Man City vs Everton... Match Report and MotM Poll...

[Barnfred 55]

...Holgate was terrific but made the blunder, has to be DCL.

I'm still of the view that our aspiration has to be to create against these teams, especially when down to 10 men and pushing forward. Breaking with tempo and in numbers is what the top teams do. A top side would've picked City off tonight but that didn't look likely.

I think Rooney isn't seeing games out and swapping him for Lookman might have given us more threat.

Fully agree with you mate. But as I said to you yesterday, I think our 3 hardest games of the season are coming at the wrong time for us. We have a lot of new offensive players who will take time to settle in, plus we really missed players like Ross, Bolasie and Seamus who thrive in counter attacking football. Sandro being injured didn't help our cause either.

Last season I was scathing of Koeman's tactics in the corresponding fixture, but tonight I don't think we had the personnel to play that way. Luckily we seem to be very solid so I think it's going to be a case of getting through the next set of games as best we can. I was encouraged by our first half performance against 11 men, and the team I believe will win the league this year.

Sometimes going down to 10 men galvanises a team and let's be honest, that City team is full of top drawer players.

I agree that he could have taken Rooney off with 15/20 left and put on Lookman to try and stretch the game. It probably wouldn't have left us any more exposed as Wayne was spent by that stage.

Lots of positives to take from it though. Pickford was upto the task again. I tipped Holgate to start and felt for the lad as he had a great game apart from their goal. Jags looked good as did Baines until both tired towards the end. Wayne showed his class again at times and Gana had his usual tireless game. But my MOM was DCL. I didn't expect him to let us down but the maturity and depth of his performance surprised me a bit and, as you know, I'm one of his admirers.

 

[BiggyRat]

Which one?

Walker? Undoubtedly soft. Was a foul, but don't think it warranted a second yellow.

Morgs? Utter joke, made no contact and got the ball.

Both second yellows were soft ......Bad referee .

Yeah, Morgs' second. Can't believe how these Refs aren't seeing the dives for what they're worth.

 

[Ring master]

Quite Happy with a draw despite them been down to 10,as how many times do 10 do better than 11-we just kept getting more back and looked like we would conceed in the end and sadly it happened late on,just needed that 2nd goal before city scored and it was game over,we could have even had a chance if besic sorted his feet out trying the backheal to lewin in injury time in the breakaway,Lewin did very well and if he didnt get brought down a few times when on the run we might have had more chances,-his work ethic was brilliant tonight and Everton defended very well,keeper no chance with the goal

 

[HongKongToffee]

Can't argue with a point away at City.

But the lack of pace is alarming.

With 10 men they still played the high line almost on their halfway line and we still couldn't take advantage.

Teams with pace in this division would have taken 3 points tonight and put them to the sword.

 

[john jako]

@MorgsGoat you voted for Besic four times lad

 

[Joey66]

at the end of day Joey, 1-1 at their place is ok. I think Holgate made an error that Cuco wouldn't have which probably cost us 2 points. Further, I suggest with Cuco playing, we would have got more than one goal.

With cu cu playing in the easy games it cost us tonight - Holgate not 100% switched on showing how to mark Sane off the pitch Cucu would have needed a camera to catch sight of Sane!

 

[Joey66]

@MorgsGoat you voted for Besic four times lad

Typicallol
hides his following page too

 

[a bell maul]

With cu cu playing in the easy games it cost us tonight - Holgate not 100% switched on showing how to mark Sane off the pitch Cucu would have needed a camera to catch sight of Sane!

Joey, you would have made a great archer; you certainly draw a long bow lol

 

[captainvindaloo]

DCL MOTM for me, but Holgate (other than the "assist" header), had an outstanding game and was in contention for it until that fateful moment. In the end, it was a disappointing result, but a result we would all have taken when we first saw the fixture list for this season (if you are honest with yourself).
As it stands, we are undefeated. The sense I get from the media and most other fans of other clubs I talk to is that we are no longer looked upon as a "plucky" little club. We are and will continue to be taken seriously.

To be Captain Obvious for a moment, we are not yet at full strength, and the team as a whole is still not entirely settled. RK is obviously trying to pick the right group for the job in hand, on a per match basis. There will be mistakes, there will be upsets, but as long as we can build on the experience of each game, then we can only get better.

As for today's game, (being Captain Vindaloo again), we are still not there when it comes to killing off teams and finishing a game. I would have preferred Lookman to come on rather than Klassen, as his pace would have been a handful for a tiring ten man team. Maybe the plan was to control the center mid area, but that was always going to be a challenge against the talent City had on the field. They needed to be stretched , and imho Lookman would have done that.

