Something has been puzzling me for the past couple of days

[Hillary]

I keep reading newspaper reports telling me that Everton completely bossed the game for 80 minutes.

I mean, we didn't play well at all, but they were not exactly battering us were they? They defended well against us in the final third (assisted by some woeful passing and wayward finishing from us) but the effort of doing so for 80 minutes clearly knackered them out for the final 10.

That's not really a sign of controlling the match imo.

Or was I watching something very different from the rest of humanity. The Times didn't even say their second was offside.

[Pokster]

I thought we played very well until we got 18 yards away from goal and we seemed to control the game

[Hillary]

[Peter]

Still fascinated as to what that might mean. :-)

I missed a big chunk of the second half but i thought everton were comfortably the better side. That said, their first goal came from us completely switching off at a free kick, their second was a foul and offside, with a big defensive error thrown in. Those aside, they were not ripping us open.

At 2-0 up and seemingly coping pretty easily woth our chasing of the game i would say a refernece to them 'bossing' it is reasonably fair.

I am more concerned at how easily our midfield was ruffled in the first half. The defensive errors and the sloppy and blunt attacks were to be expected. Those issues will resolve themselves. The midfield issue wont.

[7evens]

to death.
We couldn't carve out any real opportunities and they profited by hitting us on the break, squarely against the run of play.

[Jake]

[Hillary]

or at least make the keeper earn his salt. That would have made a massive difference. We were on top until they scored and then were then able to sit back.

[Sir Charlie of Nicholas]

if it had been disallowed. So that confused me.

[Hillary]

weren't coping "comfortably".

[Peter]

At 1-0 they sat and waited for our defence to play themselves out of position. Pretty clever actually and worked like a charm.

We do leave ourselves a little exposed to counter attacks. Gets much worse if you keep giving the ball away which is the most familiar of our traits when we are not functioning.

[Peter]

As good a foul as you will ever see.

[Hillary]

Mind you, it also said that Monreal was the man who was turned on the halfway line for the second :sherlock:

[redgunamo]

For the good of the game, I mean, of course :-)

[Peter]

Or that they put so much into the first half, or sny number of other things.

The favt that tim howard didnt have a save to make until 70 minutes might suggest we were not exactly murdering them. Or it might just suggest thst we cant shoot for **** :-)

[Ashberto]

You'll be told that you wear a tin foil hat if you go around saying stuff like that.

[Peter]

But...... :-)

[Hillary]

[7evens]

and fulfil his potential.
He has the ability to knit that midfield together in a way we're missing with our abundance of similar players :pipedream:

[Peter]

Not injured, mind. Let me make that perfectly clear :-)

[Luis Anaconda]

and the side for resilience, while criticising Everton for their lack of fitness/staying power. The Sunday Times reporter in question apologised in the comments section for mistaking Monreal for Per - which was a bit of a shocker - but understandably writing on the hoof and filing right on final whistle can lead such things happening. I don't think the general impression that we got out of jail is that far off the mark. We were terrible in the first half :-)

[Ben.]

I was a touch sceptical for a moment there.

[Nicosia Gooner]

to Turkey for a big match on Tuesday, I just don't get it

[Luis Anaconda]

fitness of our players. Everton did fade in the last 20 as they did against Leicester (when it was also pointed out)

[Nicosia Gooner]

because ..... blah, blah,.....

[Luis Anaconda]

[Peter]

I thought the general press reaction was pretty flattering, largely going on about a new found resolve.

That is *******s (i dont think we lacked resolve last season) but far nicer than they could have been.

[Nicosia Gooner]

:hehe:

[Nicosia Gooner]

[Peter]

Just :hehe:

Shame about liverpool :hehe: :hehe:

[Peter]

[Hillary]

but Everton were no great shakes themselves.

[wibble the lobster]