The problem today was we went into the game with a 'small club' mentality, and for us Evertonians that is simply not good enough, it would be obvious to say we missed Pienaar today but the reality is nobody stepped up to the plate today in what was the biggest game in years, and the inferiority issue that surrounds Everton when playing Liverpool continues, and this was cemented with Moyes tactics today.
I would have loved to, as I am sure all of you would have, have been in that dressing room at half time to see what was said. Despite the so called 'experts' saying we played well the first half, I completely disagreed, we were fortunate to be 1-0 up through a mistake, and we didn't play anywhere near to our recently high standards, we struggled to keep the ball and create chances, and at the back we wasn't tested by a poor Liverpool showing.
But being 1-0 up at half time lead the disastrous decision to sit and play out the 2nd 45, tactics we have come accustomed to under Moyes reign, the 2nd half was very much like the 1st, we couldn't string more than 5 passes together, we didn't create chances, and worst of all we didn't even test a keeper that should have been completely out of his depth. Its all well and good saying it now, every blue in that stadium or else where new that Liverpool would come back stronger in the 2nd half, but for some reason the players weren't prepared for that, God knows why.
It would be easy and obvious to lay the blames on the blatant mistakes that lead to the goals, but the truth is that there is clearly and mentality at the club that we are inferior to Liverpool, and with that attitude it was lucky to have only been 2-1, when the reality was that we should have won that game, as we know form doesn't mean much in a Merseyside derby nor does it in the FA cup, however the way we have been playing and Liverpool for that matter, we should have gone with a confidence to play our game instead we got sucked in to lumping the ball forward and most of the time aimlessly, not even testing the goalkeeper, I cant remember anything he had to deal with that troubled him.
And so the inferiority complex for Everton against Liverpool under Moyes continues, when really we should have gone to the game knowing we had more than enough in the dressing room to take the game to Liverpool and come home victorious.
Whoever has read this far, you've done well! Appreciate it.
