Koeman comes close to putting one over old pal Pep

"Everything starts with defence. If you want to attack a lot, then defence is the cornerstone."

We are a long way from the finished product but at least the building blocks are being placed in position, rather than Martinez removing them, one by one.

Not withstanding their 6-1 win vs Hull, our 1-0 loss might on first glance not look too bad. But it is; there are no easy games.

In reality, it was a tragic waste of 3 points, all for the lack of a bit of effort and application.

3 points added to our 15 points and, in the words of Jim Bowen, "Here's what you could've won..."

"I spoke to the players in the dressing room before the game and I said we will put three strikers upfront, because that means one versus one against the high defensive line of City. If we win balls and win second balls, we can be very dangerous. But after 20 minutes, we had none of the ball!"

The few times we did have the ball, our control and passing were poor to say the least. We got away with it yesterday and possibly deserved a bit of luck.

Another striker has to be a priority in January. A foil or back-up to Lukaku is imperative.

The defence looks solid. It will make mistakes but is looking good.

We need at least two players in their half who can hold the ball up and a genuinely creative midfield player.

Disregarding the fee, I can see why Koeman bought Bolassie. He may be inconsistent but he has pace, physical strength and presence. Deufelou is a classic Martinez player; he'd be a great footballer if there was no opposition on the pitch. Could you see Geri holding off a defender and flicking it to Lukaku?

We're going to be hard to beat, but will we be able to turn draws into wins? The next two transfer windows will hopefully have the answers.

To go to a ground like The Etihad and almost win the game (regardless of possession, penalties etc) is a sign of the hard work Ronnie Koeman is putting in on the training ground.

It's true, we don't have the quality players needed to match Man City in skill, but the renewed belief and willingness to compete is very encouraging: we're nowhere near the end, not even the beginning of the end, but I sense the end of the beginning.

What Koeman and Walsh will be addressing on the training ground and in the scouting department is a way of improving the 'on their day' type of creative players we have (Mirallas, Lennon, Deulofeu, Barkley etc). Will these players become consistent week-in week-out players?

For us to really compete at the top level, that's where we need to improve.

That said, I thought we offered very little (practically nothing) going forward.

Yeah City are good and have some great talent, but I thought we very obviously (cliché number 2!) 'set out our stall' to not lose, rather than to win and – no matter who we're playing – that's always going to depress me (coz my philosophy isn't 'fortune favours the not very brave').

The two penalty saves (plus the other great saves) from our keeper were fantastic. Unfortunately, the two tackles that gave them away were beyond dumb (particularly the first which was like watching a tackle by a gozzy-eyed 8-year-old who only started playing football a year ago).

I appreciate the game (and forwards) are quick but Barry had the first one covered and the second was just fucking lunacy – more calm, brains... shouting needed.

We're still (generally) too quiet and still too easily shoved off the ball (will any opposition defence have an easier day this season?). We have absolutely got to win more second ball than we did yesterday.

I thought Williams was terrific and I'm really hoping those playing with him will benefit from playing with such a switched-on, committed, savvy player.

Rom took his goal very well – I didn't think it was on when he received the ball but his extra (final) touch before shooting made all the difference. He's always looked at his best with a forward ball to run at/onto which is why it would be great to see more of them (nb: decent, well paced, accurate balls along the deck, rather than balls twatted at pace in his general direction).

Anyway, on another day, it could have been 5-1 to them and we'd all be depressed today, so... um... Up the Toffees!

If we tried to beat Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sane etc at their own game with Cleverly, Deulofeu, Mirallas, McCarthy etc. I don't think we'd manage to get anything but a deserved spanking.

We're the first side to get a point there this season, and when you consider how many goals we conceded last season by the 'fortune favours the brave' philosophy, do you prefer 11th place over 6th?

I agree that we need another goalscorer. Having said that, I know there are goals in Mirallas and Deulofeu. And probably in Bolasie. It's just unlocking them. Much of it is confidence. When confidence improves the whole game improves.

Despite the possession stats, Man City didn't pose that much of a threat and their possession was helped by some very poor passes by Everton players.

