Match Thread Everton v Aston Villa - Preview, Match Report & MotM Poll

[Barnfred 55]

Personally I don’t think a front 4 of DCL, Richy, Gordon and Gray works it’s too direct and we just lose the ball too much. We are massively missing someone with some composure that can control the ball behind the striker and create something. As good as Gordon, Gray and Richie are that isn’t really their game as they are more direct. I don’t think Richie works behind the striker either and to get the best out of Richie / DCL as a striker we need Gray and Gordon on the wings.

If only we had a left back who could be allowed to cross the half way line to swing over fantastic crosses, and an attacking midfielder with a wand of a left foot and the vision to pick out the runs of Richy, DCL and Gray. If only.

We have an excellent front 3 but not the ability to play play to their strengths.

 

[Evri]

Onyango , did anyone notice how this lad can’t jump at all , not sure what he has that he is offer a contract, he was lost , how he got chance instead of Gbamin I don’t know , I think Dunc with all those changes really dropped the ball

 

[Sadken]

We didn’t have one nice passing move through midfield to attack. Shocking. Dunc clearly not the man

And when we did have a break doucoures pass to richi was awful, sums up our midfield.

 

[PhilM]

Did you go to Norwich ?

This is utter nonsense, Three of the four defenders were dropped and Gordon was terrible at Norwich and deserved to be left out as well

I think this is where it's easy for people to say 'Coleman should have started etc.', but hindsight is a wonderful thing that really offers nothing meaningful.

Coleman was atrocious against Norwich like he's been in many other games , so pre-match I don't think many people would have been happy with him in the XI.

The same with Keane: Holgate is far, far from the answer, but pre-match would people have been pleased with him starting. I think we all know the answer.

Gordon is perhaps the only questionable decision, but maybe Norwich played a part and also he's physically not the greatest whereas Villa get stuck in.

In reality, yesterday too many of our players didn't perform (or looked half-hearted) and as a team they appeared to lack unity, cohesion and confidence.

There was more effort than in previous games and we had opportunities; yet, I personally felt we lacked that extra team-spirit and confidence up front wasn't there.

It was a winnable game where we unfortunately didn't step up and take our changes, which for me is a worry as I feel we lack that fight and guile.

Another poster on another thread talked about the Everton way... I think that's what we're missing in this squad.

 

[Blue Roo]

They weren’t even that good and yet were able to outplay us.

Dunc proved he isn’t a manager. He needs to leave if he ever wants to be one

That's just rubbish.
He's been in a good position to get experience. I'm sure he's picking up some precious dos and don'ts along the way
and working under Carlo would've been valuable.
Sure he needs more experience but he's worth the effort. He deserves that faith.
And unlike Carlo he won't walk away from this battle. And that's the attitude and belief that needs to come from somewhere

My dream scenario would be for Simone to come a year before the new stadium with an improved squad of a certain character.
Dunc as assistant and to follow on from Simone with roughly a decade between them, bringing titles back to the club.

Sure just dreaming, but why would you write him off now?

 

[Toffeelover]

Interesting that none of the new signings were in the squad. I don’t know if it was some sort of message or just that they genuinely aren’t ready or good enough.

I think the biggest mistake was going 4-4-2 but you can see from the team selection that he wanted to get the ball wide and get crosses in, the problem is that we just weren’t good enough and started to get overrun in midfield - we must go with 3 in midfield from now on.

Not having a settled defence is a problem but Dunc was absolutely right to make changes, including dropping Michael Keane but playing Godfrey at left back shows were we’re at. We’re a premier league club that play a centre back at left back - it’s unbelievable that we resort to this.


I’m positive the team will improve but it’s going to be a slog over the next 10 games or so.

Godfrey should have been with Mina not Holgate and Myko at Lb. Add to that for me Patterson should have been at RB. That was the big failing of Dunc's selection. Cannot understand what he was at at all.

Two FBs costing 30 mill and not used !!!!

 

[Toffeelover]

I think this is where it's easy for people to say 'Coleman should have started etc.', but hindsight is a wonderful thing that really offers nothing meaningful.

Coleman was atrocious against Norwich like he's been in many other games , so pre-match I don't think many people would have been happy with him in the XI.

The same with Keane: Holgate is far, far from the answer, but pre-match would people have been pleased with him starting. I think we all know the answer.

Gordon is perhaps the only questionable decision, but maybe Norwich played a part and also he's physically not the greatest whereas Villa get stuck in.

