[Archived] Everton Preview

[Esben_DK]

Atleast both Stoke and Burnley lost and Fulham only got a draw.

[KoNG]

ditto

ah......crap

[Tango]

Gutted. We were largely outplayed by an Everton side that was technically a lot, lot better than ours but showed great character to come back twice. Unfortunately we made the age-old mistake of sitting deep at 2-2 and were punished. Jones and Salgado were excellent again, Andrews was absolutely hopeless and it's beggars belief that he continues to play at this level. Season pretty much over, if we're going to move forward then some creativity to our play, and far less long punts upfield to a lone striker is a necessity.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

Everton deserved to win. Lets not get too depressed, it was a great game with a couple of great goals. We didnt really turn up and the fact that we had nothing to play for did show.

[bigbrandjohn]

Great second half, you have to hand it to Everton. They played great Football and we played some excellent stuff. We actually looked like a Football team later on. For all of Roberts doubters, he adds a dimension draws defenders and opens it up for others. Sam hates this stuff because if you attack you are left prone to the counter but it makes for a great spectacle.

[Dan]

Yeah, but for most of this we've played clueless longball stuff when we can actually compete with Everton. We gave them two periods of dominance by simply not playing. Bad result and it means are season is basically over. Couple of great goals though.

No doubt we'll hear Allardyce putting it all down to Arteta not being sent off.

You know what his interview will consist of already. His prehistoric tactics are @#/?(to watch anyway - isn't football played for entertainment?). We looked much better when ge ditched his usual 0-0 tactics. Ah well we are safe, that is what the pro-BFS brigade will say, and who the (Please don't use that word again) are we to argue with them, especially since they are the forum elite. Great goals, but I can't apprieciate then at all having lost.

[Mr. E]

I couldn't feel more gutted if we had lost a cup final. Especially after those 2 goals we scored...

but deserved win for Everton. We allowed them to do whatever the hell they could have possibly wanted, especially at the end. Should have got into them, freekicks or not.

The reason why we lost though are those goal-line chances we missed in the first half. We have destroyed ourselves with such misses all season long, and it's up to Everton to show us how to score them. They just pass the ball in and Goal, nothing more to it really. No one but ourselves to blame, but I have to wonder if we are training enough. How is it possible we have shown no improvement the entire season in this area is beyond me.

Only good thing is that hopefully "champions-league bound Villa" get displaced for 7th place.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Anyone can complain about Big Sam's tactics but we can't argue where we are in the table and our home record since he took over.

[Bobby G]

I thought considering the circumstances we were a bit unlucky to lose this one. We deserved a point.

Nelsen a liability for the first two goals.

Too gutted to even write anything now.

[Mr. E]

Anyone can complain about Big Sam's tactics but we can't argue where we are in the table and our home record since he took over.

...we are 12th?

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

You know what his interview will consist of already. His prehistoric tactics are @#/?. Ah well we are safe, that is what the pro-BFS brigade will say, and who the (Please don't use that word again) are we to argue with them, especially since they are the forum elite. Great goals, but I can't apprieciate then at all having lost.

haha. aww. prehistoric tactics? i love to hear these responses come out only when we lose. Any opportunity to have a pop at Sam. I cant fault you for your determination, top marks there. Im sure you know far better then most of us so im not going to argue with what you say.

[Dan]

I couldn't feel more gutted if we had lost a cup final. Especially after those 2 goals we scored...

but deserved win for Everton. We allowed them to do whatever the hell they could have possibly wanted, especially at the end. Should have got into them, freekicks or not.

The reason why we lost though are those goal-line chances we missed in the first half. We have destroyed ourselves with such misses all season long, and it's up to Everton to show us how to score them. They just pass the ball in and Goal, nothing more to it really. No one but ourselves to blame, but I have to wonder if we are training enough. How is it possible we have shown no improvement the entire season in this area is beyond me.

Only good thing is that hopefully "champions-league bound Villa" get displaced for 7th place.

All Sam trains them to do is hoof the ball, corners and free kicks. He them tells them to play for corners and free kicks. It's totally boring and ######, but keeps us in the league. We are becoming the new Bolton, looking at other message boards everyone us starting to slag our brand of football off. Ah well since we have no money we have to sacrifice good football to stay up. Maybe it's the only way?

[philipl]

Season is not over. Stoke losing and Fulham drawing games they would have been expected to have won keeps us in the hunt for 10th place.

[Dan]

haha. aww. prehistoric tactics? i love to hear these responses come out only when we lose. Any opportunity to have a pop at Sam. I cant fault you for your determination, top marks there. Im sure you know far better then most of us so im not going to argue with what you say.

How many times have we won or drawn and actually looked 100% convincing, using BFS's tactics negative tactics? Besides which, win or lose Sam's brand if football is horrible to watch, it's the complete opposite of sexy football. Souness would say it's "minging" hehe

[John]

How many times have we won or drawn and actually looked 100% convincing, using BFS's tactics negative tactics?

Look at our team, hardly going to win too many matches convincing.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

...we are 12th?

Which is an improvement on last season (and we've got more points) and we've still got games to play.

