The arse

[Peter H]

Still can't see why people are putting on Pienaar lol. He still ran the game for 75% of the match and occasionally gave the ball away in the last third.

Barkley gives the ball away on the half away line twice and they counter but we don't notice it?

I don't think people appreciate pienaars ability on the ball and his lovely first touch.... Luckily the man that counts does.

Would love to see some stats on him.

But overall a great effort from the boys. Going to miss McCarthy next week.

Jerry with another great cameo.

Barkley had a strange match, great for most the match, still having thosee moments though.

Defense looked resolute today.

Timmy saved us a few times.

But on chances we deserved a point.

I agree, Pienaar would have been my motm if it wasnt for Howards saves

[Romey 1878]

I thought Pienaar had an average first half, but by no means did he play badly, and second half he played really well and was playing his best just as he was substituted.

[Sideliner]

Bossing the top in form side in the PL in their own back yard for long periods with attractive attacking football gives me massive faith in Roberto and his fearless group of players -

You make it so easy and enjoyable to be an Everton fan these days -

Roberto - we appreciate what you have done for Everton , the players and the fans this season - long may our relationship continue !

[CMorley91]

Nice from Arteta, classy:

 

"In the second half we were the better side. Everton are the best side we have faced this season in the Premier League.

"They been getting results because they are doing things right. They have a good mix of players and are hard to deal with."

 

Good point, I don't think anyone would have been unhappy with 4 points from these 2 games. Thought our defense did well considering the ease that Arsenal have cut other teams apart. Coleman and Ovideos attacking positions, particularly in the first half, forced Cazorla/Ozil/Wilshere back and when they got the ball they were in no position to hurt us.

Midfield more than matched Arsenals. Not quite as creative as theirs, but still put in a great performance to a man.McCarthy and Barry bossed Ramsey and Arteta from minute one.

Thought Lukaku was quiet. Made a lot of runs but just didn't happen for him.

 

Overall, most praise is going to Martinez again. Hes sending us out with no fear at all, no matter where we are.

His positivity is brilliant, not many would bring on a flair player like Ger at 0 0 away to the league champions!

[MikeO]

 

Overall, most praise is going to Martinez again. Hes sending us out with no fear at all, no matter where we are.

His positivity is brilliant, not many would bring on a flair player like Ger at 0 0 away to the league champions!

 

Being pedantic you mean league leaders but it's a good point.

 

And the brilliant thing is that I thought nothing of it at the time.....it was what what we've come to expect! Very exciting times.

[CMorley91]

 

Being pedantic you mean league leaders but it's a good point.

 

And the brilliant thing is that I thought nothing of it at the time.....it was what what we've come to expect! Very exciting times.

 

I did indeed, and I'm one of those odd few who appreciates the pedantic correction!!

 

Good point, looking back at it, I almost expected to see him come on. If we had warmed up an attacking player at that time last year, I think my jaw would have cracked hitting the floor!

[gethinO]

What excites me now is our upcoming fixtures. If we can outplay Arsenal at the emirates (who have been by far the best prem team so far), we can outplay anyone. Next 4 matches are Fulham home, Swansea Away, Sunderland Home, Southampton Home. Am I being unreasonable in thinking we should get AT LEAST 10 points out of those games? 3 vs fulham, sunderland, southampton and at least a point at Swansea. So excited now. Come on you blues!!

[MikeO]

What excites me now is our upcoming fixtures. If we can outplay Arsenal at the emirates (who have been by far the best prem team so far), we can outplay anyone. Next 4 matches are Fulham home, Swansea Away, Sunderland Home, Southampton Home. Am I being unreasonable in thinking we should get AT LEAST 10 points out of those games? 3 vs fulham, sunderland, southampton and at least a point at Swansea. So excited now. Come on you blues!!

 

And the first three games in 2014 are Stoke, Norwich and West Brom .

 

Sure there'll be the odd stumble but if we could get 14+ from those seven games we'd be in a great position when we go to Anfield at the end of Jan!

[MikeO]

 

With McCarthy suspended, I'm hoping for:

 

Howard

Coleman Jagielka Distin Oviedo

Barkley Barry

Deulofeu Mirallas Pienaar

Lukaku

 

Is he confirmed as suspended? I thought they flagged up that it was just his fourth yellow .

[Romey 1878]

 

Is he confirmed as suspended? I thought they flagged up that it was just his fourth yellow .

Barry got his fourth, it was McCarthy's fifth.

