Everton v Chelsea. 30th August at 17.30.

[harry]

Just watched Motd, some terrible defending especially not tracking runners. Going forward we were fine and the stats show a pretty good Performance apart From our joke defending. We will not come up against another team except man city who have world class players who will punish us like Chelsea did.

 

[bizzaro]

This is the most annoyed I've been with Everton and its players in a long long time.

All I want to do right now is

Jagielka

Distin

But mainly Jagielka

 

[Stutheblue]

Just watched Motd, some terrible defending especially not tracking runners. Going forward we were fine and the stats show a pretty good Performance apart From our joke defending. We will not come up against another team except man city who have world class players who will punish us like Chelsea did.

Agree. But, Arsenal also punished us for slackness and lack of closing down (their first goal). We can't afford to keep defending like this, even against teams other than Chelsea and City. We can't be having to score 2 or 3 every time just to have a chance of a point.

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

This is the most annoyed I've been with Everton and its players in a long long time.

All I want to do right now is

Jagielka

Distin

But mainly Jagielka

Distin's performance yesterday was bizarre. He was actually brilliant... except the few times he wasn't.

I know that sounds weird (and it's not meant to absolve him of some poor errors) but most times when you see people make mistakes like that, the rest of the game they're either average or below. He was really really good, the times when he wasn't being sh*te

 

[Anna]

So, i've slept on it and i'm over my fume now, last thing i'll say on it is Jags and Distin are getting some serious stick, but Barry and McCarthy need to take their fair share of the blame as well, the space and time Fabregas and Hazard had to pick passes and control the midfield is shocking, of course 2 players like that are going to punish you if you let them. Barry and McCarthy should have been right up in their faces not giving them an inch to pick a pass, we'd never have never given them a 2-0 head start and it would have been a completely different game.

Anyway, draw a line under it, I just hope Jags doesn't play for England, I think that's the last thing he needs right now, some Southern idiots giving him stick when he misplaces a pass that leads to a Swiss/Norwegian goal.

 

[bluestevon]

Distin's performance yesterday was bizarre. He was actually brilliant... except the few times he wasn't.

I know that sounds weird (and it's not meant to absolve him of some poor errors) but most times when you see people make mistakes like that, the rest of the game they're either average or below. He was really really good, the times when he wasn't being sh*te

Think it's hard to play a perfect game as a cb when the other cb is all over the shop for 90 minutes mate

 

[BirkenheadBlue]

Think it's hard to play a perfect game as a cb when the other cb is all over the shop for 90 minutes mate

Oh I agree, Jags had a horror show, but Distin made some pretty bad personal errors too. It was just unusual that when he wasn't making those errors he was actually really really good - doesn't often happen like that for any player - particularly defenders

 

[bluestevon]

Oh I agree, Jags had a horror show, but Distin made some pretty bad personal errors too. It was just unusual that when he wasn't making those errors he was actually really really good - doesn't often happen like that for any player - particularly defenders

Think Distin has always been a bit like that mate, he has a mistake or two a game in him, but doesn't seem to throw him when he does, Jags on the other hand has always seemed a pure confidence player - actually believe that a Jags not totally committed and with belief has always been a shakey looking player - shown early on when he played dcm for us a few times first season, and shown when he has been less than 100% when he's returned from injury in the past when it's taken him a good few games to look the same player as before.

Mentality is such a huge part of playing that position like

 

[Bluesnapper]

I'm just so annoyed with Phil Jagielka.

I told you he was to blame last week for the goals and you didnt want any of that, whats changed?

 

[Kiwi]

We've shipped 6 goals to Chelsea who put on a finishing clinic. That being said there are both positives and negatives to take from this.

• We were defensively shocking. Just weren't sharp at the back at all, the tactics were fine but the execution left plenty to be desired.
  Be it closing down outside the box, a slow offside line (with both Baines and Jags getting caught out), tracking runners into the box or positioning, we looked like a Championship team defending against Barcelona. While Jags and Distin and also to an extent Baines and Coleman too were at fault for much of this, some blame also needs to be attached to the likes of Barry and Macca, who as our defensive lynchpins in midfield failed to break down Chelsea as they attacked us. Macca was burst past for the 3rd and the 5th goals, and either Barry or Macca should have closed down Matic, he shouldn't get a shot away in that kind of area.
  
