Match Thread Arsenal v Everton. 24th Oct at 1730.

[Khalekan]

I thought we started off well, we appeared to stifle them and we're looking to break.
20mins and keeping a clean sheet usually is a good marker against any team away from home.
The killer is after all the good work...bang 2 poorly defended goals, which certain parties have to take the blame.
We then get a goal back and hopes are raised again.
In the second half we looked a more positive outfit and pushed Arsenal all the way, this was proven by the two defensive substitutions they made.
In the end Arsenal deserved the win

A few points
People use Arsenals mid week game as being a negative that we should jump on the back off, I think the opposite a win against BM is going to have you brimming with confidence
Galloway appears to be this weeks scapegoat, the KID had another good defensive game, attacking isn't his best attribute but he is a CM so it shouldn't be expected
People talk about going for it from the start, if there is one team you try to stifle and annoy it has to be Arsenal. If you go for it from the start most times they will pull you to pieces, and game over quickly.
If people think we should be getting points from Arsenal away, I think you need to look at the history books.

No qualms over the way we played, if you take the 90seconds of madness out of it

I agree time for TH to be dropped.....

Good post in general but I don't get the bit about Galloŵay being "scapegoated".

There were a few misinformed comments about his performance but they were quickly debunked by plenty of fellows.

 

[Lowste]

Good post in general but I don't get the bit about Galloŵay being "scapegoated".

There were a few misinformed comments about his performance but they were quickly debunked by plenty of fellows.

I was getting at the ones who singled him out

 

[Toffeelover]

I thought we started off well, we appeared to stifle them and we're looking to break.
20mins and keeping a clean sheet usually is a good marker against any team away from home.
The killer is after all the good work...bang 2 poorly defended goals, which certain parties have to take the blame.
We then get a goal back and hopes are raised again.
In the second half we looked a more positive outfit and pushed Arsenal all the way, this was proven by the two defensive substitutions they made.
In the end Arsenal deserved the win

A few points
People use Arsenals mid week game as being a negative that we should jump on the back off, I think the opposite a win against BM is going to have you brimming with confidence
Galloway appears to be this weeks scapegoat, the KID had another good defensive game, attacking isn't his best attribute but he is a CM so it shouldn't be expected
People talk about going for it from the start, if there is one team you try to stifle and annoy it has to be Arsenal. If you go for it from the start most times they will pull you to pieces, and game over quickly.
If people think we should be getting points from Arsenal away, I think you need to look at the history books.

No qualms over the way we played, if you take the 90seconds of madness out of it

I agree time for TH to be dropped.....

This is correct so why was Garbutt allowed to go out on loan, I thought it was wrong at the time. Surely would have been better for Galloway to be on loan to strengthen him for a CB role. Any sign of when Leighton will be back?

 

[Toffeelover]

One has also to ask what was the point of bringing Kone on at the 89th minute?

 

[Lowste]

This is correct so why was Garbutt allowed to go out on loan, I thought it was wrong at the time. Surely would have been better for Galloway to be on loan to strengthen him for a CB role. Any sign of when Leighton will be back?

i think for me Galloway is mor accomplished as a LB than Garbutt, Hence Garbutt going on loan.

 

[JelavicBrate]

How much effort have the Real Sociedad boys being putting in lately?

Again I never said I was a big DM fan and also with the exception of 2007/2008 when he had Yakubu and Johnson playing well we never really had decent strikers. Look at the bench last night, all of the players were quality players who could make a difference, perhaps with the exception of Osman. We have the best team I've seen in years, so I do expect better from the players and the manager.

 

[Steve Wigan]

Again I never said I was a big DM fan and also with the exception of 2007/2008 when he had Yakubu and Johnson playing well we never really had decent strikers. Look at the bench last night, all of the players were quality players who could make a difference, perhaps with the exception of Osman. We have the best team I've seen in years, so I do expect better from the players and the manager.

You've kind of answered your own query there. The reason our bench is stronger now is because Martinez has created that situation. It must never be forgotten that Martinez team is very much a work in progress and personally I don't expect optimum results for a season or more...by which time I expect that the personell will have improved even more, with even greater competition for places.If we are only going to lose to top four teams this season, we will have a good shout for Europa Cup qualification. Our real aim should be that we don't drop points against teams in the bottom half.

 

[Toffeelover]

You've kind of answered your own query there. The reason our bench is stronger now is because Martinez has created that situation. It must never be forgotten that Martinez team is very much a work in progress and personally I don't expect optimum results for a season or more...by which time I expect that the personell will have improved even more, with even greater competition for places.If we are only going to lose to top four teams this season, we will have a good shout for Europa Cup qualification. Our real aim should be that we don't drop points against teams in the bottom half.

In view of the last two games Steve, how confident are you about this.

 

[Toffeelover]

Int the times today is a photo of Giroud scoring, with 5 Everton players around him, none getting anywhere near the height required to compete for the header. Do we not have any CBN's who get can jump and head a cross away.

 

[ToffeeDoug]

Int the times today is a photo of Giroud scoring, with 5 Everton players around him, none getting anywhere near the height required to compete for the header. Do we not have any CBN's who get can jump and head a cross away.

Not until Mori came on.

 

[Toffeelover]

Not until Mori came on.

That Mate is a sad indictment of our defence. To me it also makes it a bit of a nonsense when there is so much clamour over Stones who can't jump and head, it appears.

 

[Toffeelover]

I did not see it, but what did RM say in the post match interview?

 

[Steve Wigan]

In view of the last two games Steve, how confident are you about this.

The last two games against potential title winners? I'm confident we have a good shout for top six...the next three or four games will either increase my confidence, or deflate it!. We need to be emulating Spurs result at Bournemouth today, which got them 3 points and a nice boost to their goal difference. We have the squad to get consistently good results against poorer teams, we just need to make it happen.

 

[Carlito]

The most annoying thing about yesterday was the fact that they didn't think it was worth having a proper go until Barkley's shot fluked in.

Decent effort in the second half, but the movement off the ball is still woeful.

 

[Steve Wigan]

This.

After a shaky start we had started to get on top and then out of absolutely nothing they are gifted a goal.

How often is this happening these days?

As someone else said, we could live with them having to work to create the kind of gpals they beat United with but it is just depressing when we gift wrap them a goal.

A lot of goals described as ;gifts' are not gifts at all...they're the natural result of a team being on the back foot for a long period and defending deeper and deeper, or conceding set pieces.