[Sylar]

Youth is the way forward.

 

[ZAGREB RED]

Can only really echo most of what has already been said on here - 3 points, Blind was excellent, Fosuh-Mensah played very well at both RB and CB when he came on, Rashford and Martial had some nice moments. At this stage of the season it's points not performances that count. A win at Spurs next week is needed, a draw at least or 4th place hopes will start fading fast. All still to play for. If Blind is out next Sunday, wouldn't have any worries at all about TFM starting. He doesn't look fazed at all, physical enough but quite composed on the ball also.

 

[endless_wheelies]

Surprised how just bad Everton were, in particular our future £65m purchase Lukaku.

 

[Nik70]

2007/08! 1-0 away and 2-1 at home.

Since then:
08/09 - 1-1 D away, 2-1 W home (also lost to them on penalties in the FA Cup)
09/10 - 3-0 W home, 3-1 L away
10/11 - 3-3 D away, 1-0 W home
11/12 - 1-0 W away, 4-4 D home ()
12/13 - 1-0 L away, 2-0 W home
13/14 - 1-0 L home, 2-0 L away
14/15 - 2-1 W home, 3-0 L away

I remember almost blowing a gasket after that game. 4-2 up and Evra missed an open goal. Gets the blood boiling just thinking about it, especially because it cost us the title ultimately.

 

[GloryHunter07]

Blind MotM by about 280,000 miles. Smashing performance from him and Darmian, TFM, Smalling, Schneiderlin, Valencia and Herrera played well also. Disappointed with Carrick and Mata and would have been livid if we'd conceded after we didn't bother our arses pushing for the second goal for half an hour.

Really frustrating.. should've put the game to bed.

Still, a win and gained ground on West Ham, Southampton & Liverpool.

 

[VeevaVee]

I guess there was some football but I definitely went to go pick up a pizza in the middle of the second half because who gives a feck any more?

 

[Andy_Cole]

Really awful game. If Everton snatched a draw/ win the caf would be going into meltdown.

 

[Perrick Dubois]

Didn't get to watch it live but we were listening to the radio at work. It sounded like an absolutely dreadful game. Two shots on target out of five is dire. Funny that at the start of the season everybody would work around someone with a phone/tablet, coming up and making sure we caught as much of the game as possible. Then it went from not many people caring, to throwing the radio on full blast and now the radio is on at a low level and people come up and ask what the score is occasionally.

 

[goldenballs]

I'll take the win. But would love to see a Martial and Rashford attacking partnership. Martial is totally wasted on the wing, he knows where the goal is and knows how to score. Sadly, Carrick is finished.

 

[dwd]

Anyone know why we didn't acknowledge Cruyff?

 

[The Brown Bull]

Nice to see Bobby get his deserved tribute.A true Football, United & England legend.
Nice to see Martial score.
Nice to see a clean sheet.
Otherwise meh.

 

[sglowrider]

Oh nooo.... fell asleep again by the middle of the 1st half.

We won? Cool.

 

[redshaw]

Surprised how just bad Everton were, in particular our future £65m purchase Lukaku.

Wasn't impressed by our alleged 45 million purchase Ross Barkely.

Bit of a strange game but it picked up the second half. Nice to see the team dig in a little and fend off Everton after they went close a couple times.

Mensah looks like something we need right now. I know defense is the main part but Darmian is like a cement truck at times. I hope he can add a bit more to his game

 

[sammsky1]

Recorded the game as watched the cricket live. Thanks God can fast forward on Sky record as game felt very drab.

Martial scored and 3 points closer to top 4. Nothing else to remember really? Glad I watched the cricket!

 

[ChaddyP]

Recorded the game as watched the cricket live. Thanks God can fast forward on Sky record as game felt very drab.

Martial scored and 3 points closer to top 4. Nothing else to remember really? Glad I watched the cricket!

i elected to watch the football instead. You lucky bugger

 

[marlowe78]

I remember almost blowing a gasket after that game. 4-2 up and Evra missed an open goal. Gets the blood boiling just thinking about it, especially because it cost us the title ultimately.

I broke my remote control at the end of that game. Luckily I could piece it back together.

 

[sammsky1]

i elected to watch the football instead. You lucky bugger

You live in Jamaica??? Are you mad???!!!

 

[Alek M]

Everton deserved a draw. We looked like a championship team. Bunching up all day long. Thank god for Blind!

 

[ChaddyP]

You live in Jamaica??? Are you mad???!!!

what's mad about living in jamaica?

 

[sammsky1]

what's mad about living in jamaica?

I'd have thought you'd prefer enjoy watching your countrymen became cricket 'champions' live than the current dour LVG United!!

Congrats by the way!!!

 

[ChaddyP]

I'd have thought you'd prefer enjoy watching your countrymen became 'champions'!!!!

they aren't all my country men... and I was following the match with an app... West Indies are hard to watch. we always do things the hard way and it's difficult for my heart.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

Incredibly boring but I guess we won so ... yay.

This for me too.

 

[berbatrick]

I thought Herrera made a real difference in midfield when he came on. Carrick was awful, and he was going to be an improvement by default, but his energy and buzzing around and neat touches/short passes helped us be a little more fluid for parts of the 2nd half.

 

[Shimo]

Glad for the 3 points.

LVG is infuriating with every game first changes seem to be a defensive change, especially when we need goals. Even though today the TFM was instrumental in the goal. Not to mention playing Mata/Darmian absolutely kills any threat going forward. He simply can't have that combo on the right.


