West Brom v Everton. 20th Jan at 20.00.

[ford_uk]

I thought a few of them conked out last night with about 25/20 mins to go in the game

 

[Steve Wigan]

There is a sea change in Premier League football at present. New, younger managers and coaches with new ideas and teams learning to play the Spanish way, the European way, call it what you like.West Brom have a new Spanish manager with experience and they are coming to terms with a new style, just like Everton. It is very early days for them, but you could tell last night how much influence their experienced Spanish manager had on their set up and attitude. I don't think this will have surprised Martinez, but it did surprise our players, and we could not get our usual passing game going. Key players, who could have helped us, were missing through injury and this didn't help either. We got frustrated and reverted to type, with the back four launching long balls to Lukaku, who is badly in need of support/rest from playing. The incoming of Traore will help in this respect, and McGeady will get plenty of game time as well...when he came on he at least ran at the WBA defence, and spotted Lukakus runs...one through ball in particular, Lukaku applauded, as if to say 'thats how I want it'. I don't think Baines is fit. He should be rested at least against Stevenage , and I'm even tempted to play Oviedo at left back in the derby. More and more teams are going to develop a passing game...we seem to be finally catching on in this country that the successful 'Spanish way' is the way forward. We must stick with our new style, persevere, and sign players who can play in the system. If we stick to our guns, we have as good a chance as the RS, Spurs, or Newcastle to make 4th at least.

 

[sexualchocolate]

poor performance, i think the pitch went a long way towards disrupting us playing our normal game, think it was just one of those performances where we couldn't get going, very few of them this year so I think the apolacypse style posts on here are a tad OTT, injuries catchign up with us though cos there's no way osman and lukakau would have stayed on that pitch if we had any other options - quote of the night from the sky commentator when coleman was got injured, "....luckily they have a ready made replacement on the bench to come on in Tony Hibbert"..................on comes Stones

 

[MartSlinger]

^ Showed how little they knew about Everton and John Stones for that matter, amateurs.

 

[Billy Dean]

There is a sea change in Premier League football at present. New, younger managers and coaches with new ideas and teams learning to play the Spanish way, the European way, call it what you like.West Brom have a new Spanish manager with experience and they are coming to terms with a new style, just like Everton. It is very early days for them, but you could tell last night how much influence their experienced Spanish manager had on their set up and attitude. I don't think this will have surprised Martinez, but it did surprise our players, and we could not get our usual passing game going. Key players, who could have helped us, were missing through injury and this didn't help either. We got frustrated and reverted to type, with the back four launching long balls to Lukaku, who is badly in need of support/rest from playing. The incoming of Traore will help in this respect, and McGeady will get plenty of game time as well...when he came on he at least ran at the WBA defence, and spotted Lukakus runs...one through ball in particular, Lukaku applauded, as if to say 'thats how I want it'. I don't think Baines is fit. He should be rested at least against Stevenage , and I'm even tempted to play Oviedo at left back in the derby. More and more teams are going to develop a passing game...we seem to be finally catching on in this country that the successful 'Spanish way' is the way forward. We must stick with our new style, persevere, and sign players who can play in the system. If we stick to our guns, we have as good a chance as the RS, Spurs, or Newcastle to make 4th at least.

Spot on. Only thing I disagree with there is dropping Baines. Think he needs games to get back to full fitness.

 

[MartSlinger]

Only positives really were; McGeady looked good and Mirallas is in a bit of form.

 

[sexualchocolate]

There is a sea change in Premier League football at present. New, younger managers and coaches with new ideas and teams learning to play the Spanish way, the European way, call it what you like.West Brom have a new Spanish manager with experience and they are coming to terms with a new style, just like Everton. It is very early days for them, but you could tell last night how much influence their experienced Spanish manager had on their set up and attitude. I don't think this will have surprised Martinez, but it did surprise our players, and we could not get our usual passing game going. Key players, who could have helped us, were missing through injury and this didn't help either. We got frustrated and reverted to type, with the back four launching long balls to Lukaku, who is badly in need of support/rest from playing. The incoming of Traore will help in this respect, and McGeady will get plenty of game time as well...when he came on he at least ran at the WBA defence, and spotted Lukakus runs...one through ball in particular, Lukaku applauded, as if to say 'thats how I want it'. I don't think Baines is fit. He should be rested at least against Stevenage , and I'm even tempted to play Oviedo at left back in the derby. More and more teams are going to develop a passing game...we seem to be finally catching on in this country that the successful 'Spanish way' is the way forward. We must stick with our new style, persevere, and sign players who can play in the system. If we stick to our guns, we have as good a chance as the RS, Spurs, or Newcastle to make 4th at least.

