Match Thread Everton vs Ruzemberok, Thursday 27th July, 8.05pm

[a bell maul]

I can see Barry playing next week.

I would endorse that selection. That Slovakian team has the quality to tear us a new one if we let our guard down. Need Barry's wise and cool and collected head on the pitch. I would replace Tubby Ash with Capt Jags as well.

I would be made up with a 0-0

 

[swisso]

Rooooooozomberok!

Well we definitely didn't look sharp out there. Suppose that means we were blunt?

Caught us out a few times. Need to be patient and wait for opportunities to present themselves, which they will, given that they're the 3rd best team in Slovakia ffs.

 

[Khalekan]

Martina worries me. Lost count of the number of times he's lost the ball deep in their half and then been well out of position as they've broke. Schneiderlin bailed him out at least once. DCL, Klaassen and Gana played well. Rooney trying too hard. The keeper fills me with no confindence either.

We had a decent spell of some nice quick one touch passing and carved out a few chances, but other than that it's been pretty poor.

Yip.

He lived down to every bit of expectation we had for him.

What worries me most is the fact that, unless another right back is brought in, I believe he will be our starting RB when the league season starts.

Sod that bloke whom broke Seamus's leg

 

[ADT]

Do we get the same ref in the second leg?

I really do hope we dont

 

[IllinoisBlue]

Didn't watch the game but that has to be a better workout than a friendly and hopefully gets us better prepared for Stoke.

 

[QLDBlue]

Not the best performance, not the worst, but really it was just a pre-season game, with higher stakes. I like the energy that Sandro had when he came on. He has to start next time. Klaassen also looks like he's fitted into the team well and making some nice passes.

Some sloppy passes all around, but this will get better with more training and as the sharpness levels come back up.

Still missing a few additions to the squad

 

[Abraders]

For kicks:
stek 7
Baines 6
Keane 7
Williams 4
Martina 5
Snides 6
Gana 5
Mirallas 6
DCL 5
Rooney 5
Davy 6

Subs:
Sandro 7
Lookman 5
Davies 5

All early days and much match fitness to be gained. Just hope it doesn't cost us at this early stage of the tournament.

Gana 5??? He was awesome

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

We must combat travel fatigue next week. I suggest we park the bus, frustrate their attack and maybe nick a break out goal. But we must be on our mettle; they have some quality players and appear very well coached by an ex international player who clearly knows his mustard.

FFS, it's only around a two and a half hour flight to Slovakia from Liverpool . I know people who spend longer than that commuting to and from work each day.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Quick word on the players:

Stek - relatively untroubled and one boss save, though always feel like between him and the defenders there's some dodginess in there

Martina - hot and cold though mostly cold, slightly better going forward than Holgate but arguably weaker at everything else

Keane - looked off the pace like a lot of them tonight, was regularly put under pressure and some of his distribution was poor though his defending generally alright

Williams - crap in the first half and must've got a rocket at the break because he improved in the second

Baines - the best of the back four on the night, paraded forward on occassions looking like the player he was a few years ago and a good effort for the goal

Schnieds - went about his job quietly but effective although drifted in and out in general, also looks a bit off the pace currently

Gana - outstanding, worked hard and all over the place, love him and my MOTM

Klaassen - impressed overall, his tenacity in winning the ball stood out and his movement is intelligent, it's all gonna come together over time for him I feel

DCL - ineffective overall, but some of his control and interplay between the other forward players was rather good, don't like him out on the right with Martina though - we need to swerve that

Mirallas - I feel like he always works hard in games but the end product is often lacking, I think he was alright tonight if not unspectacular really

Rooney - felt he got a rough deal at times in the first half as the focal point and a lot of the attempted balls into him weren't great, improved in the second half when he dropped a bit deeper after Sandro came on but he looked knackered after minute 70

Subs:

Sandro - this guy needs to start games with Rooney & Klaassen playing off him, we get this trio to click regularly and we're in business, it's been a long time since we've had a dynamic forward like him

Lookman & Davies - only managed a few touches between them when they came on late, not enough to judge

 

[QLDBlue]

FFS, it's only around a two and a half hour flight to Slovakia from Liverpool . I know people who spend longer than that commuting to and from work each day.

