[Archived] Everton 0 V Rovers 1

[colin]

reasonable report

here

[ally]

another well educated report from ESPN Soccernet quoting Mr Stead scoring:

"And the way you took your goal on Sunday against Everton shows what a talent you are. I was so impressed. You hadn't scored since April, were in the middle of the mother of all goal droughts, and yet you were still confident enough to slam that low shot past Brad Friedel from 20 yards. Wonderful. "

Oh well, at least he made team of the week!

[mode_m]

So happy that Stead scored, the irony of it all though was that I was bad mouthing his performance the whole game.

[trueblue]

So happy that Stead scored, the irony of it all though was that I was bad mouthing his performance the whole game.

That'll teach you to keep your gob shut hehe

[RoyRover]

The Guardian match report was pretty good. However, I was a little annoyed about the comment that Mokoena is starting to get a thuggish reputation. That's very harsh, because he hasn't justified it. Yes, he broke Robben's foot, but it was an honest challenge and apart from that he hasn't done anything that bad. Sure, he wil have made some bad tackles, but doesn't every defender? I also had to laugh at Neill being described as being intimidatory toward Kilbane.

[roversWASmylife]

Thought Rovers were superb at Everton. Very solid, stubborn look about the team.

Everton through everything at us towards the end, Todd and Nelsen particuarly were brilliant at the back, again.

Reid stood out from the rest in midfield. I've been putting him in my predicted starting line up's.

He's changed the game in the last few games where he has been brought on, particuarly both Burnley games.

Played a great through ball to Stead for his winner, fingers crossed Stead can get a few more between now and the end of the season.

Considering Stead shot like that, his confidence wasn't as low as I thought.

[thenodrog]

The Guardian match report was pretty good. However, I was a little annoyed about the comment that Mokoena is starting to get a thuggish reputation. That's very harsh, because he hasn't justified it. Yes, he broke Robben's foot, but it was an honest challenge and apart from that he hasn't done anything that bad. Sure, he wil have made some bad tackles, but doesn't every defender? I also had to laugh at Neill being described as being intimidatory toward Kilbane.

I think Kilbane started it with a couple of tackles that on most days he would receive a booking for.

[waggy]

they don't call him the AXE for nothing

[Flopsy]

The Guardian match report was pretty good. However, I was a little annoyed about the comment that Mokoena is starting to get a thuggish reputation. That's very harsh, because he hasn't justified it. Yes, he broke Robben's foot, but it was an honest challenge and apart from that he hasn't done anything that bad. Sure, he wil have made some bad tackles, but doesn't every defender? I also had to laugh at Neill being described as being intimidatory toward Kilbane.

I think Kilbane started it with a couple of tackles that on most days he would receive a booking for.

Dont you miss the good old days when the full abck would kick the opposing winger into the stands

glory days

[Nayef]

And every time an Everton challenge went in, our player got straight back up. But from our challenges, you would have thought that the everton player was close to death.

Cahill totally deserved his yellow too.

Stead- great goal but lots of room for improvement. Perhaps I'm being a bit over critical but I think he needs to look up when he's dribbling. On one counter attack, he had his colleagues running into space - a pass across the pitch would have undone Everton completely but instead he dribbled the ball out of play like a buffoon.

Reid was fantastic. Very consistent when I've seen him play.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Stead- great goal but lots of room for improvement. Perhaps I'm being a bit over critical but I think he needs to look up when he's dribbling. On one counter attack, he had his colleagues running into space - a pass across the pitch would have undone Everton completely but instead he dribbled the ball out of play like a buffoon.

Christ its is first game back in how long ...... ther's bound to be time for improvement but he needs to be given the chance - let him blow the cobwebs of first.

Bert has been doing that for the past two seasons and you still have people trying to defend him.

Give Stead his dues, we have already seen he can score goals at this level - so with a couple of games his confidence should be improved and we should see the Stead most of us feel he is capable of being.

Totall galls me, when you have a youngster who has come up from a lower league and been messed about in terms of confidence and lack of chances and lost his partner up front and people have a go - yet we have a supposed international who has played at top level, has had two seasons of continuous spells in the team and is still crap and people continue to say he needs time... it beggars belief.

[The Prof.]

Not looking forward to Dickov or Lilly coming back one bit.

Arguing at every decision breaks the play up, get people up the refs noses, get bookings and niether look classy enough to get in the team that played Sunday. Hope that Hughes doesn't start playing favourites as thats where Souness fell down IMO.

[waggy]

Not looking forward to Dickov or Lilly coming back one bit.

Arguing at every decision breaks the play up, get people up the refs noses, get bookings and niether look classy enough to get in the team that played Sunday. Hope that Hughes doesn't start playing favourites as thats where Souness fell down IMO.

well said prof but you better duck

[roversmum]

The same thoughts had been going through my head! Please keep Sunday's lineup (sans Dickov incl Stead) Sparky!

And please God, don't let's have any mention of Matteo

[Flopsy]

Hell I hate 4-5-1 as we play it. Give me 4-4-2 any day

However I would swap Savage for Flitcroft - I feel he gives a better all round quality and ability than Flitty (plus better Hair ) but Id play Stead up front either with Dickov or on his own. Dickov and Gally on Bench.

I rate Dickov I really do, I think that his 9 goals have been crucial, I also feel that his workrate and general nuiscance factor is great for the team. I also feel that he has been greedy but in his defence looking at the dros hes had to play alongside, can you blame him? Also anyone remember that great step over he did to allow Jansen to score the opener against Brum? (I think it was brum anyway) pure greed.