Pickford did well, again, but some of his dead-ball/clearance kicks leave a lot to be desired. His kicking from the hand is his strength, and could well lead to some assists as the season goes on. Jags had his best game in a long time, Williams was, well, Williams. Rooney was, well, not the winded, no legs Rooney a lot of people thought he would be. Too early to judge Gylfi, but it was good to see him getting some match experience with new teammates.

Foreign shores next and then the Chelski oligarch to face, so with that in mind, a 1-1 in both of those games will be all we need to keep us happy.

 

[Joey66]

Imagine if Cucu had made that header tho.

Double standards Joey.

He did one like that though - he has had match practice -Holgate chucked into a big game did brilliantly bar one mistake crucify him if you want hes ten times the player Cu Cu will ever be at full back - Cu Cu looks like a 2nd rate midfielder or a winger who can cross brilliantly , but can't beat a man?

 

[Runcornblue52]

Can't argue with a point away at City.

But the lack of pace is alarming.

With 10 men they still played the high line almost on their halfway line and we still couldn't take advantage.

Teams with pace in this division would have taken 3 points tonight and put them to the sword.

They are a top class side .........We are still trying to integrate players into the managers style of play.. Great result for us tonight !

 

[a bell maul]

He did one like that though - he has had match practice -Holgate chucked into a big game did brilliantly bar one mistake crucify him if you want hes ten times the player Cu Cu will ever be at full back - Cu Cu looks like a 2nd rate midfielder or a winger who can cross brilliantly , but can't beat a man?

Joey, you do realise Cuco didn't play today? There is a separate Cuco thread you know. It's a little odd to be discussing our Curacaon prince in a thread focussing on analysis of a match that he didn't even feature in.

 

[Runcornblue52]

He did one like that though - he has had match practice -Holgate chucked into a big game did brilliantly bar one mistake crucify him if you want hes ten times the player Cu Cu will ever be at full back - Cu Cu looks like a 2nd rate midfielder or a winger who can cross brilliantly , but can't beat a man?

Give the lad a break Joey. He 's only just joined us .

 

[Darth Toffeeman]

DCL MOTM for me, but Holgate (other than the "assist" header), had an outstanding game and was in contention for it until that fateful moment. In the end, it was a disappointing result, but a result we would all have taken when we first saw the fixture list for this season (if you are honest with yourself).
As it stands, we are undefeated. The sense I get from the media and most other fans of other clubs I talk to is that we are no longer looked upon as a "plucky" little club. We are and will continue to be taken seriously.

To be Captain Obvious for a moment, we are not yet at full strength, and the team as a whole is still not entirely settled. RK is obviously trying to pick the right group for the job in hand, on a per match basis. There will be mistakes, there will be upsets, but as long as we can build on the experience of each game, then we can only get better.

As for today's game, (being Captain Vindaloo again), we are still not there when it comes to killing off teams and finishing a game. I would have preferred Lookman to come on rather than Klassen, as his pace would have been a handful for a tiring ten man team. Maybe the plan was to control the center mid area, but that was always going to be a challenge against the talent City had on the field. They needed to be stretched , and imho Lookman would have done that.

Pickford did well, again, but some of his dead-ball/clearance kicks leave a lot to be desired. His kicking from the hand is his strength, and could well lead to some assists as the season goes on. Jags had his best game in a long time, Williams was, well, Williams. Rooney was, well, not the winded, no legs Rooney a lot of people thought he would be. Too early to judge Gylfi, but it was good to see him getting some match experience with new teammates.

Foreign shores next and then the Chelski oligarch to face, so with that in mind, a 1-1 in both of those games will be all we need to keep us happy.

Bolded 2 points.
The fans of Liverpool and United in the bar tonight both said we could threaten the top 4.

Klaassen was never going to make headway tonight. So far he has shown he is off the pace of this league. He has created some nice link up play so far but was always going to get over run by City midfield. Lookman would have been my prefence. We desperately needed pace to push them back as they squeezed us further into a defensive mode.

 

[Joey66]

Give the lad a break Joey. He 's only just joined us .

With no credentials why drop Holgate for three games when he played most of last season very well - a big ask to play him tonight RK ducked Cu Cu - quite rightly imo as he is not a very good defensive right back, great crosser of the ball so far and thats it v lesser teams!
Holgate was great just one mistake we got 1-1 happy with that tbh!