Match Thread Everton v Leicester City - Preview, Report and MotM Poll

[JobForTheMoyes]

Manager isn't the issue. He hasn't even had a season yet, the players under him are. If you don't have a striker or an outlet for the attack then we're going to get nowhere! You tell me the last manager who actually looked upset when we lose like that.

Well, he is responsible for a pattern of whimpering losses to a string of teams.

 

[darkwingduck]

We're eternally mediocre. No matter what we do we never progress beyond a mediocre midtable team. Sad

 

[Winston8977]

Agree with a lot of that and you may be spot on about Theo: he looks like someone who doesn't really want to be out there.

To be fair he looked like that at the Arse most of the time as well. Burnt out...

 

[JL94]

Agree with a lot of that and you may be spot on about Theo: he looks like someone who doesn't really want to be out there.

He said it himself mate, I just wish Lookman had the stuff to step up and take his place, we're back in a transitional period which a lot of people don't see, this is another 3-5 year project

 

[ToffeeTim]

Those players are a complete embarrassment to the blue shirt.

Shameful bunch. Hide behind managers all the time.

 

[JL94]

Well, he is responsible for a pattern of whimpering losses to a string of teams.

He's still not the issue, didn't say he has no responsibility for it

 

[JL94]

Those players are a complete embarrassment to the blue shirt.

Shameful bunch. Hide behind managers all the time.

Wouldn't mind resting Walcott...until he's retired

 

[Chris O'Connor]

The players he's bought have been brilliant, but Richarlison is NOT a striker! Walcott doesn't even seem to want to play football now, we need a new right back, Gomes has been worn to the bone with the fixtures we've had so close together and I'll say it once more WE NEED A STRIKER

Its obvious but perhaps a choice of a midtable finish in tenth or eleventh if we don't vs one in seventh or eighth (with the possibility of the poisoned chalice of Europa league qualifiers and possibly group stage and wrecking next season before we're strong enough thrown in)

Any striker in January can be astronomically overpriced for debatable worth and the choice far less, desperate clubs all chase the few and prices shoot up with no guarantees he's suitable.

Waiting may put an end to prospects of seventh or eighth this season but may prove the wiser move long term

 

[hktoffee]

Mom - Keane for the assist.

 

[wainy]

They were....Zouma played very well too.

Apologies, yes to a lesser extent zouma also. An Xmas to forget for Everton.

 

[Encoder]

Bernard gets motm vote from me. Made a run in the second half which should have lead to equaliser only needed someone awake to move in and tap in but they were asleep.

I think I died a bit inside when those 2 flatfooted wasters watched an inch perfect ball zoom by

 

[JobForTheMoyes]

He's still not the issue, didn't say he has no responsibility for it

His is clearly an issue, but there are a number of factors, I agree.

 

[Loz]

I don't think we were. They didn't play well or even better than us. Mistake was the winner today. Think we can all see our problem is the final third and Souness gets paid for pointing out the blatantly obvious. We are huffing and puffing and will continue to huff and puff without a decent striker and a bang out of form Walcott. You also could argue that we didn't turn up against Spurs and we did against Burnley. I thought the tactics of 3 at the back against Burnley was spot on considering how the play. Against Spurs tactics totally wrong with our 2 CB's having no defensive cover and our galavanting full backs space exploited by clever (different class) players. Our attack is now our biggest problem aided with a weak CM and brain farts.

We’ll have to agree to disagree then my friend. I thought they were at least as good as us and a second Leicester goal looked more likely than our equaliser.
I see your point though, but my feeling is that we aren’t now dominating possession because we’re good....it’s because opposing sides are allowing us to do that because we do sod all with the possession and tire ourselves out in the process and so a small lapse in concentration is all that it takes for the oppo to score crucial goals against us. Leicester had a plan today and it worked.
Silva himself said our performance was nervous. That’s because our players all realise that they are in a side that doesn’t score enough goals...especially not from open play. That means that defensive players are even more worried, because if we concede a goal then we are in trouble. That worry is itself manifesting into errors on the pitch. The reality is that a fair few teams have therefore worked out how to play us, have come at us with this game plan and it’s worked for them.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Sacking Koeman may have felt right at the time but he was going through exactly this run of results with a far worse squad after a complete disaster of a window.

I'm not saying he should have stayed but this is just a repeat even with better players.

Hopefully it's just a nightmare run but Silva has form at Hull and Watford for good starts followed by similar.

Up until pickford made that colossal balls up in the derby there had been an improvement, ever since that point (5-1 vs Burnley aside) it is as if they have forgotten how to play. Gomes has faded dramatically, their confidence has been shot as individual errors cost them resulting in confidence levels dropping noone taking responsibility and looking bereft of ideas.

New years day has always been one of those days for Everton, its quite astonishing beating every single other day in the year for poor results, apparently we haven't won at home on New Year's day since the nineties


We do have a decent side if they're confident and on a good run but its our inability to stop a bad run that is hurting us.

We had Arsenal, United, Chelsea, City and Liverpool away and Spurs at home in fairly close proximity and took just one point from all which meant any failure to win the intervening games would kill us.

As players lose belief and confidence, individual mistakes creep in and a tough run easily converts to a bad run which easily coverts to a crisis.

It's a vicious cycle as the longer the run, the worse the confidence and the more likelihood of it continuing, we have to break it soon or this will turn into a crisis.

I always felt Koeman wasn't to blame but Walsh and the transfer choices, both Koeman and Allardyce had a dreadful hand to play with and although the latter achieved results and we finished eighth he was sacked for his methods of playing football.

I know Allardyce had to go as he was deeply unpopular and the football dire so I'm not arguing for him, just our players weren't really any better than eighth in the league last season and IF results had been the sole arbiter you couldn't argue with the finishing position.

Silva has a far better hand to play but they still lack in certain areas, notably in no replacement for Lukaku and a weakness at right back.

 

[Abraders]

We’ll have to agree to disagree then my friend. I thought they were at least as good as us and a second Leicester goal looked more likely than our equaliser.
I see your point though, but my feeling is that we aren’t now dominating possession because we’re good....it’s because opposing sides are allowing us to do that because we do sod all with the possession and tire ourselves out in the process and so a small lapse in concentration is all that it takes for the oppo to score crucial goals against us. Leicester had a plan today and it worked.
Silva himself said our performance was nervous. That’s because our players all realise that they are in a side that doesn’t score enough goals...especially not from open play. That means that defensive players are even more worried, because if we concede a goal then we are in trouble. That worry is itself manifesting into errors on the pitch. The reality is that a fair few teams have worked out how to play us, have come at us with a game plan and it’s worked for them.

100% teams know exactly what Everton will do.

Keep possession, pass it about, go wide and cross repeatedly.

We played into Leicester's plans completely