As part of our featured writers section, we are posting an article from MarkTheBlue and his thoughts on the recent draw at WBA.
West Brom V Everton – What a Buzz Kill
This isn’t a big speech how I’ve lost faith and contradicted all I’ve said before,this is simply a one-off reaction to one of the most stinking performances I’ve ever seen from an Everton team
Lets hope there is no more warm weather training scheduled,the outcome of which, produced a performance that chilled everyone to the bone,I woke up this morning with the exact feeling that resided with me after the Liverpool semi final defeat,nothing worse than missed opportunities
It’s a result that has put me in a bad mood,and viewing people’s responses on twitter,it looks like everyone feels the same,Evertonian’s are passionate and sometimes knee jerk in their responses,but what is clear as water,is the passion we all have for our club.The frustration last night was there for all to see
We have had a hugely promising season and i have no doubt whatsoever that Roberto Martinez will go down as our greatest manager,I am just at a loss to explain a performance so emphatically lacking in desire and passion,with all the incentive in the world,a chance to go into 4th and build confidence before a crucial derby at Anfield, we simply vanished into thin air
The first half was decent if not spectacular,we controlled the play without ever dominating and scored a fine goal from arguably our best player Kevin Mirallas,who exposed Diego Lugano’s extreme lack of pace,running onto Lukaku’s flick on ,to slot the ball past Ben Foster.
The lethargy however was a constant feature of our play
The 2nd half in particular was borderline criminal from us,we were a goal up yet invited West Brom back into the match with the sort of hospitality you would expect to find at the Ritz Carlton,It just wasn’t what we’ve been accustomed to under our brilliant manager and a team previously ferocious in there approach to games
An average performance would have been enough last night to claim 3 points, vital in our chase for fourth,but we got a performance that looked lazy at best,just what the hell happened.
That showing represented nothing of what has made us so attractive this season,yes the injuries are beginning to affect us but even reliable performers Coleman and McCarthy were badly out of sorts
No intent to attack,no desire to press,we looked so unrecognisable we had to be identified by our dental records, I’ve no doubt this was a one-off,and its simple for me to admit that under Martinez i have become greedy,i expect us to win every game we play,expect us to compete.
We are a fine team,but last night we snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.
It looked like we couldn’t be bothered,That 1-1 draw last night, has hurt more than any 4-0,5-0 defeat I’ve watched,or at least it feels like that,we have to seize this chance,history doesn’t wait and I’m convinced we can end the season memorably,but we do need our best players back,Barkley and Deulofeu sorely missed as our midfield last night lacked drive and quality
Such is the progress made by Martinez, a draw away to a West Brom side, all out to impress new manager Pepe Mel,has been viewed as a disaster,we simply can’t afford another showing like this
We are entering the final straight of this hugely encouraging season,we can’t let it slip,and if Martinez needs backing in these final 10 days then the board have to support him,strike while the iron is still hot and take a huge step in taking this club back to where it belongs
We wont get many better opportunities than this to get into the top 4,albeit with the top 3 going nowhere,i see our tough run of fixtures coming up as a huge opportunity for us to do some damage to the clubs in and around us,lets just hope that freak showing last night has been flushed out of our system
We wont play like that at Anfield and it might just give false confidence to Liverpool,we are capable of hurting them and i believe we will beat Liverpool,just hope the lads set their alarm clocks next time
Allez Allez Allez Oooh
Mark Ellis
Check out Marks article on his blog here: http://marktheblue.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/what-a-buzz-kill/
OK a poor all round performance. Bright spots were Oviedo and Mirallas playing really well.Ossie never seemed at the match,poor touch and distribution.Also, for some reason Macca had a stinker too.Did he get a touch at all in the first half? May have been the absence of Ross and Steven,or an imbalance caused by playing Bryan on the right,but a missed opportunity to break into the top four,wasn’t it? but this was no where near as bad as Leeds and Wigan last season and I think that the ref allowed some terrible challenges from the Baggies that broke up our shape and ruined any concentration we had built.What was needed was a spark and unfortunately the missing two usually either provide it,or inspire it in others.
I am still grieving today, I couldn’t believe the performance. One thing I would like you to consider is my view, that we are trying this tick tick Spanish approach a little too much now. For much of the game, pass, pass and pass again did not get us anywhere. Once we found that this was not working, we resorted back to the Moyes approach by hoofing the ball up – where too ?. If you couple this with the Sunderland disaster, arrgghh, just thinking about it does my head in. However, you are right in everything you say in your article – sorry just needed to vent some frustration
What a biased one eyed arrogant person you are.
How about giving credit to the opposition. The same club you couldn’t beat on your own cabbage patch.
Until reading your article I used to think there were only one team in Liverpool with a pathetic arrogance.
Get a life sonny
EX39Baggie – couldn’t agree more. Everton didn’t play that well because there was another team more than matching them, which the stats prove. What an arrogant bunch of twits.
I thought Baines’ amateur dramatics were excellent mate don’t do yourselves down!
P.S. You forgot to mention the marvellous dive by Leighton Baines – what a star.
Pathetic I’m afraid- this report I mean. Please can we not disrespect decent teams like the baggies. I thought the were excellent Monday night and their excellence, particularly in the 2nd half, meant we put in our worst display of the season. It happens and we need to bounce back. For goodness sake this report makes us sound like Man U fans of old. You have to earn every victory and not just turn up to take all the spoils. Well done Albion, you taught us a lesson.