PL: Everton h Ratings & Reactions

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I thought Petrov was good today, especially in the first half, second half not so much but that was just because we were getting the ball into the box pretty quickly and so he didn't really have anything to do as such.

[bose]

In all fairness if most of your passes are back to your defenders, who haven't got an opposition player within 20 yards of them, you won't give the ball away.

Petrov didn't play one forward pass tonight, and I can't remember the last time that he did. He links play well and is tenacious in his play, but a playmaker he is not, not at all.

He plays it simple but if there are options ahead of him then he does play a forward pass. Sometimes I think we're to static when he has the ball because we're always waiting for it to be played out to the wingers.

I can also think of a few long balls from him where he shifts the ball from one flank over to the other.

As I said before he would be of better use in a three man midfield with Milner and someone who can make good runs.

[thetrees]

On the game itself, we were lacklustre everyone looks like they could do with a good rest. We were over ran by their 5 in midfield and they looked like they had more energy, glad we got a point though.

:shock:

Milner's frustration when the referee blew in the 95th minute (4 minutes too early) didn't smack of lacklustre, in fact the opposite.

The tiredness bit is also an excuse that is trotted out by many, and one that I don't buy.

The team went out tonight and had a right go against a very well organised side. Despite the fact that the referee was doing everything to screw them up, and one or two murmurings of discontent in the crowd (after Everton's second) they kept at it and got the minimum that they deserved.

I thought that they were great and served us up an excellent game, one of the best at VP this season.

[Hanky]

Frustrating game, especially first half as we created far more than them (and as much as we have done lately). Two guilt edge chances from Carew and Cuellar that should have been converted. Screwed by the ref/linesman for the first as that was never a foul from where I was sitting. Still we did well to fight back again at the end.

Should have gone 4-5-1 against their midfield as they were running through us too easily at times. Everton are a good team and we matched them. To be fair we made the change and (although wasn't directly responsible) we got the goal.

Oh, Moyes still hasn't beaten O'Neill in the league.

[emma_villan1]

On the game itself, we were lacklustre everyone looks like they could do with a good rest. We were over ran by their 5 in midfield and they looked like they had more energy, glad we got a point though.

:shock:

Milner's frustration when the referee blew in the 95th minute (4 minutes too early) didn't smack of lacklustre, in fact the opposite.

The tiredness bit is also an excuse that is trotted out by many, and one that I don't buy.

The team went out tonight and had a right go against a very well organised side. Despite the fact that the referee was doing everything to screw them up, and one or two murmurings of discontent in the crowd (after Everton's second) they kept at it and got the minimum that they deserved.

I thought that they were great and served us up an excellent game, one of the best at VP this season.

I'm not saying tiredness is an excuse, just observation that they looked tired as you would be when you are trying to win the game back and push forward.

I agree it was a really entertaining game.

[rjw63]

Just got back, and a few bullet points:

Everton waste time, even from the 29th minute;

Some Everton players seem to hit the deck far too regularly, and stay down to waste time;

Keeper wasted a lot of time from goal kicks;

Most Everton throw ins were an excuse to waste time.

You might see a pattern emerging

Superb effort tonight, no one stopped trying til the bitter end.

Oh, and the referee was a cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunt.

[barry'sboots]

A fairly predictable result.

Started well with high energy but got cut open by Everton's central 3 against 1/2. We have to switch to 4-3-3 against top sides playing this formation unless we but a second striker who is capable of dropping in when the opposition have possession. It was way to open for my liking - makes for an entertaining game but I don't think it gets you in the top 4.

Friedel: 6.

Cuellar: 7 defensively/5 going forward. He is the best defender in our team BUT is not a RB. His crossing is shocking.

Warnock: 6. Good defensively, but didn't get forward as much tonight.

Collins & Dunn: unsure. Both dealt well with Yakubu/Saha BUT not sure whether they were at fault for the goals until see on TV.

Ash: 6. Decent and some good crosses BUT can't seem to beat a man anymore?

Downing: 9 for first 20 minutes/5 from then on. He needs three CM'ers to win the ball to get it to him so he can deliver. He is not going to win it back himself.

