Match Thread Everton v Brighton - Preview, Match Report & MotM Poll

[roy vernon]

…I don’t think we sat back on purpose, Brighton did what they do to lots of teams, even City struggled against them after half-time. I’m sure Dyche would’ve liked to play more in their half but we don’t have that quality in possession.

I actually think Brighton would still be struggling to score if they’d not got a stuffy deflection. Dyche did well to keep the team so organised, he can only work with what he has at his disposal.

I think we did sit back on purpose, once Brighton equalised we all of a sudden managed to get out our own half. I expect little more from a Dyche team and I am grateful for the point, which we certainly didn't deserve. Young was struggling from the start of the second half, Minamota was absolutely skinning him and yet he was still on the pitch in the last few minutes of the game.

 

[nsno-chris]

Missed the game today was a draw a fair result?

Yes, I’ll sum up the game

10 men behind the ball for 80 minutes with the odd counter

 

[andy4efc]

Missed the game today was a draw a fair result?

I would say so.

Irritating that we didn't get 3 because of a freak goal, but it is what it is.

 

[andy4efc]

I think we did sit back on purpose, once Brighton equalised we all of a sudden managed to get out our own half. I expect little more from a Dyche team and I am grateful for the point, which we certainly didn't deserve. Young was struggling from the start of the second half, Minamota was absolutely skinning him and yet he was still on the pitch in the last few minutes of the game.

We absolutely deserved a point. Sitting back was tactical, and was working an absolute treat. Mitoma seemed to play much, much wider in the seocnd half and managed to latch on to young. First half, he was on the inside forward position, meaning Young really had to deal with Milner a fair bit.

It was tactically absolutely fine and if it wasn't for a huge slice of luck for them we'd have got all three. Dyche not making changes like he likes not too meant we we had so little in the final 15-20mins to try and kill the game.

 

[brian labone]

Dyche did what he always does whether home or away, defend,. defend, defend and hope for a breakaway to try and score a goal.

 

[Tony’s Carp]

I get that after the last few years as a fanbase we are completely in bits and are going to desperately pour over every detail of every result. But I think, as cliche as it is, sometimes things just are what they are and there's no point really worrying about them. Today's result feels a bit like that to me.

We had a gameplan, we got the goal, we tried to defend the lead like most teams would against Brighton. We were undone by a deflection not really by our own bad play.

A draw is a fine, and probably deserved, result. Nothing I can really get worked up about either way. 6 points away from the relegation zone, in a pack of mid-table teams which is probably where we belong right now, not brilliant but broadly OK.

 

[Rita_Poon]

11 points, 6 clear of 18th, 29 points to go. 6 minutes + stoppages from another win. We had the better and the most of the chances, for their 80% possession they did very little with it. Impressive how they've had a lot of players plucked from their ranks and they've been pretty seamless in traversing new faces in to cover roles and style of play.

 

[Tony’s Carp]

We absolutely deserved a point. Sitting back was tactical, and was working an absolute treat. Mitoma seemed to play much, much wider in the seocnd half and managed to latch on to young. First half, he was on the inside forward position, meaning Young really had to deal with Milner a fair bit.

It was tactically absolutely fine and if it wasn't for a huge slice of luck for them we'd have got all three. Dyche not making changes like he likes not too meant we we had so little in the final 15-20mins to try and kill the game.

This is what some people I've seen aren't getting. Soaking it up and trying to pounce on their mistakes isn't not trying to beat Brighton, it's precisely how you beat Brighton, and it resulted in 5 goals just a few months ago.

Losing to Brighton with 40-50% possession isn't more heroic.

 

[LEONARD]

It's pragmatic, and not very exciting to watch.

Pleased for our away fans who are probably seeing a more effective version of Everton at the moment.

Mid table, and a cup win would be a brilliant season, given the quality of our squad.

 

[ToffeeTim]

Frustrating end to the match. But probably didn't do enough to win. Not a bad result in the end and something more on the board.

