Second Half Performance

[Eggs]

Tbh mate I'm just posting the same rants in every threead so we may as well just have one

...spot on, Tim. I know exactly what you mean.

 

[MACCA75]

With the exception of Idrissa Gueye, every time one of this current sorry lot leaves the club, I shall do a little jig of delight.

 

[hktoffee]

Barry is the problen he is just too slow.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

If we'd played like we did in the first half in the second half, we might have at least taken a point

That sort of performance in the second half is simply not acceptable

Gana, Valencia and Lennon get a pass because at least they were trying, the rest can KOFF

 

[Roachey11]

We looked like a lower league team in that second half desperately trying to cling on to a draw

 

[mzone16]

Pathetic performance. Undid everything that was good 1st half

 

[D410]

I called for Barry to replace Barkley in the 2nd half but Barry just never got up to speed and was as useless as Barkly.

Got that well wrong and worryingly he just got a new contract with him and jags getting slower by the match.

 

[Ashtonian]

Tactically we just didn't have a clue.

Barkley had no defined role, was never further up enough to support lukaku and wasn't deep enough with a specific role to try and contain their midfield. He was left to just, for want of a better term, run around and hope for the best. Lukaku epitimisies everything wrong at everton right now, 30-40 yard long balls to play off him and no-one near him for another season running to win that second ball. Martinez did it, why are we still insisting on doing it? Half the time (just like last season) the person hoofing it should be the one winning the ball from him.

The fact of the matter is the team are just too static and devoid of any ideas that we are our own worst enemies on the pitch. the fact we can get up for arsenal and resort to type again in a arguably bigger game is just amazing to see, the real everton stood up again last night.

 

[dubfade]

Tbh I thought in general the defence played pretty well against their much vaunted attack. It's just we were absolutely lacking in any sort of quality in their half of the pitch - that what's the depressing thing for me.

 

[GerryandthePaceMerchants]

Think we looked unfit in the last 15. RS obviously have been working hard on improving their overall fitness which is why they were still running and we were limping over the finish line

 

[welshtoffee]

2nd half performance...were we actually on the pitch !!!

 

[artetas_biggest_fan]

If we'd played like we did in the first half in the second half, we might have at least taken a point

That sort of performance in the second half is simply not acceptable

Gana, Valencia and Lennon get a pass because at least they were trying, the rest can KOFF

You can't run around like we did in the first half for 90 minutes. We had 32% possession in the game, the players will naturally tire chasing after the ball, tracking runs, making blocks etc. No-one can fault their effort, it's the lack of quality that's the issue. We had 8 touches in their box in the entire match. When the best creative midfield player is Barkley, a player without a football brain, it's never going to be enough. We rely on basic assists namely crosses into the box..worked against a flimsy Arsenal team but that won't work every week. We have no guile in midfield. McCarthy is a yard dog, not knocking his effort and he does a good job at spoiling the game, but you need more than that to compete against technical players. With Ireland he is horrendous. Lennon is a 1 in 10 player in that for every 10 attempts one thing will come off. Miralles too is hit and miss. Barry is more gifted than McCarthy but he's getting on in years.

We lack talent, not effort.

 

[ultimateblue]

They upped their game second half no doubt, but we looked a spent force, as soon as McCarthy went off. The lack of quality in the final third was frankly embarrassing.

The lack of quality up front has been has been non existent all season.

 

[SerenityNigh]

barry coming on lost the legs we had in midfield.

It was this simple, really; he never had the pace to keep up in that match, and he was woeful throughout. Forced a switch from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1, which hasn't really worked well this campaign, and dead legs set in. Valencia was fine pushing forward with McCarthy behind him, and I thought Lennon did very well supported by Barkley in space, but with the switch Valencia was useless, Lennon was too exposed, Barkley's role was too open, and I don't think I saw Barry arrive on time to any ball. Oh, and Lukaku was on an island again, because those players have less idea how to distribute in attack than my oldest kids U10 team.

 

[SerenityNigh]

Highlights the need for midfield energy in the January sales

With quality the side could do more with less energy; it's talent and ideas that are missing, not just legs that don't tire