Match Thread Everton 0-1 Manchester United - Monday 23rd February 20:00

[Rooney_Tunes]

Took us from relegation fight to challenging for Europe. Not quite sure what some people expect in a year with no CF.

We all know the exact same ‘fans’ would find something to moan about even if we’re in top 5.

We will never get into the top 5 with Moyes.

He has been extremely lucky; many matches especially away we have been dead lucky to win.

 

[mahermi1]

Just brought myself to look at their breakaway goal just now, Don't know if Sesko is incredibly fast but he ran away from Tarkowski with ease and had all the time in the World to pick a spot and slide it past Pickford. And Keane, dear Lord stood off Mbeumo so much and made it so easy for him to find his strike partner, weak/ slow defending. Question for all the Moyes fans on here would Branthwaite have been the same, slow and timid. Why wasn't our best, quickest centre half not playing in his preferred position. I was originally glad Moyes took over and last season, his first season, he originally done very well, but I think we can say the same over at least our last 5/ 6 managers can't we ? We spent a great deal of money compared to the last 3 years so why hasn't our football improved ? Why do we still find it increasingly harder to score goals even though we have improved the squad this season ? Why is Moyes playing players out of position all over the pitch when he has options for all these players on the bench ? That's it really I don't expect many constructive answers but here goes.

 

[smileychap]

Sure. Moyes is a cautious manager. He has always been a cautious manager so it should be no surprise to anyone that he is still a cautious manager.

His first instinct is to put out a team that has the least chance of losing. He has always done this, this also shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

We don't have a very good team. We have a small squad. Most of the squad are more used to relegation battles than challenging for Europe. They have been very succesful at that for the last few years, but they have not been very succesful at dominating and winning games.

So when a cautious manager has very few top players at his disposal, and most of those players are able to battle hard but not very good at dominating teams, then it would be rather foolish to suggest that he ignores all of those factors and goes out against a team that are currently in a great vein of form and try to play them off the park.

Reasonable but exposes the Moyes quandary: what is the collective aim of ' not losing '.

I give up calling Moyes out ,he doesn't / will not change . He couldn't set a team up to attack if he tried .I remember Osman telling his last instruction going out on the pitch "Try not to lose " .We need a manager with some flair ,we don't have a bad squad at all we have a frightened man setting them up .Gana needs a rest Garner and Tim looked to be getting sorted while the AFCON was on but as soon as they arrived back Jimmy gets played left back .
I he had Cole Palmer and Phil Foden he would have them playing full back ,I am fed up of this try not to lose attitude ,surely the top brass can see we are going nowhere and are lucky to be where we are in the table .Moyes out .

I'm not sure I see what Tim adds to us. I know what he's there to do. He's a decent size, but lacks pace, his passing isn't great, he doesn't get forward and seems to often lose his man.

• I do agree generally, say: JP, JoB, JB, Illy, KDH, Garner would get a look in at most PL clubs, some even in the top 6.
• The remainder all have big caveats against them
• Recruitment in the summer was very poor, not sure to what extent Moyes influenced it, but all I can say in his defence is that I hope those lads come good next year instead.

The display against Man utd was really disjointed. I can't see Moyes' plan or a settled shape in the team. His role in that business last summer is my big question.

 

[WA Toffee]

We will never get into the top 5 with Moyes.

He has been extremely lucky; many matches especially away we have been dead lucky to win.

Apart from quite often during his first spell?

And why am I not surprised to see the old "Every win is lucky and every defeat is fully deserved"? It is such a boring trope.

He has laid the groundwork for a turnaround, taking us from relegation battles to having thoughts about Europe (which admittedly look very unlikely now). He has fulfilled his brief.

Yes, we should be looking for someone else that can take us to the next level again when his contract is up, but I really don't understand why people are so quick to ignore what he has done and focus only on any negative that supports their distorted view.

 

[st.domingo]

Didn't let the corner bullying get to him, either.

I think he looked really solid.

Their whole defence did.

Basically they came and beat Moyesy at his own game: KITAP1

 

[Rich1878]

SalisburyDock (@salisburydock.bsky.social)

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bsky.app

 

[Markthablue]

Why has Merlin Rohl's performance at Aston Villa offended Moyes so badly?

