Self-Inflicted Wounds and Near Misses haunt Everton in the FA Cup

Try Brantwaite with O’Brien and if that doesn’t work use the summer transfer market to recruit at centre back. The same goes for Young and may be Gana and Keane.

If Everton want to be in a better place and make improvements for next season at BM, then it’s time to start looking at the rebuild now, PSR aside.

The only bright spell was when Alcaraz came on, I believe we have a player there, a pity the others are so lacklustre. Lady Luck wasn't with us either, the amount of times the post was struck, in the second half !

Winning breeds confidence, - which will be at an all time low for Wednesday, doesn't even bear thinking about. Moyes can't be blamed for today's result, with so many letting the side and fans down.

Paul F, agree Harrison did make things a bit better but again played on the right ? He isn't the answer going forward either.

I don't think it is relevant or necessary. But obviously you do.

In his shoes I don't think I would have done.

As far as players making mistakes, who the hell doesn't.

I think Moyes will learn that silly and stupid mistakes will cost Everton games just as they cost Dyche some matches.

The second half was a big improvement on the first and we could have scored two or three although Bournemouth also missed chances to increase their lead with two or three clear cut chances again created by poor defending and silly mistakes.
Garner and Branthwaite had good first halves but the rest gave mostly poor performances with the nonsense of trying to play the ball out of defence, for a start the goalkeeper has got to have a football brain——ours hasn’t got a football brain and it was noticeable that Pickford played mostly long balls in the second half. The new lad looks like he will add improvement to the team but I think the wins we need will come from the poorer teams in the division although the Derby game on Wednesday needs the team to start much better and show some belief in themselves that they can win this game as they did last year.

Second half it was better, with Iroegbunam and Alcaraz looking more promising. Add that into Ndiaye and Garner, and you sone footballing ability.

Doucoure, Tarkowski, Young, and Lindstrom were poor today. We go again.

We improved after the break but the reality is we couldn't live with Bournemouth's press and energy which worries me for Wednesday night because Red Bullpool have that as their trademark.

If we play like that first half on Wednesday night it could be a cricket score.

The nagging thing still troubles me and that's the striker situation.

What the hell has Thelwell been doing since the summer window closed that he couldn't identify a reasonable option for January, knowing full well that we have the ongoing DCL situation and Chermiti and Broja that were two long term absentee players evening in the autumn.

We are left with Beto who for most of that last 30 minutes was blowing out of his arse knackered.

But there are signs of a team slowly coming together. Charly instead of Doucoure, and Mykolenko instead of Young, and we would do alright.

There must have been a plan first half for Pickford to keep giving it to Tarkowski, but it clearly wasn't working and we paid the price.

As for Lindstrom/Harrison, well one of them runs towards goal and is going to improve, the other one hits it into the middle and hopes for the best. The choice probably depends on the set-up of the team, but I like the look of Lindstrom (one of our rare players who looks comfortable with the ball).

As for EFC, this was another Home Cup tie, with the Moyesiah in charge and just like the Wigan game, the Captain was the worst player on the pitch.

Come half time I thought Moyes would have made a double switch, Harrison replacing Young and either Iroegbunam or Alcaraz for Doucoure and pushing Ndiaye down the middle to support Beto.

When the subs finally came on I thought we pressed better and created chances and on another Day we get lucky with the three that hit the woodwork.

I just thought we looked disjointed in the first half, struggled to Mount any attacks, again good pressing by Bournemouth.

Hopefully Moyes will have learned from that first half and player selections.

Come Weds, I think I would put Doucoure on the bench, and go with Guaye, Garner and Alcaraz in midfield.

If Mykolenko has recovered from his knock then revert to him and Lindstrom as the wingbacks, Young just does not offer as much going down the wing, normally saves his best for the Derby Mykolenko.

Given the players available, was probably the strongest 11 we could go with, until both Iroegbunam and Alcaraz can get up to speed after just coming into the team.

Looking at them both today, both look like they are ready to start games.

I think with a favourable draw, Bournemouth could be the dark horses for a very good cup run.

What could go wrong went wrong today, need to step it up for Weds, cannot afford a first half like that again.

But looks like Alcaraz could be a decent addition.

We go again Weds.

…. I’m just thawing out after a particularly cold day at the old lady, and I’ve had quite a few king of beers so please don’t think me thick but, am I missing something ?

What has that game got to do with today’s ?

I’m not being funny or anything it’s a serious question.

Asking for a friend as they say ….

Incidentally I have taken dual membership as the Live Forum is only on the other site, but up to now, no Match reports or comments. Hope that helps mate !

We have now lost four consecutive matches against Bournemouth in the last year. That they looked more comfortable in the first half than in any of the previous matches was disappointing. Our players could not get going with Beto’s limitations exposed when he is the target man while Kerkez had too much pace for Lindstrøm to do much more than pass back into the midfield.

Our players at least made a decent effort to get back into the game in the last half hour and on another day, with a touch more luck, might have done so. Alcaraz showed promise in his half hour on the pitch. He looks like the creative, ball carrying attacking midfielder we have badly needed in the last eighteen months. Hopefully he can now build on the initial favourable impression.

The challenge now is to prevent one defeat becoming two or three.