[gethinO]

Brilliant. And the others who are near us need to play each other so hopefully they can all pick up points off eachother and we can quietly go about it winning our games with minimal fuss. Don't thing I've ever been so excited coming up to christmas. So glad I'm got tickets to the southampton and sunderland games. And yes, unfortunately, it was his fifth. He was on 4 back when we played Palace and people were talking about resting him so he could play vs the Shite. Osman or Deulofeu can come in vs Fulham.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Geth

[MikeO]

Barry got his fourth, it was McCarthy's fifth.

 

Ah right....my mistake.

[badaids]

I love the fact that RM:

 

gets the team playing, daring to to win instead of not risking to lose

 

plays his own style and let's the other team worry about us rather than looking to negate the other team as a starting point for his strategy

 

twists instead of sticking when he feels the odds are right instead of shutting up shop by default

 

lets the players play their game and trusts them to do so instead of making them play the percentages

 

With Moyes (love the man btw) it was usually the other way round

[Guest Nikica]

Thought you were fantastic in the first 40 mins and utterly dominated them. They came into it after that and the second half was pretty even.

 

That's a point you wouldn't have got without an attacking manager - Deulofeu would never have been brought on (and that was to get all three). He's an incredible talent (if very raw) and should hopefully see more action in the second half of the season, because as I said a while ago he's capable of ripping apart every full-back in the league. There's a reason why he's always been seen as a far bigger talent than the likes of Tello and Cuenca in Catalonia.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Nikica

[gethinO]

I think we're now playing the best football we have done under Martinez. I've never, ever seen an Everton side so dangerous on the counter attack. Anyone else seen an improvement in Distin and Jags' distribution last few games? I think it has taken us until now to fully adapt to the way he wants us to play. If we continue like this and work on that final pass we can beat ANYONE, and I mean anyone. "Have no fear." "Play teams eye to eye." I love our manager!

[Guest Nikica]

I think we're now playing the best football we have done under Martinez. I've never, ever seen an Everton side so dangerous on the counter attack. Anyone else seen an improvement in Distin and Jags' distribution last few games? I think it has taken us until now to fully adapt to the way he wants us to play. If we continue like this and work on that final pass we can beat ANYONE, and I mean anyone. "Have no fear." "Play teams eye to eye." I love our manager!

 

Jagielka and Distin have to be good footballers now as the entire system is dependent on it. It all starts from the centre-backs (I believe Martinez is a bit of a Bielsa disciple, wouldn't be surprised if he starts playing a CM there as future evolution if you solidify yourselves as a top four team). If you look at all the top teams and the teams who play the best football, they have had had CMs at CB or CBs who are very comfortable on the ball - Mascherano and Pique at Barca, Ramos at RM, Hummels at Dortmund, Dante at Bayern, Martinez at Athletic under Bielsa himself. Teams are also moving to three at the back in Italy as they see the value of having a modern libero-type alongside two more traditional defenders, and Rodgers is also adapting his style at Liverpool to 352.

 

Football tactics go in cycles, and right now ball-playing defenders and a combination of high pressing and possession football is back in a big way. It's the way the best teams generally play (with a few exceptions) and it's no surprise to see a Spaniard like Martinez incorporate it at Everton. No matter how defensively solid Distin and Jagielka are I can guarantee you that Martinez would have shipped them out had they not improved their ability on the ball (although Distin's wasn't bad in the first place). He had the same sort of defenders at Wigan (Alcaraz is not bad on the ball, and Caldwell has always been better on the ball than he is at defending) and it backs up my earlier point that Martinez is the sort of manager who suits better players, as Distin and Jagielka now have the required ability on the ball AND superior defensive skills to the Wigan boys - hence the high number of clean sheets and the propensity to build from the centre-backs.

 

Even Howard is playing it short and launching it less these days.

Edited December 8, 2013 by Nikica

[rubecula]

Oh my days, thank you toffees for that result, absolute gods you are.

Of course we are

[Brett Angel]

Never have I been prouder to call myself a blue.... All amazing. Special shout out for Seamus though.... Best game in an Everton shirt me thinks...... Owned that flank!

[weebittight]

So much better isn't it? Read a quote from Micah Richards lauding Coleman's engine. Massively improved defender too. Proper football team the Blues.

[Hafnia]

I just want to see us play the same as we have with confidence and tempo and I will take whatever comes.

 

Sin miedo

 

 

Pleased, great times

 

Just so proud... This is Everton!

