[Albion] Everton vs Brighton & Hove Albion *** Official Match Thread ***

[Wozza]

This beats my personal record of leaving on 75 minutes during the Bmuff 0-5, by 20 minutes .

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Exactly. Shockingly bad defending. The radio commentary didn't do justice to just how tragically bad they were. I don't remember seeing opposition defenders play that poorly when we were in division 4. Lots of players with big wages and big reputations there.

And yet the same team managed to hold City to a draw a few days ago.

Saints looked awful against us too,
And in the last 20 minutes the league leaders looked like they may throw away a 3 goal lead.

We create a lot of problems for defences now.
Make them look much worse than they are.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

But this was partly because they didn't know where on earth our lads were coming from or going to. Must be a nightmare to try and defend against a team that have the ability to score from all over like we have at the moment.

Well yes yes, but look at the space in the 6 yard box for Fergson, look at Mykolenko missing the ball, look at Coady I think falling over at the merest of shimmies look at the pass back from Gueye.

Not belittling anything we did. But these are horrific errors for a PL player to be making

 

[trueblue]

Exactly. Shockingly bad defending. The radio commentary didn't do justice to just how tragically bad they were. I don't remember seeing opposition defenders play that poorly when we were in division 4. Lots of players with big wages and big reputations there.

Their defending was shocking in the second half - but that's partly the effect of Albion giving them the runaround for long spells. They didn't know where the next attack was coming from.

 

[1066familyman]

Good grief. Not taking anything away from us, but f*** me their defending is awful !

Wasn't it just!

One a par with ours against Arsenal

The difference is we had plenty to come back at Arsenal with, and nearly got something from the game, whereas tonight Everton had nothing.

Great performance from us tonight!

 

[Zeberdi]

Let's see where he is in a year before getting too excited, eh?
And then go f****** mental.

I’m certainly not ‘too exited’- just stating simple facts - Ferguson proved again tonight he was good enough for first team football (otherwise RDZ wouldn’t have played him) - he didn’t fold when he got the assist but clinically put it away - exactly what Brighton needs in the final third. Ironically, imo, there’s less pressure on young players, excited and raring to prove themselves than there is for a seasoned goal scorer who has hit a dry spell and playing under greater expectations from manager and fans alike to ‘score more goals’.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Tarkowski fell on his face when March went past him for the third goal and then ran into Pickford and fell on his face again as Gross scored the fourth. Marvellous scenes.

Whilst I felt a bit sorry for Tarkowski, I don’t think I’ve laughed so much at a defender’s performance since Andone gave Tomkins the run around at the Amex.

 

[BN41Albion]

But this was partly because they didn't know where on earth our lads were coming from or going to. Must be a nightmare to try and defend against a team that have the ability to score from all over like we have at the moment.

True, but the defending for the 3rd was tragically bad for a PL club. March could've taken another couple of touches and still had time to place it calmly in the net

 

[Easy 10]

Shouldn't VAR be checking it though?

Much as it annoyed me tonight, absolutely not. It is not (currently) in VAR's remit to check for potential fouls that aren't given in the buildup to goals / pens.

And lets keep it that way. The less involvement it has the better.

 

[Bodian]

Well yes yes, but look at the space in the 6 yard box for Fergson, look at Mykolenko missing the ball, look at Coady I think falling over at the merest of shimmies look at the pass back from Gueye.

Not belittling anything we did. But these are horrific errors for a PL player to be making

But that's what being given the runaround does to you. You lose your heads and panic. I reckon that's why we seem to get goals in bursts - it just throws the defences completely out of kilter, and before they can recover, it's gone. Look at Tarkowsky on his arse for four goals. Must be soul destroying.

 

[Bodian]

Much as it annoyed me tonight, absolutely not. It is not (currently) in VAR's remit to check for potential fouls that aren't given in the buildup to goals / pens.

And lets keep it that way. The less involvement it has the better.

I can't keep up with these constant changes!!

 

[1066familyman]

With GP there was also plenty of players up there. The idea that Brighton were playing some kind of defensive minded 0-0-football didn't exist in September.

The big difference between now and say two years ago isn't a change of style or replacing a defensive minded with an attacking one. The difference is this:



Since then, more quality has been added - and with that, more goals (both with GP and with RDZ).

Me and my son tonight both agreed that previously we'd have missed all four of those chances tonight and Everton win 1 - 0 with the penalty

A slight exaggeration of course, but there's plenty of truth in it too.

 

[Eric the meek]

The 4th goal was shocking, Gross outpaced their defence

He could have done a full 360 degree Gross turn in the middle of his run, and still scored.

 

[The Fits]

Me and my son tonight both agreed that previously we'd have missed all four of those chances tonight and Everton win 1 - 0 with the penalty

A slight exaggeration of course, but there's plenty of truth in it too.

Yet two of our goalscorers are two of our longest serving players and one a kid. So I'm not sure it's simply an increase in quality players.

 

[Bodian]

Yet two of our goalscorers are two of our longest serving players and one a kid. So I'm not sure it's simply an increase in quality players.

It's confidence.

 

[The Fits]

It's confidence.

Which RDZ has to take credit for.

 

[Uh_huh_him]

Remember when we thought Pascal would be leaving at the end of last season....

Might be an idea to give him another couple of years.

 

[trueblue]

With GP there was also plenty of players up there. The idea that Brighton were playing some kind of defensive minded 0-0-football didn't exist in September.

The big difference between now and say two years ago isn't a change of style or replacing a defensive minded with an attacking one. The difference is this:



Since then, more quality has been added - and with that, more goals (both with GP and with RDZ).

Not really borne out by the fact that Gross and March scored tonight and the others were available to Potter, but he was always slower to integrate players. I agree the mindset under GP wasn't defensive but throughout his tenure the football was rarely as incisive around the box. It's been clear from the start that RDZ is all about fast, first touch football where it counts. Potter had 3 years to improve the team's finishing and seemed to have finally made slight progress at the back end of last season and start of this. RDZ has accelerated that progress considerably (the flip side being we're slightly more prone to concede).

 

[um bongo molongo]

Sky Sport rankings

Player ratings​

Everton: Pickford (4), Patterson (4), Coady (4), Tarkowski (4), Mykolenko (4), Iwobi (5), Gueye (4), Davies (4), McNeil (4), Calvert-Lewin (5), Gray (6).

Subs: Doucoure (5), Price (5), Coleman (5), Maupay (5), Simms (n/a)

Brighton: Sanchez (7), Veltman (6), Dunk (6), Colwill (6), Estupinan (6), Caicedo (7), Gross (7), March (7), Sarmiento (7), Mitoma (8), Ferguson (8).

Subs: Mac Allister (6), Enciso (6), Lamptey (5), Lallana (n/a), Moran (n/a)

(I thought Veltman should have been a 7 - he defended well )

Loved that England’s premier GK was rated 4 while Sanchez, who most people are moaning at was rated a 7 - he made some cracking saves so well deserved.

Giving Caicedo a 7 for that performance is like saying Michelangelo did quite a good job on the Sistine chapel ceiling.

 

[Sirnormangall]

Yes. But he didn't exactly outpace the defence. He was way ahead of them in clear space when he received the backpass - they were gaining on him every yard. But luckily he had many yards in hand!

And what a little dink - beautiful.

Yes, as ever, he makes up for lack of pace with speed of thought