Everton Post Match

[volpeazzurro]

49 minutes ago, StanSP said:

What I will say as to why I think Fuchs played the full 90 is that Rodgers is probably expecting to back to the back 5 against Spurs to stop the likes of Kane and Son getting in behind. And with that, he will probably play wing-backs, as opposed to full-backs. Thomas can fulfil that LWB role much better than Fuchs. With Evans back, it gives us a bit more stability centrally, and more flexibility down the left with Thomas.

One game at a time if that was the case. There was more chance with the right team to win this one. Get 3 points and Tottenham is less important. Losing both isn't great.

[Ricey]

1 minute ago, pazzerfox said:

Couldn't agree more, I posted something similar.  When we concede, i feel deflated because we never look like scoring.

If we don’t score in the first 20 minutes I feel the same.

 

I could tell after 10 minutes tonight how the game would pan out. It’s so predictable.

[Poiseuille]

People saying we really missed Evans today, I’m not so sure it would have made any difference. 
Would he have stopped Richarlison on their left cutting in and it slipping though Kasper? No

We’ve been s**t at defending set pieces with or without Evans so I don’t see him changing that.

It would have allowed Ndidi to play in midfield yes, but our problem today and on many occasions is lack of creativity. Real creativity creating good chances. Maddison isn’t doing enough of this right now. 

 

 

[goose2010]

Youri should have scored after 2 Mins. Vardy should have leveled it up at 1-1. Kasper should have saved their first. 

 

We weren't great and looked tired. 

 

Key for us is to get some bodies back at the back. 

 

Anyway onwards and upwards. 4 points off the top, last 32 of europa league. If you had give me this at the start of the season after the end of last season I would have snapped your hand off, so can't complain.... Too much. 

[honeybradger]

14 minutes ago, UHDrive said:

Fuchs has always been a left wing back. Most long term fans know that he is ageing and that he and wes have massively slowed up. But most fans also know that Fuchs is probably gone in the summer.

 

However, considering Fuchs has given his all and that he has been expected to play most games this season so far which wouldn't have been the case with all of the injurys we currently have then I for one can only applaud him. Hes given his all and has shown that even at his stage in life, that he still has what it takes. Thomas does not have the attributes that Fuchs has, far from it.

 

It drives me mad when our supposed fans attack our most senior players just because of their age. If I have an issue with wes for example then it will be specific and game related, not because he is a "has been"

Where did i attack him, i didnt say he played poorly or say he was at fault for us losing or critisice his play in general, i just said he doesnt cut it at fullback anymore which was reflected in your reply to me, his best simply isnt good enough anymore in that position because of his age. It's not a slight on fuchs who's a lovely man and was a great player for us, but he cant be starting when we need to break a defence down as he doesnt have the legs to get up and down the pitch anymore.

[Sunbury Fox]

2 hours ago, NaijaFox said:

Can’t believe we haven’t come back from a goal down to win even one time this season 

We did against a Burnley missing their entire first choice defence!

[foxfanazer]

1 minute ago, Sunbury Fox said:

We did against a Burnley missing their entire first choice defence!

[Ian Nacho]

I think the game in itself isn’t too concerning, it’s the fact we’ve seen that type of game and performance time and time again. 

[SixtiesFox]

Another huge opportunity wasted in a game where we surrendered with hardly a whimper. Deep block then crowd our 6 yard box for set pieces. It's far too easy. Every team in the league should know this by now. Worrying!

[fuchsntf]

5 minutes ago, Poiseuille said:

People saying we really missed Evans today, I’m not so sure it would have made any difference. 
Would he have stopped Richarlison on their left cutting in and it slipping though Kasper? No

We’ve been s**t at defending set pieces with or without Evans so I don’t see him changing that.

It would have allowed Ndidi to play in midfield yes, but our problem today and on many occasions is lack of creativity. Real creativity creating good chances. Maddison isn’t doing enough of this right now. 