[bassman]

Living 'Darrn Saff' I have to put up with lots of crap from my Gooner mates, and today is no exception, ' its was a foul leading to your goal' ' it was offside' you kept fouling us', amazing how Wengers whingeing rubs off! But, without exception, all of my mates say the same thing, Everton were the best team we have played this season.onward and upward

[GoodisonRoad]

Living 'Darrn Saff' I have to put up with lots of crap from my Gooner mates, and today is no exception, ' its was a foul leading to your goal' ' it was offside' you kept fouling us', amazing how Wengers whingeing rubs off! But, without exception, all of my mates say the same thing, Everton were the best team we have played this season.onward and upward

Cant stand Arsenal. Wieniest bunch of fans on this earth! Where was the foul in the build up to our goal? Saw one article saying Wenger thought are goal was offside? where did he get that from? Their goal was offiside! Walcott was about a yard off when he headed it back.

 

Amazing performance again, not many can go there and do what we did to them. 4 points from 2 very difficult away games at Arsenal and United...any team in the league would take that. Dont want us to get ahead of ourselves but this season is looking very promissing.

 

Also, how over-hyped is Wilshire?! Barkley showed him up no end!

Edited December 9, 2013 by GoodisonRoad

[Shukes]

Reading the morning papers and Barkley is all over them.

Everyone is mentioning how he bossed the midfield!

 

And i thought he had one of his more average games due to giving the ball away. We have something special here, a player who at 19 is bossing a midfield that has over ran every team they have came across so far.

And what a signing Barry is proving to be? Add to that McCarthy and we have a bit of everything in midfield at the moment.

[marcopaulo]

Reading the morning papers and Barkley is all over them.

Everyone is mentioning how he bossed the midfield!

 

And i thought he had one of his more average games due to giving the ball away. We have something special here, a player who at 19 is bossing a midfield that has over ran every team they have came across so far.

And what a signing Barry is proving to be? Add to that McCarthy and we have a bit of everything in midfield at the moment.

 

thought exactly the same about barkley...great work for the goal though..good reffing by webb to let him continue on the ball too

 

 

 

just seen the goal again...what a strike..the power he gets..the boy has ridiculous technique

[Guest Nikica]

Still can't see why people are putting on Pienaar lol. He still ran the game for 75% of the match and occasionally gave the ball away in the last third.

Barkley gives the ball away on the half away line twice and they counter but we don't notice it?

 

I don't think people appreciate pienaars ability on the ball and his lovely first touch.... Luckily the man that counts does.

 

Would love to see some stats on him.

 

But overall a great effort from the boys. Going to miss McCarthy next week.

Jerry with another great cameo.

Barkley had a strange match, great for most the match, still having thosee moments though.

Defense looked resolute today.

 

Timmy saved us a few times.

But on chances we deserved a point.

 

I thought Pienaar was great too - he's a very clever player and his movement and ability to keep the play moving is class.

[Guest rusty747]

Next 4 games are all winnable. If we do win them, that's 40 points from 19 games and a superb platform for the business end of the season.

 

NSNO

 

Sin Miedo

[MikeO]

Cant stand Arsenal. Wieniest bunch of fans on this earth! Where was the foul in the build up to our goal? Saw one article saying Wenger thought are goal was offside? where did he get that from? Their goal was offiside! Walcott was about a yard off when he headed it back.

 

Walcott wasn't offside....he looked it but if you slow it down you can see he's level.

 

No idea where he thinks ours was off :dont know:.

[marcopaulo]

the only foul was on barkley but webb let the play continue...what a clot

 

56% possession at the emirates...who does that!?

[Hafnia]

Arsenal looked like a team that knew they were in a game yesterday, can't explain how proud I am to be a blue. This is what I expect from an Everton team - this!

 

What I feel now is the closest to 1984... For all of you who thought that I undervalued Moyes, I didn't I had him valued for what he was, its just unfortunate that too many thought that what we are seeing now was not possible with the right tactician. Moyes built a ferrari - he just didnt know how to drive the thing. Martinez is like Ayrton Senna.

[MikeO]

Arsenal looked like a team that knew they were in a game yesterday, can't explain how proud I am to be a blue. This is what I expect from an Everton team - this!

 

What I feel now is the closest to 1984... For all of you who thought that I undervalued Moyes, I didn't I had him valued for what he was, its just unfortunate that too many thought that what we are seeing now was not possible with the right tactician. Moyes built a ferrari - he just didnt know how to drive the thing. Martinez is like Ayrton Senna.

 

Apart from not being dead .