My ratings Dubravka- 7 - thought he played better than last game. I like how he’s quick to get play moving again and was a bit more on the front foot as a sweeper keeper. Krafth - 6 - fairly solid in most parts. Can’t tell if it’s him, Longstaff or Murphy that lets the others down at times. Schar - 6 - very pedestrian at times but then very solid at other times. We don’t have the pace for him to go wandering though. Burn - 7 - thought he played very well. Some good tackles and clearances. Hall - 7 - played well, was combative, linked up well with those in front of him. More game time needed. Murphy - 6 - personally think he links up well with Bruno. Went wandering a couple of times. Put in some good crosses. A couple of good efforts on goal as well. Longstaff - 3 - sadly there was not one thing from him in this game. He has to be injured as he bottled numerous tackles. His passing was woeful and nearly cost us a couple of times. Bruno - 6 - he had bursts where he was exceptionally good but then he had bursts where he was shocking - like the header back towards goal in the first half. Anderson - 7 in the first half, 6 in the second. Added strength and guile to the midfield. Good passing and link up play. Faded in the second half Barnes - 6 - played well in the first half, supported Hall in defence and good assist. Like Anderson, faded in the second half. Clearly not match fit let alone EH fit Isak - 8 - great goal. Should have scored a second. Great general play as well. Liked the aggression he showed against Pickford. Subs Willock - 6 - added dynamism when Anderson faded. Needs to at times look up when he’s gallivanting forward. Dummett - 3 - when will people realise he’s not a left back. This was his first game at left back in years as well. Should have really gone to cb and moved Burn out to left back. Looked nervy on the ball. Probably not helped by those in front of him fading due to being out for most of the season. Again, another example of how average our defenders are as there was no communication between the back 4 all night. My first criticism really of EH - Everton brought on a whole new midfield. Our midfielders are shattered, injured or returning from missing the whole season yet White, Parkinson and Diallo were ignored.
Dubravka - 5 - Maybe a bit harsh but I thought he could do better with the pen. I don't think he was terrible I just didn't see anything that good from him, I think sometimes he's way too hesitant to get off his line and distribute. Still better at distribution than pope though. He didn't have way too much to do considering Everton were barely in the ****ing game. Cannot justify giving him more than 5 because he wasn't really at fault but at the same time didn't really do much. He was almost beaten by the shot that hit the post and DCL's pen was **** and probably should have been saved, but not his fault the pen was given. Krafth - 5 - Bang average. Schar - 6 - A few fantastic cross field passes, but messed up quite a few also. He does read the game well, but also isn't the strongest physically. Gets bullied quite a bit in the air. I also get extremely annoyed when he doesn't just shoot and makes these ridiculous death runs into the box that never pay off. I'll be generous and give him a 6 because his passing forward at times made a difference and didn't do a massive amount wrong. Burn - 7 - He should only ever be playing CB. Looks way more comfortable there. He wins a lot in the air which pays dividends defensively and attacking wise. Unlucky not to score. If that goal had have gone in, you could argue MOTM because he really did nullify the little threat Everton had at times. Exactly the sort of game he's useful in. Physical games. He dominates in the air and can handle big physical threats. Hall - 7 - Cracking player here. Sometimes his inexeperience shows a bit because he did play some risky passes, but he looks like a solid little player. Dummett - 0 - Everton's best player besides pickford. Longstaff - 5 - He does work hard and makes some good tackles to win the ball back. Defensively a useful player, but offensively rarely does much. Still cannot fault his effort. Bruno - 7 - At times his dribbling in the middle of the park is annoying and leads to opposition chances, but he really did boss that midfield most of the time. Some good passing, looked dangerous going forward. Very clever with the few tackles he makes, has shown his reading of the game with interceptions and covering/marking pays defensive dividends to compensate for his need to hold back on tackling to avoid the yellow card. Anderson - 6 - Canny on the ball, some good runs and dribbles on the ball and link up play. Nothing too special though. Useful. Barnes - 6.5 - I cannot justify giving him over a 6.5 mainly because he goes completely anonymous for long periods of the game. He has moments of brilliance at times, and seemed to get stuck right in in the first half effort but 2nd half he wasn't really in the game much besides the few moments of magic. He did get his assist although it was mainly Isak's work that lead to the goal, and he did create what should have been Isak's 2nd goal, so perhaps you could say 6 is harsh because it was his magic that helped unlock the Everton defence but I just cannot justify giving players super high ratings when they only show up in brief moments and go anonymous for long periods of time. Isak - 7 - Lovely goal, unlucky not to have 2 goals and an assist. Murphy - 5 - Good work rate but not much quality, as usual. Willock - 5 - Cannot remember anything of note from him. Well off it since he came back.
