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El Scorchio 7:41 Sun Sep 16
Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Pellegrini has obviously gone away and had a rethink over the break. Much more solid midfield three with the players he picked, which made us tougher to play against and really helped. Gave the front three much more freedom to play as well. To go to Goodison and play/win like that against a decent team, even with some injuries is an absolute credit to the players who showed a lot of fight, determination and no shortage of quality.

Rice was absolutely superb, and I’ve given Anderson dog’s abuse after the past few games but he was excellent today. Yarmolenko looks the bollocks as well. Noble was better being allowed to play further forward and the centre backs are beginning to look a good pair.

Sure it wasn’t perfect and we got a bit of (deserved) luck, but this was truly excellent. Massive credit to the manager and all the players. More of this please!

Only possible downside is if Arnie is injured, and we don't need Perez playing the cunt and refusing to warm up or come on. As it happens Antonio and Snodgrass both acquitted themselves well so he's going to have to work for his place.

brick_lane_batty_boy 2:50 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Although Balbuena was the closest to him, I would've thought Declan Rice should've made it his business to track Sigurdsson as that was his man - we definitely go to sleep far too often

Fifth Column 2:47 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

I'd say Balbuena looks like one of those players who flatters to deceive. His passing generally v good. But vs Bournemouth made that awful mistake and yesterday was nowhere near Siggurdson.

Yarmouth 2:37 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

We had energy and a team spirit that has been lacking since the start of the season. The midfield were brilliant, Noble is a class act when he plays like this and maybe MP has found a formula to allow the players to both express them themselves and play as a team.

We do need to find a replacement for Noble in the Jan window because -
a. His legs won't last a season
b. Wilshire is not the replacement for that position

brick_lane_batty_boy 2:27 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

I would definitely temper the expectation (not that I think anybody has high expectations of this team anymore, we more live in hope than anything else)

Everton defensively were shambolic. Simple as that. But, you still have to go and win the game. Slightly concerned about the two unmarked players in the 6 yard box when the cross comes in - if you're defending for your lives and that happens, there are definitely problems.

We did look like we had a little more shape yesterday. For me, Obiang is such a good player - He can actually do it all - was a lovely little dinked ball into Arnie for the 3rd. He was everywhere and with the other two, they really complimented each other in there.

boltkunt 2:20 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

I thought we looked very vulnerable from wide areas, the fullbacks didn't stop crosses from coming in which is where Balbuena and Diop look disjointed merely from only just pairing up together.

busheyhammer85 2:16 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

I think he's a player bolty. I also really like The General.

But not sure we defended that well yesterday. Seem a bit disjointed. Maybe i'm being harsh.

But i think that had Everton been better, we could be having very different discussions today.

boltkunt 2:04 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Diop, 85 son?

busheyhammer85 1:57 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Was it really THAT good a performance?

Yes it was better than recent displays, yes there were some good performances, and yes the result was superb, but had Everton stuck away as few of their chances it could have been so much different.

For me, we still do not look like a side that can defend.

Fabianski, Rice, Yarmolenko, Anderson & Arnautovic were good. The rest, for me, were very very ordinary.

Dr Moose 12:06 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Lets no get carried away with one good performance, it should have happened against Bournemouth and Wolves; we were in this position due to piss poor performances against sides which should be seen as 6 pointers.

Pub Bigot 9:41 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Obviously I enjoyed the goals, but Balbuena made a sublime tackle in the first half. I think I'm gonna like our Paraguayan.

brick_lane_batty_boy 9:35 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

El Scorchio 7:41 Sun Sep 16
Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

I would echo everything you've said there. They did play we - but lets be under no illusions, Everton were abysmal and easily the worst side we've played so far. I had a sneaky feeling we'd beat them looking at their team on paper.

I have been giving the whole outfit huge criticism over the last month and a half and in my mind, rightly so. But credit where credit is due, no matter the opposition, to go and win 3-1 away is a great result.

Long may it continue

southbankbornnbred 9:24 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Final point, I hope Manny has realised one basic tactical stroke after yesterday: he needs to keep things simple for us in midfield.

At Man City, he had such quality in midfield that he could play around with all kinds of weird and wonderful, fluent and flexible approaches. He can't do that with our side. We have decent players in midfield, who can play well together and be more than the sum of their parts (as with yesterday). But we don't have world-class players, as Manny had at City.

I hope he's learned a basic lesson about managing us in the Prem. That somewhat more rigid formation yesterday worked really well for us and should be the way forward. At times it will be frustrating, because we lack creativity in the centre of the park. But the trade off is that we will have discipline, hard work and good tactical shape. The three of them made sure that someone was always available. That basic (short) pass-and-move midfield is how we have to play.

southbankbornnbred 9:15 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Can't understate what a huge change that was yesterday - a team almost unrecognisable from previous weeks.

That midfield trio was key, and that should be how they line up in all away games, because it gives us a solidity we don't otherwise have. Declan was superb. His best game in a claret shirt - and long may that continue. He lifted the form of Obiang and Noble, too, and the three of them worked their socks off.

Loved Yarmo - he looks a class act. Arnie was as good as ever - he's reaching a level of consistency that 'experts' said he would never attain, and Anderson looked comfortable - and effective - in that position.

The key now is getting that "front six" playing regularly together and getting some momentum.

Still not convinced by the back four, but let's face it we were not going to resolve all of our problems in one game. I like Diop - he has real quality about him - but I'm not convinced by Balbuena and we still have problems with the full backs (they adopt such weird defensive positions on occasion - can't quite figure out what Manny is asking of them yet).

Overall, though, I thought that was excellent yesterday - considering where we have been.

The biggest positive I can say is that I could actually recognise what system we were playing yesterday, unlike against Wolves, where we looked like an un-coordinated mass. The team had proper shape, control and purpose yesterday.

Long may that continue.

PwoperNaughtyButNot 8:43 Mon Sep 17
Re: WELL DONE to Pellegrini and the players today

Arn & Dec really put in a shift.

That’s my Sunday night takeaway.

LeroysBoots 7:41 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

A couple of times we were still wide open at the back, them hitting the crossbar for example, yet overall v happy.....especially managing to get Rice and Obiang in the midfield

gph 3:45 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

"he just disappears with a succession of slow backward passes and practically no invention"

FFS, this even happened to a marvellous player like Carrick when there was practically no movement in front of him.

You can't pass to a player making intelligent movement in front of you when no such player exists.

Football is a wonderful game incorporating a lot of room for individual talent, but it is still primarily a team game.

theaxeman 1:36 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Lovely to see us go out and try and play some football and try to win a game. Well done El Pel!

Takashi Miike 1:02 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

yes, also Busquets. there's been a few, Desailly was another good one

only1billybonds 1:00 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Mike.

Dont forget ESSIEN,absolutely immense in that role.

Takashi Miike 12:51 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

hairy, that holding role is very demanding as it requires the player to be very disciplined and unselfish. i always thought kouyate would have been perfect for it but he couldn't resist disappearing up field and leaving holes. noble just looks more comfortable having a bit less responsibility. it's why players like kante and makelele are so rare

HairyHammer 12:45 Mon Sep 17
Re: Well done to Pellegrini and the players today

Takashi

Agree he is better when trying to be positive and with short passing in three's around him, but for fuck sake any midfielder worth their sort should be able to do two or three things in a game that are good even when playing defensively Noble to me looks like he forgets he is a footballer for fuck sake surely he had enough practice under Alardici.

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