Just as I’ve been quiet because I didn’t want to keep saying how poor we are, it’s only fair that I do the opposite after I think we’ve played well.
Which is exactly what we did tonight. Indeed, we were by far the better side and could easily have scored four or five goals.
Before I come on to who I thought wasn’t up to scratch, I should say who I thought played well and it gives me great pleasure to say it was practically the whole side.
I know we showed signs of improvement against the Albion last week, but it wasn’t prolonged enough by a long chalk and I find myself wondering what’s gone on to cause such an improvement in this game.
I’m quite perplexed, having had a good few minutes to think about it, but I can’t get away from asking why it seems the players worked harder than they have done for months?
The improvement in workrate and desire was marked and it was almost as if the lads had been threatened with the sack.
The player that stood out for me was Traore. Where did that effort come from? I’ve often said I rate him, but he’s been so inconsistent and in and out of games that I’d got ho, marked as a waste of money and a squad player at best.
If he can keep that sort of effort up he’s one of the first names on the teamsheet.
I can’t get my head around his performance.
Ross Barkley too, was mostly excellent and I don’t understand how someone who has played so poorly for so long can suddenly work so hard.
McGinn was nowhere near as generous in giving the ball away, Ollie worked even harder than usual and the whole side were just sharper and up for it from the off.
There were some downsides and our defending of set pieces is one of them, in particular.
Barkley was at fault for Everton’s goal, but I think it’s harsh to blame him.
We zone mark and it makes us look daft when it goes wrong, because you get the likes of McGinn marking usually the biggest player on the opposition’s side.
I’ve never understood the reasoning behind it and much prefer man marking, but then I think Mings is a cowardly, poor defender.
Yet our defence is statistically very good. Hence I have to concede that there’s a good chance I don’t know what I’m talking about.
I thought our worst players were Luiz, who hasn’t looked on top of his game for a while and yep Anwar El Ghazi, who had done nothing all game.
Until he proved me wrong too and popped up to strike a cracker to give us the points. Only a couple of minutes after saying I’d have subbed him.
Football has a knack of proving you wrong, but fortunately it was in a good way today.
We’re up to ninth then and leapfrog Leeds and Arsenal.
If we can keep that up, there’s still plenty of points to be played for.
The big question is, can we?
Interesting to note Chukwaemeke didn’t play for the U18s today or U23s last night. Assume will be with the 1st team. Hmmm I wonder if Dean’s tempted to get him some minutes?
Hope so Bill!!!!
Needs to play him – not just sit him on the bench as some sop to his ambitions.
Only way to find out if he’s good enough – put him on the pitch.
More likely he might get 15 minutes!
Aghhh – I’ve been moderated!
Has to approve my own post – duh!
You mistyped your email Hitch. Easy done.
Thought it was that Badger
I’ve just seen the Harry Kane ‘offside’. If that’s offside, my gran’s a gorilla. I have to admire these players’ professionalism, because I’d have to say “f*** it” and just walk off the pitch if I scored a goal and it was disallowed like that. There is nothing professional about these decisions. It’s frightening that a human being can allow himself to be overruled by a machine even though the evidence staring him in he face is to the contrary.
Perhaps equally concerning is that commentators’ seem to have developed apathy towards the matter; I quote: “well it’s offside, that’s the verdict.” No, it’s not offside. Look at the picture. It’s not offside, is it? I despair. Will someone with some clout in the game organised and mobilise something to rid the beautiful game of this absolute abomination. A player’s strike would be a good start.
The trouble is us fans clamoured for something that is better than the decisions the refs were giving.
Now they’ve given it to us there’s no way they’ll take it away.
I personally don’t have a problem with VAR.
It’s the way it’s been implemented that is the problem.
“Clear and obvious error”.
Which does not mean every goal, offside ruling or penalty shout.
The Liverpool goal against us was a classic example.
Many Villa fans said it should have stood.
Because it was a good goal and ruling it off for millimetres was not in the spirit of the game.
I’ll post something tomorrow before the game.
Spot on Badger.
The regulators need to recognise that the implementation of VAR needs looking at – do they think doing so would be an admission of failure?
Cricket had similar issues with technology in the early days – India even refused to allow it in their test matches – but it was looked at, in discussion with umpires, and amended so that now its fully accepted – not perfect but nothing ever is.
Offside is the most contentious use of VAR so football needs to introduce something along the lines of ‘umpires call’ which allows the officials to make on field decisions (I’m particularly thinking about the ridiculous situation where linesmen – can’t see why we need to change what we call them – are encouraged not to flag for offside but leave it to VAR). There then should be a ‘tolerance’ introduced which would only result in a change to that decision if the onfield ruling falls outside the tolerance. This would stop all these stupid offside decisions that are measured in mm’s – not even technology is that good!