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Shameful and Spineless
Yesterday’s performance against Birmingham City was a disgrace.
Now who do we blame? Is it Moyes, Billy, Distin or Saha? You can all finger them for certain things as others have done on phone-ins and forums, but individuals change games and teams win them and it was the Everton team that lost and deservedly so.
The first half was shocking, as Birmingham did to Everton what they did to Man city, harrying, press win the ball and play. The only saving grace was that at 2-0 at half-time there was hope, at full-time there was none.
The shocking truth is that poor individual performances or managerial decisions are not responsible for today’s defeat. The poor attitude that the Everton team exhibited in the first half was solely responsible for the defeat to a Birmingham side that harried, pressed, won the ball and played with it.
Harry, press, win the ball and then play – that was the formula for last week’s win against Man City and it was a Birmingham City team using that exact same formula that won yesterday. It’s a pity that last week’s deserved plaudits went to their heads.
I expected the same Everton team that turned up last week to turn up again yesterday and personnel wise they did. The same attitude that won them the Man City game was sadly absent.
Can Moyes be blamed? No. Can Billy, Saha, Distin be blamed? No. Blame the entire team for allowing one win to go to their heads. Pride comes before a fall and this defeat was more than deserved.
Birmingham played well they harried, pressed, won the ball and played with it. Their supporters sang we are unbeatable and following that simple football formula each and every week they simply are unbeatable -16 games unbeaten, the stats don’t lie.
A poor performance is forgivable, a poor attitude is unforgivable.
Shame on Everton.
David O’Keefe
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15 Comments
I think ‘shameful’ is a bit off the mark. So we didn’t win. What’s the point in deliberating over it. Let’s dust ourselves down and go again midweek. What was lacking in the first half was a final ball. Brum worked hard, harried and got everybody behind the ball. So much so that most of the half was played in their half of the pitch. Now with with almost 20 players occupying half of the pitch space to pick out a pass becomes limited. So therefore crosses were snatched at just to get a ball in rather than pick out a man. Birmingham played your classic away style. Soak up the home team and hit on the break. Let’s not forget that they are 15 games unbeaten and a child doesn’t need to break down the reasons for that. I think that the level of performances of late have left us wanting more. I for one was surprised that we reproduced arsenals display again at city. Maybe 3 in a row is expecting a bit much. So let’s not batter the team or individuals. Let’s just get ready to go again against Sunderland and wigan because February will test the team to the limit.
I think that Moyes got the tactics completely wrong. We tried to continue from the city game, but Birmingham are a completely different team and those tactics were ineffective.
Moyes realised this at half time and brought Pienaar out wide as he had no success in the first half. Also Baines had been struggling and needed support.
Birmingham have played the same team for team games in a row and are unbeaten for 15. This is not because they have good players, it is due to their organisation and the fact that everyone knows exactly what their job is.
The tactics we used in the second half were completely different to those used against city. It was all about getting the ball wide this time.
Jon
Jamo, sorry pal but that is a load of nonsense. The manager himself admitted an attitude problem and it was perfectly well evident, as it has been all too often against ‘smaller’ teams this year.
“What is the point deliberating over it”??
Err, cos their lazy arse attitude in the first half has put us out of the FA Cup pal, thats why.
If this bunch of cunts dont have the heart for it then some of them need moving on in the summer and we need some character back in the side.
The first half was completely unacceptable in every way and it was nothing to do with final balls and everything to do with a poor attitude and an opposition who simply wanted it more and that is absolutely inexcusable.
“Birmingham played your classic away style.” – No they played their usual way, if the opposition has the ball get everyone behind the ball what the hell is wrong with that? Birmingham our a team that are hard working and have a terrific team spirit. Everton and Birmingham are not a million light years away from each other and I think you should have done some homework if your going to comment on another teams style /\.
Dear oh dear. After coming away with a lucky draw a couple of weeks ago I was expecting a much tougher game and probable defeat. Sadly for your lot it looked as if too many players believed the hype after the (impressive) demolition of Citeh. We were not at our best – we can play decent football, although to judge from the national press this isn’t possible from teams from outside Merseyside, Manchester or London – but, as has been said, we do work hard and are well organised when things aren’t going so fluently. Still, best of luck with the rest of the season – here’s hoping you finish as the top team on Merseyside.
Hi, a Birmingham fan here.
I thought you would beat us yesterday. Everton have clearly improved since you have got key players back. However the formation you had in the 1st half played right into our hands.
