Southampton v Everton

[brap2]

Jags was excellent. Always talking, keeping everyone organised. We never really lost our shape at any point and it really went a long to way to limiting their chances.

It helped that whenever they broke we were able to slow them down enough to regain our shape, credit to the midfielders for that.

Nice to score 3 but it's good to see us keep a clean sheet and should give everyone some confidence that we can keep that going in the future.

Deffo, Pelle and mane are no mugs either.

[Brownie]

And look at all the positivity that has blossomed in your absence.

I'm hoping that my natural positivity has been rubbing off on people. I'm going away for a week now to a place with limited WiFi. So I'm expecting to come back to 3 major signings, a new multi-billionaire owner and plans for the bestest stadium in British football

[bertcocaine]

Jags was excellent. Always talking, keeping everyone organised. We never really lost our shape at any point and it really went a long to way to limiting their chances.

It helped that whenever they broke we were able to slow them down enough to regain our shape, credit to the midfielders for that.

Nice to score 3 but it's good to see us keep a clean sheet and should give everyone some confidence that we can keep that going in the future.

There were numerous occasions when the midfield were nicking in and breaking up the play when Southampton tried to play forward, forcing them to put less accurate balls through which the defence had covered off. Made it cluttered in front of our centre backs and prevented Southampton being able to create any killer balls.

The speed of counter attack also kept their fullbacks from doubling up on ours as Kone, Lukaku and Barkley kept running into the space they left.

One common theme between the second half last game and the whole of this game - with two strikers on the pitch, the speed of forward play particularly on the counter causes other teams defenders to get panicky. This could be the key to breaking down more defensive teams. For attacking teams counter-attack is clearly the way to go.

[bertcocaine]

I'm hoping that my natural positivity has been rubbing off on people. I'm going away for a week now to a place with limited WiFi. So I'm expecting to come back to 3 major signings, a new multi-billionaire owner and plans for the bestest stadium in British football

You're going to drop acid on the way back? 

[Audrey Horne]

Sat in qatar airport. Feel like death. But this has cheered me right up!!

What the fuck do we know eh?!! Haha

[Bluedylan]

Sat in qatar airport. Feel like death. But this has cheered me right up!!

What the fuck do we know eh?!! Haha

No chance of getting MOTD in a Qatari airport?

[bertcocaine]

No chance of getting MOTD in a Qatari airport?

It's on at 07:35 again if you're home in time..

[Evertonian in NC]

It's an unqualified GOOD thing Lukaku is a nice guy.  Without that, he doesn't let Everton "touch" him, and doesn't insist on coming back here.  Though he won't stay here forever, I bet his heart keeps him here at least an extra season or two.  A lesser character individual (ie, almost any other star forward player) would have agitated like mad after a subpar season where he received little/poor service like the one we just had.

Lukaku never said a cross word about any of his teammates, kept working his ass off to the bitter end, and came back hungry to lead us to redemption.

NBC's announcers made good points today about Rom's workrate being infectious and jump starting the squad.  I know I beat this drum so much to be tiring, but he's a real leader in the making.

[Audrey Horne]

No chance of getting MOTD in a Qatari airport?

Could do on phone but Flying in 40 mins or so but back at 8am. Will catch it on iplayer. First cup of tea in weeks, Jackson, and my bed steve has washed my bedding & cleaned the flat so will be bliss

[Glory]

1-3

Lukaku with 2 and Barkley with the other one.

God I am such a pessimistic bastard...

[Alfie Noakes]

Why I went to Mainz to watch a crap performance against Ingolstadt when I could of watched an Everton live stream, I don't know.

[howard1334]

There were numerous occasions when the midfield were nicking in and breaking up the play when Southampton tried to play forward, forcing them to put less accurate balls through which the defence had covered off. Made it cluttered in front of our centre backs and prevented Southampton being able to create any killer balls.

The speed of counter attack also kept their fullbacks from doubling up on ours as Kone, Lukaku and Barkley kept running into the space they left.

One common theme between the second half last game and the whole of this game - with two strikers on the pitch, the speed of forward play particularly on the counter causes other teams defenders to get panicky. This could be the key to breaking down more defensive teams. For attacking teams counter-attack is clearly the way to go.

Unfortunately, I had my birthday yesterday, and I drunkenly slept through my alarm and missed the match (live in the USA).... What formation did we end up playing? Was it a 4-3-3? I can't really see us having played a 4-4-2, since we had no wide players at all.

[Major Clanger]

Unfortunately, I had my birthday yesterday, and I drunkenly slept through my alarm and missed the match (live in the USA).... What formation did we end up playing? Was it a 4-3-3? I can't really see us having played a 4-4-2, since we had no wide players at all.

Who gives a fuck? It's your birthday and we won

[howard1334]

Who gives a fuck? It's your birthday and we won

Fair enough.

[TrevorSteven]

Unfortunately, I had my birthday yesterday, and I drunkenly slept through my alarm and missed the match (live in the USA).... What formation did we end up playing? Was it a 4-3-3? I can't really see us having played a 4-4-2, since we had no wide players at all.

They played his usual 4-2-3-1. I don't know why everybody is talking about us playing with two upfront when we actually played the normal tactis. Lukaku on top and Kone on the right wing with Cleverly at left and Barkley central.

Kone was immense today as he actually looked like beeing a striker but still was following Southamptons left back all the time. People may not have seen it too much but McCarthy was way more offensive doing runs all the time which created a lot of space for Barkley who was simply brilliant. In fact this was a genius tactic for this game.