Bailey

No one has said that have they MJB? Mirallas 20 / 3 / 22 / 62% / 83% Barkley 19 / 3 / 47 / 52% / 83% Bolasie 13 / 1 / 20 / 30% / 73% Gerry 11 / 0 / 9 / 60% / 72% (mainly a sub) This is apps, goals, chances created, shot accuracy and passing accuracy. After his first 4 games Bolasie was: 4 / 0 / 9 / 29% / 80% I haven't included Lennon as we both know he is useless! Bolasie 1052 mins = 52 mins per chance Mirallas 1190 (roughly) = 54 per chance Gerry 450 (roughly) = chance every 50 mins Ross 1478 mins = 33 mins per chance As I mentioned before Bolasie started brightly but dropped quite significantly after that honeymoon period as backed up by his average on chances created and his passing stats. Both of those two categories are the combined worst against the other players noted and he was starting every week whereas the others were getting relegated to the bench every other game, or not even in the squad in Gerry's case. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Bolasie is terrible or anything like that but I think it is a fair comment to say that our performances have improved since he got injured, and we have kept the ball better further up the pitch.

That last bit is exactly what he needs. He isn't mature for his age like Davies and needs to get kicked about by grown men for a few months.

I'd agree with most of that. He had the one from Silva that he did better than other might but the rest were simple enough.

Re the tracking, again he started well in the first couple of games but after that it was no better than any other winger. The fact that we have improved since he left and we haven't missed him suggests that he was bringing that much to the side, certainly not £20 mil worth.

He gave the ball away in silly positions which is why it's more memorable. It's not the ones under pressure or losing possession by playing a tricky ball, a lot of the time, especially after his first 2 or 3 games it was miscontrolled passes, running into touch, trying flicks to no-one. Half the problem is that we focused too much on him and that probably had an effect but in my opinion he was getting worse with every game after a very bright start. Gerry and Mirallas have still been our best wingers in terms of productivity and reliability.

I don't think it was Stones' mistake, he was just unlucky that it hit Coleman and then also just happened to fall into the path of Lookman. Otamendi was fast asleep like he had been all game. On the whole I thought Stones was their best defender. Couple of really good blocks, couple of towering headers over Lukaku too showing his physical side. Of the 7 defensive players City had, him and Zabaleta should be getting the least stick.

Everyone would have been up in arms if Otamendi (or another defender) had got in and cleared it because Rom was waiting for the ball to go over the line. Who cares, last time I checked the goal was for Everton.

I didn't realise that. We could help them out with Gibson

I think he can be a very good shot stopper, his reach alone is massive. The save that impressed me most was the Silva chance. Well in fact it wasn't even a chance in the end because before Silva could even get the ball under control properly, Joel was off his line and at his feet. Most keepers would have still been on the goal line making it a really good chance. He is clearly still raw. There was a time that he came for the ball miles away from goal before someone else cleared it, and on another day that could have caused problems, as could the penalty challenge but young keepers need games and lots of them. I see plenty in him to say that he could be a really good keeper in a few years time but he will need to mature and be a lot more composed.

That was the best we looked as an organised side since the Spurs game. We played an almost identical way too, sit back, defend deeper and compact but still pressing the man with the ball. We counter attacked really well, albeit against an old and slow centre midfield pair and a nervous defence. I definitely think this will be the way we set up in the big games against possession based or aggressive teams. It will be interesting to see how we go against teams that park the bus in front of us, as we may see this weekend. I still have no idea why Pep played Zabaleta and Toure as a holding midfield pair. One is a right back, the other only plays when he can be arsed.

That second to last play was incredible. Inches inside the line to get them just far enough for the field goal. Balls of steel.

This.

Barry works best when we sit deeper and counter, I doubt we will look to do that against Palace.

Exactly that, I'd have been doing the same!

Yeh first half I didn't think he was that great but second half when he was dropped deeper he was excellent before then moving into the number 10 role at the tip of a diamond. It was good to see him getting into the box too.

Haha superb!

Mirallas was frustrating me at times today, mainly first half, because he was overplaying on the ball and not closing down the space off the ball. Second half he was much better and when we needed it he added the quality in the final 3rd that we have missed. I can definitely take the rough with thr smooth if that is the result!

Yeh he was certainly a bit rusty! Put himself about though.

I'm going for the unsung hero. Barry was superb for the 70 mins he was on the pitch, he set the tone for the midfield and played as well as he ever as for the club. I can't really fault anyone in that second half and Davies was brilliant for his goal. Williams too deserves a massive mention, he marshalled that back line in the exact way we expected when we brought him here.

I envy you lads that were at the game today! That must be some atmosphere!

Irony at its finest... he should have done a Cruyff turn!

Criticised him a fair amount before today but that organisation and commitment was as good as I have seen for a long time today. Rode our luck a couple of times first half but we killed them off second with a superb display of counter attacking football. More than anything I could have ever asked for from an Everton team. Well done Ron!

Can't fault anyone in that second half, one of the best halves of football I have ever seen us play. The options we now have in midfield are unreal. Schneiderlin and McCarthy off the bench? Simply superb.

Loookmmaaann! Unreal debut... unreal game! Get in!

Lovely play from Ross, Rom should have got that on target.