Match Thread EVERTON V SOUTHAMPTON Match thread, Report and MotM Poll

[Big_nev]

I understand the need to rotate when you are in Europe and face some challenging games that can take a toll on the squad. What I'll never understand is rotation for the sake of rotation, the type that actively harms your chances of winning a trophy by resting players who don't even need a rest.

If you want to get the outer fringe squad players involved then do so by naming them on the bench and bringing them on if we are coasting. I mean did Dowell get anything from that tonight? No, he got the shepherds hook at half time. The worst part of it all is that when sides without much depth rotate it totally disrupts any kind of system, tactics or coherence on the pitch.

We had a really good chance to get far in this cup and we've blown it to a side in 16th with a -5 goal difference. I'd say ''Everton that'' but it's not. It's just stupidity.

 

[Sharpattack]

I actually got to this game tonight. What a wretched display. 2 or 3 players emerged with a bit of credit, mostly the back 4. Those on the fringes given a chance really blew it. Lookman was OK first half but faded, Bernard was impressive for about 30 minutes. The rest were pretty woeful with a big shoutout to Davies who was dire.

 

[ToffeeTim]

People are acting as if the changes weakened us.

Tosun is a better striker than DCL or Niasse.

Bernard is supposedly a better playmaker than Gylfi (according to some on here).

Davies and Kenny are pretty key figures atm.

It's not like we named a ressie team. That team may well have to play PL games this season.

It's not coincidence that a team doesn't take their chances when every one of the teams 3 goal threats are sat out.

I can't quite understand how you don't see this weakens a football team. None of the guys brought in carry goal threat.

Lookman and Dowell are not good enough from Everton. Bernard was goosed by the break. Explain how we weren't weakened??

 

[BlueToff]

Meh, there we go. That team was good enough. I'm not going to blame Silva. The same who moaned about a rested team would have cursed him had he stated someone like richarlison and he then got injured "in a meaningless game".

We have a good squad and we tried to use it, it just went wrong.

It really wasn't the use of the squad that went wrong, though.

We made simple errors that we've made all season. Their goal is down to Kenny, Davies, Zouma, Keane and Schneiderlin. None of them did their jobs. Four of those players are the ones that stayed in the team from Saturday.

 

[deipnosophist]

Mark Hughes demonstrating he's still got it...I would like to see us tap him up to be our next manager

 

[marcus]

Our strike force is nowhere near the level required to challenge

When you look at our starting eleven you wondered where the goals would come from...

Only Cenk Tosun had scored this season & he is struggling for any kind of form...

No surprise we didn't score until Richarlison & Walcott came on....

Disappointing & opportunity missed....

 

[BlueToff]

It's not coincidence that a team doesn't take their chances when every one of the teams 3 goal threats are sat out.

I can't quite understand how you don't see this weakens a football team. None of the guys brought in carry goal threat.

Lookman and Dowell are not good enough from Everton. Bernard was goosed by the break. Explain how we weren't weakened??

We didn't take our chances against West Ham or Arsenal with all three in the team either.

Do Gylfi, Walcott and Richarlison stop Kenny and Davies not doing their jobs?

We should be able to rotate slightly (I'd prefer less than he did tonight, btw) and not get beat by a Southampton team who rotated just as much.

 

[BlueToff]

We're really screwed if we're relying on Richarlison, Walcott and Gylfi to be fit all season then, girls and boys.

Might as well give up now.

 

[diggerdestroyer]

Dowell in the starting 11 was the type of decision from management that leads to losses. We arent in europe. No need to rest players.

 

[Berenger]

Not sure we’d have won with the team that played v Fulham. And the point of the rotation is that players who aren’t playing get a game for their own well-being and as a chance to shine.

This was just a typical EFC display, the type we’ve been seeing for years and years. Frustrating as hell.

 

[bol-uk]

well for me that draws a close to silva's honeymoon period.
im not impressed, and to be honest I dont think we look any more like a team determined to win than we did under our last 3 managers.

I hate to say it but I think its been a false dawn and it will be another long hard to watch season.
my only glimmer of hope is that gomes comes in and makes our midfield tick better. failing that, it will be the same old problems with the same players with the same attitudes, the same short comings and same mistakes with the same outcomes.

the moral belief and optimism at the club took a massive nose dive tonight. a heavy price to pay for not picking the strongest team and playing a negative formation. the blame rests firmly with the manager.

Kneejerk
If it was January then maybe but it’s his8th games with mixed players available etc
It’s cool

 

[Charles Hawtrey]

Mark Hughes demonstrating he's still got it...I would like to see us tap him up to be our next manager

Pep couldn’t get a tune out of these laggards

 

[ToffeeTim]

We didn't take our chances against West Ham or Arsenal with all three in the team either.

Do Gylfi, Walcott and Richarlison stop Kenny and Davies not doing their jobs?

We should be able to rotate slightly (I'd prefer less than he did tonight, btw) and not get beat by a Southampton team who rotated just as much.

Kennys defending is outrageously bad for this level. But we should be able to score 2 goals at home against that no mark side.

The fact we left out all our goals, including a guy who just bagged 2, showed complete disrespect for the tournament.

We think we are better than we are. We thing are youngsters are good enough. We overrate dross. We give sentimental appearances to local academy kids. We don't play like the game and the result matters.

We haven't won in 23 years and a sequence of our managers have not even bothered to show interest in cup runs.

I thought Silva was different and understood what was expected. I'm very concerned after that tonight. It was exactly what Koeman did. And that went south very fast.

 

[maccavennie]

We're really screwed if we're relying on Richarlison, Walcott and Gylfi to be fit all season then, girls and boys.

Might as well give up now.

Judging by a few of them tonight the players have.
Some of those performances were nothing short of abysmal

To say Keanes head is shaped like a 50p is an insult to the 50p

 

[BlueToff]

Dowell in the starting 11 was the type of decision from management that leads to losses. We arent in europe. No need to rest players.

What about wanting to play our promising young players?

I'm guessing that was the reason.

For what it's worth, I agree with the principle - I'd have started Gyfli over Dowell.