Arsenal v Everton. Tuesday 1st February @ 19.45.

[Matt Damon]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger defended Fabregas by saying: "I was next to Cesc Fabregas at half-time. I don't see why you can be furious with him. I talked to the referee and that was in a polite and calm way, you can ask the referee.

"He didn't speak to the referee, Cesc Fabregas, at half-time; I spoke to the referee. If you have the film, you can check. I spoke to the referee," Wenger insisted.

Arse twitching from the Frenchman there.

 

[ToxtethBlue]

I thought the decision to swap Arteta and Rodwell was a bad one and we struggled to get a grip of the game after 65 minutes. I didn't understand, we had a nice balance, and had more than matched them in the first half.

I probably enjoyed that game more than most this season, which says it all really. We still got beat, and the same old problems keep coming back to haunt us. We are ****, basically.

 

[Muggins]

Didn't catch all of it dude, not great Ebepton viewing. A classic tale of 2 halves huh? What did you make of it?

If we were 2 nil down and got one back, it would have somehow been easier to take.....weirdly. Just felt we could have taken a point at the very least after the first half

Yeah disappointed here as well mate. Shame really.

The thing that miffed me off the most was at full time. 'the only player who came close enough to the away fans and clapped us was johnny heitinga!! Everyone else just sodded off down the tunnel. Evertons away support is fantastic, we deserve better from the players, as all the fans got right behind them tonight, a bit of acknowledgement would of showed some solidarity...

Just thinking out loud though...

 

[RFUS]

Yeah disappointed here as well mate. Shame really.

The thing that miffed me off the most was at full time. 'the only player who came close enough to the away fans and clapped us was johnny heitinga!! Everyone else just sodded off down the tunnel. Evertons away support is fantastic, we deserve better from the players, as all the fans got right behind them tonight, a bit of acknowledgement would of showed some solidarity...

Just thinking out loud though...

I'm starting to warm to Heitinga again and I hate it.

 

[ColinFeehily]

good first half.
saha top class
fellaini and coleman good again
arteta good in first half but dipped in second

i think everton dont have enough of a cutting edge, like someone to run in behind the defence and get them turned. Louis is great at coming short and holdin the ball up, could do with someone running in behind him when he comes short after the defence is dragged out. just makes it easier for defenders to stop attacks when its just louis up top with his back to goal. thats what i felt was missing tonight

 

[Brownie]

I thought the decision to swap Arteta and Rodwell was a bad one and we struggled to get a grip of the game after 65 minutes. I didn't understand, we had a nice balance, and had more than matched them in the first half.

I probably enjoyed that game more than most this season, which says it all really. We still got beat, and the same old problems keep coming back to haunt us. We are ****, basically.

It was a strange one. Struck me as a 'we need to change something here' thought and then not knowing what to do so trying any old ****.

 

[Muggins]

I think we just weren't fit enough in the end. Arsenal had better control on the skiddy surface they're used to. We had some chances, Arsenal got us on a mistake, and an unmarked header.

Fellaini was all over the field. No wonder he was knackered. He truly is an amazing player. Did make one of 2 errors just like everyone else really, plus, I'm not sure if moyes' substitutes disrupted things, it's hard to say, ifs and buts etc.

We really need to win against Blackpool. That would be great.

 

[TX Bill]

Just finished watching the replay here in the States. I paused at halftime to tuck the kids in and my wife asked how we were doing. I told her we were one up at halftime to which she replied "Oh good" to which I replied, "It's Arsenal. We'll probably end up losing 2-1 or 3-1." I hate being right.

Can't pin this on any one thing. Both their goals were weak but at the same time, they could have a could others as well so no complaints. Saha was off on the Coleman pass and probably should have been flagged.

The one thing that I saw which was HUGE difference between the two teams was the movement off the ball in the final third. Arsenal players were making runs and giving their player with the ball multiple options. When we had the ball, our players often times would just stand and look at the player with the ball or at most, we had ONE person showing for it or making a run. And we wonder why we don't create a lot of chances in the box or why it's been so tough for us this year in relation to scoring.

Really just disappointed with our results. At the end of the day, we only have five wins this season.

Five.

Think about that for awhile.

 

[spikeman]

Just finished watching the replay here in the States. I paused at halftime to tuck the kids in and my wife asked how we were doing. I told her we were one up at halftime to which she replied "Oh good" to which I replied, "It's Arsenal. We'll probably end up losing 2-1 or 3-1." I hate being right.

Can't pin this on any one thing. Both their goals were weak but at the same time, they could have a could others as well so no complaints. Saha was off on the Coleman pass and probably should have been flagged.

The one thing that I saw which was HUGE difference between the two teams was the movement off the ball in the final third. Arsenal players were making runs and giving their player with the ball multiple options. When we had the ball, our players often times would just stand and look at the player with the ball or at most, we had ONE person showing for it or making a run. And we wonder why we don't create a lot of chances in the box or why it's been so tough for us this year in relation to scoring.

Really just disappointed with our results. At the end of the day, we only have five wins this season.

Five.

Think about that for awhile.

Very good point. I remember sometime in the second half, Bily had the ball in the final third and was standing wauting for someone to make a run. Saha was near him with a perfect lane to make a run through, yet he just stood in the same place, giving Bily no options and as a result he lost the ball. Then Saha put his hands on his head like he was mad at Bily.

