Sam Allardyce

[dannyboy]

It does seem hard to see where we could hurt them. Everyone bangs on about their defence, but I agree with you, you’ve got to have possession and a foothold in the game to exploit this.

Hoofing it long to Calvert Lewin won't work because he'll be so isolated and whilst he's a nuisance his ball retention isn't great, even when we've got players in and around him.

Set pieces will be our best chance for a goal, but as you eluded to, we won't be getting many of them in dangerous positions if we can't get into their half.

I say it every year that we need to kill the game from the first whistle. Time wasting from goal kicks and throw ins and crush their rhythm. Sadly we seem to fight fire with fire and end up receiving a hiding as a consequence.

 

[Groucho]

This will be Sam's 1st real match in charge. Get the knives ready.

Walter Smith was the last Everton manager to win at Anfield.

That’s due to change.

 

[Reidys bloody sock]

I’d like a win.

Please try not to swear here pal.

Sorry mate...just ecstatic that we now have a proper manager at the helm...

 

[Groucho]

Sorry mate...just ecstatic that we now have a proper manager at the helm...

We’ll ‘ave ‘em

 

[Super Kevin sheedy]

Imagine an Anfield win

It's happening

 

[ProZ]

I can’t envisage Salah getting in behind us like he did Brighton today.

I couldn’t have said that last week

 

[Blackwell Livermore]

Looks very high tech with his ear piece.

Big Cyborg Sam.

He was ordering a take out.

 

[Deckard2049]

Hoofing it long to Calvert Lewin won't work because he'll be so isolated and whilst he's a nuisance his ball retention isn't great, even when we've got players in and around him.

Set pieces will be our best chance for a goal, but as you eluded to, we won't be getting many of them in dangerous positions if we can't get into their half.

I say it every year that we need to kill the game from the first whistle. Time wasting from goal kicks and throw ins and crush their rhythm. Sadly we seem to fight fire with fire and end up receiving a hiding as a consequence.

Martinez never played it like a pragmatist and Koeman threw the towel in from the offset. I expect Sam will try to do exactly what you said- kill the game and get something from a set piece.

From the highlights I’ve seen weekly, teams sitting deep and leaving one man up top against the RS have been getting beat 3-0 as a minimum score line. For me Clive we need to treat their attack with the respect it deserves but also treat their defence with the contempt it deserves. They haven’t been put under nearly enough pressure in some of these games and as such are able to build momentum before inevitably scoring. Look at how isolated Lukaku was when United went their- far too much deferential respect and you totally nullify your own attack.

But the again.. we can’t win in a straight up shoot out, so what do you do? Personally I think Lennon has to play and probably Niasse, just to give us some pace to potentially counter and a lot of graft in their as well. I’ve been critical of him but like the hypocrite of a football fan I am I’m hoping Rooney is up for this more than any game he’s played in years.

Has to be said though, no matter how well drilled we are, our defence is pretty awful personnel wise. Let’s hope Sam has it even more organised with a full weeks training ahead.

 

[Toffee-nerd]

Martinez never played it like a pragmatist and Koeman threw the towel in from the offset. I expect Sam will try to do exactly what you said- kill the game and get something from a set piece.

From the highlights I’ve seen weekly, teams sitting deep and leaving one man up top against the RS have been getting beat 3-0 as a minimum score line. For me Clive we need to treat their attack with the respect it deserves but also treat their defence with the contempt it deserves. They haven’t been put under nearly enough pressure in some of these games and as such are able to build momentum before inevitably scoring. Look at how isolated Lukaku was when United went their- far too much deferential respect and you totally nullify your own attack.

But the again.. we can’t win in a straight up shoot out, so what do you do? Personally I think Lennon has to play and probably Niasse, just to give us some pace to potentially counter and a lot of graft in their as well. I’ve been critical of him but like the hypocrite of a football fan I am I’m hoping Rooney is up for this more than any game he’s played in years.

Has to be said though, no matter how well drilled we are, our defence is pretty awful personnel wise. Let’s hope Sam has it even more organised with a full weeks training ahead.

Watched the highlights of them against brighton just now. Nobody in that Brighton team wanted to get near coutinho, salah or firminho. Gave them all the time in the world, they're good forward players but they look 10 x better if you give them time. Big Sam will be all over that in training for the next week. They're a good side going forward but teams are hardly doing themselves favours defensively against them. With gylfi in the side we always stand a good chance at set pieces so I reckon we will keep it tight, commit few bodies forward when we counter and try scrap a goal from a set piece. Nothing wrong with that imo, given our confidence is so fragile we can't afford to go there and get a pasting by trying to open them up. We've done that before in fine form and been battered. Think you're right about niasse starting but dcl played well today so it would be difficult to drop him.

