Ratings and Reactions: Everton 2-1 Villa

[Christ_JM]

Lambert is tactically inept. Y sit back against a team who love to keep the ball and pass it

Because if you close down too much you leave gaps for them to exploit.

He didn't play that formation against Liverpool, should hav played same team swapped in albrighton for gabby

Because Liverpool have more ability to unlock a stubborn defence than Everton, if we'd played like that against Plop, Suarez would've torn us to shreds. Plus Liverpool don't keep the ball in the same way Everton do. Everton are more slow build up types and try exploit players switching off and use the wings. Liverpool play a more fast and free flowing game and get behind the defence with Suarez and Sturridge, the best way to negate that is to stop them putting those balls through.

If it wasn't for one mistake by Vlaar after 75 minutes, and a world class free kick, our tactics today would have completely stopped Everton today.

I'm sorry but this is completely wrong. We set ourselves up to make those mistakes or give a free kick away.

If you are sitting right outside your penalty area for 90 mins there is double the amount of likelihood that Vlaar will make a mistake. This is because there is double the amount of times he must concentrate and defend.

And btw why is everyone so darn happy that we are the new Stoke ffs?

[andyh]

Lambert decides to blame the fixture pile-up for today's result of 29% possession and one shot on target, **** embarrassing.

I haven't seen that, did he really?

**** good job the clearing in the woods threw in the towel for the FA cup then or we really would be bolloxed.

[becks1876]

"Did i watch the same game as you lot!" 

So we lost a close game again, we learn and we fight on.UTV

[Amo69]

If we're honest it was men against boys today. Almost like an attack v defence situation in training. Unfortunately for us the attack won. It's sad to see that this is the approach we now have to take against a team we were on par with a few years back. It's so sad to see how far we have fallen behind. Especially when you look at how much they have spent compared to us during the time of our demise. It's quite depressing really. I'm going bed

[turnbull]

If we're honest it was men against boys today. Almost like an attack v defence situation in training. Unfortunately for us the attack won. It's sad to see that this is the approach we now have to take against a team we were on par with a few years back. It's so sad to see how far we have fallen behind. Especially when you look at how much they have spent compared to us during the time of our demise. It's quite depressing really. I'm going bed

Really though, their starting 11 was pretty toothless without Lukaku and their defence with Stones in it is just crying out for the weak link to be targeted, just like teams hammer Bennet or Luna. So what did we do?

[Amo69]

If we're honest it was men against boys today. Almost like an attack v defence situation in training. Unfortunately for us the attack won. It's sad to see that this is the approach we now have to take against a team we were on par with a few years back. It's so sad to see how far we have fallen behind. Especially when you look at how much they have spent compared to us during the time of our demise. It's quite depressing really. I'm going bed

Really though, their starting 11 was pretty toothless without Lukaku and their defence with Stones in it is just crying out for the weak link to be targeted, just like teams hammer Bennet or Luna. So what did we do?

That's what makes the performance even harder to stomach. We really are a very average team. Yes they struggled to break us down but when you have 11 men behind the ball for 90 minutes that will always be the case.

[TRO]

 

 

Obviously we lost and there are areas to be addressed, but we lost to a better side. Take it on the chin chaps.

Lost to a better side how'd you work that one out?? They were missing two of their best players (Lukaku and Coleman) and looked completely clueless until they brought off Stones for Naysmith; the winning goal was nothing short of world-class btw.

 

Umm they are 5th and even before they beat us had 15 more points than us in only 23 games?  Table don't lie.  Why they are so much better than us when Goodison is shitheap with hardly any boxes and they are the 4th biggest team in the northwest whereas we have a brillant stadium and biggest side by a mile in the midlands, is a different question altogether.

 

because they acquire better players.......somehow.

[Big_John_10]

Holt is in team as we lack experience we have no one to nag the ref, we don't have players who 'win' free kicks were a bit too nice. Every team we play we're at a disadvantage because we don't exploit the situations to our benefit.

There was me thinking you should have good football players in a football team.

[Avflife]

 

Lambert decides to blame the fixture pile-up for today's result of 29% possession and one shot on target, **** embarrassing.

I haven't seen that, did he really?

**** good job the clearing in the woods threw in the towel for the FA cup then or we really would be bolloxed.

 

Can't be bothered to search for the exact quotes but PL came out and bemoaned the fact we had to play three games in seven days. Absolute shite, had enough of this crap week in week out, should just have the bollocks to admit the team were poor, 29% possession and one shot on target in the whole game says it all #herewegoagain 

In addition wrong formation and wrong selections.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Avflife

[Avfc96]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzH4dKNWxGo

 

He mentions the fixtures at the start.

[14K_away]

Sorry, this ones on Lambert, as previously mentioned there was no point starting Holt and Tekkers together, Holt may or may not be class but he was never going to be involved given the tactics we were using today, should have had someone else with legs to help Weimann feed Tekkers (e.g. Albrighton should have been subbed for Holt before we started)

We were planning  [i assume] to sit back, defend well which BTW we did for 89 minutes! and catch a couple on the break... its worked away so many times so WTF not? ... well because we did not have the legs for it today.

 

Everton were lacking in skill but really never gave up, in the second half however we gave up anything other than defending which again I think we did very well, obviously not well enough but I think it was was some of the best defending under continued pressue I have seen from us in a long time (no yellows today either AFAIKR !)

 

Which is why taking off Concrete was so bizarre ... unless he did have some sort of worry.

 

Bacuna MOTM ...though I voted Bertrand since Bacuna already had a deserved lead there [would be nice if we had a ratings poll so we could mark out of 10 for each player etc]

who voted Holt ? & why, I don't recall hearing his name on the commentary until he was subbed ?

