Everton 1-1 Aston Villa post match thread

[CT]

That's just yet another example of Dean Smith not getting it right when we needs to this season.

This is when he earns his money - 5 mins to go you just slow the game down, take the rhythm out of it, play for free kicks, dont give up possession cheaply, use up all your subs etc.  We just continually lack the smarts when it comes to holding on to a lead late in the game. Its just happened too often now, we've never learned and ultimately not holding on to wins/draws will be what will send us down. And that's largely down to the management.

This in spades. Our game management is appalling.

We let the flow of the game continue and payed the ultimate price.

[RamboandBruno]

That's just yet another example of Dean Smith not getting it right when we needs to this season.

This is when he earns his money - 5 mins to go you just slow the game down, take the rhythm out of it, play for free kicks, dont give up possession cheaply, use up all your subs etc.  We just continually lack the smarts when it comes to holding on to a lead late in the game. Its just happened too often now, we've never learned and ultimately not holding on to wins/draws will be what will send us down. And that's largely down to the management.

This in spades. Our game management is appalling.

We let the flow of the game continue and payed the ultimate price.

I think the players have quite a lot to do with it as well. Not all untried players in there, reina, Mings, Elmo, hourihane even grealish, all been around the game for a few years.
Interesting another poster mentioned Wesley. He looked to me like he never knew where to go in the box and his hold up play wasn’t all that, but he still had 6 goals come Xmas. A similar tally in the latter half of the season might have seen us safe.
Anyway, we need a winner in the game tonight, and then hope the team that loses, loses again either against Man City or Man U, and that Southampton don’t lose to Bournemouth. All that falls into place and even a draw against Arsenal will take us to West Ham 2 points behind and in with a shout. Too stressful!!

[The Edge]

That's just yet another example of Dean Smith not getting it right when we needs to this season.

This is when he earns his money - 5 mins to go you just slow the game down, take the rhythm out of it, play for free kicks, dont give up possession cheaply, use up all your subs etc.  We just continually lack the smarts when it comes to holding on to a lead late in the game. Its just happened too often now, we've never learned and ultimately not holding on to wins/draws will be what will send us down. And that's largely down to the management.

This in spades. Our game management is appalling.

We let the flow of the game continue and payed the ultimate price.

Agreed. And the stat they put up last night proves everything ozvilla said. We have conceded more goals than any other team in the league in the final 15 minutes. We've conceded 17. It's a damning statistic that our coaching staff should be having a long look at.

[Steve67]

I have just watched their goal again.  Hourihane didn't get within two metres of Gomes to stop the cross and El Ghastly and Elmo stood and watched.  Dean Smith has the temerity to dig Konsa out for not keeping the ball off the line.  Tool.  It was a fantastic cross but should have been stopped.  Lazy defending.

[Rudy65]

I have just watched their goal again.  Hourihane didn't get within two metres of Gomes to stop the cross and El Ghastly and Elmo stood and watched.  Dean Smith has the temerity to dig Konsa out for not keeping the ball off the line.  Tool.  It was a fantastic cross but should have been stopped.  Lazy defending.

There were numerous times when crosses were coming in seemingly without any real intent from our players to stop them. Targett and Jack in particular. They seemed to be standing of their wide players. Their goal resulted from this as did the Calvert Lewis miss

Unfortunately I think the young and nimble Arsenal players will be too much for us next week

[Steve67]

I have just watched their goal again.  Hourihane didn't get within two metres of Gomes to stop the cross and El Ghastly and Elmo stood and watched.  Dean Smith has the temerity to dig Konsa out for not keeping the ball off the line.  Tool.  It was a fantastic cross but should have been stopped.  Lazy defending.

There were numerous times when crosses were coming in seemingly without any real intent from our players to stop them. Targett and Jack in particular. They seemed to be standing of their wide players. Their goal resulted from this as did the Calvert Lewis miss

Unfortunately I think the young and nimble Arsenal players will be too much for us next week

And yet, apparently we have got better through the season!

[mattjpa]

Overall not the worst peformance of the season.
El Ghazi scores and we win.
 We have to have the most goal shy forward line in the league, for the stick Wesley got Samatta gets off very lightly.
Davis tries but never looks like scoring.
Throw into the mix our weekly defensive bollock drop and there you go.
As others have said after we missed why not shore up the defence with some fresh legs, we could still make 3 subs.

The critical thing with Both Wes and Samatta is that very few strikers come into this country or league and hit the ground running (unless you are paying absolute top brass). it is an absolute failing at the top of our club that we didnt invest in a proven goalscorer that wouldnt need time to settle. Dwight Gale, Danny Ings, Olivier Giroud, someone of that ilk. We gave our big investment time and he really looked like he was starting to come good then gets injured and we made the same mistake again with Samatta. Thats whats done for us.

[PeterWithe]

The stat that flashed up about us conceding the most goals in the last 15 mins is telling. We lack fitness and resoluteness.

All in all I thought we played well, plenty of threat despite Samatta being a passenger. Some managers get lucky wins, Dean doesn’t. Ever.

I suppose one of the many pissers is that midfield doesn’t look bad at all when all are performing close to what we know they are capable of, they will all have other offers to go elsewhere. We might struggle to shift the forwards.

[Risso]

Just compare our approach to the game to Bournemouth at City, when for the last ten minutes Bournemouth threw everything they had at City.  You'd never know from Dean Smith's actions that we were staring into the abyss of relegation.

[PeterWithe]

We didn’t need to throw everything at them for the last ten minutes. Just keep the ball.

[Rudy65]

I have just watched their goal again.  Hourihane didn't get within two metres of Gomes to stop the cross and El Ghastly and Elmo stood and watched.  Dean Smith has the temerity to dig Konsa out for not keeping the ball off the line.  Tool.  It was a fantastic cross but should have been stopped.  Lazy defending.

There were numerous times when crosses were coming in seemingly without any real intent from our players to stop them. Targett and Jack in particular. They seemed to be standing of their wide players. Their goal resulted from this as did the Calvert Lewis miss

Unfortunately I think the young and nimble Arsenal players will be too much for us next week

And yet, apparently we have got better through the season!

That’s a crazy statement from DS given our results. If I made a patently untrue statement like that at work I’d be given pelters. We have got so much worse since December Man U away

[mr underhill]

I would hope that irrespective of the outcome, the management team  is history once the last ball has been kicked. We've been appalling - not 2015/16 appalling - but appalling none the less.

[Rudy65]

Just compare our approach to the game to Bournemouth at City, when for the last ten minutes Bournemouth threw everything they had at City.  You'd never know from Dean Smith's actions that we were staring into the abyss of relegation.

Despite Bournemouth’s position I think they have better players and a far more experienced manager than DS. The Leicester result and the confidence it brings may yet keep them up. If we can’t stay up I would rather Watford go down than Bournemouth. That would keep Deeney and the Ostrich quiet for a bit

[russon]

Why didn’t Reina try and save it? His responsibility as keeper to fling himself at it not a back peddling Konsa.

[Ads]

Just compare our approach to the game to Bournemouth at City, when for the last ten minutes Bournemouth threw everything they had at City.  You'd never know from Dean Smith's actions that we were staring into the abyss of relegation.

They were 2-0 down though and had nothing to lose.