From my seat: Southampton (A)

I've thought this for a while, and I know I'm not alone, but we seem to be more comfortable playing on the break against some of the better organised teams. When we've got results against the likes of Man Utd (home and away in Roberto's 1st season, home 2nd), Arsenal (home and away 1st season) etc, it's been through sitting back and breaking at pace. Reminds me of Nottingham Forest under Clough.

When we fanny about with the ball and pass it around from the back, invariably ceding possession, we often come unstuck, particularly against teams we'd expect to dominate.

Hopefully we'll see a similar set up against Man City, as we surely won't try to dictate the game against them. We still need to determine our best approach against the supposed lesser lights, particularly at home.

But great game, great result, and well done to the group for staging the protest. Whether you agree or disagree, at least they've gone the peaceful route, unlike other clubs who took more direct action. (Think City fans turning up at the hospital where their Chairman was dying.)

I checked in briefly with the Live Forum this morning and saw this pregame comment:

"Our football sucks. Our tactics are boring and our good players are injured. Is there any reason for optimism?"

To that poster and those he spoke for... I hope you found your banquet of crow very, very tasty.

Whoever posted that has probably gone a bit far...but can anyone really argue with the sentiment?

Yesterday's performance was terrific, but it came out of nowhere. We have all longed to see us play with that sort of pace and incisiveness...and Martinez has seemingly discouraged it. In fact, on several occasions now he has said that he will not change his methodical possession-based tactics.

Martinez deserves a lot of credit for this performance, but as one of his critics I actually feel vindicated and my face; egg-free. I just pray he learns from this. We absolutely played to our strengths today and it really was a joy to watch.

Well done Roberto
Well done the team
Well done the travelling fans
More of the same please...

Even under OFM, at times the football was dire, but occasionally the team would seemingly cut loose and play incisive attacking football. I'm sure Moyes' wanted more of that, but they weren't up to it on a consistent basis.

We saw two years ago this lot can do it (it's largely the same team, with the 3 loanees from that season now F/T, albeit in Barry's case 2 years older!)

Yet even in RM's first season an annoying amount of goals conceded were from our own fuck ups with the passing from the back. It's fine to play a pass more than 5 yards - if you can't manage that you shouldn't be on the pitch.

Slippy at Mordor made a career of long balls, except they were "long passes" because it was the RS.

Yesterday we mixed it up. Okay Soton had chances - most teams will in any given game - but we took most of ours and I didn't think 3-0 flattered us.

Yes Matt, it was definitely noticeable that we mixed it up yesterday. What also was noticeable was that Lukaku was winning more headers from those long balls than usual, which helped to bring Kone and Barkley into the game.

Reading that thread was one of the most depressing experiences for me on TW. I wonder if these are real Everton fans? I haven't bothered reading the other thread after yesterday's result, but I can guarantee that these same worthies would be full of self important comments like "this is what we have been asking from Martinez", "the players seem to have dumped Roberto's philosophy and played the style they are more comfortable with"... etc, etc. Do these so called fans think that Martinez is stupid, that he achieved an FA Cup win, a 5th place finish with the highest points tally by fluke?

Rant over ...

Before the game, I had a strange feeling that Everton would thump Southampton, and so it proved (maybe just my seething psyche hoping that the MOB would get egg on their faces!). Lukaku was at his best 'bullying' mood and both he and Barkley really seem to enjoy playing alongside Kone, who is an intelligent footballer. Barry protected the back 4 well, but Cleverly and McCarthy were strangely subdued I thought. If both of them get a bit more dynamic in their play, we could have 1 heck of a football team.

The statistics of our forward 3 reads like this:

Kone: 1 goal, 2 assists
Lukaku: 2 goals, 2 assists
Barkley: 2 goals, 1assist

I have always believed that if we can keep the team that Martinez is building intact, and we get reasonably lucky with injuries, we will have a good season ahead.

So fair play to the manager and players, you couldn't fault any one

On the strength of this, Roberto, the court will place you under Probation, to be reviewed weekly - conditions as described by Ken above.

Further more you must cease and desist from all association with any person, Ideas or utterances of a Phenomenal or Philosophical nature. To this end a restraining order will be thus placed. You must carry with you at all times a 10 foot pole to check that you do not get too near to any of these obvious dangers to your future Employment.