Petrov: 9 for the first half an hour/5 from then on. Great distribution in first half hour but then faded badly and had little impact on the game in the second half.

Milner: 8 MOTM. Ran his socks off BUT does too much and MON will burn him out. He drops deep and runs forward BUT needs to do less and do it in the final third for me.

Carew: 6. Not sure what he added. Looks a threat when the ball is in at his feet but don't see him and Gabby as a pair.

Gabby: 8. Worked hard and got a goal.

Fonz: 6. Not enough time and in a desperate scenario.

Referee: -6. Crap. First 30 minutes were a joke!

MON: 4. Same team. Same tactics. Must be so easy to prepare for a game against the Villa!! Little inspiration again when required, he just looks clueless. Poor sub IMO and clear that no-one on the pitch knows what he is doing when he makes these subs. Would love to have seen Delph from the start freeing up Stan to do more of that distribution and Jimmy to do more work in the final third where he would be more effective than JC IMO. Also, we would get more possession to play Downing in.

Its soooo frustrating watching the Villa at the minute!

[carlitobrigante]

well just got back..

it was obviously that the manager had said something about keeping it on the deck as we seemed more eager to keep the ball down and retain possesion than ive seen all season.

Apart from a few typically dodgy moments Cuellars distribution was much better...

Downing started really brightly and was one of our best players in first half. Second half he was poor, bottling too many 50/50's, poor passing and terrible crossing from set pieces and open play....

Ashley Young was shite. Yet again he couldnt seem to hit a decent cross. Didnt see him beat his man once. God this kid frustrates me, im gutted he doesnt seem to be anywhere near the player i thought he could be, no consistency at all. For someone supposedly a setpiece specialist with a sweet technique, his crossing and free kicks were appalling. I cant understand what has happened to who not long ago looked like one of the most natural crossers in the league. He needs to spend some serious time on set piece delivery as what used to be one of our main goal threats has dissapeared...

Downing isnt helping with the set pieces either. How come Downing and Young, both often labbelled as great crossers of the ball, great free kick takers, excellant technique etc etc cant seem to put a decent ball in the box?

Warnock was ok. Nothing really amazing going forward, didnt look as shaky at the back as he has done in recent times...

Collins - ok, im getting worried how often Dunne seems to have to bail him out though...

Dunne - great game, didnt put a foot wrong, no siilly hoofing and some quality blocks....back to his best...

Milner, good game overall, too often he was far too tight with petov meaning our central midfield can be by-passed with a single pass...

Carew & Gabby - i dont see any sort of patnership developing. they never seem to link up, and i cant remember the last time i saw gabby get one of carews flick-ons....they didnt get much service today, although carew have a couple of sniffs and had one chance he really should have put away...

On the positive side, i liked some of the football we started to play in patches and it was good to see less of the aimless hoofs that only suceed in giving them the ball straight back.

On the negative, downing & youngs poor / inconsistent delivery, same starting 11 yet again, still seem to have not enough movement on the pitch and so our play becomes very predictable.....

good result overall as i expected us to lose...

[ED]

Just got back, and a few bullet points:

Everton waste time, even from the 29th minute;

Some Everton players seem to hit the deck far too regularly, and stay down to waste time;

Keeper wasted a lot of time from goal kicks;

Most Everton throw ins were an excuse to waste time.

You might see a pattern emerging

Superb effort tonight, no one stopped trying til the bitter end.

Oh, and the referee was a cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunt.

thank you, not many others seem to have noticed the disgraceful tactics employed by the thieving bstards today.

And why don't we get homer refs? Every **** away game I go to has them

[villa4europe]

Just got back, and a few bullet points:

Everton waste time, even from the 29th minute;

Some Everton players seem to hit the deck far too regularly, and stay down to waste time;

Keeper wasted a lot of time from goal kicks;

Most Everton throw ins were an excuse to waste time.

You might see a pattern emerging

Superb effort tonight, no one stopped trying til the bitter end.

Oh, and the referee was a cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuunt.

couldnt agree more

they seemed to do it at just the right time too, i know he ended up going off, but heitinga completely flattened the game with his routine just as the crowd were starting up after half time, the ref was shocking, if warnock had got anymore of the ball he'd have trapped it, and i wish the ref had grown a pair and had a word with the keeper

and talking of growing a pair, stuart **** downing...