Those private jets can be a nightmare

 

[Groucho]

Quick word on the players:

Stek - relatively untroubled and one boss save, though always feel like between him and the defenders there's some dodginess in there

Martina - hot and cold though mostly cold, slightly better going forward than Holgate but arguably weaker at everything else

Keane - looked off the pace like a lot of them tonight, was regularly put under pressure and some of his distribution was poor though his defending generally alright

Williams - crap in the first half and must've got a rocket at the break because he improved in the second

Baines - the best of the back four on the night, paraded forward on occassions looking like the player he was a few years ago and a good effort for the goal

Schnieds - went about his job quietly but effectively though drifted in and out in general, also looks a bit off the pace currently

Gana - outstanding, worked hard and all over the place, love him and my MOTM

Klaassen - impressed overall, his tenacity in winning the ball stood out and his movement is intelligent, it's all gonna come together over time for him I feel

DCL - ineffective overall, but some of his control and interplay between the other forward players was rather good, don't like him out on the right with Martina though - we need to swerve that

Rooney - felt he got a rough deal at times in the first half as the focal point and a lot of the attempted balls into him weren't great, improved in the second half when he dropped a bit deeper after Sandro game on but he looked knackered after minute 70

Subs:

Sandro - this guy needs to start games with Rooney & Klaassen playing off him, we get this trio to click regularly and we're in business, it's been a long time since we've had a dynamic forward like him

Lookman & Davies - only managed a few touches between them when they came on late, not enough to judge

I'd mostly go with that.

We won, we didn't concede an away goal.

The opposition were already up to speed in their league campaign, we have only begun tonight.

Rooney if anything was trying too hard. Not the best win or game, but a win and a clean sheet is a win and a clean sheet.

Martina though....

 

[LouReedwalkonthewildside]

Quick word on the players:

Stek - relatively untroubled and one boss save, though always feel like between him and the defenders there's some dodginess in there

Martina - hot and cold though mostly cold, slightly better going forward than Holgate but arguably weaker at everything else

Keane - looked off the pace like a lot of them tonight, was regularly put under pressure and some of his distribution was poor though his defending generally alright

Williams - crap in the first half and must've got a rocket at the break because he improved in the second

Baines - the best of the back four on the night, paraded forward on occassions looking like the player he was a few years ago and a good effort for the goal

Schnieds - went about his job quietly but effective although drifted in and out in general, also looks a bit off the pace currently

Gana - outstanding, worked hard and all over the place, love him and my MOTM

Klaassen - impressed overall, his tenacity in winning the ball stood out and his movement is intelligent, it's all gonna come together over time for him I feel

DCL - ineffective overall, but some of his control and interplay between the other forward players was rather good, don't like him out on the right with Martina though - we need to swerve that

Rooney - felt he got a rough deal at times in the first half as the focal point and a lot of the attempted balls into him weren't great, improved in the second half when he dropped a bit deeper after Sandro game on but he looked knackered after minute 70

Subs:

Sandro - this guy needs to start games with Rooney & Klaassen playing off him, we get this trio to click regularly and we're in business, it's been a long time since we've had a dynamic forward like him

Lookman & Davies - only managed a few touches between them when they came on late, not enough to judge

No Mirallas mate?

 

[blue to the bone]

We should sell all the players we bought. Sack Koeman and Walsh.
Abandon plans for the stadium and moshiri should paint the liver buildings red.
Or am I overreacting too like some!

 

[Blues Harp]

Yip.

He lived down to every bit of expectation we had for him.

What worries me most is the fact that, unless another right back is brought in, I believe he will be our starting RB when the league season starts.

Sod that bloke whom broke Seamus's leg

 

[PeregrineT]

I think this game showed us how desparately we need wingers.

Mirallas is so hit or miss, and DCL is so miss as a winger that we need them. I think thats why we need a target man, because if we can get someone like Giroud, then Sandra can play on the wing, and the other wing can be a fight between Lookman and Mirallas, or have rooney there but tucked further in. I think this game showed what many of us thought, and that is that Rooney is much better set behind the striker, and Sandro better up front. We look far more dangerous like that, even with Martina wasting every opportunity that came his way(and there were a lot).

All in all I think we saw the control from Morgs and Gana, we saw Klaassen show his ability to get forward, but we saw almost nothing from our wingers, save a couple of tame shots and one real effort that was well saved. And Rooney up top just doesnt work for me and I doubt for Koeman, except in games where we are looking to counter attack, not when breaking down a defensive side.