carefreeluke

Awful performance. Probably the easiest three points Everton have had all season. No urgency, the majority of the second half was us playing it around the back, it was like the game didn't matter. Too slow, it's not the old players it's the whole team. We couldn't get possession in the right areas, and very few times did we get the ball into useful positions in the final third. We were limited to crosses all game, all crosses came from our full backs because we have no out and out wingers. Mata is easily so much better in the middle, Sturridge is not an out and out winger. Bosingwa cannot cross. Cech was very poor. Meireles is a passenger. Torres was isolated the whole game. Why isn't Cahill playing?? No Terry means it should be Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole. Easy decision, Boswingwa was ok today to be fair to him but still he shouldn't have started. One chance created I think in the whole of the second half? Very poor. We needed AVB to change the game, we needed to change shape, we needed another striker on the pitch. Instead he brings on Malouda? Mata did so well in the middle last week, so why put him back on the left wing? We can't break down any team who puts men behind the ball.

Why we didn't tighten up after scoring the third is beyond me, Romeu should of came on much earlier than he did. After scoring the third we should have looked to hit Man United on the break because all Man United were doing were attacking and they looked vulnerable in defence because they were committing players forward. After the third goal we should have played how we did against Valencia. Mata was amazing, easily our best player so far this season. Sturridge played well and looked much better compared to what he has been in the last few weeks. To be fair he probably played well because Man United were not playing as defensive as teams in previous weeks have been. He was given more space and time to run at players which is his main asset when playing on the right. Essien and Ivanovic were also some of our better players today. It's good to have Essien back, Meireles didn't impress me much once again although I do like him. It will be good to get Lampard back. Overall, there were some positives but we should have won that game.

Why the fuck Cahill wasn't playing I don't know. Bosingwa has been awful all season, AVB will probably play him against United as well as he got the equaliser. It would be absolutely shocking if Bertand doesn't play on Sunday, I wouldn't be surprised at all if Bos or Paulo play instead. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised if Malouda was put at left back over Bertand. Bos, Paulo, Malouda, Drogba all need to go in the summer. It's been like this for a while now but youngsters do not get the chance, Bos, Paulo, Malouda and Drogba will probably be here in five years time. I keep saying this but Meireles is nothing but a good squad player, he's got to be one of the players who's played most this season. We miss Lampard's goals and ability to create something out of nothing. We need a new shape. I'm definitely willing to stick by AVB, I have faith in him but we have been very poor at times this season. Sinclair mate you should have been given your chance at Chelsea, in a weird way I'm glad he scored.

Meireles, Bos, Malouda...

I understand picking a strong team and it's good to see AVB taking the FA Cup seriously but why the likes of Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mata and Torres all needed to play is beyond me especially with two important games coming up this week. Particularly Terry, Cole and Mata. We could of still picked a strong team that would have been capable of beating QPR anyways without these players playing. Cahill for Terry, Bertrand for Cole and Malouda for Mata. Ramires is also out for a month now. I know it's typical us in recent years but why the youngsters are not getting at least some playing time in these sort of games, is again beyond me. 18 million or whatever Lukaku and he's barely featured all season.

Not a scapegoat, just not good enough to be starting for us every week in my opinion. He's a good player but he shouldn't be starting nearly every week. There's been periods this season where he's played with Ramires and Romeu/Mikel. How he's played ahead of Lampard at times I don't know. When he plays with Ramires and Romeu out of the three, he's meant to be the creative/attacking part of that central midfield which he isn't. He's not a defensive midfielder or the main creative central midfielder, he's the bit in between. Meireles is a good player but he is not good enough to be starting nearly every week if we want to challenge in every competition. He would be if he was played in Ramires' role in midfield (because that's the bit in between) but he isn't as good as Ramires. He's also doesn't provide the energy and stamina Ramires gives us. Meireles will do a good job in midfield wherever he's played but he's not good enough to start week in week out in my opinion.

No consistency yet again. Can't seem to win four games in a row, it wasn't the worst performance and result in the world but we seem to go on a good run, then drop points in games we should win. Sturridge was a ghost, he's been poor the last few games he's played, not entirely all his thought but still he needs to up his game. Too slow, no urgency yet again, we need someone better than Meireles in midfield. In an attacking sense, I think we've relied too much on Mata, Lampard and Torres in recent games. Mata for his creativity, Lampard for his goals and Torres for his creativity to a certain extent as well. We need more from our other attacking players. Massive lack of urgency towards the end.

In my opinion Meireles is a very good squad player, nothing else. He shouldn't be starting.

Lampard is our top scorer this season I think? Although I agree he shouldn't be playing every game, he should easily be in our current best starting eleven. I like Meireles but I much prefer Lampard over him.

The thing is, we always seem to score someway. Unfortunately, we always seem to concede as well.

Yeah Burley did, I don't like him as a commentator though.

