2020/21 Carlo Ancelotti

[BlueToff]

thats what annoys me the most about that. They scored a lucky goal.
However at no point did our tactics change. The entire game we stayed with no width, no creativity, no change of plan.

I just don’t get what the plan was at all. That concerns me most of all. No need to have so many players who have no creativity on the pitch. That loss just undoes all the good work we have done winning games we weren’t expected to. In proper Everton fashion. Nothing had changed

Yep, same here Andy.

That IS on Carlo and Davide and Dunc, though. It's on the management team.

Does not excuse a crap performance from the players but you can't keep the same system and shape and expect things to change.

It clearly wasn't working. But you can't expect it to change if you just switch out personnell. If the system isn't working, it doesn't matter who plays.

 

[andy4efc]

Yep, same here Andy.

That IS on Carlo and Davide and Dunc, though. It's on the management team.

Does not excuse a crap performance from the players but you can't keep the same system and shape and expect things to change.

It clearly wasn't working. But you can't expect it to change if you just switch out personnell. If the system isn't working, it doesn't matter who plays.

Yep.

Could see Richy and James were coming in from the right (and Bernard too) as if we had noraml attacking full backs and roles in place. Usually Digne would be high up and have acres, which I get and I'm fully behind. Surely if we're putting Godfrey there, Richy neeeds to stay wide? Obviously we've been forced to play a flat 4 CB's due to injuries, but surely tactics adjust.

Either that, or keep the same system and play the young lad who has been very bright in all his appearances, one of whom was against West Ham in the cup. Niels could have blossomed in this game. WHU offered little going forward for the majority, Richy as bad as he was kept coming in and leaving so much space wide.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Yep, same here Andy.

That IS on Carlo and Davide and Dunc, though. It's on the management team.

Does not excuse a crap performance from the players but you can't keep the same system and shape and expect things to change.

It clearly wasn't working. But you can't expect it to change if you just switch out personnell. If the system isn't working, it doesn't matter who plays.

The system had worked for four games. It wasn’t working so we changed from 4231 to 433 when James and Gomes came on.

After a while the system is a bit irrelevant. Players couldn’t find passes, they didn’t tackle, shoot, or pass with conviction, they just weren’t up for it, and the ones who were at the beginning got dragged down to the level of the fodder. Doucoure started the game well but by the end looked a nervous wreck but I don’t blame him because we were on a 4 game winning streak but instead of starting with conviction the likes of Davies Coleman Siggurdson and Richarlison came out like a gang of cowards and started giving the ball away a lot. That just spread though the whole team.

 

[hktoffee]

For me they slow things down as a mix of skill and unfamiliarity with the system and their teammates. Add in the system has massive holes in possession at each fullback and you're in trouble.

Seems to be a problem. Don’t think Coleman has enough pace now to do that. So I rather keep the four cb for now until Digne is back.

 

[messymascot]

I don't blame Ancelotti for sticking with Godfrey at left back but it means we have no one over lapping on the left side. Defensively we've been solid and the goal was unlucky but today we needed more going forward. The longer it went the less likely we seemed to score.

 

[BlueToff]

Yep.

Could see Richy and James were coming in from the right (and Bernard too) as if we had noraml attacking full backs and roles in place. Usually Digne would be high up and have acres, which I get and I'm fully behind. Surely if we're putting Godfrey there, Richy neeeds to stay wide? Obviously we've been forced to play a flat 4 CB's due to injuries, but surely tactics adjust.

Either that, or keep the same system and play the young lad who has been very bright in all his appearances, one of whom was against West Ham in the cup. Niels could have blossomed in this game. WHU offered little going forward for the majority, Richy as bad as he was kept coming in and leaving so much space wide.

Honestly mate, I think we'd have been far better playing the flat four today.

Keane should have played imo, but more because that flat four of the CBs works. With Coleman on one side, we lack balance - we're lopsided - and West Ham simply shifted from side to side and doubled up.

I think that's Carlo's first mistake.

And then fully agree with you that the next mistakes are the changes. It's just like for like. Sure, James is better than Bernard and Gomes did okay when he came on, but they're still in the same places on the pitch.

West Ham simply matched us up out of possession, and Carlo did nothing to rectify it.