All our strikers could be better but we have to play with the best we have - Dickov is our best striker with Stead 2nd - Gally 3rd.

I think at the moment Gally is best used as a substitute with pace and movement best used against tiring teams.

[Hasta]

Not sure how true this is but someone has told me that UEFA only allow 4 clubs per country into the Champions League. This means that if (a big IF) Liverpool were to win the competition this year they would qualify and Everton would miss out even if they finished 4th.

OOOhhh nasty.

[philipl]

Yes, it is true.

You can expect a lot of scousers in the away end for the next round if Liverpool get past Leverkusen tomorrow!

..and it has happened before. Real Madrid came fifth in La Liga when they last won the Champions League. Real Zaragoza had to make do with a place in the UEFA for coming 4th.

Back to discussing Sunday's line-up on the wrong thread, don't forget Dickov and Savage as ex-Leicester players will be particularly "up" for this one. I'd expect 4-4-2 with Flitty and The Axe loosing out.

However, I'd be very surprised if we don't play 4-5-1 again at Anfield with The Axe back in. Will be interesting to see if Stead does well enough to be the 1 against Liverpool.

[Nayef]

There's a quote from the BBC site from an everton fan:

"Why do Blackburn do their utmost to spoil our season?"

They haven't forgotten how we "stole" their UEFA cup spot on the last day of the season.

[joey_big_nose]

Not looking forward to Dickov or Lilly coming back one bit.

Arguing at every decision breaks the play up, get people up the refs noses, get bookings and niether look classy enough to get in the team that played Sunday.  Hope that  Hughes doesn't start playing favourites as thats where Souness fell down IMO.

well said prof but you better duck

I think thats unfair.

While I appreciate what you say about Dickov, Stead should certainly get another shot at the lone role up front, Savage deserves to come back into the team.

He has been one of our best players in recent weeksand as far as playing a more attractive game goes his passing and distribution is a massive improvement over Flitcroft. Also he gets forward more.

[philipl]

Andy Gray's verdict. Glad he rated Mokoena.

[jobo380]

For the first time in ages I saw rovers keeping the ball for a decent amount of time.I dont no whether it was because of Everton playing badly or rovers playing really well. But it was really encouraging to see.

same on sunday please.

[BRFC4EVA]

They reckon only 300 odd Rovers fans yesterday, it certainly looked a low turn out. There were also a lot of empty seats in the home ends too. After the goal our lot were very loud though.

Im sure it wasnt that bad, i heard it was more like 600. Still awful tho, but who cares, we got the points

[blue/white]

cheers all-

I disagree with those of us that would like to keep Lily at Sparky's right hand on the bench. I find that a onorous idea--why penalize Lily for his fire? Like it or not, he's the crown jewel of our midfield. Nevermind that the 'lad' cost 3 million ... he's still feeling his way into the team (remember the short amount of matches he's played for us) & needs all the time on the field to assert himself into the side. Little than a month ago we were all doing backflips at his arrival, now there's a pocket of supporter that wish him on the bench???

I'd also like to echo Flopsy's opinion (you can wire the usual amount, flop)

regarding Dickov. His skill sets make him the perfect 'super sub'. He rarely includes others into his play, he's scrappy and energetic, and his finishing can be suspect. IMO, he'd be ideal coming off the bench for the last 20 minutes where he can harry backs, nip at heels like a terrier and force ill-advised passes for us to pounce on...

(hey... it could happen.)

Edited March 9, 2005 by blue/white

[tcj_jones]

I've been very bust the last few days so haven't been able to post but this is what I recall of the match...

Many have said Stead played poorly before he scored his goal. Contrary to this, I thought he was very lively and made some great off the ball runs but was rarely played through. However, I do agree that after the goal he seemed to have a new lease of life and the confidence to take players on.

As i mentioned breifly above, what makes Stead such a good player (in my eyes) is his reading of the game and his ability to make superb off the ball runs into the box with the ability to create space for himself as he did for the goal. If you look at him closely he will always be pointing at space he has created or intends running into, to the player on the ball, but is rarely played through.

Playing on his own, or with Dickov, up front prior to this match must have been extremely difficult for him as the team had little or no creativity and no players in midfield with the confidence to run at the opposition. With all respect to Dickov, he is an extremely difficult player to play alongside being somewhat of a headles chicken and this must have knocked Stead's confidence.

Likewise, without a partner to draw defenders away or create space, it must have been difficult for Stead to create his own space or hold the ball up, but he excelled in my eyes. With the right kind of player, one who can combine the midfield and attack, such as Gallagher, then I think he will definately continue to excel.

I just hope that he isn't played alongside Dickov or worse still that he's not on the bench.

Apart from Stead, I thought Reid was superb in the centre, just where many of us have been wanting him to play for a long time. I also think that Mokoena has very much made the holding midfield role his own as has Nelsen at centre back. With the amount of squad players excelling at this match it will be a diffcult team selection to make for next week. One thing is for sure - Emerton must be dropped. Oh how much better we played without him in the team.

I would find it extremely difficult to chose between a 4-4-2 formation of...

Freidel

Neill / Nelsen / Todd / Johansson

Thompson / Savage / Mokoena / Pedersen

Stead / Gallagher

and a 4-5-1 ,in the light of Reids excellent performance, of...

Mokoena /

Thompson / Savage / Reid / Pedersen

Stead

Edited March 9, 2005 by tcj_jones

[mrsjansen]

Reading some sunday papers they said it was a boring game and everton were unlucky, and we were lucky to win. Must have been a different game from the one i was watching.

When will we ever get any credit?