Match Thread Watford v Everton - Preview, Match Report and MotM Poll

[matty1878]

Well, the big picture is bad. The big picture says we could have effectively made ourselves pretty safe tonight but instead we're right still in it.

The positive outlook is that should have been a point at leicester and a win tonight.

The realistic view is we are in trouble becuase we can't win games regularly. No point winning, to put in MOSHIRI terms, an "expected loss" if you then go and bottle an "expected win"

How frustrating.

it’s now made the two home games as must wins which is worrying me due to pressure

 

[trueblue84]

Very disappointing, we’re kind of counting on Leeds and Burnley losing games again, Watford where there for the taking!

We are 2 points above the drop zone. No team is there for the taking where we are concerned. Imagine if we'd lost.

Tonight was not a must win but was a mustn't lose. That is why it finished 0-0.

 

[Saint Domingo]

We always had to get some points from Palace and Brentford at home. That hasn’t changed at all.

Yeah if we lose all three remaining games we’ll be in trouble, that’s not news to anyone but what’s the point in panicking about it or making out like it’s the most likely scenario? Look at our home form.

 

[banno]

PL away games are not easy for a team as poor as ours. Probably why we’ve only won two all season and drawn one other.

Bloody sense at last................sure most still think we are the league champs from the eighties. We are sh!ite and they have to accept it

 

[MrGrumpy]

Well if Leeds don’t win any of there 2 games we only need a point to be safe

Don’t need any

 

[leslad]

Thought Coleman, iwobi and Delph were decent.

Understand our players not wanting to lose the habit of being difficult to beat in games, but Christ they were there for the taking

 

[Curtis]

fear is such a guide for our team it dictates our play, impedes us from making changes until the 70th minute, creates ponderous sluggish passing in the midfield

 

[Fansince1988]

Leeds will win at the weekend...

Well they need to sure up there defence as it truly dreadful

 

[ChesterBlue]

Burnley could go there and win. They’d be a point ahead with two games remaining. But, can we see both teams getting three more points than us?

Based on what we’ve just witnessed? Quite possibly

 

[Kev The Rat]

it’s now made the two home games as must wins which is worrying me due to pressure

To be fair we only need to win one of them

 

[The Trinity.]

Ok....that was awful. I think now that I've learnt not to make stupid predictions about what this Everton team might do. The under 2.5 goals mentioned earlier was a good shout. I admit to getting everything totally wrong. And not for the first time concerning Everton.
Watford are awful. And we couldn't beat them. Thank God that we managed those last two wins. A third win for this bunch was just a bridge too far.

We are still in a half decent position to stay up. But we are back to hoping that other teams do us a wee favour. Spurs to beat Burnley. And Brighton to get a result against Leeds. And of course we beat Brentford. It's all in our own hands. But please , no more rubbish like tonight.

Lampard needs to take some blame for tonight. What is the problem with him and making a few substitutions. Gray and Gordon at present are not doing it. Rondon and Ali should have been brought on.Imo...

Anyhow.......Just taking a wee positive from this. We get a point. And we keep a clean sheet. And we could be safe if results go our way and we beat Brentford at the weekend. Better looking now than what it was after the Burnley defeat.

Ok......ramble almost over. Last point.......We need better than this for next season. Our defence gets criticised , and rightly so. But our attackers have been rubbish recently. We need goalscorers. Not rocket science. Gray and Gordon need to sharpen up on the goalscoring front for next season.
And we need a presence in midfield. I'm fed up stating that we need a midfield....
So let's hope that Lampard is not as slow at realising all this , as he is in making substitutions.
I think that we will be safe. But all this has to change for next season. We can't be going again with this bunch. We need better. Up The Toffees.

 

[LocalNative]

He cocked up massively tonight.

Delph / Richarlison / Gordon should have all been rotated for Allan / DCL / El Ghazi with the former fresh for Brentford if we didn't take all 3 points.

Instead he's ran the starting 11 into the ground and now we have a half decent fresh side to face at home that could be a must win depending on results elswhere.

REALLY poor by Frankel tonight.

Worst management I've seen since El Loco in that 3-2 loss to WHU.

He was happy to take a point, for better or worse.

 

[Fansince1988]

Leeds will win at the weekend...

Just curious How do you know that?

 

[MrGrumpy]

it’s now made the two home games as must wins which is worrying me due to pressure

One win is enough

 

[Brett Angell Delight]

A black mark for not losing a game having also recently beaten Chelsea, man united and Leicester away from home. Jeez, every manager has bad days.

This is it, though, mate. This isn’t misfortune. It isn’t the players not carrying out his instructions, the opposition just being better or luckier, or anything else beyond his control.

Everything about that performance, setup and subs screams that he was playing for the draw. That’s not “a bad day” in terms of any of the above, it’s - and I apologise for repeating myself - a combination of cowardice and tactical ineptitude. It’s a glimmer of another manager gone by January.

Of course, the circumstances could have got to him. He might learn from this or just count on not having to make that same call in the future because we won’t be scrapping for safety.

Such is life as an Evertonian, though, that “gone by January” is my first thought!!