We had opportunities to counter at 1 nil but lacked quality. Thats the main negative id say, more so than the tactics.

 

[Blue_in_london]

Would have enjoyed this game so much more if we had made more of our counters.

Its how we won 5-1 at theirs. Listening on radio sounded like we could have done so much more, in similar fashion, but bad decision making/poor movement on the breakaway cost us dearly in the end.

 

[bluejohn66]

Like many would of taken the point before the game. Shocking how much space Mitoma was given for their goal !! You didn't have to be Pep to realise that wing was were a goal was coming from !!

 

[PhilM]

We absolutely deserved a point. Sitting back was tactical, and was working an absolute treat. Mitoma seemed to play much, much wider in the seocnd half and managed to latch on to young. First half, he was on the inside forward position, meaning Young really had to deal with Milner a fair bit.

It was tactically absolutely fine and if it wasn't for a huge slice of luck for them we'd have got all three. Dyche not making changes like he likes not too meant we we had so little in the final 15-20mins to try and kill the game.

This is my biggest gripe about today. Brighton had a lot of the ball, yet for most of the game it wasn't used effectively. We looked comfortable holding them back.

However, as we tired, the gaps became bigger, which let them stretch us more and more. We weren't able to close down and make those blocks and tackles.

Mitoma kept drifting towards the byline, and it became obvious they were going to run at a tiring Young. Gana was blowing out of his arse too, which didn't help.

We got deeper and deeper into our half. Now as I said on Wednesday night, I suspect that Dyche's mentality was, "Why change a working thing?"

And I get this if you don't trust the players on the bench or whatnot compared to your first XI, but they were shattered. Their effectiveness waned by the minute.

Fresh legs could have allowed us to shore up the midfield and offer some form of outlay, which could have pushed Brighton further back from our goal.

For me, I'd have taken Dom off (who I thought did well based on little service) for Beto, and then dropped Docouré back and let Danjuma or Chermiti run.

Young needed moving from right back too, or at least pushing forward and letting Patterson drop in deep. It may not have made a difference, but leaving it didn't.

Dyche has done quite a few good things recently, as our form show, but today was two points most likely needlessly dropped because he's a rigid fool.

 

[andy4efc]

Would have enjoyed this game so much more if we had made more of our counters.

Its how we won 5-1 at theirs. Listening on radio sounded like we could have done so much more, in similar fashion, but bad decision making/poor movement on the breakaway cost us dearly in the end.

Sometimes a lack of numbers as well. DCL/Doucoure isolated alot of the time.

 

[andy4efc]

This is my biggest gripe about today. Brighton had a lot of the ball, yet for most of the game it wasn't used effectively. We looked comfortable holding them back.

However, as we tired, the gaps became bigger, which let them stretch us more and more. We weren't able to close down and make those blocks and tackles.

Mitoma kept drifting towards the byline, and it became obvious they were going to run at a tiring Young. Gana was blowing out of his arse too, which didn't help.

We got deeper and deeper into our half. Now as I said on Wednesday night, I suspect that Dyche's mentality was, "Why change a working thing?"

And I get this if you don't trust the players on the bench or whatnot compared to your first XI, but they were shattered. Their effectiveness waned by the minute.

Fresh legs could have allowed us to shore up the midfield and offer some form of outlay, which could have pushed Brighton further back from our goal.

For me, I'd have taken Dom off (who I thought did well based on little service) for Beto, and then dropped Docouré back and let Danjuma or Chermiti run.

Young needed moving from right back too, or at least pushing forward and letting Patterson drop in deep. It may not have made a difference, but leaving it didn't.

Dyche has done quite a few good things recently, as our form show, but today was two points most likely needlessly dropped because he's a rigid fool.

Completely agree mate. Tactically bang on, but players so tired.

If Onana has bene playing with a tight calf, why play him against Burnley? Today was more important always.

im in full faith had he brought fresh legs on at 70mins or so, we'd have seen it out.