Post-Derby Blues...What are we missing?

[mkrudden]

So in the aftermath of another exhausting derby for players and fans alike, the question remains as to Everton can be healed from the inferiority complex they so obviously have in the battle of merseyside.

For the opening 25 minutes, the mighty blues were penned back, chasing shadows, and retrieving the ball from the back of the net on too may occasions. From the kick-off it was clear that Liverpool had a plan. They would keep possession at all costs, frustrate the crowd and look to the controversial Suarez as an outlet.

From the moment the first goal went in, a familar feeling of semi-depression, hurt and despair set in. Why this again? The moment the 2nd went in, with the surrounding supporters in shock, I physically stood up to shout, 'Wake Up Blues!'

Why was this happening again? I sincerely believe that squad to squad we are better. But football as we all know is not played on paper, and in derbies especially resiliance and mental strength count for just as much as technical brilliance.

Thankfully we did wake up, and we penned them back. Starting to believe, we used our outlet, the towering Fellaini to try and push the Liverpool defence further back to give some breathing space to the 'nifty' Osman and the disciplined Phil Neville. It worked, and with a flash we were all square.

Goodison Park stood together whenever Kevin Mirallas got the ball. With his dazzling step-overs, desire to beat his man and overall appreciation of what is needed to survive and succeed in a Derby, things started to look brighter.

Now the second half needs little explanation apart from a goal which should have been a goal and the fantastic celebration of Steven Gerrard, who literally lost some of my respect today for his classless reaction to his sides 'winner'.

What does need explanation, and/or opinion is what we need to start believing in ourselves and obtaining points when we are expected to including against the Kopites. Is it a particular player? A new system? The same system? A sports psychologist (my least favourite suggestion)?

I am a huge Moyes fan. I also think that 3 draws does nothing to dampen our fantastic start. But it cannot be denied that in the games that we need to win, such as against the kopites, we seem to go missing. We love the underdog tag. We love being against the world in defying odds. Today, I feel should have been the day we left behind the dogs of war tag, and in front of the watchful eye of Evertonians worldwide, began the 'era' of a positive, confident Everton Football Club.

I must reiterate I am not knee-jerking, today was a good point. But I just cant get rid of the feeling that this was an opportunity missed.

What are your thoughts fellow blues?

 

[kjb1994]

depressed tbh , a draw is a loss to me unless its vs city / chelsea / united / arsenal , everyone one else is non-acceptable , did well to get it back to 2-2 mind ... mirralas getting injured changed the game

 

[Ihaters]

I expect we could/would of done better if we were not missing Pienaar and Gibson, 2 very influential players so far this season, also don't forget they should of had at least one player sent off (who eventually scored the disallowed goal... scored off a free kick that never should of been given), and that we had an amazingly unmissable penalty shout missed by both the ref and linesmen.
Many derby's we have been poor or shown too much respect but in equal measure on many occasions we have been hammered by the ref.
This was no exception imo, that an unfair goal was scored and then disallowed for the wrong reason on the back of an unfairly given free kick doesn't mean we got the rub of the green to me.
Also Kev was looking quality till he got injured but that is then our first and backup left midfielders taken out unfairly when we needed them most (Pienaar should never of been sent off last game).
If any of this wasn't true it would probably sound very bitter I am sure but its all fact and one of the key ingredients we are missing is a lack of bad luck/poor refs.

 

[MartSlinger]

Luck. Luck is what we're missing.

 

[charlatan]

We are missing a central midfielder to go in alongside (hopefully) Gibson, and a manager to lose his inferiority complex to those horrible red [Poor language removed], and stop sending his team out ****ting themselves against them. They are no longer what they were in the 80's. They are a piss poor midtable side at best

 

[kenada_blue]

A proper defensive midfielder being that Fellaini looks like hes not gonna play there any time soon.

And I dont think theres a proper leader in the back 4

 

[Brennan]

We are missing a central midfielder to go in alongside (hopefully) Gibson, and a manager to lose his inferiority complex to those horrible red [Poor language removed], and stop sending his team out ****ting themselves against them. They are no longer what they were in the 80's. They are a piss poor midtable side at best

Not really sure what blame can be attributed to Moyes for today. With the exception of bringing Gueye on instead of Oviedo he set the team up in the best way possible and we were the better team overall imo.

If Mirallas had stayed on the pitch we would have won, Rodgers made the changes he did at half time because Mirallas was sh*tting on them.

