Ratings and Reactions: Everton 2-1 Villa

[MackHaakon]

Fully deserved loss.

 

Benteke is better with ball to his feet. Lumping a high ball to an isolated striker will only bring pressure right back on.

 

We're just not interested in playing the game at times, which is very disappointing and not good for the long term development.

[MessiWillSignForVilla]

I completely agree, why would he take Vlaar off if he wasn't injured, but he didn't seem to be carrying a knock coming off, and if he was injured, why not bring on a defender as a like for like sub.

 

It looked to me as a desperate attempt to try go more attacking after the equaliser.

[smetrov]

Didnt expect anything to be honest. Winning at HT was a pleasant surprise.

Everton are a very good side. 

 

I don't actually think they are. They had a great start - but they have loads on injuries - and results have stuttered in recent weeks. I do wish we would buy another CB - After playing reasonably - Clark has been poor in the last couple of games - and of course if Vlaar is injured we just don't win. League table is so tight after today's results 

[villarule123]

If that was any other team I'd be celebrating them **** up a 1-0 lead with cowardly tactics.

 

Can't complain and we got exactly what we deserved.

[BkkVilla]

You can't park the bus for the entire second half and expect to go unpunished. Decent performance from our defence, but a baffling approach to the game from Lambert.

For 90 minutes

[Daveburnside]

Missed Gabby big time. We did the defending well enough but couldn't spring the counters. 

Bertrand - Please sign him!

[villalad21]

This place is going to be horrendous tonight.

 

First half tactics spot on, second half tactics wrong.

 

Bacuna MOTM.

What do you mean? The tactic were the same in both halfs

[dakid007]

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

[The_Steve]

Bertrand and Bacuna were excellent. Everton need a set piece to be us.

[romavillan]

Strange to see over reactions on this forum!

We were absolutely spot on first half, textbook away performance at a ground where Everton have an unbelievably good record the last couple of years. Just insane posts about no plan B, we played with 3 different formations in that game and until Vlaar went off (I would think either he couldn't continue or they were protecting him from more damage if he'd got a knock).

Everton are a very good side at their place, I was expecting to lose and hoping to nick a point. Amazing free-kick won it for them, fair play, they've been up there this season all season and we're only just out of the mire for the first time in ages. 

 

Really don't understand the straight up abuse for Lambert and the players. It's not like we were away to Palace and got cuffed three nothing after not looking arsed. We looked very comfortable for most of the game but couldn't see it out for one reason or another. No reason to think that the good work second half against Arsenal, the Liverpool game and the great comeback against the Baggies has been undone. We went up there to be compact, organised and try and nick something on the break and it nearly worked.

[villianusa]

Lambert says they are a young who are still learning, but plays them in a way that they have to absorb pressure for 90 minutes. I thought the players did their best, but they were on a hiding to nothing. 

 

Haven't got a clue why he played Holt, we were winning at half time with 10 men. Martinez out thought Lambert in the 2nd half with his substitutions. As good as the previous two games had been today was terrible. We went back to trying to bore players to death.

 

I felt it was a free kick for the last goal. You can't nudge people from behind in this league, and not expect to give a free-kick away. I'm sure Lambert will use it as an excuse for the defeat, but we got what we deserved.

 

Feel sorry for the fans, players, but not Lambert.

[abdulaziz1]

It's the bad tactics which costed us ! Tonev over Holt for sure ! Hopefully Lambert would understand that Holt must not start with Benteke !!

[Davkaus]

Bertrand and Bacuna were excellent. Everton need a set piece to be us.

 

 

You make it sound like scoring from a set piece is cheating.

 

It might seem like that because we're so persistently shit at them.

[romavillan]

 

Do any other teams play three at the back because I always thought it was outdated in modern football?

Liverpool have a few times this season I think

 

 

Juventus a big enough name for you?

[Daveburnside]

 

Didnt expect anything to be honest. Winning at HT was a pleasant surprise.

Everton are a very good side. 

 

I don't actually think they are. They had a great start - but they have loads on injuries - and results have stuttered in recent weeks. I do wish we would buy another CB - After playing reasonably - Clark has been poor in the last couple of games - and of course if Vlaar is injured we just don't win. League table is so tight after today's results 

 

Well they're 5th in the league and just beat us 2-1 with about 70% possession. Their injuries probably prevented us getting hammered!

[StefanAVFC]

 

This place is going to be horrendous tonight.

 

First half tactics spot on, second half tactics wrong.

 

Bacuna MOTM.

What do you mean? The tactic were the same in both halfs

 

 

And it clearly worked in the first half. But in the second, when they found their stride a bit, we should have kept the ball a bit, rather than just giving it straight back. 

 

And it's halves.

[The_Steve]

Mirallas is just a diving word removed. Great free kick though.

[KSV]

I still can't see the tactics were spot on for the first half. We got lucky with a goal. Everton were always going to score. The team we sent out was with 5 at the back. The players mindset was to sit back.. so once we conceded we were never going to come back from that.

 

Against a side who like to play possession football.. you have to pack the midfield and press them. Not sit back and let them play. What is disappointing is that against Arsenal this lesson should have been learnt.

 

First half.. we had 5 at the back again.. and we were dominated.. down 2-0.. second half with a more attacking set up/formation we played alot better. Against Liverpool and WBA the same positive mindset/formation and we got results.

 

5-3-2 or the optimists who may believe its a 3-5-2 (it really isn't.. not with the players we have) does not work and we should never use it again. Our strengths are going forward and the formation used today prevented Benteke and Wiemann from getting involved in this match.

[mikeyjavfc]

Reminded me of the Swansea game, you CANNOT concede that much possession and expect to get anything from the game. "Defend like Hell for 90 minutes is not a game plan that works, keeping the ball away from the opposition is the best form of defence.

[VillanousOne]

if we were playing a full strength Everton side then those tactics would make sense, WE WEREN'T. end