Match Thread Everton v Southampton - Preview, Match Report and MotM poll

[Noisy noise annoys]

It's crazy mate, spoilt brat behaviour. And shocking to to listen and read it, mentally drained from it. Thank God so social media around the time Brett Angel and Stu Barlow leading the line with Preki and Beagrie feeding the bullets, Mayhem

100% agree, people spend more time moaning about fictional events than actually waiting to see what happens. I honestly feel like some posters would like us to lose today so they can moan some more and give it the old "I told you so" crap.

 

[Terrarian]

Gave it to Richarlison his work rate second half was top notch, deserved his goal, DCL even though he scored I felt could have done a little more bit nit-picking there. Doucouré's goal was a blammo

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

Southampton are a poor, poor side but at least we put them to the sword.
Don’t know if the game would have panned out like that last season.

Defo not at home!!

 

[BlueToff]

He's just really bad at taking fullbacks on to the point that I just don't want him to. I've never seen someone so confident and so bad at taking players on in dribbles.

Okay, that's fine. But an inside forward doesn't need to do that. Doesn't mean they can't drift, just means if they do, a midfielder or the full-back has to undercut in.

Anyway, he was excellent today in the second half, really excellent

 

[Paris]

Credit to Rafael.

 

[TheBigIguana]

Okay, that's fine. But an inside forward doesn't need to do that. Doesn't mean they can't drift, just means if they do, a midfielder or the full-back has to undercut in.

Anyway, he was excellent today in the second half, really excellent

I agree which is why I'd say that's his best position

 

[Milkman]

Very good and important win that.

Southampton will be lucky to stay up, they look awful.

Gray was brilliant, everyone knows his limitations, but he adds something that we've missed for years.

They all stepped up in the second half, that was encouraging to see. Particularly Doucoure and Richarlison, who'd had a pretty poor first half.

Keane and Holgate are not very good. Add Coleman into the mix and we look very vulnerable. Need big Yerry and a new RB desperately.

It won't be pretty, but Benitez will get more performances out of this group. With a few more decent players we might finish top 10.

 

[okellypj]

Whatever the result ended up being, booing at half time at the first game of the season is ridiculous.

 

[Zatara]

Football was still horrific but the fight made up for it in the 2nd half and that's the mimimum that should be asked every week.

Biggest positive from today was Benitez rectifying his mistakes, you don't put Richarlison LM and Gray as the free role off DCL, completely different player Richarlison when he's allowed the freedom to move around and Gray lacks end product to be anything more than a tricky winger.

Then the switch of Keane to RCB, in fairness he was still horrendous today but it's been an issue of our CB's for years that none of them other than Godfrey can go left to save their life switching him and Holgate was the right call.

Didnt look like we'd been coached 1st half + made no sense to have Gray central and Richarlison wide...or Holgate RCB when Keane is a liability at LCB....

Almost like Benitez hadnt seen any of our games or players before...

Then half time he made the tweaks defensively with Doucoure taking responsibility from centre backs and then driving us on....later Richarlison being unleashed centrally behind DCL.

Need to mix it up going direct and passing through teams...hopefully they step it up.

 

[Kev50]

Can anyone honestly say with any real confidence that this lot will accrue 40 points?

uh huh.

 

[Mikey O]

Feared the worst at half time but blinking delighted with the full time score - had to rely on updates from the BBC which was horrible.

COYB

 

[Houghty19]

Can anyone honestly say with any real confidence that this lot will accrue 40 points?

Yes

 

[KindofBlue]

well done. character win. nice job by the new buys. that defensive pairing scared the hell out of me.

 

[MikeH72]

uh huh.

The question still stands. We beat a team that will also struggle to reach that. I don’t think you can get the party poppers out just yet.

 

[everton1953]

uh huh.

Yes

I doubt Southampton will get 40. I agree with you