This is how bad it feels at the moment.

[TheDevils2001]

Well I'm sorry if I expect professional footballers to do the basics, I mean that's what they get paid for.

Seriously though your all expecting miracles when Arteta and Pienaar get back. It ain't going to happen. We have lost to Man U with a near full strength team.

Talk about negativity here, I agree Arteta & Pienaar won't necessary make miracles happen, but it would certainly increase our strength and our winning chances.

You are saying we lost to Man Utd with a near full strength team, are you joking?

You've got to be, today's match we are missing Jagielka in the heart of the defence, Billy & Pienaar out wide, Arteta in the middle pulling the strings and you are saying we were near full strength when we are missing three key midfielder and our best defender.

In thoery we have more than half of our key player, with Howard, Distin, Baines, Cahill, Saha, Yakubu, Billy, Neill, Heitinga, Rodwell available, we should be able to give a decent enough performance?

But I am sorry you guys are truely over optimistic or too negative, as far as I am concern when Pienaar, Arteta and Billy are missing our creativity capability are no more than 10~20% of our full capability.

Missing one key defender might not cause us major concern, but when we are missing two or more of our key midfielder, we could barely create a chance to win a game, never mind finding a equaliser.

We should be grateful for Saha and Yakubu who are capable of create chances out of nothing, otherwise believe me we would be worsen off than now.

 

[Neiler]

Maybe we would, and then maybe United like they have in the past raised their game to win.

You saw in the 2nd half, we started to play, but the frailities are there again. Jagielka isn't going to solve all our defensive problems. He may well calm the ship, but will he even get straight back in?

Arteta going to come into the middle and Pienaar on the wing, but then we still have to find a home for Fellaini, and Jo.

It's easy for those who believe injuries are our downfall to say so, but where you lot are chiming about that, I am looking at the players on the pitch and the basic errors they are making. They are Premier League footballers who should know better, and perhaps it would be nice to see them see this opportunity and take it, it's almost like they are just keeping the spot warm for when the players get back.

Its all well and good slating mate, but the current team have proven themsleves - unless the last two top 6 and 5 finishes and the trip to Wembly were a dream.

Fatiuqe is a factor as well, most of the team have been playing two games a week for the past 16 weeks, not to mention travel. Injuries and available players are going to impact on the starting 11, but also in terms of depth not being able to offer certain players who clearly need a breather (we all know who they are) a chance to recharge there batteries - theres only so many times you can go to the well.

In terms of availability the manager can only play certain systems to match the attributes of the players available. He also cant change it that much during a game - modern football is all about varience, adaptability and the timing of decision making - not only do injuries leave the team understrength, fatiuqed they also hamper our managers undoubted ability.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

Jagielka is comfortably our best centre back, having your best players usually improves you. Phil Neville is our best and most reliable defensive midfielder at this moment in time.

Arteta and Pienaar are our most technically gifted players and both are comfortable in possession. The majority of our problems come from not being able to retain possession.

Even Leon Osman, as hit and miss as he is, is a far better option than Gosling and Cahill outwide.

 

[davek]

You love blame don't you man.

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He's no Alan Irvine, that's for sure...

 

[chicoazul]

He's no Alan Irvine, that's for sure...

We played [Poor language removed] football under Irvine.

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[TX Bill]

Well I'm sorry if I expect professional footballers to do the basics, I mean that's what they get paid for.

Seriously though your all expecting miracles when Arteta and Pienaar get back. It ain't going to happen. We have lost to Man U with a near full strength team.

You just don't get it do you?

Your expectations are frankly off the charts with the current players that we can put out on the pitch.

That's your first mistake.

Then you apparently underestimate the strength of the opposition. In this case, Manchester United.

That's your second mistake.

You really need to go have a word with yourself if you expect the current Everton squad to compete with anyone right now much less the big 4.

The sooner you come to these realizations Ghost, the better off you'll feel.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

You just don't get it do you?

Your expectations are frankly off the charts with the current players that we can put out on the pitch.

That's your first mistake.

Then you apparently underestimate the strength of the opposition. In this case, Manchester United.

That's your second mistake.

You really need to go have a word with yourself if you expect the current Everton squad to compete with anyone right now much less the big 4.

The sooner you come to these realizations Ghost, the better off you'll feel.

I get it mate. Don't patronise me. Just don't need that at the moment.

I'm not expecting them to beat the arse of United, I expect them to compete, and in the first half they didn't do that at all. They stood off and hoofed the ball away. The look on Saha's face when he got mugged by 4 United players.

Please don't tell me about Everton mate, it's fairly patronising.