Carrick - I know many don't fully appreciate how good he has been but, I think he has been huge for us till this season. My goodness he has become an absolute liability most of the the time - there are moments but, he needs to not play unless absolutely needed.

Blind - fantastic game. MOTM easily.

 

[.Rossi]

Crap from both teams. On an occasion like that today, if this manager and group of players cant get themselves up for it then I give up.

Everton need sorting put badly. The likes of Cleverley needs to be got rid of. Barkley would be great if he had a brain

 

[RedDevil@84]

That kind of finish was the thing we were missing in the first half of the season. Even yesterday, we didnt create too many chances, but the half-chance was converted. This kind of finishing in some other matches would have seen us comfortably in top 4.

 

[kafta]

Meh performance, vital 3 points.

Carrick's level has dropped so much, Herrera should start. Also, Martial is class, but fatigued, and Tim should start.

 

[Natener]

That kind of finish was the thing we were missing in the first half of the season. Even yesterday, we didnt create too many chances, but the half-chance was converted. This kind of finishing in some other matches would have seen us comfortably in top 4.

This kind of performance is the odd game you would expect every once in a while. Grab the win in a tight match and clock in the 3 points. It should not be the norm where we are just creating that single good half-chance every other match and hoping we can steal the win. Sadly, that seems to be the Man United story this season.

 

[RedDevil@84]

This kind of performance is the odd game you would expect every once in a while. Grab the win in a tight match and clock in the 3 points. It should not be the norm where we are just creating that single good half-chance every other match and hoping we can steal the win. Sadly, that seems to be the Man United story this season.

I am in no way suggesting this is the way forward. But an individual taking a half chance and finishing it is sometimes what makes the top 4 teams stay in top 4. In even the crappiest of performance, someone takes a chance.
All I am saying is that in our 2015 season, we had those half chances where we couldn't take things to completion. And lost on valuable points.

 

[Nik70]

I thought Herrera made a real difference in midfield when he came on. Carrick was awful, and he was going to be an improvement by default, but his energy and buzzing around and neat touches/short passes helped us be a little more fluid for parts of the 2nd half.

Agreed, except for the time he blew a brilliant counter attacking chance started by de Gea's long throw that was meant for Rashford.

 

[sunama]

He said at half time to the players, after we'd had zero shots, they needed to be more patient..
I don't even..

It is not by accident that most of the time at OT, we score zero goals in the 1st half.
So, patience and not taking risks is his game plan.

I say this in virtually every match day thread.
LVG's target score line is 0-0 or 1-0.

This is the very reason why I want him gone. Even when we win its a borefest.

 

[sunama]

Still do not believe we are that far off being a very good side. Looking forward to next season with a few new buys.

The foundation is there

This has to be a wind up.
Do you realise that we are in 5th place? In what reality is this acceptable or not being far off from being a very good side?
Under LVG: last season 4th, this season 5th and next season 6th maybe?

 

[Sandikan]

Surprised how just bad Everton were, in particular our future £65m purchase Lukaku.

It's the problem with his type of player, especially when away at a bigger club. They can very easily look like a shuddering carthorse.
The way Blind, a much shorter, physically weaker player coped so comfortably with him should definitely get the alarm bells going, if we were really contemplating a huge fee.

 

[Sandikan]

Agreed, except for the time he blew a brilliant counter attacking chance started by de Gea's long throw that was meant for Rashford.

The one with about 5mins left?
That was a horrible waste, to see 2-3 players completely free over the other side of the pitch and we allow the one Everton defender a chance to clear on the right wing.

 

[berbatrick]

Agreed, except for the time he blew a brilliant counter attacking chance started by de Gea's long throw that was meant for Rashford.

I didn't know that was him

 

[mu77]

liked the speed on the pitch - some nice touches but we're still dull. 1-0 , 3 points , boring.

 

[iKeano]

Having sucked the football out of Utd, it seems that Vangle has managed to suck the football out of our opponents. It looked like Everton lost the will to live after 15 mins.

Arguably the most bored I've ever been at a football match.

Still.... 3 points, clean sheet, pressure on City. I just fear that 4th place will secure Vangle for another year of pitiful tripe.

 

[PieCrust]

Another dull performance, but 3 points. At this stage who cares, just get the points.

Martial was lucky on his goal, it was a poor finish that he hit back at the keeper instead of burying it in the wide open net. Mensah was impressive and made the play with some attacking intent from the FB position? I don't even know what that looks like anymore, it was crazy!

Blind bossing Lukaku is something I'd never think to see and probably won't again. Great performance from him. Should give some warning bells though if United is thinking about spending big on him; great player and all, but you just would have expected him to abuse Blind at least a few times in those situations.

Everton seems to have a good squad, pretty disappointing season from them honestly.

 

[sunama]

That kind of finish was the thing we were missing in the first half of the season. Even yesterday, we didnt create too many chances, but the half-chance was converted. This kind of finishing in some other matches would have seen us comfortably in top 4.

You cannot base your tactic, assuming that we will convert a high percentage of half chances.
The way you mitigate against this is by creating many chances and hope that 50% are on target and some of them go in. This results in enough goals to win games.
Planning to (patiently) create 2 chance a game and then scoring 1 goal per game is boring, very defensive and in the EPL, is unlikely to ever see us win the title or even compete for it.

 

[mark_a]

Surprised how just bad Everton were, in particular our future £65m purchase Lukaku.

Lol!