On another day, Jags may not have made the two tackles he did but Stekelenburg saved the day. Yes, Everton still have some problems, ie, Deulofeu is not a wing back and Cleverley is a little slow. Bolasie has yet to show his best form, and Oviedo is not the perfect left-back.

Everton still gave Silva too much room and over-rated Sterling was only dangerous once but the signs are there the Gaffer is on the right track.

I actually think that the result will give them belief. No, it wasn't the best performance overall... but, in open play, they restricted City to a 30-yard shot from De Bruyne and an Aguerro header, both Stek saved brilliantly. Funny if a forward scores a hat-trick it's brilliant but, if a keeper makes 4 great saves, his team were lucky.

Yes lots of possession but defensively apart from Jag's penalties we were excellent in defence. I don't think Koeman set out to sit back in fact his instructions were they will play 3 at the back so we will play 3 forwards to counter that. Just that we didn't win enough ball to feed the front 3 often enough.

The way we were set up and played on Saturday was tactically built around an opponent – it was not a template for how Everton will play under Koeman week-in and week-out. We couldn't match Man City player for player at their place so Koeman used his resources, and planned his tactics accordingly, in order to give us the best possible chance for success. If that meant resorting to KITAP1 football, then so be it. And for 70 minutes, it almost worked.

Getting a point away at the Etihad will not happen often this season in the Premier League, and I think it should give the players some belief back after a couple of poor results away at Bournemouth and home at Crystal Palace.

Looks like Burnley's main man Defour got an injury on Sunday... can only help our cause for next weekend.

If his name is [insert name of player you like] then it's a good save.

"The more I practice, the luckier I seem to get!"

Seems to sum Everton up under Ronald Koeman.

'Eugene @ 9, I suppose you must be sorry we've lost 'gung-ho' Martinez then?'

No, because it's about finding and keeping a balance and he couldn't. But (as you bring him up) let me ask you how it felt when we went to Arsenal in his first season, showed them no respect and went at them?

Personally I felt a lot prouder of our performance (and point) that day, than I did of our point at City yesterday (again, I accept that might be just me).

'What do clubs without £350m worth of players do, go to the richest clubs and try to outplay them? If we tried to beat Silva, Sterling, Aguero, Sane etc at their own game with Cleverly, Deulofeu, Mirallas, McCarthy etc. I don't think we'd manage to get anything but a deserved spanking.

Well (even though nowhere do I say 'we should have tried to outplay them') there was a time I'd have gone along with this, but on TW last season, I was forced say 'I was wrong'

Link

And here I can point to facts to say 'you're wrong' (like I was)

Last season City were a team 'worth' £350m (or whatever ludicrous figure they cost) and had most of the great players they had yesterday. Yet they were twatted at home by Leicester - a team that cost buttons by comparison.

How?

Leicester didn't fear them and found the right balance.

Yes Leicester defended really well but always offered enough of an attacking threat to keep City thinking and not coming at them in waves.

We're the first side to get a point there this season, and when you consider how many goals we conceded last season by the 'fortune favours the brave' philosophy, do you prefer 11th place over 6th?

Delighted with the point, much happier with our defence this season (still think we need a 6' 4 heading machine) and I've no problem with Koeman (nb: and will give him more time than many on here will if results don't go our way).

So simply giving my opinion on what I saw yesterday (and still have fresh in the memory Celtic, who are now no better than a championship side, putting three past them).

As for 'do you prefer 6th and 11th?'

Dumb - because you're simply guessing at finishing positions (to suit your pov) and can't guarantee either.

I mean how would you answer if I offered 5th and matching our highest points tally (based on Martinez-ball, 1st season) or your 6th?

Exactly, pointless.

If you remember correctly, the first Martinez season had a sound defensive unit left to him from the previous regime. We still managed to get stuffed a few times later in the season when Martinez's neglect was evidently wearing off, but when Ronnie Koeman took over, our defence was a shambles. So, what do you do, start building a good attacking side? No, that would be suicidal, so you work on defensive solidity.

Only 8 games in and Koeman takes his new team to the Premier League title favourites. He has few top class creative players to choose from so he sets the side up not to get beat.