 

[Kay20]

1) First, those announcers stroked Arsenal the whole damn game and acted like we were a bunch of postmen thrown together that happened to wander by the pitch. I HATED IT. If they said one more time "Arsenal should beat teams like these" I was going to put a foot through my tv. Although they finally deigned to give credit at the end of the first half "Everton are better than their record." ARGH. This is why I couldn't support the sky 4 teams - bunch of arrogant snobs. Seriously - last time I checked the EPL had TWENTY teams in it.

2) Fellaini. BOSS. He looked like a flippin' GIANT out there running down them shortie Arsenal players in midfield. Beyond that, the whole team looked more physical than Arse in general. Baines also was awesome. And you know, I'm starting to warm to Heitinga too - I love it when he gets feisty. We do indeed need that sometimes.

3) I think Bily just played his way back to the bench.

4) Beckford should have been on - his pace would have been welcome in the final 20 when we were literally overrun and Saha had clearly run out of gas. We looked tremendously slow in the last part of the game. We are still in bad need of pace - especially versus a team like Arsenal.

But we held our own, and yet again, showed up. I'm proud of our heart, and I wanted to stomp on the damn Arsenal dogpile after the second goal. sfksjfsjfksdfksfkjskdfjsdf

Now - Blackpool. Can we show up please?

Oh, and 5) Interesting that Jags took the armband over Arteta at the end.

 

[daz4matty]

We threw it away again, just as we have too many times this season. What the hell happened to our defence, a few seasons back we were impossible to score against, now we can't keep a clean sheet. We fell apart in the second half.

Bang on we cannot defend a lead we just dont have the belief,once we get a goal up we go into shock.Pienaar was missed and we all know it bily is not the answer.Losing there is no great shock but only 5 wins after 24 games i think it could be our time to drop its in the stars.

 

[Summerskin]

As soon as it went to 1-1, we all knew what would happen.

That is all.

 

[toffeebhoy]

As soon as it went to 1-1, we all knew what would happen.

That is all.

a sign we are in the s**t big time ...previous seasons we would hav kept going and always had a chance to nick something not now !!!!
i was happy with the 1st half , we r 1 up away to arsenal showin committment and some skill and then BANG

what was that 2nd half all about it was embarrassing for both players and coaches

yes the majority of the blame lay at at the feet of the players but personally when you get tactics and subs like we seen in the second half it isolates DM and he has to take the rap

 

[nevsonlymate]

Went to the match last night and as on hear heard so many differing opinions in the crowd,Billy was good,Bily was bad,Ossie should come on Ossie should be shot,best one though Gueye is crap and not good enough to be put on at lh midfield.
As with many thought it was only a matter of time before we conceeded then lost,can any one recall their keeper make a save in the whole 90 mins.Thought the defence on the whole played pretty solid and had to cope with the extra runners from their midfield which ous didn't pick up.Think we matched their midfield in the centre of the pitch with some quick one touch stuff but the main difference is that they move forward to the penalty area with players moving forward vfor options while we mostly go side ways mainly towards Bains or even backwards for the inevetable long ball
How many times in a game do any of our midfield players make a run into the box from open play,how many times did we hit a long high ball from the back to Saha and no one was running on to try and make the knock down,you may say that Cahill does that but as he was missing what is the point of playing that way if hes not their?.Rodwell lined up to play the front runner but then was told to follow Fabregas around like a sheep dog so we lost that part of our attacking game as Arteta just wont attack the box.
Bily to me isn't quick enough for the prem,quick feet at times looks the part then either gets caught with it or off loads it into the centre and stands still,never attacks the box or looks to run and shoot maybe lack of pace is holding him back.Coleman has had a decent season but have noticed as in last night and Saturdays game he hasn't got the confidence to attack a full back whos got any pace.Last point very dissapointed with alot of the team after last nights game,Chelsea as a team came over to applaud their supporters our lot couldn't get off the pitch quick enough.

 

[Robert Jarvis]

Watched the whole game until the stream wnet down with about 20 mi9nutes to go.

We were ahead at half time from a very fortuitous goal otherwise we never troubled their goalie the whole game. To me no doubt Fellaini was awesome but not supprted very well by Arteta or Rodwell. Saha did well upfront but clearly could have done with support from another front runner. Bily was terrible and will not be a second Pienaar so why does Moyes keep getting playing wide. and Coleman tried hard but lacked IMO support from Neville. Bily should have been subbed before half time or just after and get Beckford on to link up with Saha.

After half time we seemed to sit back and allow them to pressure us, why. This is why we should have more options upfield to discourage their defence coming forward and yes it was only a matter of time until we conceded. I did not agree with the subbing that was made either, fancy putting Osman on when we needed Beckford in place of Bily. I also thought that the Heittinga/Distin partnership was not working well, seemed to me to many times a big gap was between them.

One last point and this concerns Howard, why when ever he has the ball does he have to hoof it upfield and we lose possession, surely there are times when it is better to throw out to one of the backs and keep the ball. Basic goal keeping sense to me. At the rate he is going on would never even rank him better than Andy Rankin.