Vs Villa (Home)

[Romey 1878]

That game should have been dead and buried at half time. We dominated the first half and apart from one chance (I think) Villa didn't have a sniff.

We were superb in that half. Pressing well, winning the ball back in dangerous areas, using the ball well, getting the ball into the box and creating openings/chances. We just didn't/couldn't put the ball in the back of the net and that really is the most important thing and it's cost us big time today. That three points should be ours but instead we're coming away with nothing.

Second half we weren't quite as good but even then just before they got the penalty we had one cleared off the line. Once they scored though we were done, you could see our heads had dropped. We were still trying but the same intensity just wasn't there.

The performance was encouraging, we seem to be creating chances now whereas that is something we were hugely struggling with, but the result was a suckerpunch. We have to find a way to score goals.

[Sibdane]

Just really disappointed. We played very well, but if we can’t score then it doesn’t mean anything. 

[Hafnia]

3 hours ago, RPG said:

No argument there but that is a separate discussion imho. We are where we are and we have to find a way to make it work with what we have.

Blindfolds and last cigarettes for the board can wait until we are safe.

That’s been an unfortunate ongoing theme for Evertonians for too long. 
 

we are where we are because of false promises, strategic review, 100 point plans, basically we have allowed problematic school kids to mark their own homework,  grade b they say, a few things they need to get right……… bollocks, a big fat U, unclassified.

those sneaky bastards are looking to sneak back in. They are toast, done. 

[Tonsta]

So disappointed you can see the improvement since Dyche has been here, but what's not changed is us shooting ourselves in the foot, against the shite, and today, if we don't give away a penalty with a brain dead challenge, we don't loose that game, Leeds are the only ones around us that we have beaten, that's the worry, forest, saints, wolves, Bournemouth villa, Non of which are better than us. 

I would sooner have lost the arsenal game and won one of them, but we didn't. So we are were we are.

Its going to another nail biting season, and at 70 im sure i will see it out. COYB

[patto]

Villa are better than us they have players who are capable of scoring we don’t and for this reason I expect us to go down it’s a case of us or Leeds. 
I just hope Leeds are worse than us for the rest of the season. 

[Palfy]

21 minutes ago, RPG said:

I agree that Bournemouth and Soton are favourites for two of the relegation spots but I think any one of six or seven could fill the third spot - with Leeds and Everton being joint favourites.

On paper yes but in the cold light of day no, we are favourites and most likely contenders for the 3rd spot, DCL is knackered! they will in desperation rush him back and he will know doubt last 60 minutes and not be seen for another 4-5 games, we can't score goals so have to be favourites for the drop, we have no one it would seem capable of filling that role, and Dyche is at a loss as anyone would be in how to fill that void with what we have at our disposal. 
The sale of Gordon and no one coming in, and the sacking of Lampard and hiring of Dyche bares all the hallmarks of a club who have accepted their fate and are planning for life in the championship imo. 

[Palfy]

5 minutes ago, RPG said:

I think that is what many of us thought when Dyche was hired, Gordon was sold and we signed nobody in the window. However, I have seen enough in the last 4 games to give me a lot of hope and a bit of belief that we have enough to survive. I am not confident but I do believe we are in the fight still.

There is loads of fight and endeavour and some decent football to go along with it, but there is no one to finish the all that good work off, 6 points in 4 games is a great achievement for Dyche, then when you analyse it properly it's 2 goals scored both by defenders and one a wonder strike, you don't have to play with an out and out striker to win games, but you need 2 or 3 mids and wide men who no how to finish, we have one left in Gray who isn't getting played because presumably he doesn't work hard enough for Dyche's liking, and the only other we sold to Newcastle in January. Where do you see the goals coming from to keep us up, because I can't see them from what we have at our disposal. 

[Formby]

26 minutes ago, RPG said:

However, I have seen enough in the last 4 games to give me a lot of hope and a bit of belief that we have enough to survive. I am not confident but I do believe we are in the fight still.

I concur. We have played much better under Dyche and yesterday's perfomance deserved better. That said, we have to be realistic. Without a striker, the best we can hope for is maybe five 1-0s. The squad is weak in critical areas - full backs, creative midfielders and, of course, no strikers. What hope there is rests with Dyche. If he manages it, I think it will be nothing short of a miracle.  

[Formby]

8 minutes ago, Palfy said:

There is loads of fight and endeavour and some decent football to go along with it, but there is no one to finish the all that good work off, 6 points in 4 games is a great achievement for Dyche, then when you analyse it properly it's 2 goals scored both by defenders and one a wonder strike, you don't have to play with an out and out striker to win games, but you need 2 or 3 mids and wide men who no how to finish, we have one left in Gray who isn't getting played because presumably he doesn't work hard enough for Dyche's liking, and the only other we sold to Newcastle in January. Where do you see the goals coming from to keep us up, because I can't see them from what we have at our disposal. 

Gray has far more trickery, guile and speed than Maupay. He's also taller. And has a finish. If Dyche isn't going to play Simms as a target man, and Maupay offers nothing, maybe he should look at a way of getting Gray in the box by playing him at CF. Simplify his game. Shoot on sight.    

[AlbanyNYToffee]

Back home. Another unforgettable visit to Goodison and my last. Will be back in Fall 2024 for the new stadium. Reading through this thread and unsurprisingly everyone's opinions are spot on with mine. The ref certainly didn't cost us the game but he was abysmal. Absolutely abysmal. He didn't even see the foul on Onana, I promise you and 38,000 other people can verify that as well. He booked him based on the player's reaction and was incredibly late in doing so. That really fucked us as Onana had to be careful for 80 minutes. We were by far the better side box to box but we will be relegated if DCL doesn't get fit soon. Points are earned inside the 18yrd boxes and we haven't got the goods in either at the moment. The balls into the box were plenty good enough and there were quite a few of them but Maupay was never going to win one. He is the most useless player I've seen in a long time. Anyways despite the result still had an amazing visit and like everyone here I will really miss the Old Lady. One of the last true proper football venues.