[Sysagent]

Just waiting now for the SURGE of the Anti Sam Brigade to descend upon the Forums...

;-(

[JoeBlueWhite]

looking at other message boards everyone us starting to slag our brand of football off.

'Starting too' mate we have been Thugburn to most other teams fans for 10 years now.

Sad end to a decent game today. We have lifted our game really well the last few weeks against bigger teams. It was always going to be the likes of a hardworking team like Everton to beat us.

Don't get down too much anyone. Its a lovely day and you could be a Burnley fan.

[magicalmortensleftpeg]

How many times have we won or drawn and actually looked 100% convincing, using BFS's tactics negative tactics? Besides which, win or lose Sam's brand if football is horrible to watch, it's the complete opposite of sexy football. Souness would say it's "minging" hehe

If all you want is sexy football then there are plenty of other teams to support.

If you want to see a Rovers side hold their own in the Premier League and be safely in midtable then you'd realise that Sam has done a very good job.

Ideally, you'd have both, but id take the latter over the former every day of the week.

Look at our players, look at the money we have and look at what happened under Ince's 'Sexy football'. Think about it and then think about it again. Its not hard to see what im getting at.

[tonyoz]

'Starting too' mate we have been Thugburn to most other teams fans for 10 years now.

Sad end to a decent game today. We have lifted our game really well the last few weeks against bigger teams. It was always going to be the likes of a hardworking team like Everton to beat us.

Don't get down too much anyone. Its a lovely day and you could be a Burnley fan.

They beat us by playing football today.

[Amo]

Two great goals glossed over 70 minutes of dour football. Sam's opening decision to start Andrews beggared belief and set the tone for the game. Rovers lack of imagination was exposed for all to see, as we haphazardly sought set-pieces and long throws as our only route on goal. We looked more of a threat when Roberts and Hoilett came on and added impetus to the game, but our defending was also suspect. We stood off Everton, allowing Yakubu to spin around Jones and provide the winning goal.

[67splitscreen]

Two great goals glossed over 70 minutes of dour football. Sam's opening decision to start Andrews beggared belief and set the tone for the game. Rovers lack of imagination was exposed for all to see, as we haphazardly sought set-pieces and long throws as our only route on goal. We looked more of a threat when Roberts and Hoilett came on and added impetus to the game, but our defending was also suspect. We stood off Everton, allowing Yakubu to spin around Jones and provide the winning goal.

Robin Cousins would have been proud of that spin, 9.9 at least, not sure think it was Roberts who slipped in the build up as Jones had cleared allowing them to gain possession again unchallenged.

Just shows though when we do get men forward in a decent formation we do create problems for the opposition.

I'm now looking forward to the transfer window and next seasons challenge for the Europa.

[bellamy11]

I couldn't feel more gutted if we had lost a cup final.

I find that hard to believe. I bet you get suicidal when you burn your toast.

[Tom]

Mainly boring but a great finish to the game for the neutrals. Andrews shouldn't really have been on the pitch he isn't good enough typified when under no pressure he fell over and lost the ball. We had a few chances in the first half all off pedersen corners and throw ins but never looked like scoring in the second until nzonzi pulled that out.

How arteta didn't get sent off is laughable really.

All in all we can't solely blame the ref when we gave them goals so softly.

[MarkBRFC71]

Two great goals glossed over 70 minutes of dour football. Sam's opening decision to start Andrews beggared belief and set the tone for the game. Rovers lack of imagination was exposed for all to see, as we haphazardly sought set-pieces and long throws as our only route on goal. We looked more of a threat when Roberts and Hoilett came on and added impetus to the game, but our defending was also suspect. We stood off Everton, allowing Yakubu to spin around Jones and provide the winning goal.

Agree entirely, but cue the Samettes rather predictably leaping to his defence.

With Andrews and Pedersen starting we were already at a disadvantage before kicking off. The first hour summed up everything that is so wrong about Rovers under BFS - possibly the worst 60 mins of dire, one-dimensional, ineffective, percentage based sh*te I've ever been unlucky enough to witness. Also forgot my iPhone so couldn't even resort to playing Angry Birds to take my mind off the tripe on the pitch.

As soon as Pedersen went off and we started playing 4-4-2 we looked much better - things seemed to click into place more going forward, the players seemed more comfortable and Niko looked to the heavens in thanks that he at last had some support. We still created few clear cut chances, and as good as the two goals were spectacular efforts like that looked like the only way we would score.

Funniest thing all day - plenty Rovers fans shouting "Off! Off! Off!" when Andrews got booked ....

But what happened to the defence? It looks like they're back to normal after a few weeks of doing well - another 3 goals conceded. The worst one was watching Yakubu waltz on from the bench, wander straight through the box and head in unchallenged!

Tactics totally wrong for the first 60 mins, and the last 5 we sat back hoping for the draw instead of continuing to push them back and go for the win. But that's Big Sam all over isn't it? Still think we'd be far better of without him. New song for the Arsenal game "We're having a party, when Allardyce leaves ....". I know I will be - having a party, not singing the song!