 

[Del]

Our CM is lacking and with Gibson missing we have shown we are despreate for bodies

I honestly think they where there for the taking today and if Kev hadnt been injured I think we would have won, Playing Guaye was like being down to 10 men

Pienaar being out was a massive blow as him on one wing and Kev on the other could have caused them havoc

This is the worst Liverpool side I have seen in my life time and today proved it the Allen being like Xavi is laughable, Without Suarez I think they would struggle to beat anyone in this league

Last point, It was great to see Gerrard playing like a [Poor language removed], His days are long gone

 

[charlatan]

Not really sure what blame can be attributed to Moyes for today. With the exception of bringing Gueye on instead of Oviedo he set the team up in the best way possible and we were the better team overall imo.

If Mirallas had stayed on the pitch we would have won, Rodgers made the changes he did at half time because Mirallas was sh*tting on them.

Not so much blame for him today, it's his general attitude towards these games. Instead of playing things down in his press conference on Friday, I'd have preferred him to have said along the lines of "They are no longer the threat they were. We now have the players to more than compete with them, and will be looking to attack them from the off. We are after 3 points and nothing else".

Send those players out feeling 10 feet tall, not ****ting themselves waiting for the inevitable (like at Wembley and the way we were for the 1st 15-20 minutes)

 

[toffeejack]

Not really sure what blame can be attributed to Moyes for today. With the exception of bringing Gueye on instead of Oviedo he set the team up in the best way possible and we were the better team overall imo.

If Mirallas had stayed on the pitch we would have won, Rodgers made the changes he did at half time because Mirallas was sh*tting on them.

Rodgers made a massive blunder by shutting up shop before seeing if mirallas would come back onto the pitch for the 2nd half. He sort of bottled it big time, moyes style, hope he has plenty of derby's to come if he's not going to go for the kill when we are depleted. Agree with gueye > oviedo being the only mistake - i would have liked to have seen vellios given 10 mins at the end on for neville moving felli back though. Their keeper was very dodgy under crosses and with a bit more height up there maybe we could have snatched it, especially as we got a fair few free-kicks in dangerous positions at the end.

very good OP though, except when you said today was a good point - we're better than that now

 

[mawders]

To be honest, I am more pleased that the last 3 games in which we have been behind, we have each time come back. We should have won today, maybe might have done if Kev didn't have to go off. I can't blame moyes for bringing gueye on ahead of oviedo. Felli looked knackered after 70 mins.

And if Allen is a potential "30m player" as cod face keeps saying, then I must be worth 50m

 

[toffeejack]

Not so much blame for him today, it's his general attitude towards these games. Instead of playing things down in his press conference on Friday, I'd have preferred him to have said along the lines of "They are no longer the threat they were. We now have the players to more than compete with them, and will be looking to attack them from the off. We are after 3 points and nothing else".

Send those players out feeling 10 feet tall, not ****ting themselves waiting for the inevitable (like at Wembley and the way we were for the 1st 15-20 minutes)

Could end up with huge egg on his face if we lose after he says that though. mourinho is a class act and can get away with such things because of what effect his words say/better teams. When benetiz called us a small club it was totally uncalled for, i think we and maybe moyes know deep down the RS are not an immediate threat to us atm, but it would be a bit below us to say such stuff

 

[charlatan]

Could end up with huge egg on his face if we lose after he says that though. mourinho is a class act and can get away with such things because of what effect his words say/better teams. When benetiz called us a small club it was totally uncalled for, i think we and maybe moyes know deep down the RS are not an immediate threat to us atm, but it would be a bit below us to say such stuff

You may be right. We need to start doing something different against them though. As bad as they are, we were lucky that their goal was rightly or wrongly disallowed. Yes, he shouldn't have been on the pitch for those two awful tackles on Mirallas and Distin, but when have we ever got decisions against these pricks?

Thought we were awful the last 15 minutes, and there was only one team that were gonna score (no doubt partly due to their pact with satan lol)

 

[Paul_Mc7]

What are we missing... money, as far as I'm concerned. If we had that, we could buy some players with a big reputation that don't feel pressure in games like this.

But at the end of the day, we are forced to battle stagnation while them lot across the park are constantly given a chance to reinvent themselves (and fail every time).

 

[Joey66]

TBH the centre of defence is shaky who ever plays there - Duffy & Jags would be a better combination - Distan does some good things but then he spoils it with poor passes! Duffy did nothing wrong in the 5-6 games he played in the first team last season he needs to get a chance sooner than later JH looks so slow when playing this season!