 

[Rooney_Tunes]

Apart from quite often during his first spell?

And why am I not surprised to see the old "Every win is lucky and every defeat is fully deserved"? It is such a boring trope.

He has laid the groundwork for a turnaround, taking us from relegation battles to having thoughts about Europe (which admittedly look very unlikely now). He has fulfilled his brief.

Yes, we should be looking for someone else that can take us to the next level again when his contract is up, but I really don't understand why people are so quick to ignore what he has done and focus only on any negative that supports their distorted view.

So you are enjoying the anti football every week, starting Keane Tarkowski and Gana every game, playing JB at LB, JOB at RB, Armstrong on the wing.

Good for you, then.

You should go with them to the warm weather training camp.

 

[Griffin]

Really felt the lack of Grealish in this one.

 

[royvernon39]

Frustrating game and result, but we was the better side to be honest, their counter attack was pretty much their only threat all game, and that's the risk when you're the side pushing on and commiting players forward. Setting up to counter away from home with a few pacey players can always get you a goal like that.
We have a full back who DM spent 10 million on seven months ago
A full back who in the 10 minutes he was permitted to play made a goal. Why is he not playing so we can make our mind up if he is ready or not for big boys football.


I'd say taking 0 points away feels a bit like we was robbed tbh.

If we're gonna pick any faults in Moyes or the squad it's just the full backs situation is dire, we don't have a proper starter in either position, and it's making us move our best CB over there (which is a crime). No doubt in my mind that Brainthwaite would have dealt with the long switch counter

Reasonable but exposes the Moyes quandary: what is the collective aim of ' not losing '.

I'm not sure I see what Tim adds to us. I know what he's there to do. He's a decent size, but lacks pace, his passing isn't great, he doesn't get forward and seems to often lose his man.

• I do agree generally, say: JP, JoB, JB, Illy, KDH, Garner would get a look in at most PL clubs, some even in the top 6.
• The remainder all have big caveats against them
• Recruitment in the summer was very poor, not sure to what extent Moyes influenced it, but all I can say in his defence is that I hope those lads come good next year instead.

The display against Man utd was really disjointed. I can't see Moyes' plan or a settled shape in the team. His role in that business last summer is my big question.

Time has bags of pace.

 

[smileychap]

Time has bags of pace.

Got like -any- clips showing that?

I wanna believe it, and out and out pace can be offset with good reading of the game, being strong over 2-3 yards etc.

I just don't see any of that in Tim yet, and he's had a while now.

 

[MikeH72]

We will never get into the top 5 with Moyes.

He has been extremely lucky; many matches especially away we have been dead lucky to win.

Luck balances out over a season. There have been loads of games we’ve had elements of bad luck in, for example you’d probably suggest that the win away at United was lucky but I’d suggest that it was incredibly unlucky to have a man sent off for absolutely nothing in the first 10 minutes.

To suggest we’ve had a disproportionate amount of good luck this season is frankly absurd. Once again, we can critique the recent performances as not being good enough without making things up and getting really weird about it.

 

[Lanolin]

Luck balances out over a season. There have been loads of games we’ve had elements of bad luck in, for example you’d probably suggest that the win away at United was lucky but I’d suggest that it was incredibly unlucky to have a man sent off for absolutely nothing in the first 10 minutes.

To suggest we’ve had a disproportionate amount of good luck this season is frankly absurd. Once again, we can critique the recent performances as not being good enough without making things up and getting really weird about it.

Yeah I agree with that. I think it's probably fair to say that there are more games where we've got more than our performance merited than there are games where we've got less, but you can't just put that down to luck, it's the way the game goes.

 

[WA Toffee]

So you are enjoying the anti football every week, starting Keane Tarkowski and Gana every game, playing JB at LB, JOB at RB, Armstrong on the wing.

Good for you, then.

You should go with them to the warm weather training camp.

Very cute, but I think strawmen arguments are a bit out of fashion now mate, most people have moved on to reasoned and balanced discussions.

Keep going, you'll get there one day

 

[Furey1878]

Why has Merlin Rohl's performance at Aston Villa offended Moyes so badly?

You can also add Aznou vs Sunderland and Patterson when he briefly came out from the cold.