 

[chicoazul]

In short: just accept that were [Poor language removed] and you'll feel better.
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[Abraders]

3-0 was a flattering result if you ask me, especially because we played well in the second half and really deserved an equalizer. I think 2-0 or possibly 2-1 would have been a fairer result. A great opening goal and then 2 sloppy mistakes if you ask me, but oh well life goes on.

Certainly when we get our players back we should start creating and taking more chances. We need to play 4-4-2 against Hull but i've got a horrible feeling were going to hear "Yakubu out for xx weeks" after seeing him holding his ankle before and i think it's likely to be Jo and Saha upfront. But where does this leave our Midfield? Fellaini and Billy will be suspended so our midfield is going to look ridiculously unbalanced and weak, again.

Cahill, Rodwell, Heitinga, Gosling for a midfield... Brilliant, roll on Hull!
I think as long as we play football along the ground we will win very comfortably, that Midfield should be good enough to dispose of Hull.

 

[McBain]

I watched the game, and I dont get how Man U get so many players pressing so quickly, and have so much time in attack.

We just didnt want it bad enough today.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

3-0 was a flattering result if you ask me, especially because we played well in the second half and really deserved an equalizer. I think 2-0 or possibly 2-1 would have been a fairer result. A great opening goal and then 2 sloppy mistakes if you ask me, but oh well life goes on.

Certainly when we get our players back we should start creating and taking more chances. We need to play 4-4-2 against Hull but i've got a horrible feeling were going to hear "Yakubu out for xx weeks" after seeing him holding his ankle before and i think it's likely to be Jo and Saha upfront. But where does this leave our Midfield? Fellaini and Billy will be suspended so our midfield is going to look ridiculously unbalanced and weak, again.

Cahill, Rodwell, Heitinga, Gosling for a midfield... Brilliant, roll on Hull!
I think as long as we play football along the ground we will win very comfortably, that Midfield should be good enough to dispose of Hull.

2-0,2-1,3-0 is still a defeat mate.

If we had started the first half like we did the second, then maybe we could have done something. But we didn't.

2nd half we played well, passed it around and created chances. Injuries aside, we still passed it around well and created chances - whereas in the 1st half we just sat back and let them attack, and they never got out of first gear.

We just gave them too much respect too early on and United sounded us out.

 

[chicoazul]

We gave them far, far too much respect.
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[GhostOfDixie]

WW gave them far, far too much respect.
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As always we do. Injuries aside, with Arteta and Pienaar, we still always give them too much respect.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

I think we'd all love to agree with you, that would mean there was actually a way of getting out of this mess with the current players at Moyes' disposal.

Sadly, I don't think that is the case, we've tried different formations, different strikers, different back fours and about 8 midfielders have all tried to fill the gap in the middle of the park.

We are missing key players, players who make the difference. It's as simple as that really. Until we get those players back we will struggle through games and underperform.

The only advice I could offer Moyes at the moment is play Yakubu, and even then I think we'd still struggle.

 

[GhostOfDixie]

I think we'd all love to agree with you, that would mean there was actually a way of getting out of this mess with the current players at Moyes' disposal.

Sadly, I don't think that is the case, we've tried different formations, different strikers, different back fours and about 8 midfielders have all tried to fill the gap in the middle of the park.

We are missing key players, players who make the difference. It's as simple as that really. Until we get those players back we will struggle through games and underperform.

The only advice I could offer Moyes at the moment is play Yakubu, and even then I think we'd still struggle.

Do you think that's it? We have a pretty settled back 4 apart from Hibbert in and out, and I think Lucas Neill is a very good player who can pass. Definitely a push on Hibbert.

Yobo maybe out for Jags, but other than that it's the 4 you want.

I think our problems are lying with Fellaini who just doesn't do enough for the price we paid for him, so he's forever going to have the pressure upon him, and he's just not that player who can control a game.

So more often than not the game just passes him by.

Saha is a great talent and I don't think we are getting it into his feet quick enough.

What we need to do is what we did 2nd half and that is demand the ball and pass it around, instead of the desperate hoof. So with that in mind we didn't lose any players injured at half time, it was pretty much the same side bar 1 player, and we played some good football.

So yeah Arteta, Pienaar will help, but it's the mental block of playing these sides where we give them too much respect. Lesser quality teams have gone to Old Trafford and gave them a game, I think we have good players, and were capable today of doing so, we did that in the 2nd half - the goals we conceded were unfortunate.

I'm not saying injuries are not a concern, but we need to accept them and work with what we have. The fact that we did in the 2nd half to me proves that the players are - some fans though are not and use it as an excuse every time.