I’ll do the Everton game first and while it wasn’t quite what I predicted, I don’t think I was too far off the mark in suggesting that our big problem would be the defence.
In short (as I can’t see much point dwelling on the game), we yet again had to witness keystone kops defending.
It just baffles me how our defence is so consistently bad given that our defenders, on paper, are not as bad as they are actually performing.
It’s been this way for a while now and when you consider that our defence over donkey’s years has been consistently good, you really do have to wonder what’s going on.
Has anyone worked out some sort of link as to what might have changed? (defensive coach leaving or similar?). I can’t see anything.
I think I’m going to be in a very small minority here, but I thought we were really quite good at times in the Everton game.
The ten minute period around 20-30 minutes, I thought we had them really worried and actually looked very likely to score.
It was a much missed feeling which got cut short by what I thought was a typical well worked counter attack.
That, for me was what finished the game on our part.
But then, much as the Stoke game, I don’t think Everton really hit top gear, which is just as well.
I think this is probably a trend we’ll see for the rest of the season, where if the opposition score, they just know they’ll be able to ease off or at least, not have to go all out.
That’s how low on confidence we are overall.
The point is nothing matters if we keep giving easy goals away.
As for the walkout, it seems to have got some pretty decent press, but I have to say I’m not convinced as to how effective it actually was.
I wasn’t actually there, but from what I saw, the ground had loads of empty spaces from the off.
I’ve seen reports that suggest that maybe five thousand walked out, which is only 1 in 6 of those who were there.
That’s hardly a serious mandate, is it?
And it seems quite a few walked immediately after Everton’s second goal. Maybe they were expecting many more to walk and wanted to avoid the traffic?
Whatever, I’m guessing that the season ticket holders stayed put in the main and I don’t blame them.
They want what they’ve paid for, simple as.
Well, the number of games, that is. Surely many will be thinking twice come renewal time?
My point is it seems to be the pundits and ex players, managers and even fans of other clubs complaining about our situation is the bigger story and the protest is only a small extension of it all.
I’m not denigrating the effort though and I wish it all the best for the next two games.
What impressed me more though, was the continued singing.
No one could have missed that.
Which leads me onto the next part, where the Telegraph are suggesting that Fox, Almstadt and Riley are goners.
I have to admit, the story is great reading on the face of it.
Hollis has come in, had a look and decided that those three have failed and need to go.
All hail Hollis the footy expert. We’re surely in safe hands now.
But we all already knew these dismissals were needed and justified, didn’t we?
We’d have sacked all three months ago.
Let’s face it, if the story is even remotely true, it’s more likely to be about saving money than anything.
Which leaves a worrying scenario, in that we have to wonder who will be rubber stamping the player in/out side of things.
My money says that if Garde leaves at the end of the season, it’s probably safe to say that Hollis will be calling the shots.
Which makes me think we really haven’t touched the lows yet.
