Man City vs Blues - Match Report and Man of the Match Poll...

[PeregrineT]

A little hard to watch the one sidedness, but in the end getting a point away to the best team in the league is phenomenal.

Also, for all of those who have bemoaned how the team has played, Everton have only had one better start to a season in the premier league, and that was the 04-05 season. Im not saying that tells us how things will turn out, but you have to at least give credit where its due so far.

 

[Brownie]

Could you not merge the other thread @Groucho

Now I can't reply when I was about to reply to a post in there.

 

[allen]

"Where should we put Manchester City on Match of the Day tonight?"

"First."

"They played Everton."

"I meant fourth."

 

[davek]

I think he was in the context of the defence acting as a team.

Today was the first time in what 3.5 years I've seen the defence working as a unit. It was immense to see, we kept fantastic shape despite being pulled all over the show by an extremely impressive Manchester City.

The work load was tremendous but best of all was how we defended as a team. Today we really saw what Koeman is going to bring to this club over the next three years. With additions and replacements for the obvious weak links we are going places.

We may have ridden our luck at times today but that was one hell of a performance and augers well for the future.

Conceded 39 goals in 2013/14. Defence working fine then...all season pretty much.

As for that today being where Koeman is taking us - I sincerely hope not. We got away with that after allowing an opponent to come at us in waves for nigh on 90 minutes. We need to go in the opposite direction entirely and add an attacking element to our game. The last few games have seen us create next to nothing. All that game did today was to conform that if a team in this PL is determined to put 9 and 10 men behind the ball they stand a chance of a result of some sort.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Conceded 39 goals in 2013/14. Defence working fine then...all season pretty much.

As for that today being where Koeman is taking us - I sincerely hope not. We got away with that after allowing an opponent to come at us in waves for nigh on 90 minutes. We need to go in the opposite direction entirely and add an attacking element to our game. The last few games have seen us create next to nothing. All that game did today was to conform that if a team in this PL is determined to put 9 and 10 men behind the ball they stand a chance of a result of some sort.

Yea mate it was much better when we were being lauded by the media as THE ENTERTAINERS after exciting 4-3 home defeats.

SAKE.

 

[edge]

Did well to get a point today.
Looked a good side City they will hammer a few this season

 

[The Esk]

Conceded 39 goals in 2013/14. Defence working fine then...all season pretty much.

As for that today being where Koeman is taking us - I sincerely hope not. We got away with that after allowing an opponent to come at us in waves for nigh on 90 minutes. We need to go in the opposite direction entirely and add an attacking element to our game. The last few games have seen us create next to nothing. All that game did today was to conform that if a team in this PL is determined to put 9 and 10 men behind the ball they stand a chance of a result of some sort.

Couple of points to counter your post Dave.

We are on course to concede less than 30 goals assuming we continue in a similar manner.

Given the personnel on the pitch today, (particularly Oviedo, Cleverley and Deulofeu - none of whom would be on the pitch if we had a stronger squad/everyone available) we performed as well as we could expect given a rampant City.

Had we played this City side managed by Pep last year, what do you think the score would have been? Our fitness levels have improved, our organisation and shape has improved immeasurably, and our desire/willingness to work hard has returned.

This was a performance that would have matched Moyes' teams at their best. However the great thing is that we can build from here and improve significantly going forward - this was akin to a peak Moyes performance, yet most recognise under Koeman this is just the beginning.

 

[davek]

Yea mate it was much better when we were being lauded by the media as THE ENTERTAINERS after exciting 4-3 home defeats.

SAKE.

Look, we got an enormous slice of luck. We could have been on the end of a hiding.

My point is that though the players, barring Jagielka, deserve praise, we shouldn't applaud the game plan there today. It was suicidal. When did we suddenly start accepting the knife to a gunfight mentality again and support trying to sit back and scab a draw again at places like that?

 

[ToffeeTim]

Couple of points to counter your post Dave.

We are on course to concede less than 30 goals assuming we continue in a similar manner.

Given the personnel on the pitch today, (particularly Oviedo, Cleverley and Deulofeu - none of whom would be on the pitch if we had a stronger squad/everyone available) we performed as well as we could expect given a rampant City.

Had we played this City side managed by Pep last year, what do you think the score would have been? Our fitness levels have improved, our organisation and shape has improved immeasurably, and our desire/willingness to work hard has returned.

This was a performance that would have matched Moyes' teams at their best. However the great thing is that we can build from here and improve significantly going forward - this was akin to a peak Moyes performance, yet most recognise under Koeman this is just the beginning.

We're only 2 or 3 away from being a very handy side. Hopefully Ronald is given what he needs at the next opportunity.

 

[Verbal Kint]

Conceded 39 goals in 2013/14. Defence working fine then...all season pretty much.

As for that today being where Koeman is taking us - I sincerely hope not. We got away with that after allowing an opponent to come at us in waves for nigh on 90 minutes. We need to go in the opposite direction entirely and add an attacking element to our game. The last few games have seen us create next to nothing. All that game did today was to conform that if a team in this PL is determined to put 9 and 10 men behind the ball they stand a chance of a result of some sort.

Everytime you post recently the movie Frozen comes into my head, that's not a good thing because I can't stop singing that stupid song.

 

[BigBlueConk]

Time to make Williams captain.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Look, we got an enormous slice of luck. We could have been on the end of a hiding.

My point is that though the players, barring Jagielka, deserve praise, we shouldn't applaud the game plan there today. It was suicidal. When did we suddenly start accepting the knife to a gunfight mentality again and support trying to sit back and scab a draw again at places like that?

We were an utter embarrassment in the second half of last season. Now we are looking more solid and harder to beat. Of course I want us to be more adventurous and to have more quality in the final third. But this will take time given how far we had fallen and the lack of funds given. But in short were in a better position than last season and look like we're on an upward trajectory. It's not looking as rapid as I'd hoped but it's at least progress.

 

[davek]

Couple of points to counter your post Dave.

We are on course to concede less than 30 goals assuming we continue in a similar manner.

Given the personnel on the pitch today, (particularly Oviedo, Cleverley and Deulofeu - none of whom would be on the pitch if we had a stronger squad/everyone available) we performed as well as we could expect given a rampant City.

Had we played this City side managed by Pep last year, what do you think the score would have been? Our fitness levels have improved, our organisation and shape has improved immeasurably, and our desire/willingness to work hard has returned.

This was a performance that would have matched Moyes' teams at their best. However the great thing is that we can build from here and improve significantly going forward - this was akin to a peak Moyes performance, yet most recognise under Koeman this is just the beginning.

Moyes actually went to City and gave them a game to be fair to him. About the only top side place he did adopt that mentality at, like.

We eked out a draw with the help of two missed pens and a GK performance that Neville Southall would have been hard pressed to emulate. It was a flawed plan that didn't get punished.

And it's no good putting this City team on a pedestal and suggesting they couldn't be got at. Their last three games against Swansea, Celtic and Spurs tell you different.

 

[davek]

Time to make Williams captain.

He is captain mate. They just forgot to tell Jagielka and take the armband off him.

 

[davek]

We were an utter embarrassment in the second half of last season. Now we are looking more solid and harder to beat. Of course I want us to be more adventurous and to have more quality in the final third. But this will take time given how far we had fallen and the lack of funds given. But in short were in a better position than last season and look like we're on an upward trajectory. It's not looking as rapid as I'd hoped but it's at least progress.

I think we need to stop looking at last season and start judging the team this season.