Match Thread Everton v Leeds United - Preview, Match Report and MotM Poll

[evertony]

Losers mentality.
Fragility.
Lack of fitness.
Average players.
Loss of identity.
No 12th man.
No leaders other than Coleman.
Reliance on certain players.
Too many passengers.

All rolled up with a seeming lack of an on-field plan simply leads to what we have now, have had for years and will have for years to come unless that set of criteria gets broken by somebody or something. In a word......



MEDIOCRITY.

 

[spectateur]

We had the ball in the net 3 times. Close decisions, bad luck.
You win some, you lose some.

 

[Dublin blue 75]

They were lucky there no fans there. 7pm on Saturday evening with a crowd having had an afternoons beer on board would have let them know their disgust. Not that some of them would care as they saunter out to their Bentleys but.

 

[evertony]

If Football really was like those computer games I think the only players I’d retain are:

Coleman
Holgate
Richarlison
Digne
Calvert-Lewin
Allan
Godfrey
Nkunkou
Doucore

And possibly Gordon and James.

The remainder are not good enough either technically or mentally.

Technically not good enough: Keane, Mina, Iwobi, Davies, Delph, Kenny, Tosun
Mentally not stable/tough/brave enough: Gomes, Sigurdsson, Bernard, Pickford,

 

[Tree13]

It galls me to say it, but Leeds were quite effective in their approach to the game. A couple of their players caught the eye (particularly Kalvin Phillips) but not having followed their progress this season I don't know to what extent they are good players, or just players that look good in Bielsa's system.

As for us... Godfrey will be kicking himself for causing a perfectly good goal to be scrubbed off for his offside. He just didn't think fast enough. And Rodriguez's effort was so narrow a decision that I can see why we'd all gripe about it going against us. Having said that, the mental fragility we display continues to worry: when these decisions go against you, you are supposed to redouble your efforts and push harder but too many of ours let their heads drop and allow their opposite number to get the upper hand. It's even worse when we go a goal down - you can see the life drain out of the less competitive members of the team in those instances. The lack of on-field leadership is part of the issue, but I think the better solution is to look at the psychology of potential transfer targets BEFORE we bring them in. At ANY level of competitve sport nothing is more frustrating than playing alongside mentally weak teammates, and a captain can only do so much to bolster people during play.

As always, we need to shift out several wage thieves and bring in players that are better than the current options in the starting 11. We simply don't have ANYONE on the bench (even with a fully fit squad) that can come on and make a positive difference.

 

[Lloydystark]

Another day we could of won but either way we were far to open and could of conceded more. Pickers did some smart saves and kept us in it, Davies put in a good ball which Doucoure nearly scored, goals ruled out, we were ok but ok ain’t good enough.

 

[Lloydystark]

I want to see Richy uptop with DCL, too many times Dom is isolated And you can just tell Richy wants the goals like a striker too. Next up we need crosses into Dom, we are proper wasting his Ariel ability not getting crosses in from the wings. James needs a free role. The defence I’m worried about and have no answers for

 

[Kenshin]

It was crap wasn't it?

I was expecting loads of goals either side and it could well have ended up like that so I guess we (and Leeds) are predictable.

It just feels like as soon as we are ready to kick on something holds us back again. Boss start then we lose Richy. Bad run then we don't have either full back.

We know we won't but replacing a few players in Jan would be a huge difference maker because we just don't have the players to be able to change tactics or afford to lose a player or two.

For what it's worth from yesterday, doucoure makes me love him more and more each week. Right now I think he is massively underrated by our fans. He just simplifies things, gets around and makes the right pass forward each time. He might not be world class but he gives us something we haven't had in years

 

[deipnosophist]

Google is only as accurate as those inputting the info, D, and probably by an American cousin or two who, as we all know, tend to put their own slant on the language.

Not only do I recall this being taught at school, but also amongst the pages of a peer reviewed journal I discovered languishing on the shelves of Crosby library, many years later, in which the scholar and author seemed quite irked at it’s frequent misuse.

Whatever the cause/reason why these things change with time, surely the worst has to be the tendency towards pronouncing the word ‘sixth’ as ‘sicth’, and I can only hazard a guess that it was indeed the work of our colonial cousins once again or perhaps a television presenter with a lisp.

Wordiness, hey ?

modus vivendi my friend

 

[Death]

A chance to go 3rd. The players should have been killing themselves for it

 

[ToffeeTim]

Still fuming at this squad. Another half hearted timid home defeat.

 

[Death]

Jesus life is bleak.

 

[varnish]

Quit your bed wetting. Our squad is bobbins. One window and three midfielders isn’t going to sort this out overnight.

 

[IV(AC)]

Outplayed, out thought and outpowered.
I thought Leeds were top drawer and we struggled to contain them at times in the first half.

Iwobi and Davies as wing backs are eye aids. Can we drop this bloomin 3 at the back at home malarky please?
I thought we had some decent chances that we should have put away too.

A draw would have been a fair reflection but I cant really begrudge Leeds the narrow win tbh

MOTM was Pickford, who kept us in the game in the first half.
Close second, Allan.
Holgate was impressive tbh too.

Move on. Next!

 

[ah11984]

It was crap wasn't it?

I was expecting loads of goals either side and it could well have ended up like that so I guess we (and Leeds) are predictable.

It just feels like as soon as we are ready to kick on something holds us back again. Boss start then we lose Richy. Bad run then we don't have either full back.

We know we won't but replacing a few players in Jan would be a huge difference maker because we just don't have the players to be able to change tactics or afford to lose a player or two.

For what it's worth from yesterday, doucoure makes me love him more and more each week. Right now I think he is massively underrated by our fans. He just simplifies things, gets around and makes the right pass forward each time. He might not be world class but he gives us something we haven't had in years

Doucoure was absolutely muck yesterday.