Now when City can bring on one of the world's top strikers from the bench, yet still fail to beat us, that tells me that he's done his job.

Yes, we all hailed Martinez when we took the game to Arsenal, but at the time, we never realised that he didn't care about defending, or corners, or free kicks. We were blind to the growing problems because we had a top class striker; something we'd lacked for years, but whose goals increasingly meant less as goals were leaked at the other end in sickening regularity.

This time though, I'm sure you'll agree, Koeman looks to be getting it right, and with a couple of creative players to help out the attack, we could be going to grounds like the Etihad and 'expecting' to win. Moshiri will have to fund his project, but I have 100% confidence we have found the right people to take our beloved blues back to the top – it will just take time...

However, two saved penalties shows that we have a class goalkeeper for the first time since Martyn moved on, but it is not a fact on which I would want to celebrate our arrival in the big time.

Most penalties are scored and yesterday's events while highly praiseworthy, surely had a modicum of the luck we've needed for a while now. Let's not get too carried away.

True, but if you remember 'correctly', we'd had that 'sound defensive unit' for years and yet had gone to many away games with the 'knife to a gunfight' mentality and got wellied.

Whatever Martinez's (many) failings, there's no escaping the fact that, in his first season, for the first time in years, we went to Arsenal (and places like Man Utd) with the attitude "Fuck 'em, let's have a go at them" (nb: Not to be confused with "Let's go there and forget defence completely') and suddenly we all felt ten feet tall.

I agree you build a (good) side with a solid stable (not changing every week) defence and think that a solid defence starts with your front men. But I also think attack is often the best form of defence and yesterday felt we simply didn't offer enough going forward (which is why, certainly in the first half hour, it was just wave after wave of them coming at us).

I don't expect us to win away, certainly not at at Chelsea, Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, Man City, Man Utd or Liverpool, but if I don't think we've offered enough going forward, I'll certainly mention it on TW.

Having a player like Silva really helps and Everton have nobody to match as yet but maybe someone will be found soon.

I like what I saw in Tom Davies and hope he gets more opportunities this season.

I can see the training ground with the manager & coaches shouting that today we will practice defending and taking free kicks at the same time. Players, open mouthed and shocked, ask him how they can do both at the same time and get the answer that somebody has to take them. Maybe why Martinez's sides were not very good at taking or defending them.

Similarly, what's the point in defending if you don't know what to do when you win possession?

Add to that a healthy dose of the old cliches – 'not his team', 'work in progress', 'give him time' , 'would have lost 4-0 last season', '6th or 11th' , 'they have spent more money' etc.

So which one is the real Stekelenburg? Can you please raise your hand?

No intent on my part to wind you up, but Stek raised his hand to marvellous effect again and again against City, against Spurs, against WBA, he was pretty decent at Bournemouth.

Have a good day.

We do seem still prone to goals from crosses but we have been on the end of some great crosses, where there is not a lot you can do.

Secondly how can you even dare to be even mildly critical of King Ron and his tactics, we got a point at Man City didn't we? We had an attack and we scored. I know we got a point there last season too but that doesn't count as we were lucky last season as opposed to resilient and robust this season.

Plus looking at some statistics printed in the Guardian on Saturday we are actually second in the table for the number of long passes made. So cheer up, Eugene get down with groovy total football philosophy of our Dutch master Ron on his ٤ million per year. Do not dare utter a word of dissent on the Pravda website, sorry, I meant ToffeeWeb.

I'm afraid Koeman was tactically outclassed by the way Guardiola set up... Either that or his players decided not to do what he told them to do.

Either way, Saturday was nothing to get all fuzzy inside about (for me anyway, before anybody goes off on one).

No, Ciaran, if Martinez had been in charge, we'd have been slaughtered. Defending, even last-ditch heroic defending, is as much a part of football as attacking play, maybe not as cool on the eye, but just as important.

You say, "Koeman was tactically outclassed by the way Guardiola set up"... then why wasn't Pep lauding it over everyone after another 3 points in the bag? Why was he complimentary about our steadfast defence?

This constant whingeing from some on here is so depressing, it's like a funeral directors course on being miserable.