Instead of that Tosun change, he could have gone to Gordon or, as you say, Niels. Niels gives us balance - two actual full-backs on the pitch - and could push Richarlison inside while still retaining the basics of a 4-3-3.

Gordon would have given us the ability to go 4-4-2. Doucoure and Gomes would have been fine in there for 10 minutes, and we'd have had a proper front two.

Baffling decisions by the manager and his staff.

He's brilliant, they're brilliant, but they have to be called out when they get it wrong.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Yep, same here Andy.

That IS on Carlo and Davide and Dunc, though. It's on the management team.

Does not excuse a crap performance from the players but you can't keep the same system and shape and expect things to change.

It clearly wasn't working. But you can't expect it to change if you just switch out personnell. If the system isn't working, it doesn't matter who plays.

Not a huge believer in systems being the main thing. Obviously a really bad system won't work, like wing backs with Iwobi on the left.

But we just weren't aggressive or athletic enough tonight and that meant we had no time on the ball to show any quality either. The first half set the trend and we couldn't get out of our lethargic mindset. We almost looked complacent.

We will continue to lose games when we have average players but this is a sore one. We should be moving on with a point and ensuring we don't lose.

 

[BlueToff]

Seems to be a problem. Don’t think Coleman has enough pace now to do that. So I rather keep the four cb for now until Digne is back.

Yep, it completely lacks balance with Coleman one side and Godfrey the other.

It also opens up space on the break for teams,not that West Ham exploited it today.

The flat four just gives a platform. It stops players getting bogged on top of each other.

 

[zukai12_]

Stinker of a match today, but, we have just come off 4 straight wins

As long as we avoid a spiral like earlier in the season we should be okay

But, can't afford many more results like this if we want Europa

 

[BlueToff]

Not a huge believer in systems being the main thing. Obviously a really bad system won't work, like wing backs with Iwobi on the left.

But we just weren't aggressive or athletic enough tonight and that meant we had no time on the ball to show any quality either. The first half set the trend and we couldn't get out of our lethargic mindset. We almost looked complacent.

We will continue to lose games when we have average players but this is a sore one. We should be moving on with a point and ensuring we don't lose.

Aye I agree mate but we definitely played a system today.

It was 4-4-2 out of possession - like it has been - and in possession was this 4-3-3, except the midfield was made up of Davies sitting and Gylfi and Doucoure pushed high and wide when we had the ball - and a massive gap in the middle.

So easy to deal with. It's schoolboy stuff. Just sit deep and there's nowhere for them to go. Also means our wingers are pushed really wide, and it's then compounded by them having an off day.

 

[atypicalusername]

In Carlo we trust. Even after today we are still lucky to have him at the helm.

 

[DanB90]

That game had stalemate or scrawpy goal written all over it from 5 minutes in. Unfortunately, the luck didn’t go our way.

 

[ForeverBlue92]

Toshun
Davies
Siggurdsson
Coleman
Bernard

Just how are this lot still getting in the starting 11?

The dross just never seem to be moved on.

 

[milto]

This season will be streaky and stuttering. We have a squad of very very stupid players. Only a few have a footballing brain. Maybe Holgate, maybe Godfrey, Digne does, Allan, James, probably DCL that’s about it. The rest look completely thick and need a rigid tactical system to stop them from completely messing everything up. Teams eventually figure out tactical systems though so you have to change to keep it fresh and for us to get wins.

Carlo can’t just do what Klopp Pep or Ole can do and throw 11 players out who will solve their own problems on the pitch and find answers. Most of our players make problems for our team and make very very stupid decisions all the time.

Until these players are moved on and better ones brought in then we’re probably going to see these runs of good performances interrupted with horrendous ones. The players can’t manage themselves, they can’t deal with problems, and they’ve generally got a very poor lazy attitude. It feels like unless Carlo is always telling them exactly what to do they just completely capitulate.

Blood from a stone with this squad. Always has been, always will be until the same few clowns are shown the door.

This is brilliant. And I think, 100% accurate.

 

[hktoffee]

Yep, it completely lacks balance with Coleman one side and Godfrey the other.

It also opens up space on the break for teams,not that West Ham exploited it today.

The flat four just gives a platform. It stops players getting bogged on top of each other.

Is the problem earlier in the season.