Ratings and Reactions: Everton 2-1 Villa

[srsmithusa]

Hindsight is so cool.

But when one comment says "it's crazy to play 3 at the back" and the next one says "as soon as Vlaar came off and we went two at the back I knew we would lose". And then 15 of the next 20 posts mirror one of those, it's just funny to me.

I too was puzzled by Vlaar's withdrawal, but the only goal we gave up after that was a brilliant free kick that came as the result of a soft foul. Vlaar's withdrawal did NOT cost us.

The strong defense worked well for the first 60 minutes. Actually, a Vlaar error let Naismith go, with an awkward stab at the ball instead.

But we can all look in hindsight and pick the manager and certain players to death. It's apparently much more fun.

[AVTuco]

Why aren't votes public?

There's nothing stopping you creating your own poll.

Ok, thanks. I thought that maybe there was a reason for this.

Public votes would maybe prevent unreasonable votes. Also would be interesting to see who voted who.

[chappy]

Only watched the second half but they were very good tbf their crowd really drive them at home. We didn't deserve anything from that match.

What? I'm on a bus home from the game now and their fans were silent until their first goal and then again until their second goal. Everton played a patient game well but their fans had nothing to do with it.

Tactics worked well first half but we just had to change it up at half time. You can't invite that much pressure without conceding eventually so Lambert has to take the blame for this one I'm afraid.

Bacuna motm. Bertrand good again. With those two as wing backs in the first half we looked solid.Puzzled by vlaar coming off, did he have a knock? He didn't go down the tunnel like an injured player usually would.

I would've brought Lowton on for Baker and gone 4 at the back after 55/60 mins. Holt shouldn't start, much better option as a sub. We missed gabby and the outlet his pace gives us big time.

[Electric Avenue]

Benteke stopped scoring again

[chappy]

Also didn't look like a foul for the free kick from where I was stood, will have to see a replay. Cracking hit by Mirallas though.

[joshharris12]

Benteke stopped scoring again

did he get any service? was it all hoofed up to him?

[villa4europe]

said in the baggies thread clark has no intelligence and anichebe bought easy free kicks off him all night, same again

 

frustrating from lambert, would understand it if we were better at the back than we were upfront but we arent, not even close, not sure how many times this everyone behind the ball counter attacking has to fail before he sees it

[Ponky]

The frustrating thing is that every Villa supporter watching that game would have had a pretty strong idea how that game was going to end up after the first 15 minutes of the second half. It's just so inevitable I can't understand why the players fall for it every time.

 

In the first half we defended solidly but played the ball out from the back using Delph and the two wing-backs, but in the second half the wing-backs became purely defensive full-backs and we simply hoofed it back to halfway. Surely once that happens you have to shuffle the deck to try and push the midfield up a bit and retain the ball a bit. 

 

I thought we defended really well for the entire match but under that volume of balls being played in the law of averages says something's going to fall against you.

 

My other problem is the way that Lambert set them up. It effectively says to the young lads "I have no faith in your capacity to be better than the opposition, so we are going to set up to allow the opposition come at us and hope for the best". That's got to be great for their confidence.

 

I'm not really one to have a whinge after a match and the reason I am is that I am not really surprised, shocked, dismayed etc, just frustrated that it feels like we have been set up to fail and it's just so frustrating to see the same scenes being played out over and over again.

[turnbull]

why did we go into that game trying to defend when most of their key players were out?

Lambert doesn't seem to understand that letting a team have all the attacking possession for 90 mins will never pay off.

We made Everton look good when they weren't

 

I just don't understand his mindset.

Thought that. Saw the team and thought "oh dear", but whilst we were winning you can forgive a lot.

Obviously when you end up losing and everything turns shitty against the weakest team Everton have fielded all season, well........................

[The Fun Factory]

A shame that we have dropped a point today- like last year when we should have beaten them. It is not a disaster and we will move on. We have 2 big games coming up which could highlight what sort of season Villa will have, mid table, or sweating it out with the rest of the bottom half of the league.  10th wih two thirds of the season gone but only 5 points from the drop- it is a mad table.

 

On another point we seem to be letting in a few goals at present- 2 v Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton, and 3 vesus Albion. Need to sort that out asap.

Edited February 1, 2014 by The Fun Factory

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

Lambert said Vlaar felt his hammy. Will be assessed but he rarely plays again for 2 months after coming off. Hopefully its ok for next week, or we could be in trouble. And Gabby goddamnit just be cured already

[Houseoftomorrow]

I didn't get to watch the match, but I did catch some snippets on twitter. I'm guessing Lambert went from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 (5-3-2, 9-0-1, whatever you want to call it), possession went from 45% to 30%, we struggled to make more than one pass per possession, and we sat back and invited pressure? Am I close?

[PaulC]

I didn't get to watch the match, but I did catch some snippets on twitter. I'm guessing Lambert went from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 (5-3-2, 9-0-1, whatever you want to call it), possession went from 45% to 30%, we struggled to make more than one pass per possession, and we sat back and invited pressure? Am I close?

 

Not really, Everton always have a lot of possession. We held a fairly high line. The problem wasn't the tactics it was we failed to string passes together 2nd half. 

[Morpheus]

As I stated in the match thread if it had finished 1-1 no matter how we played it would have been seen as an unexpected point gained and we were only beaten by a wonder strike.

That being said I was disappointed to see Lambert playing two target men up front again when past history with Bent should have made him realise by now that it simply doesn't work even if you do change the player.

[lexicon]

First half tactics were spot on really - did what he wanted to do which was nick a goal and frustrate them. 2nd half, we should have changed up and gone at them - we tried to defend a one goal lead for 45 minutes, and that was never realistically going to work.

 

MoTM Bacuna for me - thought he took his goal very well and gave a good performance. 

 

Weimann today was absolutely appalling - nowhere near as good as he can be and just not looking for a Benteke flick on at all. Very disappointed with him. 

[Silafou's_besi_mate]

Utter gash.

This is what annoys me about Villa. Great win mid-week, you think we can kick on, take first half lead then loose the game.

How many times has Clarke cost us a goal with stupid free kicks from his fouls? Their player had his back to goal and was going no where. He didn't need to take him, just press him.

No defender brought in and now Vlaar injured! When will we learn - and this is what our problem is, we never do!

[StefanAVFC]

How many times has Clarke cost us a goal with stupid free kicks from his fouls? Their player had his back to goal and was going no where. He didn't need to take him, just press him.

 

0, because Clarke doesn't play for us.

[lexicon]

Can't blame Clark for that really - it was an absolutely phenomenal free kick. 

[Avflife]

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

[Shillzz]

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