 

[dannyboy]

Martinez never played it like a pragmatist and Koeman threw the towel in from the offset. I expect Sam will try to do exactly what you said- kill the game and get something from a set piece.

From the highlights I’ve seen weekly, teams sitting deep and leaving one man up top against the RS have been getting beat 3-0 as a minimum score line. For me Clive we need to treat their attack with the respect it deserves but also treat their defence with the contempt it deserves. They haven’t been put under nearly enough pressure in some of these games and as such are able to build momentum before inevitably scoring. Look at how isolated Lukaku was when United went their- far too much deferential respect and you totally nullify your own attack.

But the again.. we can’t win in a straight up shoot out, so what do you do? Personally I think Lennon has to play and probably Niasse, just to give us some pace to potentially counter and a lot of graft in their as well. I’ve been critical of him but like the hypocrite of a football fan I am I’m hoping Rooney is up for this more than any game he’s played in years.

Has to be said though, no matter how well drilled we are, our defence is pretty awful personnel wise. Let’s hope Sam has it even more organised with a full weeks training ahead.

In dream land Rooney rolls back the years and gives a midfield masterclass which helps to get us that foothold in the game. The reality is however it's far more likely they get around him with a high intensity press and he's a passenger.

Let's be realistic, for us to get anything we need our keeper to have a brilliant game together with lady luck looking down on us. They are probably better than us in every position so it's up to Allardyce to really nail down a game plan.

I know what you're saying about their defence but we just haven't got the players to exploit it away from home.

 

[dannyboy]

Watched the highlights of them against brighton just now. Nobody in that Brighton team wanted to get near coutinho, salah or firminho. Gave them all the time in the world, they're good forward players but they look 10 x better if you give them time. Big Sam will be all over that in training for the next week. They're a good side going forward but teams are hardly doing themselves favours defensively against them. With gylfi in the side we always stand a good chance at set pieces so I reckon we will keep it tight, commit few bodies forward when we counter and try scrap a goal from a set piece. Nothing wrong with that imo, given our confidence is so fragile we can't afford to go there and get a pasting by trying to open them up. We've done that before in fine form and been battered. Think you're right about niasse starting but dcl played well today so it would be difficult to drop him.

The problem is that I can't see Davies and Rooney doing any better trying to track those players. The biggest positive for me is actually our manager who is at least capable of working on something to stop them.

Could you imagine if Martinez was leading us into this game...

 

[Reidys bloody sock]

The problem is that I can't see Davies and Rooney doing any better trying to track those players. The biggest positive for me is actually our manager who is at least capable of working on something to stop them.

Could you imagine if Martinez was leading us into this game...

Thought you were against the appointment of SA?

 

[Deckard2049]

Watched the highlights of them against brighton just now. Nobody in that Brighton team wanted to get near coutinho, salah or firminho. Gave them all the time in the world, they're good forward players but they look 10 x better if you give them time. Big Sam will be all over that in training for the next week. They're a good side going forward but teams are hardly doing themselves favours defensively against them. With gylfi in the side we always stand a good chance at set pieces so I reckon we will keep it tight, commit few bodies forward when we counter and try scrap a goal from a set piece. Nothing wrong with that imo, given our confidence is so fragile we can't afford to go there and get a pasting by trying to open them up. We've done that before in fine form and been battered. Think you're right about niasse starting but dcl played well today so it would be difficult to drop him.

Fair comment on DCL there actually. I just worry he might struggle to make anything stick in that game. Whereas Niasse is so unpredictable and so tireless anything could happen.

In regards to their front line and not giving them space, my worry is one of our players getting a red card- especially Davies and Gueye (maybe even Rooney). I have no doubt that they’ll be rolling around at any opportunity trying to get our men sent off ASAP. I know our luck has been bad over the years but in my opinion we were lucky the last two derbies to not be down to ten men (Barkley has put in some stupid tackles). And as Funes Mori proved, breaking an ankle isn’t really that impressive when you get sent off and mess your team up even more. Really need to play hard but fair- not sure who the ref is but don’t want him having an excuse to get the cards out.

If we press them as well and try not to give them time there’s always the chance they get in behind us as well with the pace of Salah and Mane. Tricky one to plan for this.

 

[dannyboy]

Thought you were against the appointment of SA?

I am/was but I'm not going to deny he can drill a team to get something from this game.

I didn't want him and I still don't think it'll work but he's here now, no point not wishing him all the best. I think my prediction of him just about keeping us up was well wide of the mark. I didn't take into account how poor this division is outside of the top teams.

 

[Reidys bloody sock]

I am/was but I'm not going to deny he can drill a team to get something from this game.

I didn't want him and I still don't think it'll work but he's here now, no point not wishing him all the best. I think my prediction of him just about keeping us up was well wide of the mark. I didn't take into account how poor this division is outside of the top teams.

Just out of interest who did you want as manager?