 

 

But with Ndidi taking up bis normal role, created more Room & Space for Tielemans to Play in Tandem with Maddison,also which opens up Barnes game..

Maddison has proved often enough, wenn our midfield & Defense has a balance, he delivers....

At the moment,und I wont get  tired of saying it...our Bline injuries, Ndidi who Today who  wasnt Bad at CB, was missing from his DM role..

 

This Problem with inuries is well known, many realising is holding us back...normal hard Analyse is just Not on...

Our midfield players from within themselves seem to hold back and play from Too deep, we cant afford to see Tielemans ,Barnes,Maddison on the back foot.

we need a injury-returnee Ndidi in his best position, with 2 fit CBs behind him...Rodgers wont make These excuses, but we are worse off, than our close

competitors.  Tielemans-Ndidi confidently on the front foot, Leaves Maddison to strutt his stuff...I

 

I just Hope on Sunday, we can get Ndidi back to DM, Evans & Soyu back into contention, & Castagna or Thomas back on the Left side..

( I will Never Slate Fuchs)...

Then Hope  Rodgers still has the confidence to Select again Barnes/Vardy/Under...

[Leeds Fox]

57 minutes ago, goose2010 said:

Youri should have scored after 2 Mins. Vardy should have leveled it up at 1-1. Kasper should have saved their first. 

 

We weren't great and looked tired. 

 

Key for us is to get some bodies back at the back. 

 

Anyway onwards and upwards. 4 points off the top, last 32 of europa league. If you had give me this at the start of the season after the end of last season I would have snapped your hand off, so can't complain.... Too much. 

Saying ‘Youri should’ve scored’ is ridiculous. Not just you @goose2010, I’ve seen it posted a few times. It was hardly a sitter. He should’ve got it on target but again, if he hit it as far right as he did left, would’ve been a comfortable save. 
 

Vardy however should’ve buried his chance and 1-1 there would’ve been a different story. 
 

We were crap but we played into their hands and they had us beaten as soon as they scored the first. 
 

Couldn’t understand Rodgers hooking Under as he was our only creative outlet while he was on, even just before he was brought off he looked bright. 

[Arriba Los Zorros]

2 hours ago, Gazza M said:

I agree and yes not Slimani. I don't think Giroud would come here or be available. Chris Wood on a return to the club? 

Definitely that sort of player. I think we can do better than Wood though. Batshuayi...??

[Riot Van]

We’re 4th you miserable *****

 

Up the foxes!!!!!

[sacreblueits442]

 

3 hours ago, NaijaFox said:

Can’t believe we haven’t come back from a goal down to win even one time this season 

....I am sure we won against Man. City after going a goal down!!!

[dormelcfc]

At the moment, I've got a definite feeling of if we score the first goal in the game, we're more than likely to win. However, as soon as we go 1-0 down I'm almost resigned to losing as teams know that if they shut up shop, we're incapable of coming back. It was exactly the same today, against West Ham, against Fulham etc etc etc.

 

Could also explain the disparity between home/away results. For example, teams are more inclined to go forwards at home, hence our attacking players have a lot more space to operate and be dangerous.

 

Fair play to Everton, they got their game plan spot on but we really need to find a way of finding a way through a low block.

[TMELcfc]

1 hour ago, SixtiesFox said:

Another huge opportunity wasted in a game where we surrendered with hardly a whimper. Deep block then crowd our 6 yard box for set pieces. It's far too easy. Every team in the league should know this by now. Worrying!

More worrying, when was the last time this Rodgers team came from behind at home to win a game? No idea how to influence change. When we go a goal down I know it’s already over 

Edited 17 December 2020 by lcfceaves

[melrose]

I'm wondering which team is going

 to play at Spurs, will it be the fast passing high tempo one or the laid back one!

Edited 17 December 2020 by melrose

[sacreblueits442]

5 minutes ago, lcfceaves said:

More worrying, when was the last time this Rodgers team came from behind to win a game? No idea how to influence change. When we go a goal down I know it’s already over 

...Man. City!!!