[Rob182]

lucky in the end but think we got the point that we deserved

very disappointed in downing and carew tonight. downing just constantly pulling out of challenges, giving the ball away, wasting chances. Carew just doing nothing basically . . .

think downing has the potential and will proove to be a good signing, just needs to be shown that he isn't guaranteed his spot in the team.

id bring delph in for him and put milner back out on the right for a few games. and if it goes well then downing will have to wait until he gets another chance.

Downing was quality in the first half but faded in the second, like quite a few of our players - so not quite sure why he keeps getting picked out by quite a lot of posters. Also he went flying into a few challenges tonight, I think he's slowly getting his confidence back.

Cuellar was good tonight; it does seem that his passing has improved!

Has anyone seen replays of the "foul" that lead to the free kick and their goal?

I was at the game and it didn't look like a foul to us.

Well done to everyone in the stand for the chants:

"Sh*t refs, we only get sh*t refs, we only get sh*t refs"

Overall - happy with a draw as it could have been much worse, good to see Delfouneso get an appearance above Heskey and some really good passing in the first half. Hopefully that is what Martin is aiming for; a nice, structured passing team.

[Hanky]

I thought Petrov was good today, especially in the first half, second half not so much but that was just because we were getting the ball into the box pretty quickly and so he didn't really have anything to do as such.

Petrov basher

Yes I also thought he was good tonight along with Milner (still don't think they work together though).

In fact I don't think anyone had a particularly bad game tonight at all.

[peterms]

...How come Downing and Young, both often labbelled as great crossers of the ball, great free kick takers, excellant technique etc etc cant seem to put a decent ball in the box?...

Young was very accurate with a couple of balls in the second half.

Trouble is, they were Pienaar's.

[villa4europe]

anyone know why sidwell went into the lower holte at half time?

[kurtsimonw]

What are we going to wait longer for? Winning the European Cup again, or getting a competent ref? I certainly wouldn't want to bet my house on it.

[Rob182]

and talking of growing a pair, stuart **** downing...

Again with the Downing bashing..

I don't get it?

Was there really that many challenges that he pulled out of or didn't go for?

As far as I could see, from the Holte, Downing played well and didn't shy away from any challenges..

[chris_avfc]

Deserved point.

James milner never stopped chasing, gave the ball away a few times more than normal but shown his quality with the best cross of the match, thought he put a great shift in tonight despite clearly a lil tired.

Dunne was excellent again tonight, we kept possesion alot more and better tonight, especially in the 1st half. Neither Gabby or Carew stamped their name on the game, bit dissapointed with both.

Redknobs lot will drop points, to both man u and chelsea, we still play man city who still play man u.

Very much still in the race for 4th.

[woody_ntfc]

I don't know what different tatics people want MON to play. With Gabby and Carew/Heskey up top, you have the option to ball the ball into space for Gabby, which we didn;t to enough until the second half, or up into the feet of Carew, which we did a few times and he wasn't on form tonight.

I'm sick and tired of seeing Cuellar playing at right back. I don't care whether he plays at CB instead of Collins or not, but don't try and play him where he doesn't belong. You cannot play a game involving wide men with him as a right back, he can't pass and just cannot cross.

Other than that, oh and i hate Downing and think he is awful but some disagree with that, Ash was lucky to stay on for what was an awful challenge on Pineear.

[kurtsimonw]

and talking of growing a pair, stuart **** downing...

Again with the Downing bashing..

I don't get it?

Was there really that many challenges that he pulled out of or didn't go for?

As far as I could see, from the Holte, Downing played well and didn't shy away from any challenges..

I like Downing, but I have to agree with the other poster, he does tend to bottle it when it comes to a 50/50.

[The_Steve]

I swear referees must be like fraternity brothers or something. You criticize one it's an attack on all of them. I'm sure the game after the CC final we had a bad referee it just seems whenever we the club are critical of a match referee, others seem to take it out upon themselves to punish us by being biased/inept [insert appropriate term here]