We are a long way behind City in terms of quality players. Spurs and Celtic were at home when they attacked City. Neither team will play like that against them at the Etihad. It would be foolish to think that there is a blueprint on how to beat City.

Breaking news in parliament I think, but could Sir Phillip Green, be about to be rinsed out in the wash?

To be fair to Martinez (as... err... we always like to be on ToffeeWeb), Everton did get a 'battling' draw away at City just back in January, even kept a clean sheet to boot.

If you stand off any team (regardless of whether it's City or not), you will end up defending for most of the game. Our midfield seemed shit scared of closing City down in midfield... and those odd times that one or two did close down, they looked utterly daft as the other players didn't follow suit, leaving options all over midfield.

This general fawning about Man City is nonsense. Spurs proved that, and so did the mighty Celtic.

We didn't play to our best ability. We are well capable of playing a fast closing down game (the first half of our game against Spurs is ample evidence of that).

The fact is that we chose to do something different. Good result; crap performance.

I certainly wouldn't advise going out of your way to source opinions that depress you.

Other opinions will be at variance with yours – that's life.

Granted, we defended well for the most part but football is about small margins as the cliche goes.

Had either penalty gone in would many be talking about a great defensive performance?

Chances are we'd have come out for an equaliser and got beaten.

Celtic had the unquantifiable advantage of playing in front of their home support, but it's still just a football pitch and I think Everton need to treat the likes of City with a bit less respect.

That being said, maybe our team just isn't that good.

More depressing to me is simplistic, no shades of grey allowed, stifle thoughtful debate, black or white only opinions of posters like you.

Yes we're all entitled to interpret the performance on Saturday any way we feel and state that we feel it could/couldn't have been better etc, but what is definite is that it was a defence-heavy performance by us.

Now personally, my posts have amounted to 'would like to have seen more attacking and feel that might have been an effective form of defence, but overall happy – certainly with the point'

And I haven't seen one post from anyone saying "Total shite, fuck Koeman off" (not one post even close).

Yet because there are a few posters attempting some non one-eyed, non complete fawning analysis, you're crying "Oh tut, guuuuuys, hull-OH! Can't we just... y'know... DURR!!!"

By the way, if I found a place that was 'depressing' and 'miserable', I wouldn't go anywhere near it (maybe you have a masochistic streak?)

The time to really judge this manager will be when he has HIS first choice 11 on the pitch, although for me what Koeman does in the derby will go a way towards finding out what sort of manager he really is or can be.

I reckon there will be at least 5 or 6 players already in his "they can leave" notebook for January.

To say I'm attempting to "stifle debate" is complete bollocks, pointing out that defending is equally as important as attacking is fact as we found out last season. I watched the whole game, from behind the sofa at times, and, yes, we COULD have conceded a cricket score. But we didn't, and that was down to last ditch. courageous defending.

Of course it would be nice to take the game to them, but we didn't and came away with a point. Better to go Gung Ho and come home 6-1 down, eh? At least we'd have had a go...

"I haven't seen one post from anyone saying "Total shite, fuck Koeman off" Neither have I. Can't see the point of that really.

"simplistic, no shades of grey allowed, stifle thoughtful debate, black or white only opinions of posters like you."

You don't read many of my posts then.

John Daley (#36),

Yes, John, I was aware that we'd snatched a point last season too, but I doubt if I'm the only one who goes the game who is more confident with our defence since Koeman has been here.

Ciaràn McGlone (#37)

As I said, I watched the whole game; we did stand off them and, when we tried to catch them on the break, we just didn't have the quality of player up front. First half, Deulofeu was woeful, Lukaku for much of the first half was back to his traffic cop best, but what a goal. Bolasie... not sure about him yet. But we improved when McCarthy came on.

Yes, Spurs and Celtic too the game to them (at home) and I hoped we might have done the same but, until we get some more quality in that team we may well be defending more than we'd like.

Ciaran (#38),

I very much doubt if there's anything in life that you could teach me, whether it's going out, listening to other opinions, which I do. There is nothing you can teach me about depression, you or the other mouthpiece.

