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

[jakarta]

Last on MOTD, don't think I'll stay up...

 

[sully]

Overall, I’m putting Everton down as a top away day. Ship and Mitre beforehand was great, it’s a superb pub, managing to be both a football pub and a beer pub and a proper working class Northern pub.

A few pints and a mystery bus tour to the ground with @jackalbion and it’s a ground full of soul. Excellent stewards, friendly bus queue chaps and enough time to get some tinnies before the train to London.

On the pitch we’ll play better and we’ll play worse. RDZ is playing a season long game. Some game management with our injuries is inevitable. And the first half could have been so different if VAR hadn’t robbed us.

Agree entirely but with a different experience as we went on the ST coach.
A lovely walk in Stanley Park followed by a saunter round the ground including a pint in the Winslow Hotel and chats with a few locals and stewards on the way (and bumped into a friend in the pub).
Proper old school ground and surrounding area that will be a sad loss.
I even had a decent view of the pitch!

 

[jcdenton08]

Smell my cheese, you Mother!

We’ll have to have that beer some time - see my brother

 

[Mancgull]

Think we should be pleased with the point.

Everton are in decent enough form. They had a game plan, and to be fair to them it worked.

We got a little bit of luck for the goal, which made up for the disappointing VAR decision.

Thought we played well. They were so hard to break down - a disciplined defensive performance from them.

Lots of positives for me.

I have a lot of confidence in Van Hecke - he's looking increasingly confident himself, great on the ball and looking good defensively.

Dahoud looked really sharp and intelligent when he came on.

Dunk's cross field passes are, well, absolutely world class. Think he made 4 out of 5 of them, which really opened play for us. Unlucky with his freekick.

A few negatives for me as well.

Thought Gross didn't have his best game. Quite a few misplaced passes.

Verbruggen clearly doesn't inspire as much confidence on the ball as Steele. He's probably a traditional goalkeeper. Whether RDZ will opt to stick with him and adapt our strategy accordingly, or whether he will improve that aspect of his game, remains to be seen.

Would have liked to have seen Ferguson drop back a bit more, as he was completely marked out of the game.

Apart from that - decent performance, fair result. Bring on the next one.

Agree with that.
Dahoud looked good when he came on, and agree with other comments

 

[Sirnormangall]

Last on MOTD, don't think I'll stay up...

Good decision - it was all about Everton. Didn’t even give Dunk’s “goal” a second look.

 

[Mancgull]

Ajari scores for West Brom. Think he could have a bright future next season.

Ayari plays for Coventry this season and was substituted at half time.

 

[Sirnormangall]

shocking to be honest. the point flatters the performance. so pedestrian, without any creativity really. Side to side and back to defense constantly.

“Shocking”? FFS. What’s it going to be like when we lose?
The only team that was flattered by a point today was Everton.

 

[Weststander]

Good decision - it was all about Everton. Didn’t even give Dunk’s “goal” a second look.

It was crazy, Keown gave an endless analysis on how Everton had masterfully taken us apart at will for 90 minutes. Seemed irked by our “very lucky” equaliser.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

At least I don't have to watch Pickford try to kick the highest ever drop kick for a few months.

He really is a prick. To think Southgate thinks he's the best we have.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I've not read this thread, but the only time we FINALLY started causing problems was in the 2nd half, when Mitoma actually started taking them on and going for the byline, instead of just cutting back and laying off a feeble pass (often intercepted). When he commits to beating the fullback he is absolute dynamite and causes chaos. It drove me MENTAL when I know he can have the likes of Ashley Young on toast EVERY TIME, yet kept taking the easy option.

I can only hope/assume that RDZ got in his earhole at half time at told him to get down that outside channel and start producing, because prior to that it was way, way too easy for them.

It still took him 25 minutes of second half to start being effective. Then absolute dynamite.

 

[Sid and the Sharknados]

Overall, I’m putting Everton down as a top away day. Ship and Mitre beforehand was great, it’s a superb pub, managing to be both a football pub and a beer pub and a proper working class Northern pub.

A few pints and a mystery bus tour to the ground with @jackalbion and it’s a ground full of soul. Excellent stewards, friendly bus queue chaps and enough time to get some tinnies before the train to London.

On the pitch we’ll play better and we’ll play worse. RDZ is playing a season long game. Some game management with our injuries is inevitable. And the first half could have been so different if VAR hadn’t robbed us.

