There lay the problem yesterday. Laudrup changed the DNA of the team with Leon and Dyer on the bench. Considering the players we have already lost from last season it was too big a change. At times we looked a shambles, but when we did come back into the match we missed vital chances which MAY have led to a better second half.
Completely agree PGF. Apart from the jerseys, we didn't look like Swansea City! I thought that it was clear after 15/20 minutes that the way that ML and the coaching staff had set us up wasn't working, and changes were needed - even that early. We missed Leon, we lacked width, whilst the centre of defence was poor. That said, Everton were class - they gave us a lesson when they visited the Liberty last season, and did so again yesterday.
Britton had been nursing a flu-like problem all week so was not 100%. Ash may have been carrying an anke problem but didn't seem to show it. As a unit Williams and Tate are definitely not up to the task. Tate is not good enough to provide Williams the cover when he needs it and and why he stopped playing - just stopped, stood and watched - on the second goal is beyond me. We also have a habit of "stopping" too quickly in the box instead of driving towards the goal for scraps - Graham did it yesterday at the end of the first half when Rangel popped a ball back into the six yard box from a cross to the far post. Clearly when an opponent presses us very high and busts a gut to do so we are vulnerable. We didn't have an answer last season and we still don't. The good thing is that not even Everton can keep it up all game. At times like these we don't have the motion and long ball accuracy or target player in the team to make a necesary switch in style for those periods in a game when this happens. There were a lot of changes forced on ML yesterday because of injury and suspension. He didn't play the team he woud have preferred. Ki and H have to start some time with all the money we payed for them. ML learned a lot about the squad yesterday. Ki can play at the back and be better than Tate even when we are a man down. Britton is a necessary cog in the engine. Ben is there to stay. Dyer / Rangel partnership should remain intact and Hernandez-Routledge need to fight it out to build one with Davies. Williams .... I have no idea what he's doing, but it needs to get figured out and quick. Whatever Jazz is not doing in training he needs to start doing it because I can't for the life of me see him being any weaker than Tate alongside Williams. Sometimes coaches are too close to the trees to see the forest and don't recognize the possibilities or options when they are alottle out of the box. Our future lies with our future not with our past. But the biggest lesson from yesterday ... There's no substitute for a quick tempo in our game. We have to be busy and when a team decides to press us high and hard, we have to do exactly the same to them and even more so to get the ball back and disrupt their plan.
I think yesterday was a bit of a perfect storm. The build up to the game was no doubt hampered with injury concerns and Leon's flu (which was probably why he started on the bench). The ref was unbelievably one sided with his decisions, which was laughable given our record on fair play. Finally, we lacked a little bit of luck in front of goal and were only inches away from getting 2-3 ourselves. That said, Everton are a very good team this year and I suspect they will hurt many teams the same way. However, we need to put in more of a Swansea performance next week, build confidence again, and stop what could be a very slippery slide. I would not start De Guzman or Routledge. I'd go for Britton, Ki, Michu, Dyer and Hernandez......or even consider Michu upfront instead of Danny, allowing us to have Routledge or Hernandez in the pocket where they could cause havoc .
Michu seems to have the good habit of getting on the end things in the box - crosses, corners, free-kicks - he is deceptively good in the air. Despite his height Graham is weak in that regard. I like the idea of Michu as the top forward and put Ki in behind him and let's see what happens - lots of skill in that pair. Britton is the master cog and nobody is yet bidding to replace him for that job. Dyer / Rangel work the right side. Davies and H, let's say, work the left. Question then is who sits wih Leon. Perhaps Augustien, but think it will be deG. Chico will be back!!!!
Everton were beaten last week by the toon playing passing football that stopped everton in their tracks, We yesterday was very poor and we missed the engine room player in britton in mid field and there was nobody there who can do the job that Leon can, we lost the only other player that could with Joe Allen. I am a bit worried in ML ability to be quite honest as his team selection to start the game was poor, we can all blame the defense as its an easy target but they only let in 3 goals when it should have been 12 goals minimum, We also had half a dozen chances but their goalkeeper was outstanding and the luck was with them. I thought the ref was the poorest i have seen this season and he picked on our players but turned a blind eye with everton. There first goal was a hand ball and everyone saw it but the ref and linesman which was odd as they were in a position to cant miss it. I think everton deserved the win in the end because of the poor team selection by ML in the first place and his subs was poor also...I agree Tate had to be subbed but why replace him with a player that is just over 5 foot tall in defense,,,ML had better stop swanning off doing media jobs and get his act together in knowing his players strengths and weaknesses because the team he put out yesterday even with some key players missing was a disaster waiting to happen and unfortunately it did....
yes late goal i forgot that but the point im making is the toon were the better side and dominated everton at times and should have won. we lost the game before a ball had been kicked....
Leon didn't play center half in place of Tate, Ki did. Did an ok job - not ok for a regular, but good enough as an emergency - just shows his talent.
Britton didn't replace Tate in defence, he replaced Ki in midfield and Ki dropped back, and I thought he did ok