I wonder what it is? Is it because those who criticise him constantly go quiet when he scores? I suppose it is hard to openly attack a player who has scored 6 in 7 so far. Maybe the comments make supporting him hard -it is not easy to praise someone who wants to leave and play in the Champions League, I suppose?

But in a game with plenty of opportunities for City, Lukaku yet again showed his worth and City's weakness in the process. We saw at points how our defenders were exposed when being pulled into isolated wide areas, and the same will happen to City this season. We were lucky, very lucky in fact, but the point is what mattered. Few teams will leave The Etihad with points this season. Stekelenburg was excellent, and Lukaku provided the moment of excellence City lacked for much of the match.

Goals for: Joint 1st – City and Arsenal 19; 3rd -– Liverpool 18 (game in hand); 4th – Chelsea 15; Everton joint 8th.

Top goal scorers: Costa 7, Lukaku 6, Antonio, Aguero, Walcott 5. Our next top goal scorer? Barry on 2.

Some things are clear: Lukaku is very good, and we are too reliant on him for goals. We need to find a top quality backup, and we need to keep him at all costs.

My point is quite simply that we didn't press them. At least you now acknowledge this was indeed the case. No idea why you had to get depressed over that point though.

ps: I'm quite good at tying salmon flies... I bet I could teach you that, or maybe not.

Indeed Ronald has managed his team to 15 points from his opening 8 league games, however, he is not the first Everton manager to do so, as Roberto Martinez did exactly the same thing during his opening eight league games. Given the difficulty of some of our upcoming fixtures, Ronald will do well to match Roberto's pre-Christmas tally of 32 points from his first 17 league games. I read elsewhere that Joe Royle and Gordon Lee each took 14 points (3 points for win applied) from their first 8 fixtures.

What Ronald does in the 'derby' will go a way towards finding out what sort of manager he really is or can be?

Oliver, surely this is the type of small-minded thinking that has held this club back for so many years? Win the derby and everything is wonderful but fail to win it and it's all doom and gloom?

On the one hand, Everton FC can't realistically be expected to compete with the money clubs, as cited by many for Saturday's performance; on the other hand, fail to go head-to-head with frugal neighbours who have hardly ever invested in their squad and who don't pay ridiculous wages, and our manager is a dunce?

To give him his due, on Saturday that was an excellent goal; if he scores a few more like that for Everton, then it is quite possible that we will get more than the 㿷M we wanted for him in the summer.

Sadly – no matter how much some of the fans want him to stay – you can not keep a player who doesn't want to be here.

So let me get this straight, your broad-brush accusation that 'This constant whingeing from some on here is so depressing, it's like a funeral directors course on being miserable.' was NOT 'having a pop'?

Pfft – don't start giving it the semantics and 'yeah but no coz...' – I can read and I know what all the words mean.

You give stick, absolutely fine with me, but don't whine when you're pulled up for it (and I'll decide when/if there's 'no need')

As for 'You don't read many of my posts then', I've honestly no idea, I don't keep a list. I simply respond to the content of selected posts – that's it (it's not facefriend, ffs)

That said, if Coleman defended the way their right back did, I would have hauled him off – what was he doing showing him onto his left side? It's obvious to anyone that you put him on his right. Either way – a very good finish.

As Dave said – that is what Rom does.

Unfortunately, what Rom also does is put huge pressure on our defence. I counted 3 times in the last 15 minutes, a ball that he should have got to ending up with a City defender and City did what they do well – carved us right open from the back. No excuse for that.

A good point in the end but we have a lot of work to do and I think we need to change the make up of the team. Defensively we look pretty good. We need a box-to-box midfielder with a goal threat from central. We need a striker who can do the industry and pressing from the front.

Eugene, can you honestly say that you don't get pissed off with some of the negative comments on here some days, even after our bright start this season, when people have already questioned Koeman? 8 games in?

Furthermore, I think the whining you can hear come from close to home. Maybe an echo or something.

Ciaran, Eugene, my response in the last paragraph on post 42 was a little heavy-handed. Touched nerve etc. Apologies.

Great point, even if it was incredibly lucky

Minimum 4 points from our next 2 games and we can safely say we've had a good start.

