Everton v Chelsea. 30th August at 17.30.

[davek]

It was away at burnley.

Ok home against who Palace?

Two pretty uninspiring performances...but they tore us to bits today.

 

[ThebanksoftheBramleyMoore]

Play him behind the striker and he will put in the through balls, it's when he's played out wide he likes to run at defences and can over do it. For a decent fee for me he's worth the risk providing we also get a CB in

I Like him and would have him play a role similar to what deulofeu had last season in his favoured position being an impact player but Naismith has slotted 3 in 3 and deserves his starting place if he carries on playing this way he should start over Barkley to. I also wouldn't take him for anything over 2m+ and <30k wages which just isn't going to happen. priority for me is RB cover and a CB for europa games alcaraz and stones would of been exciting if we got an easy group as they pass a ball better than most mid table midfielders but we got a hard one, I will give jags the next 3 games to prove that they are still good CB's if not drop them both.

 

[davek]

The thing I can't fathom is that theres nothing different with the system from last season. We're not bombing forward, we're not leaving the defence exposed.

What we are doing is just plain forgetting how to defend. Concentration is gone. Fitness, composure all shot.

Were scoring goals, youll be hard pressed to find a side that'll slot 3 passed Chelsea, but for some reason the players lose all responsibilities and switch off.

Yeah, it's a group of individuals rather than a systemic problem. McCarthy has looked out of sorts; that's maybe put more pressure on a CB pairing (one of whom was mullered in the WC with criticism and the other is a fossil in PL terms and maybe has just lost it now) and McCarthy's form has impacted on a RB berth where Stones was played out of position and Coleman has struggled with injury.

McCarthy back up to speed is a must, but it's also the case that the CB unit needs some serious reconstruction.

 

[applecrumble]

Our defence is scaring me - this could be a long season indeed

 

[blue61]

Feel even worse now.

6-3 at home is a frigging disgrace. I dont care it was Chelsea...who struggled against Burnley at home, btw.

It's an unacceptable level of defending.

All told I think we've look disjointed all season. Even the so called great first galf against Arsenal last week they were the team putting together the passing while we relied on helter skelter stuff.

There's no composure and there's no discipline.

This could be a very long season if that backline especially isn't sorted out.

Agree 100%, good point about the back line as well, Jags has the ultimate stinker today but the whole defensive line was poor. Every time we had the ball, Chelsea had a well organised back line, which we managed to breach 3 times through good attacking play, whereas our back line were all over the place, and that includes Coleman and Baines. They didn't have to break sweat to score 6 FFS.

 

[EverBlue86]

Yeah, it's a group of individuals rather than a systemic problem. McCarthy has looked out of sorts; that's maybe put more pressure on a CB pairing (one of whom was mullered in the WC with criticism and the other is a fossil in PL terms and maybe has just lost it now) and McCarthy's form has impacted on a RB berth where Stones was played out of position and Coleman has struggled with injury.

McCarthy back up to speed is a must, but it's also the case that the CB unit needs some serious reconstruction.

Agree mate, do you trust martinez's ability to restructure our defence aswell as moyes did?

 

[ste d' indica]

Could barely bring myself to watch MOTD, but I felt better than I expected tbh. Some very worrying defending for sure, but some of our attacking play really was top draw. It's looking like Martinez got preseason wrong, first full close season, first time with so many internationals away is a factor. He'll learn from it. Dish out a pasting to the Baggies and keep our first clean sheet, we'll be on our way.

 

[davek]

Agree mate, do you trust martinez's ability to restructure our defence aswell as moyes did?

His time at Wigan doesn't inspire me with confidence in that respect. I think he brought in Williams at Swansea though IIRC, and he's a pretty decent CB.

 

[zandvoort blue]

Drugs are bad, kids.

wipes egg off face as he has now sobered up and realises Chelsea loanee Atsu was not even on the bench....
hem hem cough cough, fair point, need to stay off the strong stuff, etc...

I still think Bobby's subs were off today: Should have been Besic for Barry on 60'. Eto'o for Rom on 60'. Stones for Jags IMHO
I thought that Eto'o for Geads was a touch bizarre. Geads was tiring but had contributed and had another 15' in his legs, unlike Rom who was shattered after an hour. A better call maybe would have been to sub Jags for Stones at half time, Barry for Besic on 60' and brought Eto'o on for Rom around the same time.

Bizarre day, Blues. I think our attacking was uber boss but our defending was keystone cops at times
Star men : Seamus, Naismith, Mirallas and Baines going forward
Needing a long look in the mirror : Jags and Distin (again...), Baines in defence, McCarthy for not trackin.
Bobby for leaving Jags, Barry and Rom on the pitch too long

 

[kenada_blue]

Yeah, it's a group of individuals rather than a systemic problem. McCarthy has looked out of sorts; that's maybe put more pressure on a CB pairing (one of whom was mullered in the WC with criticism and the other is a fossil in PL terms and maybe has just lost it now) and McCarthy's form has impacted on a RB berth where Stones was played out of position and Coleman has struggled with injury.

McCarthy back up to speed is a must, but it's also the case that the CB unit needs some serious reconstruction.

I think Baines and Jagielka, especially Jags, are completely out of sorts after the World Cup. Both of them were national scapegoats and it effects players with their mentality.

I'm sure Jags has zero faith in himself after that. The press will be all over him again - as they were in the match. Caught out at the "top level". (Missing out Cahill and Terry letting in 3 also) again.

The only way to fix it is that he has to keep playing.

All this bollocks about "He's turned them into Wigan" is nonsense. It's the same team, the same system, the same players, from last season with the 3rd best defence in the league, and a club record of clean sheets (if I remember right).

That just doesnt get thrown out of the window. To me, they're just ill prepared mentally and physically.

It'll change. But we'll have to wait.

 

[kenada_blue]

Agree mate, do you trust martinez's ability to restructure our defence aswell as moyes did?

It's not a restructure for me, its just getting it back to basics.

The problem at Wigan was that he mainly had a pub team trying to play like Arsenal from the back - Caldwell, Alcaraz etc - and it was suicidal.

At the moment, our whole back line is just shot of confidence, leadership, and direction. Nothing to do with ability.

 

[Sarnia Kevin]

There won't be many teams this season will put 3 goals past Chelsea and come away with nothing. Stop panicking boys.

 

[Winci]

I think we were good when we had the ball, which was for the most part, but just like Roberto said we looked f***ng scared every time they attacked. As a group the defenders are not doing their jobs, Coleman and Baines have been more interested in going forward than defending and Jags, Distin, Barry and McCarthy have been way to generous to the opposition, giving them too much space and time. So, just hope Roberto will take care of this.

 

[toffee matt]

There won't be many teams this season will put 3 goals past Chelsea and come away with nothing. Stop panicking boys.

Chelsea won't put 6 past many teams away from home either

 

[DanEFC92]

Bloody Nora Everton