Match Thread Sunderland 1-1 Everton - Monday 3rd November 2025

[jceverton]

I would agree with the first bit, although with Lineker we were pretty great, Inchy was coming back from a bad injury and Andy Gray’s knees didn’t have much left in them, so I’m not as sure about that one. I think our perception as Blues is just so informed by the painfulness of the near miss.

Get the argument but we didn’t play as well with him in the team as we had (don’t get me wrong it was still good) and won the league the following season so . . .

 

[Titus Shambles]

He is to blame but his confidence is down and its his first away start but the whole setup isn't helping any of the players atm for me, something needs to change.

I dunno, I think the whole "confidence" thing is as much an excuse as it might be valud (after all, none of us on this forum know him or are at training every day so we don't *know* what his confidence is like) - would Salah or Haaland or VanPersie or VanNistelrooy or Henry or Aguero or Owen or a thousand other lethal players miss that? Who knows. Even the greats have off-days but that just felt "typical Everton", "typical Barry". A yard or so out, open-ish goal. Thats not confidence or tactics/system issue for me. Agree it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for some change in the team though.

 

[jceverton]

Honestly I was high for most of his last tenure

Most probably the best choice you could’ve made

 

[Titus Shambles]

We all know Moyes will fold like a deckchair at Old Trafford.

No idea who gave you the finger for this post, but we all know it's absolutely true.

 

[bigjonny]

Head to the Fire Station, Dun Cow & The Peacock mate!

What a good pub The Dun Cow is , thanks for the tip

 

[Titus Shambles]

Jesus would be a godsend.

Well, yes, I hear 'Jesus' does have some pretty magical powers...........

......useless at dealing with CROSSES though.



(too soon?!??)

 

[Haydn]

To who?

Erm, take Everton out of the equation and the number of likely buyers crashes.
It is fair, I think (with a huge Del Boy intake of breath) to say that muppets in one league, can still be star strikers in less demanding leagues.
So nobody in the UK, if they’ve been paying attention. This includes the Welsh Prem league.

 

[MACCA75]

I don’t think he’s the problem either, the problem is scattergun recruitment due to Moyes being given too much control and managing in an analogue way in a digital age. Grealish is a problem, amongst many, but that’s not his fault at all - it’s just that he one of a number of players who all have strengths but don’t add up to an effective style of play.

Did Moyes have too much control though? I’d suggest he wanted Grealish and KDH but had very little to do with any of the others. His team selection seems to confirm this too.

Only Alcaraz of the others has remotely done enough to warrant a start.

 

[Titus Shambles]

Actually, Beto did well defensively when we were under pressure. Won a couple of headers in our box and helped us clear our lines

Too bad a striker --whose number 1 job is to put the ball in the net-- is utterly, utterly useless in every single attacking sense. But thank god he can win a header in his own six yard box. Champions League here we come!......

 

[everton1953]

Moyes summed up the game at the end very accurately.

 

[kenada_blue]

Attacking 3rd wasn't the issue tonight. If you have slow centre backs they play deep, which means the midfield drop deep too which leaves the attackers isolated and invites pressure. It cedes the initiative to the opposition and makes it harder to score/create. Having fullbacks with poor distribution has a similar effect. It's pretty basic tactics. Tim was our best midfielder against Brighton and changed the game against Palace. We should try to play midfielders who get us on the front foot, actual footballers, rather than players who's main quality is chasing.

Sunderland's press in that 2nd half was the real factor. They swamped us. They've done it to every team they've played. We didn't have any pace to get out. Full backs dont help when they had 2-3 players hunting whoever had the ball. They made more tackles, won more duels, covered more distance. To me has nothing to do with distribution and everything to do with pace to get out.

As for Tim - Brighton drove busses through our midfield when he played which is the main point that him and Gana dont work. He has really good attributes, especially driving forward, and energy, but still needs positional discipline. You play him over KDH in a midfield 3 and not in a 2 to carry the ball. As for the Palace game, Alcaraz made a bigger impact - you can make a case for him starting more than Tim.

 

[Titus Shambles]

The chase for a goalscorer or two in January should be interesting. Might see both Beto and the other twerp sold off at the same time.

People need to be realistic. Barry isn't going anywhere (£27m investment for the future) and no one is falling over themselves to buy Beto. Both will stay at the club until the summer at least, and we'll get a senior(ish) striker in on loan in January, probably right at the end of the window, who needs games ahead of the world cup (ie. a deal that suits both parties). Other than that, well, Mikail Antonio and Patrick Bamford are still unsigned I think......

 

[Daytripper]

Moyes summed up the game at the end very accurately.

Can you swear on Sky Sports?

 

[marsh]

Attacking 3rd wasn't the issue tonight. If you have slow centre backs they play deep, which means the midfield drop deep too which leaves the attackers isolated and invites pressure. It cedes the initiative to the opposition and makes it harder to score/create. Having fullbacks with poor distribution has a similar effect. It's pretty basic tactics. Tim was our best midfielder against Brighton and changed the game against Palace. We should try to play midfielders who get us on the front foot, actual footballers, rather than players who's main quality is chasing.

This. The slow centre backs are a massive issue, they drop far too deep which like you said leaves our forwards isolated to win something from a hoof that barely makes it to the half way line.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

Sunderland's press in that 2nd half was the real factor. They swamped us. They've done it to every team they've played. We didn't have any pace to get out. Full backs dont help when they had 2-3 players hunting whoever had the ball. They made more tackles, won more duels, covered more distance. To me has nothing to do with distribution and everything to do with pace to get out.

As for Tim - Brighton drove busses through our midfield when he played which is the main point that him and Gana dont work. He has really good attributes, especially driving forward, and energy, but still needs positional discipline. You play him over KDH in a midfield 3 and not in a 2 to carry the ball. As for the Palace game, Alcaraz made a bigger impact - you can make a case for him starting more than Tim.

It's 100% about distribution. You need players who are comfortable on the ball and can beat a press. Our centre backs and midfielders just cough up the ball continuously under the slightest pressure.