Everton v Aston Villa Post-Match Thread

[caster troy]

Who needs new players when you have subs like Tonev and El Ahmadi available eh?

The lack of ambition being shown by the club right now is nothing short of disgraceful. We desperately needed one new midfielder as an absolute minimum.... nothing. Everton were missing Lukaku, coming off the back of a battering at Anfield and we played 3 centre backs vs their one up front who is a midfielder. Yet again we had less than 30% possession. It's beyond a joke.

[Matt Collins]

I think we need some perspective here. Everton are a quality top 6 side. Also we do need to accept highs and lows. After Wednesday today should come as no surprise. West Ham a big game now.
Without wishing to sound like the manager, we go again.

There's no shame losing to Everton at Goodison. there is shame - I think - in playing such anti-football for the whole of the second half. And it's disappointing to see us revert to reactive, on the back foot mode. When we'd been so much on the front foot at Anfield for example.

I really just did not expect to see Villa be such a regularly defensive, negative, unambitious side this season, after the way we finished last year. I just didn't expect it.

Given our circumstances, I don't mind being tenth at all (though if we're shifting from that it's down not up, given the points difference). But I do mind

On a side note, Dion Dublin and Garth Crooks are appalling pundits aren't they? Almost as bad as Robbie Fowler.

[Dribbler]

People taking issue with him changing a winning side, it isn't the 80's. Also, was that not exactly what MON got slagged for? He picked a formation to stifle the opposition and for 65 minutes he got it spot on. We used the ball poorly but to me we looked shattered, maybe Wednesday night took it out of us?

I think that's the issue, he picked a formation to stifle their side, rather than to actually play football ourselves. I must admit for a while i thought it might just work, but with no real out ball and absolutely no midfield presence it became obvious the pressure and their massive possession were almost certainly going to pay off for them eventually.

[Tuco Salamanca]

I think we need some perspective here. Everton are a quality top 6 side. Also we do need to accept highs and lows. After Wednesday today should come as no surprise. West Ham a big game now.
Without wishing to sound like the manager, we go again.

It's not the result so much but the manner of it.

[myf]

every time a team is desperate for a result we roll over. lots of pressure on us now in next 3 games

[bertlambshank]

People taking issue with him changing a winning side, it isn't the 80's. Also, was that not exactly what MON got slagged for? He picked a formation to stifle the opposition and for 65 minutes he got it spot on. We used the ball poorly but to me we looked shattered, maybe Wednesday night took it out of us?

How many times have we are we going to hear well it worked for 65 minutes?

[Steve kirk]

We are a very inconsistent team, we rarely string two wins together, a draw and a win is nearly always followed by a defeat, we win one in 4 games and that keeps us away from trouble, feel slightly vulnerable with so many below us winning but they are where they are for a reason and we will keep out of trouble, big game against the Hammers tho.

[Deano's Mullet]

In twenty years' time, we'll be talking about how shit it was to be Villa fans now.

On paper we should be so much better but for ability and style its the worst Villa side I've seen and I go back to 88. We struggled in 88-89 but had a better team. 90-91 and 94-95 we had quality sides that had done well in prior campaigns but ended up at the wrong end of the table. Both were better sides than this one. O'Leary's team was better to watch and contained better players. And yet we are 10th tonight! The league is mega poor.

[Irish villain]

Confirms me in my views that Martinez is the anti-Villa and Lambert is an enigma.

Martinez regularly turned us over when he was Wigan manager and helped create the Swansea that has,on the cheap, become a safe mid-table club that is easy on the eye. He also turned up his nose when he had the chance to manage us so that he could stay at Wigan. Also, when you need his team to beat somebody you can be sure they will lose and when you need them to get beaten they will go and beat United or Chelsea. Fuck I cannot stand him.

As for Lambert, why does he tinker with the system? We got into our stride the last few games then he changes it. Pressing =good resuts so why change to the horrific abomination of a 3-5-2?

And here's hoping Vlaar isn't out for long. Longer term we need to start looking for his replacement as we can't have such a stop start player as the main component of our spine.

Depressing.

Swansea that are in serious danger of going down? Wigan that went down?

What's your point?Have you read my post?

He gave us two fingers when we tried to sign him, he was happier remaining at Wigan than joining us and they regularly used to beat us regardless who managed us. I detest the fucker. And yes, the Swansea that we have found ourselves being overshadowed by the past few years.

[curiousorange]

The thing that was enjoyable about the Sunderland win last season and was pleasing about the comeback against the Boggies was that the side basically went 'fuck you, we're so much better than you' and showed it. Today, it was as if they were purposely told anybody who played their natural game would be fined. Even Delph looked average.

[Fergal]

People taking issue with him changing a winning side, it isn't the 80's. Also, was that not exactly what MON got slagged for? He picked a formation to stifle the opposition and for 65 minutes he got it spot on. We used the ball poorly but to me we looked shattered, maybe Wednesday night took it out of us?

How many times have we are we going to hear well it worked for 65 minutes?

Yea, during that 65 minutes we had the ball for about 18 of them and that is the lack of quality showing.

[Matt Collins]

I can't remember who said it. But there was a quote about most of villa's wins this series being 'almost by accident' and you'd have to say there's a lot in that.

[pauliewalnuts]

I think we need some perspective here. Everton are a quality top 6 side. Also we do need to accept highs and lows. After Wednesday today should come as no surprise. West Ham a big game now.
Without wishing to sound like the manager, we go again.

It's not the result so much but the manner of it.

Indeed.

Losing at Goodison isn't embarrassing.

Playing like that with less than 30% possession is though.

And it is hardly rare. We managed less possession than that *at home* to Swansea.

It is embarrassing. McLeish made me embarrassed to be a Villa fan with his tactics, Lambert is now doing the same.

[kippaxvilla2]

Manager reaction from Goodison Park. 

Paul Lambert felt his side were very unlucky not to leave Goodison with a point after a late double earned Everton all three points.  'I thought the lads were really excellent in the first half against a really strong side especially at home.  We got the goal deservedly and I thought we could push on from there.  They came back strong in the 2nd half but I thought we still had good chances to settle it.  There isn't much you can do about the quality of the strike that wins it but I felt we deserved something today for our work rate.  But you move on and go again on Monday.'

[hartman_1982]

People taking issue with him changing a winning side, it isn't the 80's. Also, was that not exactly what MON got slagged for? He picked a formation to stifle the opposition and for 65 minutes he got it spot on. We used the ball poorly but to me we looked shattered, maybe Wednesday night took it out of us?

I think that's the issue, he picked a formation to stifle their side, rather than to actually play football ourselves. I must admit for a while i thought it might just work, but with no real out ball and absolutely no midfield presence it became obvious the pressure and their massive possession were almost certainly going to pay off for them eventually.

Is that not his job? If he'd played 4 at the back and Lowton at right back, the midfield runners would have had a field day and Baines would have tore Lowts a new one. People saying they had no striker on the pitch but we had three CB's clearly have no perspective of how the modern game is played. How many times have Barca or Spain played without a striker?