It is the feeling of this court that you are on very thin ice and that it will deal harshly with any deviation from these conditions.

I caught the last 30 minutes as I had a pretty mad night. As the game came on, I shouted to my Missus, "WE are fucking 2-0 up!!!"

I watch the last 30 minutes of game and then re-watched it. My massive hangover didn't feel that bad.

I think I have said here that I was worried that we could be bottom by November 1st on 1 point; well, I am happy to eat my words.

The 4-1-4-1 system was a masterstroke. With the energy of McCarthy and Cleverley pressing much higher up the pitch, it was so much better. Barry then being able to just step in and disrupt play.

Hitting Kone rather than Lukaku is better, plus it allows variation in play as then we can hit the long ball over the top. Does anyone else think that both Barkley and Lukaku look more confident when Kone is playing with them?

All-in-all, a great result against a good side. Now that is a nice thing to say on a Sunday Morning. Also I think my Missus is happy because I am in a good mood for a change on a Sunday Morning.

I wouldn't have said Barkley "merely passed the ball back to the keeper" -- he struck the shot straight at the keeper but so well he couldn't control it and it rebounded off him with McCarthy unable to put his header on target.

A much better team display all round but how much of it due to the open opposition and will we be able to break down more defensive teams?

Now let's push on from this!

I got a message off my 15-year-old son, who got himself out of bed at 5 AM yesterday morning to go the game.

"IT'S WHAT YOU LIVE FOR" is all it said. It makes me want to start travelling again!

Personally I don't think he's lost a yard of pace, as he never had it to begin with.

Definitely one who didn't see this coming. More of the same please.

Any Faults? I thought too often Galloway was caught with 2 or 3 men on his wing with little support which Soton used poorly and in all they seemed quite poor relying too much on a big centre forward. I would also liked to have seen us with a genuine left footed winger taking on their full back. But winning 3-0 away speaks for itself.

Ken, the only player you never mentioned was Cleverley. In a great team effort, he was as good as anyone. I understand scorers will always get the most attention but Cleverley deserved at least a nod.

A lovely day for us Blues and I hope it is the start of a run of good performances by the Toffees.

There have only been 4 home wins in the first 19 matches of this season's Premier League which suggests we are not alone in finding home fixtures difficult. Playing away from home in front of a couple of thousand vocal fans provides a more positive environment for players to perform in than stepping out at Goodison in front of 36,000 silent, if not hostile patrons.

We will go into the Man City game as underdogs so I expect the crowd will get behind the team from the start. They will need to.

I thought the big difference was how we set up with only Barry as deep lying Defensive mid and McCarthy pushed further forward in a 4-1-4-1 formation.

That allied to a greater intensity and determination gave us the edge.

Also the addition of a second attack minded player in Kone took some of the pressure off Lukaku who I thought had his best game in a blue shirt.

I admit to being his biggest critic but he did put a MOTM performance in yesterday and it rubbed off on the rest of the team.

Means we are now looking forward to City with some expectation rather than depression.

COYB.

It was a team effort, however, Kone was my MotM.

COYB!

The Toxic Avengers look becomes Everton. Do we continue to "Go Green" until it ceases to work??

Nahhhhhh. Bring it on City.

Against City, whether or not Kone starts, we should not afford the Mancs too much respect. They and other so-called 'top five" would give their right arm to have some of our players.

Up Boys and at em'.

However, there's not much chance he will leave well alone for the Manc game as his desire to keep all the squad happy will prevail.

All we can hope is that the Tinkerman is the one at Leicester not Goodison this season.

If we play two upfront (which we should) and two as holding midfielders (which Bobby Brown would), then that leaves places for two between Kone/Lukaku and Barry/McCarthy. We have six presently fit players who can play in these two positions. We had Cleverley and Barkley filling them on the weekend and we still have Mirallas, Deulofeu, Osman and Naismith.

I don't play on the Forum anymore, but I do enjoy reading it during the game... and I'm always grateful for you and your notes of sanity!

If the great Arsenal manager George Graham took charge of Everton for the City game he would select Deulofeu for the right wing spot. He would then order him to stay high and wide and not track back. Graham always used this tactic to offset an attacking fullback like Kolarov.