That Russian guy didn’t want it did he? As you said we pressed you all over the pitch, something we do well – something that Everton did well a short while ago.
I thought our goals were superb, and if Arsenal had scored them – the TV would have gone mad over them, but that doesn’t matter.
In the 2nd half when Moyes bought Osman on and move Pienaar wide, you definitely looked more dangerous but beside the goal and a couple of decent saves by Hart, I’m struggling to think of lots of Everton chances to be honest.
Anyway, that’s my take on things – Everton WILL finish higher up the table, keep your chins up.
The players have shown this couldn’t be arsed attitude for the majority of the season so why are we suprised they continued with it yesterday. They can only lift their game when playing against top quality opposition ie Chelsea, Arsenal and err City (ok not so top quality).
Moyes at times is absolutley clueless why the fuck are we waiting until summer to bolster our weakened squad Im sorry but Donovan for 10 weeks and a free Senderos is shite and the kind of deals Hull and Wigan would be looking to do.
We’ve missed out on Killgallon because moyes is too slow and are guaranteed to miss out on Beckford again because we are too slow.
The point is the players are disinterested and lazy because there is no pressure from anyone else to take their place and no chance they can be dropped. Put Cahill, Bily and Saha in with the kids for a month see if that has any effect.
Pull your finger out Moyes because when we crash out the Europa league we have fuck all again to look forward to.
Is it not the expectation of the home team to press the game? Therefore thecaway team playing on the break. So what if Birmingham play this style every game. The fact is we played both arsenal and city off the park before this game and I bet the players attitudes never came into question then. moyes was quite right to think we could do the same against Birmingham as I’m sure most evertonians did. If he had deployed tactics to get everyone behind the ball and match Birmingham at their own game you would then complain that he was being negative and not trying to play as in previous games. Of course there’s nothing wrong with having everybody behind the ball, we’ve done it often enough but if teams do that then it’s hard to break them down and you would tend to rely on a free kick or corner to make the break through, sadly we didn’t do either. yes we are out of the cup of which considering other high profile exits we may have had a good chance at this year. But if we bounce back and beat Sunderland 5-0 will people question tactics, attitudes and personell probably not. Will they say why didn’t we do this against birmingham on Saturday? Probably yes. We should just back the team because we are still capable of reaching 6th or 7th which could still be European places depending on cup winners.
….we do however have a problem in when billy plays we are effectively down to ten men. That does need addressing!
Bilyaletdinov is a total embarrassment at the moment, he is like a 12 year old lad playing in the Zingari.
Slightly over the top don’t you think?
I’d give Birmingham more credit for the first half than you are. We played everything in the air first half, Saha’s expected to feed of 6ft high balls is he? We could see after 15 minutes that our game plan had been sussed so surely we have a plan B? Not on yesterdays evidence. When will Baines be taken off free kick and corner duties because the majority of the time they look like a kid booting a medicine ball! Steve round needs a serious look at it! Although it wasn’t one of Louis best games I can never understand why he’s replaced by Vaughn because as soon as it happened you can see our team drop about 10yrds back as they let him run around like a dog after a rabbit rather than press as a team. I know who I’d have my money on to rescue a goal for us. On a positive note at least Mikael looked ok
Micky, it’s a fair assessment of a poor performance. They have to assert themselves-earn the right to play-they didn’t do it. If they don’t assert themselves by pressing their opponents, challenging for the high balls and putting a tackle in when necessary you don’t deserve to win. The long ball was a symptom of this attitude, its not a Moyes tactic its the players fault, mixing its fine, but I don’t think Moyes tells the team to hoof it all the bloody time. Its because they fail to assert themselves.
In the end its down to attitude and the entire team needs to have a look at themselves.
Who cares if we beat Sunderland 5 – 0? No team ever had an open-topped bus ride through the city for finishing 6th or 7th. We need to win a trophy;and with ManU, Liverpool and now Arsenal out of the FA Cup already, this was a great opportunity wasted.
I would rather finish 4th from bottom of the League and win the Europa Cup than finish 5th and win nothing again.
The fact is that we have now not won a trophy for 15 years, the longest run during my lifetime.
Staveros, please name these “bunch of cunts” as you so eloquently put it. Also who would you replace those “bunch of cunts with”. Eagerly awaiting your response due to the fact I havent had a good laugh all day.
Still waiting