It was nice of Wally to bring Zuniga on so the fans could say their farewell, he's been a massive influence - deserves a standing O
Must be time for Success and co to warm up but not come on for ages.. Walter will probably be happy with a narrow defeat.
Excellent performance! Only lost by one and we actually had one whole shot on target tonight! Get in!
*Cries in Spanish* Okaka offered more than Deeney in that game. As pure finishers I rate Deeney better but Okaka's movement and positioning is miles better. If he's happy to play a more bit part role then I'm happy with Deeney staying but he's not justified himself as a starter.
Played well and went for broke at the end. What a shame Okaka's shot didn't go in. He played well tonight - his partner, Deeney, was absolutely anonymous apart from one or two headers on. If that's all he's going to do, we could get Oulare to do that. Niang also nearly equalised for us, but it was a brilliant block by Barry.
Have Everton done anything more than just turn up? Not the worst performance ever but quite uninspiring.
so apart from Doucoure and Gomes, have we anyone any good at watford? glad I didn't bother going tonight. Sh it again. No creativity No desire predictable plodders
In isolation that game was good. Played well, a standard defensive lapse let us down. Okaka excellent. Janmaat & Holebas good. Doccoure excellent yet again. Deeney total sh*t and showed up by striker partner. Some good build up play, there were was clearly some sort of plan, plenty of chances, plenty of attacking and it was watchable. However, in the context of the season, another defeat, another away defeat, didn't score again and definitely going to finish off worse than last season. I don't know what I think anymore..
They laughed when I said when I said we'd lose 9 out of the last 12. They laughed when I said we'd lose the last 6 without even scoring a goal. They laughed when I said we were not safe. I was told I didn't understand probability.
If this was our base line performance we'd say "We tried, didn't happen, we move on to the next game." but in context of this Season it's not good enough,
Lack of ambition, cohesion and effort. Yes we are safe but good managers keep their sides playing to the end. A matter of pride in themselves and of the players. Too many shirkers again who need to go along with Mazzari. Whatever the issue is in the dressing room we are regressing on the pitch as things progress off it. And we cannot afford to carry this same run of form into next season. Whilst it is not always the case that this does happen more often than not it does. Gino needs to take decisive action. For me a new young manager, fluent in English, tactically astute and unafraid to make changes is one must. The others are removal of several players who never show any application, discipline and the addition of three to four quality signings. Not makeweights but players of a proven pedigree and who are not sicknotes or players with potential. And the Academy needs looking at in terms of the coaching and the talent spotting. We need to get the odd player coming through that again and it can be done and should be done.
First half was ok but why oh why couldn't we change formations when Kabasele got injured? Surely we must have realised we had no centre backs on the bench so that situation might arise. Instead, we got into full on musical chairs mode with Zuniga coming on as a wing back and ending up in central midfield, Holebas going into a back three, Janmaat playing as one wing back then switching to the other side and Amrabat coming on as another wing back. Four different players played as wing back during that game, one of whom played on both sides. Why not just ditch the 3-5-2? We are so, so devoid of confidence, as soon as we go behind that's it. We did cause them some problems and Okaka perhaps should've scored but it was only from pumping it into the box and hoping for the ball to drop kindly. Niang really looked like he couldn't be bothered when he came on, wouldn't want to pay the money for him. Thought Holebas played well, and Janmaat did really well until the final ball. Gomes and Prodl both culpable for the goal, could understand if it went right in the corner but it was well, well inside the post.
To extend, and quote Bob Monkhouse, appropriately in the circumstances: "They laughed when I said I would become a comedian. They're not laughing now".
Only one positive tonight....we still have an 11 goal cushion over Hull. Yet again another SPINELESS 'performance' from a bunch of overpaid jokers led by the biggest clown in football management. No heart, no passion, no desire and no quality! Everton played in second gear the entire game and still beat us to everything! 3-5-2 again. Why? We've proved ALL SEASON we can't play that system. We looked marginally better when we went to a back four, only marginally. In the second half Everton decide to play an 18 year-old central midfielder at right wing-back. Every time Janmaat gets the ball he has him on toast but just think what Success would have done to the kid if he was actually introduced?! He's easily our most exciting player going forwards and we don't play the bloke! I have absolutely NO IDEA how this joker Mazzarri can still be here this time next week! I genuinely don't think it matters who comes in to replace him, no one can have as much of a negative effect on the team as this fella has done this season. I've lost a lot of interest this season, and i'm sure i'm not the only one!!
Yippeeeee I got it 100% right. I said we wud get 2 shots on target. So pleased - going for a celebratory drink
Okaka was excellent by the relatively low standard we've seen up front all season. He had chances, held the ball up and made good runs. Deeney was awful compared to the high standard we KNOW he can play to. Anonymous for much of the game, plenty of stray passes, no real fight in his play, no good attacking runs, difficult chance from the Janmaat cross was the only time he even got close to goal I think? Normally he gets away with it but today Okaka showed that even though we're not good, Troy could still be doing a bit more and he has to hold some responsibility for that.
Just like QSF last year, why oh why doesn't Walter just try an attacking option for last 25 minutes? So negative, dire, boring.
******* hate so much about our club right now. This performance is a ******* disgrace. Apologists on here will try to make something of it, but there are long list of people who should be fined, for turning that **** in at this stage of the season on our current run. Strip Deeney of the captaincy. He is not fit to lead a dog. Zero leadership when the chips are down. **** off and spin your media career elsewhere. Get Capoue out of the club. Does **** all every game, always starts the next, yet has the cheek to throw a strop, when subbed Clear out our ageing, journeyman crap sack players. Behrami looked like someone's grandad tonight. Saw people giving Holebas credit? He was ****. Doucoure played out of position to start with and never recovered. His worst performance for a whole. Don't take up the option on Niang. He's a nothing player. Bit of pace, but not much more. Can't believe how exciting he looked when he first arrived. Now is just another cog in our cumbersome, predictable blunt attack. Amrabat and Janmaat both actually did quite well, but they have been **** on far too many occasions. I hope neither is here next year. I really wish I hadn't renewed my season ticket because unless there is some hidden plan for a root and branch reform over the summer, I am not watching continuation of this ****. I am 100% certain that without significant new talent in the squad a change of culture in the playing staff and a new coach, we will be relegated next season, I will be staking money on it too, if Gino doesn't sack this toxic **** as soon as the season ends
Miserable end of season. I used to be club captain and now I'm demoted to 'reservist' I'm going back to my pub team in protest ...