oct 2016 10:20:33
That's it Ed, we had 28% possession and still came away with a point. We forced them wide a lot knowing that they didn't have the height to punish us, albeit we then conceded a headed equaliser, but look when Bournemouth went there and went toe to toe with city they got beat comfortably, I am very happy with the start we have made considering the last 2 seasons. As you say Ed it's a 2 year project as Koeman stated and I think even he would be impressed with the start we have made. I will be critical when it's called for as I have always been, that's only my opinion and I may be wrong, but the system and the way we went about our business on Saturday was a plan well executed. Only bad point is we could have helped our neighbours go top if they win tonight.
{Ed025's Note - lets just pray they dont gray.. :)
17 Oct 2016 16:18:03
I wasn't having a go at koeman, I know it will take a few years to build are team but I just thought we played terrible and 1-1 score was not what we deserve I was just commenting on the game the way I saw it and to be fair city are not that good themselves and have a new manager and it will also take time for him to build his team the way he wants it they where beaten 2-0 by spurs and had 3 put past them by celtic who are not the best themselves yes I w as happy with 1-1 but thought we played terrible I just hope we do well in our next two games.
19 Oct 2016 09:00:54
City are not that good? In the top 2 sides in my opinion. Yes they battered usbut we defended well. As a unit. We had 1 chance and took it. that's what you have to do sometimes. Or you can do like the last 3 seasons and keep possession for 50 to 80% of the game endlessly passing it around across your back 5 and into midfield and back to (yawn) defence then eventually try to go forwards, lose possession and concede.
I know which I prefer. We can keep the possession games for when we are playing Stoke or Middlesborough. When we play City, Spurs or Chelsea. I would rather win 1 nil or draw 1 all and let them have the ball in wide positions and midfield. We can score on the break. Maybe in a year or two when we have stronger players, we can think about battering City.