I don't do ratings But I saw a lot I didn't like And I saw a few things I did Murphy is OK at running and crossing, but we need better quality there Longstaff is just not a Prem player
Of Dummett, Howe said "Paul has been first-class since I've been here. He's a really genuine, honest lad." Right, who's going to be the one to explain to Eddie that it tends to be football ability rather than character that helps win matches.
Trippier in a couple of seasons will be joining Dummett and Ritchie. Taking a wage all fit squad unity
Nobody because the club has bought into his philosophy in it's entirety. The other issue is that everyone outside Newcastle doesn't want him replaced with a top manager, so they will always peddle the idea that he's over achieving.
Yep, it's a clear issue. Brighton, Brentford, Bournemouth, Wolves are all over-achieving it could be argued. None of them put character above everything else. Character should be entirely about drive, determination, commitment. A desire to win and work within the team. Not how smiley you are, how great you are to have around the place, etc. These are tin pot, League Two characteristics. It's what has driven us to move to a British-first transfer policy. Brighton are doing well because of their focus on talent, Brentford take a moneyball approach looking at stats first, mentality second - I imagine "character" doesn't come into it. Ultimately Howe will get next season. We desperately need a DoF of quality before he gets his hands on a Summer budget. If it's him, his nephew and Nickson then God knows how things could go, but every poor signing takes us into Everton rather than City territory. I'd like to think it'll be Tapsoba, Silva, Sesko, etc. But I suspect it'll be Ramsdale, Solanke, Kelly.
Hall, Anderson and Burn - 8 Schar, Krafth, Dubravka, Barnes - 6 Bruno and Murphy - 7 Isak - 9 Willock - 4 Longstaff - 0 Dummett - -10
Botman, Bruno, Tonali, Isak, Karius, Minteh British first? Not many complaints about Trippier, Livramento, Gordon or Barnes either. Hall looks a good prospect too. Who are the British first plodders people keep on about that we have actually signed?
Eh? I just said who I thought we'd buy. Eddie Howe sticks to what he knows. When getting relegated he picked Dan Gosling more times than Arnaut Danjuma and had 6 players regularly playing for Bournemouth who'd been there in League One. Individually, nothing wrong with Livramento. Barnes is a bit hit & miss, but ok. Hall does look a prospect. The question I eternally ask is - why was a sub right back, sub left wing and third/fourth choice left back the right approach last Summer, which left Burn, Longstaff, Schar and Murphy as first choice (British plodders) and Lascelles, Krafth, Almiron and Dubravka with a lot of game time? Building a squad with subs only happens if your first XI is more or less untouchable - it's what City can do now. We needed 4 first team players, and bought just one (without any due dilligence).
None. The only other English players were all inherited, aside from Burn, Targett and those you've already mentioned. Although let's all be fair, Longstaff is utter dogshite. He's the only constant in the team that is not all about luck/injuries. He needs a 'rest' from first team duties.
And who is going to explain to Roly that it’s not good man management to slaughter a player in public?
Exactly, you are criticising Howe for players that YOU think he will buy not anything he has actually done in terms of signing British players. Burn was signed when we needed CB and did well. Also did well at LB last season. It’s only this season that hasn’t worked overall albeit he was playing there in a lot of big wins for us even this season and is still a good CB as shown v Everton. Schar isn’t British, wasn’t signed by Howe and is still doing a good job. I would agree on the transfer business overall last summer maybe but how much better might we have done if Tonali (not British) and Barnes hadn’t missed most of the season. The due diligence point has nothing to support it. Building a top team and squad takes time especially with the shackles of ffp and there’s no evidence that we only buy British plodders.
The thing is mate he's allowed to criticise Howe regardless of what you or anyone else thinks. I think it's fine to as long as wins and correct calls are credited aswel. Personally I thought Roly was wrong about summer recruitment, but it's become clear he was spot on and he took loads of **** on here for saying it. People should at least acknowledge that and maybe even apologise, but instead they will now dismiss his views even more. I suppose you're right we don't know who Howe will want, but we do know they wanted Phillips, so I can see why Roland is worried about it .. There is definately an overly strong emphasis on plodders with the right attitude. We have to hope for the best and some of us choose to expect the worst that's all.... everyone else can believe everything is going to be perfect all they want... it's fine, but same as ourselves we have to wait and they don't know they're right either.
As I’ve asked several times without reply who was saying Dummett shouldn’t have been on the pitch after the Man City and Man United (A) games in the league cup?
I've never wanted Dummett in the side... he's always been dreadful. Cup games are always a rotational exercise though...Howe even played Livramento and Hall and Hall scored a volley... we never saw it again in the league. People are beginning to question this manager on some things that's all and not without good reason. Now I can maybe have a question answered and it's why is people questioning managerial decisions such a problem for some ?
