Everton v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[phantom limb]

Here's an idea, let's score a goal and then spend the entire game giving Everton the ball back.

[BoskoDjembaSalifou]

We got what we'd deserved that simple. I have two issues with that display and they're related. Firstly I've been banging on about this for ages if you have possession stats of 40% or less on a regular basis you will lose more than you win, and considering we have less than 35% possession quite regularly that balance will be even more skewed. Lambert really doesn't get it.

Secondly I find it embarrassing that Villa as a club have become so small time. It's one thing for a team who get promoted to regularly play with their backs to the wall, but it's frankly embarrassing that we go to clubs and desperately try and cling on and offer nothing. That coupled with our transfer strategy is just not good enough. Aston Villa are a much bigger football than we look and play like at the moment.

Agreed.

I don't think Lambert is the right man. He gets away with it sometimes but I just can't see a bright future (completely unintentional) for us with him here.

[Tuco Salamanca]

Dissapointing. However Everton were only likely to score a second from a free kick and this they did!

If you have 29% possession and give away 18 free kicks then you are giving them as a good a chance as possible to do so.

[not3bad]

Very worrying if Vlaar is injured. 

[barrysleftfoot]

 Beaten by a better team, better footballing team, we know that, we need better midfield players, we know that, decided to save our purchases till the summer, i can cope with that.As supertom said, apart from Delph, the midfield is poor, we can't do nothing now, we have to wait until summer, 4 more wins and we will be safe.If we don't win next weekend, then we could be in trouble, but as it is what i expected today.

[Dribbler]

As i said in the match thread, only one side played football today and it wasn't us.

The way Lambert had us set up was practically 10 men behind the ball, we played very deep and compact, and this initially made it difficult for Everton to get through us, but it was very 'anti-football'. We had no out ball though and by the end we weren't even hoofing it in Benteke's general direction, we were just hoofing it. You can't 'play' like that for 90 minutes, all of our defending and closing down takes it's toll towards the end of games and players begin to tire, and their players then begin to find the space and make opportunities.

I'd have been happy if we'd of sneaked a win or draw, but FFS can we please try and play some football. We've played some good stuff against better teams than Everton so there really is no excuse for that kind of performance.

[Fergal]

Owner not good enough.
Manager not up to the job of managing a championship squad into the top half of the premiership.
Players not good enough.
]
Shit shit shit.

Erm...

It is a squad that would struggle in the championship and we expect Lambert to get it into the top half of the premiership. 

[PaulWinch again]

Beaten by a better team, better footballing team, we know that, we need better midfield players, we know that, decided to save our purchases till the summer, i can cope with that.As supertom said, apart from Delph, the midfield is poor, we can't do nothing now, we have to wait until summer, 4 more wins and we will be safe.If we don't win next weekend, then we could be in trouble, but as it is what i expected today.

If it was just poor players it wouldn't bother me as much. It's the fact we set up so negatively and we know that we won't buy good players.

[Rudy65]

An embarrassment of the highest order.

That is anti football

Get that f in scottish tw@t out of my club

Were you saying that on Wednesday evening?

One swallow doesnt make a summer and all that

This level of incompetence has been going for 18 months save as about 10 games

PL is clueless

[frank black]

Good first half.

Ran out of energy in the second and never retained the ball once. Gambled that Everton wouldn't break us down, they did we lost.

We look like we have more than enough to retain our premier league status. But not enough to finish top half. It's where we are right now.

[Legion]

We got what we'd deserved that simple. I have two issues with that display and they're related. Firstly I've been banging on about this for ages if you have possession stats of 40% or less on a regular basis you will lose more than you win, and considering we have less than 35% possession quite regularly that balance will be even more skewed. Lambert really doesn't get it.

Secondly I find it embarrassing that Villa as a club have become so small time. It's one thing for a team who get promoted to regularly play with their backs to the wall, but it's frankly embarrassing that we go to clubs and desperately try and cling on and offer nothing. That coupled with our transfer strategy is just not good enough. Aston Villa are a much bigger football than we look and play like at the moment.

Very well put across.

[Dan England]

Paul Lambert got it wrong today. When you set up with 5 at the back against a team without a recognized centre forward, a team that loves to throw it's fullbacks forward, a team that lacks pace through the middle of its team you will lose. Too much time, too much respect and too much space was given to Everton.

Everton have been great at home this season but this was probably the weakest starting 11 they have had at home, they got thumped in their last game and their defence was torn to shreds by pace and clever running, both things we are good at. We should have wide men pinning the fullbacks in their half, our fullbacks should have pushed higher up the pitch and the midfield should have pressed higher up the field.

Clark showed amazing naivety to give a way a needless freekick in the middle of pitch 25 yards out against a team with numerous good freekick takers. Surely it was discussed before the game.

Really disappointed that we didn't go out to get three points and the mentality of defending a point from the kick off makes my blood boil.

- And to really piss me off the Frogs score a try after 30 seconds.

[Fergal]

Very worrying if Vlaar is injured. 

Probably more so if he isn't as it means the manager is a fucking fruitcake...

[hartman_1982]

Over reaction. We were superb at the back for 60 mins. They'd had one shot on target and playing 3-5-2 had stopped them from being able to pass through us. Vlaar gets injured, can't turn for the first and goes off and we look shoddy at the back. If Vlaar stays fit we take 3 points and people talk about how resilient we are this season and how we are only 7 points behind the toon. Yes I would like us to play more expansive but we weren't poor today. The game plan almost worked a treat.

[not3bad]

apart from Delph, the midfield is poor

Everyone was saying Bacuna was having a good game at half time?