Listening to it on the radio (can't find a steam) it sounds like our previous home games. We're finding it hard to break down the other team, we need to be more patient with the ball and move it quicker from left to right. It's games like this where we need to better in possession, we can't seem to keep the ball for long periods nowadays. If we keep the ball, Pompey will eventually tire and we will find the gaps. We need to wait for the right time to penetrate, instead of forcing balls and shooting from distance. Craig Burley can fuck off also.

Straight after we scored, we sat back and switched off once again and let Villa score. After we scored we should have tried to get the second goal but we didn't. Wigan, Fulham and Villa on paper should have been 9 points, we've managed 2. In these three games I don't think I've ever seen us play so badly. Yesterday was very, very very poor. Pretty much like how Man United played in the first half today against Blackburn (I didn't see the second half) but for the whole game. Too slooooooooooow, we helped Villa by playing so slowly. We should been more patient, moving from left to right with the ball quickly, working the Villa players until we found and opening. We didn't which helped Villa defend well as a unit. Our main threat comes from Sturridge and Mata but once more we couldn't get them into the game, I much prefer Lampard to Meireles in midfield but we can't keep on relying on Lampard. Lampard is more likely to pick out a pass or create something out of nothing. As Lampard gets older and older, I don't think Meireles is good enough (to start in that position) if we want to be challenging in every competition. Ramires and Romeu is good but I think we need another creative player in there who's better that Meireles. Moving Mata into the center and buying a decent left winger would be a good move. Don't get me wrong Meireles is a good player but I think in the upcoming seasons we need someone of higher quality in that position. Meireles should still get his fair share of games, as he can also be rotated with Ramires and Romeu. Thought I'd never say this but I thought we were crying out for Kalou to come on today, same against Fulham as well.

Playing a diamond formation would be a waste of time in my opinion. We end up relying too much on full backs and I think it's easy to stop, we also lack width. 4-3-3 is fine if you ask me. I agree a left winger is what we need as Mata should be pushed into the middle. I prefer Sturridge on the right, playing him as a central striker means we would have nobody to play on the right wing. Sturridge has adapted very well on the right hand side, he sees more of the ball in that position also. Our current best team is this: Cech Ivan Luiz Terry Cole Romeu Ramires Lamps/Meireles Sturridge Drogba Mata A new left winger means we could put Mata into Lampard and Meireles position.

We miss Ramires as well. And people were criticising him when he first came, now he's easily one of our most important players.

Very poor performance. Fulham's tactics were spot on, they stopped Mata and Sturridge getting into the game. We get the goal and why we do sit back? It cost us against Wigan, so we do it again? Why bring Paulo on when you need a goal? Torres should have came off much earlier as well, it was a game for Drogba. We needed someone with more physical presence and someone who would hold the ball up. We were limited to crosses into the box most of the game especially on the right hand side, just a shame Bos can't cross for his life. We didn't make the most of these opportunities, we needed more men in the box and more width to make the most of the possession we had in wide areas. Should have switched to 4-4-2, Sturridge going in the middle with Drogba, Kalou on the right and Malouda on the left, with Mata going wherever he wants. A decent cross and more movement and players in the box could have won us this game, also not sitting back after we scored and completely switching off would have won us the game as well. AVB has gone from playing entertaining football, to sitting on a one nil lead, I agreed with it at Wigan but not today. Class goal by Mata but Terry was the only player who played well which is not good enough.

Wolves are creating their own problems by playing it around at the back, it hugely benefits our high pressing game. Ivanovic is much better at RB than Bosingwa. Romeu should be playing instead of Mikel. Mata is different class, two assists and a beautiful finish for his goal.

Why 4-3-3?

Bloody hell. I don't post a lot on here but with some of the comments I've seen on here and other forums.....I simply have to. Get rid of Ancelotti? I needed a good laugh. Thanks.

Give the lad a chance.......

Once again we didn't take our chances. Kalou couldn't finish his dinner. The only goals he will score our either tap ins or goals like he scored today which is a shame because he could be a great player, if only he could improve on his finishing. Mikel was poor by his usual standards especially first half he struggled with the pressure Newcastle put him under. Crying out for more width, we kept trying to go through the middle and at times it looked as we were unorganized up front. Needed more in the wide areas, I think that's one of the main reasons we dropped points today. Don't think we get the best out of Malouda playing him in the middle but we don't have many other options to be fair, Sturridge should of come on much earlier, would of definitely given us more width. Didn't see much from Bos today either but in saying that we were going against a brick wall down the right at times, Enrique and Gutierrez defended really well. Look back to Essien's sending off against Fulham and it looks to be really costly now, we've desperately needed him in the last few games. We should of won today but if you don't take your chances, you don't deserve to.

Yep, love it! :goodpost:

Ronaldinho and Beckham.

Get rid of Cech? What is everyone smoking on here?

Good point, but with Sheva it could of worked out, we didn't give him the chance...