I think all at the back had a very good game incuding Clark and Baker who seem to be disliked here but looked pretty solid to me?

The beast needs feeding & Weimann and Delph were not providing today and I could not really work out why, Westwood sort of AWOL as well.

Tonev .. yes at least he has a go & looks like he means it but Weimann needed support, not subbing another WTF?

KEA like him as a sub.. and like Tonev he has a go.

 

Please Mr Lambert leave your mate [who I am sure is very good (though I am not sure about the haircut)] on the Bench until he is required or Tekkers needs a rest.

Please Mr Lambert keep Bertrand if you can.

Edited February 2, 2014 by 14K_away

[SeanO]

Tactically Lambert got this one wrong, we had 4 shot's all game FFS!! And 2 of those threatened the corner flag more than the goal.

 

Sorry but this is what we have become under this lower league manager, it will not get better to watch under him. 

 

Everton were there for the taking if only Lambert had of left things as they were.

[thunderball]

Doesn't matter how you dress it up, we are rubbish.

Fundamentally, the players are not good enough, and the few that are should at best be squad players not 1st eleven except Guzan, Delph and Benteke (when on form).

£90-100m to fix this I am afraid, although I fear that Randy thinks it is fixed. It's just not going to happen is it?

[Rugeley Villa]

 

 

Obviously we lost and there are areas to be addressed, but we lost to a better side. Take it on the chin chaps.

Lost to a better side how'd you work that one out?? They were missing two of their best players (Lukaku and Coleman) and looked completely clueless until they brought off Stones for Naysmith; the winning goal was nothing short of world-class btw.

 

Umm they are 5th and even before they beat us had 15 more points than us in only 23 games?  Table don't lie.  Why they are so much better than us when Goodison is shitheap with hardly any boxes and they are the 4th biggest team in the northwest whereas we have a brillant stadium and biggest side by a mile in the midlands, is a different question altogether.

 

everton as a club are on par with us, they have to compete with 3 of the biggest names in world football and we have no one to compete with in the midlands. how they have got miles infront of us as a team is credit to them, over the years they aint had much money but they have worked hard with what they had and its paid off. for a long time now they have been a decent team and hard to beat, shocking aint it that we spent millions when MON was manager yet we could not pull away from everton and could not crack the top 4. look at the two clubs now, we are paying shit money for average players and low wages and they are carrying on the same like they have done for years. they wont be to far off the top 4 by the end of season. nothing but huge respect for everton,

[Rugeley Villa]

Doesn't matter how you dress it up, we are rubbish.

Fundamentally, the players are not good enough, and the few that are should at best be squad players not 1st eleven except Guzan, Delph and Benteke (when on form).

£90-100m to fix this I am afraid, although I fear that Randy thinks it is fixed. It's just not going to happen is it?

I tend to agree but that's not always the case as everton have spent little money over the years and they have been competeing for the top 6 for a while. we have some shit that needs clearing out, and money needs to be spent. we do have some quality in the team though and I hope we can build a team around that. no one has any right to claim where they should be in league but for a club like aston villa we have to at least show ambition.

[Harry]

I think this game proves yet again, to me at least, what a poor manager Lambert really is. I struggle to understand his Plan A in many games and generally doubt that there is a Plan B. So many games seem to be based around the principle of defending and then hit and hope.

 

Yesterday we went up against as side with a number of key players missing, I would have thought that you try to exploit that, well that's what everyone does to us. Based on what we did on the pitch and the statistics we delivered yet another piss poor performance.

 

It also probably exposed our relative inactivity in the transfer window as all we did was plug some of the obvious weaknesses in the squad rather than actually add to it.

Edited February 2, 2014 by Harry

[dakid007]

To get our squad on track give chelsea benteke and take all these players in exchange *

Guzan

Naughton 6-8m vlaar okore Bertrand*

Chalobah* Delph

Piazon* Bacuna Moses*

Gabby

We will lose benteke for definite chelsea need a striker & do not want or need any of these players and they are better players than what we have

[terrytini]

Good tactics in principle -  to suggest we could play the same way as against Liverpool, totally different scenario !!! -  but we needed to play the ball more, especially second half  - I can't beleive PL instructs players to give it away  ! - and have seen the same problem with England and Man U when you come up against a better side in that scenario you need a few bits of possession and often a second goal, otherwise you g odeeper and deeper, as we did - it really isn't new and isn't confined to us.

 

Find it amazing that the same people who say we are u/s with a u/s Manager seem to think we should have competed throughout the game equally with one of the better sides, great home record, (who have been building for years by the way and didn't get shot of their Manager when he started that process and wasn't doing so well a year or two in) !

 

If you think PL's tactics were to sit back that deep I would agree you would be angry -it would be and was suicidal-  -but I dont think that part was deliberate and have seen it SO many times with teams where the slightly fresher, and more skilled, and more confident, side pin teams back.

[villaglint]

Agree with lots of that Terry, Everton played very well second half and you have to able to absorb pressure which we did. It was really two very good goals which did for us.

Add to that we had about 3/4 really good break attempts were we gave it away sloppily at the key moment.

Fine lines in this game - if we'd have won and played the same it would have been a very different VT.

Fact we came close to getting a result against a top team away means I'll lump it in with the "encouraging recent form" part of my brain rather than "back to turgid Xmas form" part

[osmark86]

I think we played great defensively and, to be honest, that freekick was a screamer that no goalie would've been able to deflect. What really disappointed me was that we invited them to completely dominate the game by means of really negative football. If you allow a team to go at you again and again then you're only inviting these results, especially from quality teams like Everton. You can get lucky a few times and win a game that way. However it doesn't hurt to try and hold the ball and push the game further up the pitch whilst slowing the tempo down either.