[Guest Fktf]

2 hours ago, kingfox said:

Praet > Maddison, I’m quite surprised at how many fans don’t realise that. Maddison is no doubt the more talented player; however Praet is far more important and effective to the way we play, this season has proved that.

 

Games like tonight against defensively well organised teams was same old, same old. Against teams like that, Maddison is usually extremely poor, he offers absolutely nothing, stays far too central and slows down play. It was the same case last season, it was the same case the season before that.

 

4-2-3-1 was a formation that many were crying out for, but it’s a formation that has failed us on many occasions, especially against defensively well organised teams, because our number 10 and wingers don’t offer enough and are far too stagnant in their movement.

 

This is why Praet is crucial to the way we play, take the West Brom and Burnley games for example at the beginning of the season. We played 4-2-3-1 in both those games or something along those lines, with Praet as the more advanced midfielder. Praet unlike Maddison is more productive in his movement, he moves out wide, he supports the wingers, he is crucial in our link up play and we are far more effective, especially in terms of width. In both those games, Praet was superb for all the reasons I just said.

 

You take tonight for example and you just look at the lack of movement we had, every time Fuchs got the ball for example, nothing was in front of him because Barnes kept coming too narrow. Every time Barnes got the ball their was nobody in front of him, the only thing he could do was try and take one or two players on all by himself. 
 

If Praet was playing, he would have moved into the wide spaces, and offered support and link up play with Fuchs and Barnes,   which would have made us more effective.

Agree. We look so much better in these tight games with praet over maddison.

[Tom12345]

4 hours ago, crisp packet said:

Is Mendy the problem? Rarely passes it forward ? Side ways back wards to our back three / four . When one pass was enough!
Any decent side is back in shape...

Pratt should have come on at half time for Mendy who had been booked.

How/ why did Harvey stayed on over under ? 
If we don’t score early at home , we turn in Arsenal and try walk it in

soo frustrating..

Ref played into Everton’s hand wasn’t giving their squeals a second thought till they scored...

Injuries cannot come back quickly enough... 

 

Mendy was still the same good Mendy who played really well up to this point in the season. It is the formation. Yes indeed Mendy is not a great creative midfielder. If we played 4-1-3-2, then he is great in that “1” DCM role just in front of the back 4 as he connects well between the back 4 and the midfield and his defensive positioning is excellent.

 

However, his passing was a bit off like everyone else (except Under) this game. More relevantly to my point, he played in 4-2-3-1 (with Maddison further up as he should be near Vardy and with Barnes and Under on the wings). He was effectively partnering Tielemans in the 2 central midfield partnership. In that role, he needed to be more forward thinking but naturally he is more used to playing in that “1” role. What he needed was Tielemans to be more aggressive in wanting the ball to make things happen but Tielemans was often not close enough to him. At the same time Mendy should also adjust better. On the left side of midfield which is where Mendy hung around more (while Tielemans tended to be more on the right side), Barnes is too far forward (compared to Under and Justin on the right who were more willing to get into midfield to get the ball), so he lacked options to pass forward. Collectively a few players in my opinion at fault there and not just Mendy. Rodgers in my view should have also switched Tielemans and Mendy around (left - right) as Under, Justin and Maddison on the right side of midfield were crowding the space (especially with both Maddison and Under always wanting the ball) that Tielemans need to control the midfield. So I think there is a tactical error there as well which nullified Tielemans and it also resulted in a seemingly ineffective Mendy (but not all his fault).  It is good that Rodgers saw that Maddison should play higher up the pitch (as many have said), but the team chemistry meant that our central midfield did not seize control needed and connect plays. So our plays were slow and predictable, apart from individual occasional brilliance in Under or later in the second half Barnes running forward with the ball (but otherwise there was not much teamwork).  
 

