Match Thread Everton v Man Citeh

[John Osters Love Child]

argued with my brother-in-law before the game. He was telling me that Pep is the greatest manager in the world and all that. I said he's simply a carbon copy of Roberto Martinez who's been lucky enough to manage Barca and Bayern instead of Wigan and Swansea and that he's being found wanting in the premierleague. After watching the game, the similarities between City and us under Martinez were scary and Pep's comments after the game about only wanting to win games a certain way and that the system wasn't at fault.... All very familiar.

 

[KevMirallas]

whats with all the '7th is the best we can hope for' ... the top 6 are tripping themselves up left right and centre. were only just passed half way. one or 2 of them lot will inevitably have a run of bad games, aslong as we are there or there abouts we could be in with a shout of 5th or 6th.

have faith blues

our season is only going to get better from here on.

We're as close to 6th as Spurs and Liverpool are to Chelsea. Not too many people entirely writing the title race off yet.

Sure, there's a lot to do and much of it is out of our hands, but we're still in a position to have a crack.

 

[coollino]

Foootyyy

Fooooootyyy

Foooooooooootyyyy

 

[Rugby Toffee]

That's what we want. Shows what the team is capable of, which brings it's own frustrations .

 

[allen]

whats with all the '7th is the best we can hope for' ... the top 6 are tripping themselves up left right and centre. were only just passed half way. one or 2 of them lot will inevitably have a run of bad games, aslong as we are there or there abouts we could be in with a shout of 5th or 6th.

have faith blues

our season is only going to get better from here on.

We're as close to 6th as Spurs and Liverpool are to Chelsea. Not too many people entirely writing the title race off yet.

Sure, there's a lot to do and much of it is out of our hands, but we're still in a position to have a crack.

Too right. You've got to keep looking up. Only the team in first should be worried about consolidation.

 

[barryhorne]

City supporter here, quite fond of Everton, posted occasionally for a few years.

Thought you were superb yesterday. Congratulations on the three points. Looked like a proper team to me after some patchy results. Felt like watching Everton again for the first time in quite a while. The boy Davies in midfield is clearly a special talent, but we knew that before yesterday (if only someone would've told our midfield!). That result should prove a pivotal one for Koeman i think. A fair amount of Toffees i know haven't been sure about him, but he's always looked a good fit for the club to me, and with a couple of transfer windows and time to get his ideas across he'll do well. I'd expect you to finish clear in 7th now, but if you can put a run together who knows, neither Manchester club looks uncatchable. More important than exactly where you finish, though, it provides a good chance to really bed these young players in ahead of next season.

As for us, well, we're sadly seeing a few years of off-the-pitch mismanagement catching up with us. The majority of our supporters have quite a simplistic, short-termist view of it, but the reality of it is the current Director of Football (Txiki Begiristain) has a horrendous record for signing players (Fernandinho and De Bruyne his only clear successes), and moreso for selling them (Tevez, Barry, Dzeko, Hart - all players who made the difference when the side wasn't playing particularly well). The upshot of this is Guardiola's walked into a squad with no defensive leaders, over-the-hill full-backs, and a malfunctioning engine room. Not that i don't think the manager's failing to show a lack of smarts, but like Koeman i'd sooner judge him in time and own team. Overall, though, i don't think it's a bad thing for our supporters to temporarily get dragged back down to earth with a bump, sometimes a step back to take two forwards is necessary.

Anyway, good luck for the rest of the season (especially in the away games at the Emirates, White Hart Lane, Anfield and Old Trafford!), and all the best to you all.

 

[snipellis11]

What a day yesterday was, when Everton do stuff like that its proper boss and there is nothing better. My head is sore this morning but I tell you what I still woke up with a massive smile on my face. Up them toffs.

 

[TheFinnFan]

Would be interesting to hear city fan reactions on this one

 

[macdog]

Would be interesting to hear city fan reactions on this one

Blue Moon has an amusing fume thread. Apparently, according to one poster, we play seventies football.

 

[Sunderland afc]

Bet you're all still buzzing this morning.

 

[banno]

argued with my brother-in-law before the game. He was telling me that Pep is the greatest manager in the world and all that. I said he's simply a carbon copy of Roberto Martinez who's been lucky enough to manage Barca and Bayern instead of Wigan and Swansea and that he's being found wanting in the premierleague. After watching the game, the similarities between City and us under Martinez were scary and Pep's comments after the game about only wanting to win games a certain way and that the system wasn't at fault.... All very familiar.

Listening to someone on the radio who said similar. He was fortunate enough to manage great teams with already great players so his system with these great players worked a treat. He has come to City with a couple of great players but with the majority only very good players and not of the standard of Barca or Bayern players hence his struggle. He has to find another way to play or mix it to show his skills . He has never managed a struggling team only already great teams and players. Not saying he is a crap manager just saying its a different ball game for him now and he has to step up or buy all the great players worldwide.

 

[John Osters Love Child]

Listening to someone on the radio who said similar. He was fortunate enough to manage great teams with already great players so his system with these great players worked a treat. He has come to City with a couple of great players but with the majority only very good players and not of the standard of Barca or Bayern players hence his struggle. He has to find another way to play or mix it to show his skills . He has never managed a struggling team only already great teams and players. Not saying he is a crap manager just saying its a different ball game for him now and he has to step up or buy all the great players worldwide.

it's a far more competitive league too. The top 6 are so close and any one of them can win it. That doesn't happen in Spain or Germany. Also on any given day a team facing certain relegation can beat the team at the top of the table. Not sure whether its pure arrogance on Pep's part but he's massively underestimated the premierleague which is criminal considering he had the job 6 months before starting and was basically calling the shots whilst still at Bayern. Like you i don't think he's a bad manager but i do think he's lucky and had Martinez had the same Barca and Bayern teams to manage he would have won just as much.

 

[blue62]

Can we get that sort of effort from Coleman and Baines every week? Despite great and good performances all round yesterday, the way that our full backs went at it from the off was the key for me, I just hope RK can get them at it a little more often. Oh and Robles was terrific.

 

[Jeff Jones]

Did I hear Jon Champion say that City haven't won when they've trailed at half time since 1995?

An amazing statistic if I heard right.

 

[evo1878]

....nah, I'm almost sure Ball and Cadamarteri did it in a Derby.

Almost @Eggs - thought this stat seemed to good to be true. Yes, you're right Ball and Cardamarteri did it both just a few weeks before their 19th birthdays. Wasn't the Derby cos that was Ruddock own goal and Cardamarteri. But they did it versus Arsenal a few weeks before the Derby.