My favourite away day.
Burnley's up there as well, although that led to me having about 6weeks off beer following the last time I was there.

 

[jackalbion]

Overall, I’m putting Everton down as a top away day. Ship and Mitre beforehand was great, it’s a superb pub, managing to be both a football pub and a beer pub and a proper working class Northern pub.

A few pints and a mystery bus tour to the ground with @jackalbion and it’s a ground full of soul. Excellent stewards, friendly bus queue chaps and enough time to get some tinnies before the train to London.

On the pitch we’ll play better and we’ll play worse. RDZ is playing a season long game. Some game management with our injuries is inevitable. And the first half could have been so different if VAR hadn’t robbed us.

A chaotic away day, asking where the bus is going from to two blokes trying to fix one, was one of my more rogue moves.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Agree entirely but with a different experience as we went on the ST coach.
A lovely walk in Stanley Park followed by a saunter round the ground including a pint in the Winslow Hotel and chats with a few locals and stewards on the way (and bumped into a friend in the pub).
Proper old school ground and surrounding area that will be a sad loss.
I even had a decent view of the pitch!

Unfortunately our coach didn't get there till 14:15. Straight to the ground , no decent beer. I did ask did they sell bitter or IPA but reply was 'we do pies'. Had a corrs but chilled and awful. Stewards were helpful. View was better than expected. Seats were cramped , good Job everyone stands. Other facilities were ok i.e. no queues for the toilet. Everton fans were quiet. Some cringe worthy songs about benefits and palace from our youths who aren't old enough to work. Some great noise when coordinated , but at one time 3 different songs being sung. Regards the game we are too slow getting the ball forward. At one stage thought they might overrun us with their strength and they were clearly more bouyant after the disallowed goal. Possession is no good if you don't turn it into shots and goals.

 

[oldboyroy]

Overall, I’m putting Everton down as a top away day. Ship and Mitre beforehand was great, it’s a superb pub, managing to be both a football pub and a beer pub and a proper working class Northern pub.

A few pints and a mystery bus tour to the ground with @jackalbion and it’s a ground full of soul. Excellent stewards, friendly bus queue chaps and enough time to get some tinnies before the train to London.

On the pitch we’ll play better and we’ll play worse. RDZ is playing a season long game. Some game management with our injuries is inevitable. And the first half could have been so different if VAR hadn’t robbed us.

Had a great time. Especially staying in Liverpool overnight and taking in some of the pubs in town including the Cavern.

 

[London Irish]

I thought their mini fan zone was a reasonable effort tho I’m sure their new ground’s one will be much bigger. Quite funny seeing Brian Owen interviewed there over the PA as a star attraction

 

[Guinness Boy]

It was crazy, Keown gave an endless analysis on how Everton had masterfully taken us apart at will for 90 minutes. Seemed irked by our “very lucky” equaliser.

No mention that we had 80% possession or that we were robbed of a perfectly good goal?

I guess that really would spoil the narrative though. They were able to sit and break most of the game as they were one up as much as it being a tactical master class. In reality we levelled it up in a timely way, only to be denied by the fun police over a matter of about 5 millimetres of spuriously drawn lines on a picture taken some time near when the ball was kicked.

 

[Perfidious Albion]

We were robbed of 2 points. The team did ok, it must be hard to play a passing skilful game in the rain on a wet pitch . If everyone agrees that VAR is rubbish and spoils the game , why can it not be got rid of ?
Oh well.... on to Amsterdam !

 

[Triggaaar]

Not sure if Dunk's goal has its own thread, but...

They drew the line off his elbow right? It would be nice to see some detailed images, because it looks like they got it wrong. Not that our club seem to be complaining.

 

[WhingForPresident]

Have we got another sweet, sweet apology yet? Or have the cock-ups in the later game given them the cover to gloss over the incorrect decisions against us and Wolves?

 

[Mancgull]

The other factor in the performance was just how well organised Everton were and how hard they worked.
Our constant, patient passing tired them out in the end and we got our deserved equaliser, but Everton have been on a good run and were up for it.
We don’t have a god given right to pass through teams. Teams will try and mitigate our strengths and Everton did this well.
I expect Sheffield United will also set up in a similar way and we’ll have to be patient. An early goal will help.