dont agree - he's 20 years old, has had 9 days rest and a holiday in tenerife, he should have been able to run his B*llix off for 90 mins last night

 

[davek]

It's great to be amongst fellow Evertonians Dave, discussing the match, without casual racism etc

It's not even subtle is it? That's what i dont get. How is it allowed?

 

[Steve Wigan]

dont agree - he's 20 years old, has had 9 days rest and a holiday in tenerife, he should have been able to run his B*llix off for 90 mins last night

At WBA last season he was used largely from the bench....because Jelavic was so poor, at Everton he has been made to play almost every minute of every game. I don't think Martinez has managed him badly, but there have been opportunities towards the end of games to give Lukaku a break. He has been running his b*llix off...mostly to no use because the service he has been getting...thats decent through balls and supporting runners has most of the time not been there. Mirallas tends to be selfish...not always a bad thing, but no help to Lukaku.

 

[Khalekan]

I don't think Baines is fit. He should be rested at least against Stevenage , and I'm even tempted to play Oviedo at left back in the derby.

This.

Irrespective of Baines being fit or not he wasn't playing particularly well before he picked up that injury and limped off in the derby.

It is almost heretical to say this to some folk round these parts but our team looked so much better when Oviedo came in and we hit that purple patch from mid November to the end of December.

IMO Oviedo should have been kept at left back for the time being.

Baines struggled last night and we were weak down the left hand side.

 

[Pblueman]

I don't get the attacks on Lukaku? Might be justified if someone ACTUALLY PASSED the ball for him to run on, instead of aiming at his head with three defenders on his back- if they even pass at all. I think miralas needs a word in his ear about laying off every once in a blue moon. Lukaku is a quality striker, real skill, and we just aren't playing him in. Fking ridiculous to have a pop at him.

 

[EFCNIK]

I don't get the attacks on Lukaku? Might be justified if someone ACTUALLY PASSED the ball for him to run on, instead of aiming at his head with three defenders on his back- if they even pass at all. I think miralas needs a word in his ear about laying off every once in a blue moon. Lukaku is a quality striker, real skill, and we just aren't playing him in. Fking ridiculous to have a pop at him.

He was terrible last night to be honest. Even the balls into his feet he couldn't hold up.

 

[SteKelly]

I don't get the attacks on Lukaku? Might be justified if someone ACTUALLY PASSED the ball for him to run on, instead of aiming at his head with three defenders on his back- if they even pass at all. I think miralas needs a word in his ear about laying off every once in a blue moon. Lukaku is a quality striker, real skill, and we just aren't playing him in. Fking ridiculous to have a pop at him.

I know what you mean. Numerous times he is free and its a bad ball or something but look at the lad in the air and his touch. Its shocking.
That is just the way Mirallas is.

He was terrible last night to be honest. Even the balls into his feet he couldn't hold up.

hes been terrible in a lot of games if you watch him tbh Nik. People are either too scared to say he has been terrible or just don't see it or look into it too much

 

[Khalekan]

He was terrible last night to be honest. Even the balls into his feet he couldn't hold up.

To be honest, that isn't much different to normal.

His first touch can be horrendous at times.

His major attribute is his mobility and the fact he drags central defenders all over the place, creating room for the boys behind him.

But it has to be said the lads gets very little service and I do think it unfair to single him out for criticism last night.

I thought Victor was teriffic when he came on.

He has all the attributes to be a top class battering ram of a centre forward and it is just a shame he can't play like that on a regular basis and finally fulfill his potential.

 

[davek]

I don't get the attacks on Lukaku? Might be justified if someone ACTUALLY PASSED the ball for him to run on, instead of aiming at his head with three defenders on his back- if they even pass at all. I think miralas needs a word in his ear about laying off every once in a blue moon. Lukaku is a quality striker, real skill, and we just aren't playing him in. Fking ridiculous to have a pop at him.

This 100%.