LordSepulchrave

Absolutely not. Give it 'till the end of the season at least.

I had a dream that Benteke scored. We lost 3-2 mind.

Indeed, but that just shows how badly we have been doing lately. The intention was there, the execution wasn't. And execution is everything, intention is nothing. But some people have him down as a long ball merchant of a manager (which is what all the comments about our "style" of play really pertain to), and that doesn't really appear to be the case.

I agree we didn't look too bad until they scored. Unfortunately they scored after just 15 minutes though. For the next 50 minutes we were poor. Then a combination of Utd taking their foot off the gas and us continuing to put in a shift meant for the last 20 or so minutes we did OK and held our own. In all fairness there is no shame in losing to an even off form Man Utd but its not just about today though is it. We have been in the main dire, certainly performance wise, for the last 3 months. Absolutely - I was more making a point about intention than our actual ability to play that way. I would agree that our results have actually masked our bad form. For me the problem seems to be that we've based our entirely around our front three, mainly Benteke. With all of them off goal scoring form, suddenly the team is looking pretty bad. A boost in confidence, I reckon, would improve things hugely, but at the moment I really can't see where it would come from. Worrying times.

Indeed, but that just shows how badly we have been doing lately. The intention was there, the execution wasn't.

It's funny how the "terrible style" stick stays even when it isn't the case. We played poorly today, but we played poorly whilst trying to keep the ball on the deck and look more confident on the ball. We looked much better in possession than we have been lately, and with strikers that were actually scoring we might have given Man Utd a decent game - until they scored we weren't looking too bad, and we certainly weren't playing a long ball game.

Totally predictable. Unless our strikeforce get firing this is going to be a(nother) long season. The good news is that Souness on Sky seems to have solved our problems - more long balls!

We miss Vlaar so much it isn't even funny.

This is a really good article by the way. Yeah, Statsbomb is fantastic.

http://www.statsbomb.com/2013/09/the-curious-cost-of-the-everton-loans/ I feel like this might be pertinent to the discussion RE Everton. It does seem like there's an awful lot of people who don't realise that when we say we're "building for the future" that future =/= six months later. We're short of talent on the ball and still lacking depth, and our attack force which was so devastating last season has hit really bad form. Despite this, our defense is far better and we've actually accrued a very respectable point tally.

Who?

Yep, we bought 16 players and squad depth is still pretty appalling. It's a pretty depressing situation all things considered. Edit - It's not been 16 has it? Still, quite a lot.

I don't want to make excuses for what was an extremely worrying performance, but people really need to get some sort of context regarding our opponents. Fulham are a team full of quality and experience under a new manager who looks to have started under some sort of honeymoon period. They outmatched Spurs and were unlucky - yet we should have went there and dominated them? Really? A draw would have been a good result.

My thoughts: Ags and Kozak have to be our first choice strikers. Defence actually came out pretty well. What midfield? Aside from Delph's first half, Parker, Karagounnis and Sidwell dominated them. Weimann? Was he playing today? Two very dodgy penalty decisions, both of which went against us. Meulensteen got his tactics spot on, Lambert waited too long to change the game (not that he really could). Really, it seems that Benteke's lack of form and Weimann's lack of everything is slowly strangling this season. I mean, we had three forwards on today, and they lost pretty much all of their battles against Fulham's defense, especially second half. Ags wasn't much better, but he's showing more and working harder than either.

The players have been poor, but Lambert can't be absolved of blame, he decided to play a CB at LB, a CM at CB and another CM at RB whilst leaving a natural RB on the bench. Plus he's played Weimann out of position whilst leaving 4 more capable players on the bench. Bacuna is a CB? No, he's a midfielder, like i put... Oh woops, misread. But his best performances for us have been a RB, and he played at that position at his last club, so why would you say he is out of position?

The players have been poor, but Lambert can't be absolved of blame, he decided to play a CB at LB, a CM at CB and another CM at RB whilst leaving a natural RB on the bench. Plus he's played Weimann out of position whilst leaving 4 more capable players on the bench. Bacuna is a CB?

Benteke and Weimann and KEA and Tonev and Westwood have all been a waste of space today. For all the moaning about the backline going on at the start of the match, it's everything beyond them that has been a problem.

AAAAAAAArgh.

Well that was wholly predictable. A point still within our grasp though.

Ags work hard, Benteke looks like he's just waiting for a goal to return to form and Delph is fantastic. Guzan and Clarke both looking good. Everyone else really needs to step it up.

Pretty much a carbon copy of Chelsea's penalty against WBA. Bet we don't get an apology.

Guzan not Guzman. Niall Quinn getting on my nerves here.

Our midfield is getting eaten for lunch so far.

Was coming. Bacuna and Guzan almost got in each other's way there.

Really? I'd say that at full strength our back four actually looks good. Full backs could stand to improve defensively, sure, but we've definitely got a better defensive than midfield (or even attack on their current form) I'd argue.