In reality, yesterday too many of our players didn't perform (or looked half-hearted) and as a team they appeared to lack unity, cohesion and confidence.

There was more effort than in previous games and we had opportunities; yet, I personally felt we lacked that extra team-spirit and confidence up front wasn't there.

It was a winnable game where we unfortunately didn't step up and take our changes, which for me is a worry as I feel we lack that fight and guile.

Another poster on another thread talked about the Everton way... I think that's what we're missing in this squad.

The whole choice of the back four was not right. What games has he been watching for the last couple of years ????

 

[Toffeelover]

That's just rubbish.
He's been in a good position to get experience. I'm sure he's picking up some precious dos and don'ts along the way
and working under Carlo would've been valuable.
Sure he needs more experience but he's worth the effort. He deserves that faith.
And unlike Carlo he won't walk away from this battle. And that's the attitude and belief that needs to come from somewhere

My dream scenario would be for Simone to come a year before the new stadium with an improved squad of a certain character.
Dunc as assistant and to follow on from Simone with roughly a decade between them, bringing titles back to the club.

Sure just dreaming, but why would you write him off now?

It did not show in the teamselection.

 

[Blue Roo]

Midfield. The ups and mainly downs are going to continue until it changes.

Dunc was forced to bring on an inured Alan and a 18yr old. That's where we are at.

 

[PhilM]

The whole choice of the back four was not right. What games has he been watching for the last couple of years ????

I agree. But, Patterson wasn't able to play and Mykolenko isn't ready, which meant we had no naturally left back and our right back options aren't great.

Ideally, I'd have preferred Mina and Keane next to each other even though the latter has been poor as in the long-term they've been our strongest option.

I would also have liked to have seen a 4-3-3; that was my biggest gripe from yesterday.

 

[Toffeelover]

I agree. But, Patterson wasn't able to play and Mykolenko isn't ready, which meant we had no naturally left back and our right back options aren't great.

Ideally, I'd have preferred Mina and Keane next to each other even though the latter has been poor as in the long-term they've been our strongest option.

I would also have liked to have seen a 4-3-3; that was my biggest gripe from yesterday.

I agree does this mean he is still in history land in tactics?

 

[Blue Roo]

It did not show in the teamselection.

Difficult one for any one to make, especially him. But don't think he should be condemned for it.
lets see where his team selection is in another 4-5 games.

I think the mistake he made was putting his biggest threats/biggest players (DCL and Richarlison) up front together.
Obviously bc that threat has been lacking. We've been losing games bc of it.

But by doing that you blind yourself to the balance needed, you don't address the midfield problem.
The problem at the moment is our best attacker Richarlison is also needed defensively in the midfield and to create width/draw defense laterally.
Villa's job was easier cause where they were defending Richarlison was defending where they needed to anyway, once they went a goal up.
For the moment I reckon Richarlison needs to playing LW

 

[Encoder]

Hopefully I see Cash in real life someday, I've got the perfect one liner for him

 

[billyblue80]

Midfield. The ups and mainly downs are going to continue until it changes.

Dunc was forced to bring on an inured Alan and a 18yr old. That's where we are at.

Midfield is a big big issue we only have two midfielders of required level and they're both injury prone too.. Arguably we need two midfielders. A all action DM and a number ten.

 

[BlueToff]

That's just rubbish.
He's been in a good position to get experience. I'm sure he's picking up some precious dos and don'ts along the way
and working under Carlo would've been valuable.
Sure he needs more experience but he's worth the effort. He deserves that faith.
And unlike Carlo he won't walk away from this battle. And that's the attitude and belief that needs to come from somewhere

My dream scenario would be for Simone to come a year before the new stadium with an improved squad of a certain character.
Dunc as assistant and to follow on from Simone with roughly a decade between them, bringing titles back to the club.

Sure just dreaming, but why would you write him off now?

I like Dunc, really like him, but he showed yesterday that he needs a bit more first-hand experience. The system didn't work yet he stuck with it, he played a 2 in midfield against Villa having 5 in there, we had one effort on target and all of our 'creativity' came from the wings which is a huge issue.

I'm not writing him off, but Everton have two weeks to get the new manager in, get a midfielder in and make sure they're set for the season to stay up.

Dunc isn't 35. He's 50. So he either makes the call to stay on as assistant (and I'd be all for that) or he moves on to cut his teeth in management elsewhere.