I agree though that given the situation, Praet should have come on (as I called it at HT) either in place of Mendy or Maddison (and also bringing on Perez) to strengthen the central midfield, as Praet IMO is a better central partner for Tielemans.

 

Let’s hopefully we can take it as a lesson learnt.

Edited 17 December 2020 by Tom12345

[fuchsntf]

4 hours ago, Hammo said:

You can trot out the reasons/excuses for the defeat in terms of missing personnel, fatigue - you name it - and yes, to a degree they are valid, but do you not acknowledge that there is a fundamental flaw in the ponderous, predictable way we try to play against teams that take the lead against us at the King Power?

 

Unless Rodgers gets to grips with that and shows a bit more tactical flexibility - oh and sorts out our lamentable record at corners (at both ends) while he’s at it - more disappointments like tonight’s seem sure to follow.

 

Four teams have used pretty much the same blueprint this season to beat us on our own turf. That’s a macro problem that the manager, for all his prowess and pedigree, needs to resolve if this season of enormous promise is not to deflate like the last one.

 

 

No!!  Because those valid points have been defining...The injuries are upsetting the rythme, soul,Heart & character of the whole side.They are Simply Too many,

including no Room for rotatation, or rest periods...Rodgers has little scope in the back six,that gives us and creates more Space & scope for our midfeld..

Tielemans is putting in One hell of a shift, One can expect indifferent performances.

Even with Justin & Fofana again giving out Good/top performances, those valid points are preventing us to find Cohesion and to mesh with any consistency..

 

Oh its Bloody frustrating I Feel angry, but more against the situation and what could of been...

Unlike some, I aint going on the Warpath or Blame platform..We have Not yet had the Freedom or rescources to Play a Team with our best players,even then it will still Need 2-4 games to bet it rolling & in-sync

And thankfully,though he would have The right, Rodgers isnt moaning or Chasing excuses, like those so called big Time managers...I

 

Lack of Strong CB -availabilty & Being unable to pin down that Top CDM position, the indifferent inconsistent Control from LB,

together is just Too much..

But...!!! Holding that Top 4, should give us a strong Platform to have a real go,

when our top injured returning players in the squad can play themselves back into form.

 

To try and find some balanced perspective..if.

We only had Soyu, Ricardo out & no other Knocks with Evans ,Fuchs, then throw in Amartey we could present a better game

If we only had Ndidi & Castagne out, we Maybe able to carry it... > Justin Mendy,Thomas,Fuchs<   have given us more than decent cover..!

 

But that heavy hit on our central Bbone of CB & DM,  plus a Tielemans needed , then putting in consistent hardeous Shifts with no rest.

A recent returning Maddison, then inconsistencies/indifferent from LB position

( I will Not put any complaint towards Fuchs,Plus he aint fit ).

 

Singularly no Problem, but together is proving always a game too far & just proving too much..!!

Its that unseen ,unrecognised stress and Lack of continual rythm because of the above mentioned, that sees us producing our  indifferent performances!!

 

Openings direction goal was there tonight,but we simply  wasnt clinical nor crisp enough around the Penalty box...

We had no-end of blocked Good shots..Then the Penalty not given, Plus Vardy's glaring miss...

sort of Intent without the intensity...

 

In the End, Everton used their best moments to either turn up the pressure, or create good openings + a good goal, then got the right  bounce for the 2nd.

When it mattered we didnt & couldnt...

And again our catastrophical injury situation is defining our individual games and this First 1/3 part of our season...

 

 

 

Edited 17 December 2020 by fuchsntf

[Peterorange]

Bit of perspective needed:

All PL teams are inconsistent this season. Imagine Liverpool fans after the Fulham game, or Man C fans after WBA. Games twice a week mean constant rotation which leads to a more disjointed team, and players not playing at peak ability. 2015-16 was a freak in this respect in the number of players used and the lack of injuries.

Everton are a decent team with a top manager.

Still in the top 4.

Still missing some big players.