• Our CB's seem to lack confidence. Obviously we have John Stones to come in, but perhaps we could do with another CB with more experience.
• We were unlucky and unfortunate at times. 2 of the goals we were outdone by very kind deflections to Chelsea. Besic had a brainfart. They were offside for their second (in my eyes this cancelled out the Howard incident). But nonetheless most of these wouldn't have happened without some bemusing defending. The timing of the goals we conceded were key too, stopped us from getting back into it properly. We were always chasing the game and as such it was always going to be difficult
  
• Having said all this, there are some positives too. We showed great character to keep coming back from two down, not once but multiple times.
• We were fantastic in attack. Tore Chelsea's much vaunted defence to shreds on multiple occasions. Champagne football. Utterly Marvellous to watch. Were it not for the Lino learning how to use his offside flag, or the fingertips of Courtois we'd possibly be looking at a very different result. On this evidence we'll dole out a few hidings this season if we can cut out the silly stuff at the back.
• Mirallas was well up for it, Eto'o looked very sharp on debut, great close touch, vision, and took his goal very well. Naisy Super Slotter scored another fantastic finish. Lukaku wasn't at his best but still made space for other players and hit the bar. His hold up play seems much improved and more consistent. Given we're lacking a key player in Ross this was very encouraging.
  
• Oh and how ace was the play when Mirallas had his shot tipped onto the post. Utterly bonkers how good and fluid that was.

 

[Tree13]

I told you he was to blame last week for the goals and you didnt want any of that, whats changed?

Mate, you were right last week too. Jags is having a mare at the moment.

What bugs me the most is that this result makes the Leicester and Arsenal results worse. We should be taking three points off of Leicester every time we play them, and we squandered two-goal lead against a largely lacklustre Arsenal side. In both games, RM left it too late to make changes when some of the boys were clearly knackered and we paid the price. If we draw both of those games but get the win against Chelsea at Goodison, fair enough. But we didn't. Should have been looking at 5 or 6 points from these three games and we've walked away with 2.

Having watched the goals agin on MotD, Jags and Barry cost us three if not four of those goals. Their fourth is hideously embarrassing for Barry, who looks like he's wading through quicksand while Chelsea pass it sideways through his zone on the edge of our box. He is also culpable for their fifth and you can see that McCarthy knows Barry is out on his feet by the way he tries to cover Barry's man as well as his own.

 

[thirdmantackle]

• Oh and how ace was the play when Mirallas had his shot tipped onto the post. Utterly bonkers how good and fluid that was.

on the last point, a better pass to Kevin on the ground from Seamie and he would have slotted it, just saying

 

[Blue Cheese]

Just had a quick read on Chelsea Fan Forum 'The Shed', for the most part they are very complimentary towards us and said defence apart we played really well. It was a freak result.

I'm over it no point in dwelling, we'll paste some teams playing like that. Need to tighten up at the back though or the good forward play will be for nought.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

Roberto seems to have at least acknowledged that we need to work on our defending in training. Every time the opposition attacks, Jags, Barry and Mac seem to bottle it a bit which is unlike them.

You'd have to say that they need dropping for the next game with Stones, Gibson and Besic given a go, but I can't see it.

 

[maccavennie]

Just had a quick read on Chelsea Fan Forum 'The Shed', for the most part they are very complimentary towards us and said defence apart we played really well. It was a freak result.

I'm over it no point in dwelling, we'll paste some teams playing like that. Need to tighten up at the back though or the good forward play will be for nought.

No doubt about it mate, they were given a game. Take away the first 3 minutes and the last 5 minutes and in between was 2 teams going toe to toe, the difference being our 2 cb's putting in as bad a shift as your ever likely to see. It was a complete contrast to how we beat them 1-0 last season where we held on for dear life and they missed sitter after sitter. Bobby has basically sorted out our attack and he just needs to find the balance in defence, which may be personel changes required. Going forward 2 of the 3 goals were sublime play ( Eto'os header was pure class from a free kick as well ). If Mirallas had scored the flick people would be going on about goal of the season already. Sort the defence and we will be sound but plenty to be positive about imo.