Match Thread Everton v West Brom. 13th Feb at 1500.

[Jarvick]

Martinez is too loyal to Kone, and he is being played out of position as a left midfielder anyway. How about subbing in Mirallas? He deserves more time over Kone for sure. Agree with comments above, we could have dropped a defensive midfielder for this game, we easily could have slid Cleverley back into either Barry or McCarthy's position and put on another creative midfielder to generate more chances. Arguably we had enough chances but just didn't finish, but that in part is personnel, part tactics.

 

[Smodger]

Anyone with eyes could see he was goosed

From we're I was sitting he didn't look goosed maybe your eyes are better than mine.

 

[larrylarda55]

we are a side with our eyes on the Champions Leauge ar'nt we and we stumble over opposition like this -

According to RM we are. M-L-King had a dream too once, but unfortunately because of his blatant ineptitude as a manager we keep making basic errors over and over and we will be lucky to finish in the top ten. Olsen was the obvious target from the corner so why not double up on him? Why no-one on the back post? And who the f was picking up Rondon? As for his subs?!? Just what has Kone got on him? He is one of the laziest players I have ever seen at Everton. He can't hold a ball up and his distribution is awful. I think he must have caught RM in a compromising position sometime and is using it to get game time.

 

[Eggs]

Come on mate....that was a display in the art of anti-football. Getting beat is part and parcel of football, but getting beat by a team who had zero intention of anything positive at all is just a killer for the sport in general.
A Baggies mate texted me at full time and said he was embarrassed at how they won and that they'd had all their seasons luck in 95 minutes...I texted him back to say well done on the 3 points but commiserations having to watch that rubbish every week...he responded saying the fans have had enough of "watching absolute dross week in week out since Pulis darkened our door".

I'm afraid anyone who thinks they did a great job has totally lost the notion that football above all else is an entertainment.

......there's more than one way of playing the game and there's no doubt his approach is more focused on not getting beat than winning. Saying that he had key defensive players missing yesterday and was still able to organise his team regardless of personnel. That isn't easy, it's built on hours of work on the training ground. I wouldn't defend his philosophy but given his circumstances and the position of his team I think Pulis did a terrific job yesterday.

 

[Milk]

......there's more than one way of playing the game and there's no doubt his approach is more focused on not getting beat than winning. Saying that he had key defensive players missing yesterday and was still able to organise his team regardless of personnel. That isn't easy, it's built on hours of work on the training ground. I wouldn't defend his philosophy but given his circumstances and the position of his team I think Pulis did a terrific job yesterday.

And of course Pulis's primary job is to keep WBA in the money league. Any entertainment over & above that is a bonus.

 

[Smodger]

WBA played in midweek and extra time yet we have a week off and players are tired not having it.

 

[Eggs]

And of course Pulis's primary job is to keep WBA in the money league. Any entertainment over & above that is a bonus.

......RM could learn how to defend a lead from a coach like Pulis.

 

[ah11984]

That really does show how little they were concerned about any "threat" from our left hand side.

 

[Blue Cheese]

Missed the game yesterday, sounds like I was the lucky one. 3 great games undone by getting beat by West Brom at home. Round in circles.

 

[Hangleton]

Martinez has to go, anybody disagreeing is deluded. Bound to mid table mediocrity with the best squad we've ever had. where will we finish when our best players leave?

It was very frustrating yesterday.
We created enough to have won - we gave away a soft goal again. Games like this you can see how limited McCarthy is going forward - how easily Rom gets marked out of games. I'd have thrown Mori up front to make something happen - Last 15 minutes.

 

[Billefc]

Any other day we score at least 4

Freak result against the current run of form

Just need to get back on track next weekend

COYB!

yea like, Norwich, Bournmouth , palace etc etc etc, recurring theme !

 

[Eggs]

...our home record this season is a reflection that we have difficulty winning games. We have capable footballers so it has to be down to team selection and tactics. Basic really.

 

[BlueToff]

...our home record this season is a reflection that we have difficulty winning games. We have capable footballers so it has to be down to team selection and tactics. Basic really.

Eggs you're a very sound poster but the tactics were nothing to do with it yesterday.

Martinez is now (in some quarters) getting slated for his possession focused game, but WBA literally planned on having none of the ball yesterday - we had no choice but to have all the possession.

We created 34 shots on goal/chances. 6 of those would, on another day - like last week, for example - have gone in. They didn't.

I agree we need to find a way of winning games like this, but as the heat map on MOTD proved last night, WBA literally had 10 players in their box for most of the game. There's only so much a manager can do and he did that - the players created chances, and the players failed to take them.

 

[Eggs]

Eggs you're a very sound poster but the tactics were nothing to do with it yesterday.

Martinez is now (in some quarters) getting slated for his possession focused game, but WBA literally planned on having none of the ball yesterday - we had no choice but to have all the possession.

We created 34 shots on goal/chances. 6 of those would, on another day - like last week, for example - have gone in. They didn't.

I agree we need to find a way of winning games like this, but as the heat map on MOTD proved last night, WBA literally had 10 players in their box for most of the game. There's only so much a manager can do and he did that - the players created chances, and the players failed to take them.

...I think the 34 shots might be a bit misleading as they don't reflect real chances. Their keeper was rarely troubled in the 2nd half. As for tactics we needed to get around the back of their defence and we needed to draw central defenders out. To enable that you go past full backs. Our most creative player and the best at going past players was sat on the bench. I appreciate how difficult it can be but I genuinely feel RM could have done more.

Also, I don't know Niasse's level of fitness but from what Lukaku says he's 'raw power'. It was always likely that the Baggies would park the bus so it wasn't rocket science to think it useful to have somebody unorthodox and direct to bring on for 15mins. He would've also given the atmosphere a real lift.

There are things RM could have done but didn't, that's the difference in having a top coach. By the way, I'm not advocating a new manager but I would like to see RM learning lessons.

 

[streeky]

This disappointed me today. He looked like he wasn't bothered. Never used his strength, lost his first touch and seems to have lost his anticipation. One of the worse games I have seen him play.

Don't want to be see as knee jerking , but these performances are becoming the norm more than isolated. If the lad thinks teams in the most competitive league in the world have not sussed how to play him yet ,the lads in a lot of trouble. Champions league quality Hmmm ,Letting an aged old grock have you in his pocket for 95 minutes and never looked to be blowing whenever the camera was on him is worrying.