 

 

[Nicolo Barella]

You know, it's not the end of the world every time we lose... It's pretty normal. We're still fourth, still struggling with injuries. We're not going to be a team that can smash a bunch of wins in a row, especially not when we're playing against good teams like Everton, and we're suffering from injuries and suspensions. The only trying I'm really bothered about is Rodgers being so anal about never resting Tielemans. 

[Dan LCFC]

6 hours ago, Corky said:

It's done nothing to change my view that we are a fairweather team who lose far too many matches in a limp fashion. People moan about our fans being fickle with Rodgers- they are just matching his management.

 

Four home defeats in seven matches is dire. All the defeats have been dire. Doesn't seem to be any questioning of plenty of aspects of our game.

And that's without us playing any 'big six' side or Southampton as well. We could feasibly lose over half our home games this season, which seems mental, but we could.

[deanolegend1989]

That was an unacceptable performance just as every single other time we go behind in a game , we might as well walk off the pitch.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a team who is so polarised to how they play.

If we score first and teams have to open up, we’re one of the worlds best.

When we concede first and have to open a team up, we are absolutely ****ing useless.

 

BR is the same old BR. If things are going well, he plays great attacking football. If they don’t, I can’t remember one time he’s turned a game in our favour by his subs. He waits to long and doesn’t have the bottle to change.

West Ham , Fulham and tonight, he’s not changed when it’s clear we’re struggling, we go 1-0 down and getting cleaned and all 3 times, it takes until 2-0 before he decides to go for it, too late as usual. He’s the most overrated media darling I’ve ever seen. He’s an ok manager but he would get eaten alive at any bigger club who have bigger expectations.

 

Fuchs, thank you for everything but he is absolutely finished. His legs are totally gone and it’s clear to see he needs to go and sit on that bench with Morgan, he’s played FAR to much.

Im not even going to go on again about foxes talk darling Mendy but quite simply, I do not want to see him on the pitch ever again. He is the main problem every game and I don’t want to see him or Fuchs anywhere near the first team ever again. How he played today over Praet or Hamza is ridiculous. Time and time and time again he is a passenger and we struggle to pass through midfield with him and it’s painful.
Not playing Ndidi there was ****ing stupid but even if your going to move him to CB, Praet not even getting on over him is the final straw.
That and taking off Under , decision after decision utterly baffling.
This team has got some real quality but we are going to waste all these chances to win anything if we keep persisting with players who are not good even near to being good enough.

 

Maddison was absolutely awful today. I’ve stuck by the lad and he has talent but if we have to break a team down he goes missing and he can’t shoot ever unless the balks perfectly set for him and people stand off him. He will never be a top player imo, he’s ok /decent but he’ll never make it to the top.

Vardy I don’t have a bad word to say about ever but that has to go in the net. Huge miss from him, unlike him but those moments need to be taken. He looks off it also when we go behind in games. Too many players are great until we are behind then look like there’s no fight and we’re so easy to defend against if teams sit in against us.

 

An absolute shambles, not just that performance but losing 4 home games without even having any of the top 6 visiting is pathetic. Potentially could lose 10 home games at this rate which is worse than our great escape season, which is not right, but what’s worse is the absolute pathetic attempt to come back when we are chasing. It’s a huge concern that we havnt really ever given much of a fight, we are so painfully easy to play against when we concede first. Literally should just walk off the pitch.

 

The 2 positives only I can find is 1 Wilf Ndidi. The guy is absolutely top bracket. What a player we have here. Boss. Animal. The only ****er who was everywhere and still fighting till the end.

Other one being our wingers, both Under Barnes and Perez when he came on do look like doing something but we need to control the middle better to make it all tick. Wilf needs to be in the middle and we need to bring Praet in more. Them 2 and Tielemens dictate midfield and gives us a platform to control more games, Everton as well as other teams who have done a number on us at home have all completely deserved it because we get run over in the middle and I’m sick of it. We have 2/3 passengers in our team who are simply not good enough.