Eugene, can you honestly say that you don't get pissed off with some of the negative comments on here some days, even after our bright start this season, when people have already questioned Koeman? 8 games in?

I get pissed off with ill-informed comments. I get pissed off with lies. I get pissed off with rumours that become 'the truth' (ie: "Everton set to spend 𧴜m says nobody specific"). But I don't for one second even consider (or restrict myself) with nonsense like 'positive' or 'negative.'

Because if people feel constrained by such nonsense (see my post 40 – 'stifle thoughtful debate') some might feel "better not post that –bit negative" (I'd read 100 'negative' informed posts over 1 jolly, upbeat ill-informed post anytime) (ever considered est or Scientology?)

As for your injured "Tut, look everyone, he's having a pop at me, it was only a (thinks thinks thinks) 'light aside'." – Behave.

I can understand why playing three up front seemed like a good idea given that they played three at the back, but our midfield three were swamped first half and we were so deep we couldn't knock the ball over the heads of the back three into spaces where the full-backs should have been. This, presumably was why Bolasie and Deulofeu were on the pitch and high. As it was Deulofeu was waiting too long on his toes for when the ball did come and he was easily played offside.

Oviedo looked awful, as did Coleman against Bournemouth, and for the same reason. A quick winger runs at you and you've got no support from the wide midfield, you can't go to ground so you get skinned.

First half, we surrendered too much space on the flanks and we didn't have a surplus to close down quickly either in our own half or theirs. Second half, we changed it, although I'd have brought Holgate on for Bolasie on the right and Mirallas on for Deulofeu with him as a 10 and Cleverley on the left.

This isn't the first time that, IMHO, Koeman got his tactics wrong. I've said before that he has organised a solid back 7, but then so could Tony Pulis, Big Sam, Alan Pardew and lots of others who won't be aspiring to the Barcelona job. Yes, he bought well in Williams and Gueye but was that really him – given the comments in another article on TW at the moment?

For me, he has yet to determine who his best options are for the 3 with Lukaku. Perhaps when he does, we will see some shape to our attacking play that has been more absent than present this season so far ,if we are honest.

" "Tut, look everyone, he's having a pop at me, it was only a (thinks thinks thinks) 'light aside" Get over yerself. You're not that important.

I get pissed off with lots of things on here and elsewhere, it's just the way things are, but it's YOU who jumped on me for a throwaway remark about people's inability to see both sides of a game. No, not a black side and a white side. A great defensive performance.

Yes, we'd ALL like to see us sweep the likes of City aside and, maybe, when we've spent as much as a tenth of what they've spent since the camels galloped into town, we will do.

When RK has had a couple of transfer windows to make it HIS team and we play City, we can have this conversation again. Might be a bit different, though.

Once the floundering starts, I'm done.

Now off up the pub to watch the lovable reds

Up the Toffees! (he said grinning with positivity)

1. There can be no doubt Guardiola has improved City over the Pelegrini regime so comparisons with City last season are redundant.

2. Although Koeman prefers a pressing game, like Celtic and Spurs, I think he has begun to realise we haven't got the players to carry out a proper pressing game, as evidenced by Bournemouth.

I was very concerned when I saw the teamsheet and the way we sat back first half but ,as the game wore on, I could see us nicking at least a point – if not, a win.

I will see how we line up and play against Burnley rather than decry a very good point at the best team in the Premier League's ground.

I think you under estimate what a convincing victory in the derby would do for confidence for ALL associated with Everton from fans to players.

You accuse me of being "small minded" because I have suggested that the derby could show us what type of manager we have got ourselves? Yes, I believe that and stand by it.

What are you saying, "it doesn't matter" in the long run? – If so, I cannot agree with that. Doom and gloom, you said that – not me; but I'm sure you won't be happy if we get hammered, Patrick!

I would like Everton to go out and beat Liverpool convincingly and at the same time bully the living fuck out of them and their manager. Isn't it about time?

