Everton 1-2 Aston Villa Post match thread

[LukeJames]

We showed glimpses last week but first half today was the most I've enjoyed watching us for a long time.

[oishiiniku]

How have we suddenly remembered how to play football? How has Barkley come back from the dead? I'm perplexed but happy with the performance and result.

[Deano's Mullet]

El Goalzie’s winner reminded me of the Andre Green goal vs Norwich in the Hourihane hat-trick game in the Championship. Feel really happy right now. Great win.

[KevinGage]

Can see why Everton have struggled at home this season but if we play like that tonight we'd do plenty of teams.

[Skerra]

Some very good performances out there tonight but Ollie, who never stopped making his runs, was my MOTM. It’s great that a few us are disagreeing about the MOM as it shows how many of the lads had a great game tonight. Long may it continue.

[PaulTheVillan]

Watkins was top class tonight. They were shit scared of him.

[Ian.]

Fantastic first half, second half not so much.  Smith once again guilty of leaving it far too late to make changes, but got away with it

I honestly don’t get your second half assessment. The quality of the game in the second was not as high as first but we were still better than Everton.

We had a chance to really put Everton to the sword, but I just felt we took our foot off the gas a little.  Don't get me wrong, we did deserve the win, and maybe I'm expecting a bit too much.  Plus, 88 minutes before making a change?  Seems a tad risky to me.

Everton are quite similar to us.  Sometimes quality, sometimes bang average.

And the league table tells the same story. However we’ve come from years of terrible management from top to bottom and we’re looking like a mid to top half team. That’s good progress if you ask me.

[ChicagoLion]

Some of the passing and movement reminiscent of our early season form.
It was a good performance but the fault lines were still evident.
Deserved the win and hope the momentum gives us a chance against those twats from TTOD, sic.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

Fantastic first half, second half not so much.  Smith once again guilty of leaving it far too late to make changes, but got away with it

I honestly don’t get your second half assessment. The quality of the game in the second was not as high as first but we were still better than Everton.

We had a chance to really put Everton to the sword, but I just felt we took our foot off the gas a little.  Don't get me wrong, we did deserve the win, and maybe I'm expecting a bit too much.  Plus, 88 minutes before making a change?  Seems a tad risky to me.

Everton are quite similar to us.  Sometimes quality, sometimes bang average.

So what changes would you have made and when ? Would they have worked ? We will never know, all we do know is Deans late changes proved right and it wasn't through luck because we made Everton look bang average all night.

[Deano's Mullet]

Play like that and we might finally beat Man Yoo at home providing they don’t get their usual dodgy penalty.

[cdbearsfan]

Sum Bois.

[nigel]

If Pickford hadn't been levelled up by being on the same pitch as Emi, we'd have won that with four goals. First half we were rampant for a spell, as we were at the start of the season. Everton are shaky at home but they're still a really good team, this season especially. Massive credit to the players and management.

Traore straddles that line between genius and insanity like no other player I've seen.

We're building something at the Villa.

I think Traore is very close to being a brilliant player and you can see how annoyed at himself he gets when things don't come off so I think he's well worth persevering with. He'll probably end up one of those players where everyone looks back at his career and wonders how good he could've been. I think he's certainly talented enough to be a squad option for a top 8 team.

I cut Traore a fair bit of slack, because he can produce pieces of brilliant skill.
He has tried stuff which, unfortunately, doesn’t come off and, as you say, you can see he’s annoyed with himself.
We have to expect this with a player like him. We are building a team where you can accommodate this sort of player, which can only be a good thing.

[john e]

I see we won
I watched the whole game but I got in from my local club and am pissed as arseholes

couldn't say who had a good or bad game as I'm absolutely fucked
But well done Villa anyways

[PaulTheVillan]

I see we won
I watched the whole game but I got in from my local club and am pissed as arseholes

couldn't say who had a good or bad game as I'm absolutely fucked
But well done Villa anyways

UTV

[Risso]

I see we won
I watched the whole game but I got in from my local club and am pissed as arseholes

couldn't say who had a good or bad game as I'm absolutely fucked
But well done Villa anyways

Ha ha, good lad John, UTV!