One reason, Alan: a lack of personnel. It's easy to organise the defence when you have players like Coleman, Baines, Funes Mori and Jagielka, with Barry, McCarthy or Besic in front of them. Two additions (Williams and Stekelenburg) have turned us into a tight unit. Contrast this with the attacking players Koeman inherited: one top-class striker who never wanted to work; a couple of hit-and-miss wingers and the rest, not Premier League quality.

Finding class up front is the hardest task for managers, that's why they cost so much. We can't go out and buy a Bale, a Silva or a Suarez, so Ron has had to just work with what he's got. If Barkley and Deulofeu were doing what we know they can do, the problem would be solved, but years of Martinez's coaching has left its mark, and I don't think we'll ever see a return to their form of 3 years ago.

I'm just hoping Moshiri's millions can get us a couple of effective, creative players over the next few windows and he can find a balance with attack and defence.

Do we have the players to play a high tempo pressing game? Lukaku, Bolasie, Deulofeu, Cleverley and Barry are either not willing to or perhaps not capable of playing that game. I believe Lennon could but he seems out of favour.

Right now I'm taking the view that pragmatism is the order of the day while change slowly happens. What does concern me is that we might have young players capable of doing the job but are not getting a chance. Still, MotD was bloody great.

It's been about time – for over 30 years or longer, we've had brief moments where we seemed to be getting the better of them, but somehow it was turned to dust either through our own failings or via their triumphs in Europe etc. Of course I want us to beat them but no more than I want Everton to beat any other team.

I understood it in the late 80s when they were the benchmark for all teams in the top-flight, but not nowadays where they are an over-hyped, media-driven club. It's the likes of Man City and Spurs et al we should be trying to emulate; not very easy, I admit, but that should be the aim of the club long-term.

I agree to a point that you have to become the best club side in your own city first, and then the best in the North-West and then probably not for a very long time, become the best club side in the country.

My point is as Evertonians we really shouldn't make them seem bigger or better than they actually are, they have successfully done that themselves for a decade or more with their friends in the media.

I'm sorry if it came across as you being 'small-minded' but really I didn't mean that at all, I mean all of us have to get out of the shadow we have made for ourselves and which is perpetuated by the media. Every article about Everton in many places is usually accompanied by a reference to our neighbours; we have to somehow stop that being the case, we are a club in our own right, not a poor relation of our neighbours. I agree that actually beating them more often will help in that regard, but it shouldn't be the only measure of our progress, poor or good.

Not as daft as your statement, I suppose. Was Benteke's header a good one, or even a great one? Yes. Was that savable? Absolutely yes. Did he try to save it? From what I saw on the 5-minute highlight on EFC official site, No.

And I did not deny that he was excellent, marvelous, terrific etc against City, hence my question.

Have a good day.

Unfortunately, Deulofeu seems to have lost confidence in his own ability and at least once seemed to be inside City's half, albeit only just, wide with only one man in front of him, but declined to take him on, preferring to lift it back over a City player to one of our defenders on the edge of our own penalty area. I think Cleverley, later in the game, did something similar near their goal line.

In fairness to Deulofeu, Lukaku twice took the wrong option in his movement off the ball, pulling defenders between Deulofeu and Bolasie entirely cutting Deulofeu's intentions.

The midfield is the area lacking. They looked happier when fresh legs came on with McCarthy but Barry's lack of pace was never more evident, experience getting him back defensively but not forward, Gana (Gueye) for once was hesitant making passes, wondering who he should be marking next, while Cleverley tried hard. It was noticeable that City's players were almost always moving when receiving a pass and made ground, even if it was only a couple of paces, while Everton stood still, both before receiving and after passing, until it reached someone with no options whatsoever.

How can this be improved on the training ground? If you can find one, the easy way out would be to buy a Colin Harvey or a Peter Reid who could both hold the ball up, to provide time for others, beat a man and see a defence-splitting pass. Otherwise, get players moving at all times. No standing still before receiving and after passing, forming triangles and diamonds particularly with the two quick wingers we have and support from midfield when both attacking and defending.

Now, where did I put those application forms???

I heard the U-Boat Kapitan bemoaning the fact that LFC have to play games in relatively quick succession. Well, piss off back to Germany, Herr Flick.