Match verdict
We may have paid a heavy price for a gutsy draw against Everton with Dimi Payet and Enner Valencia heading for scans on ankle injuries.
That remains to be seen but in the meantime it has to be said that we passed our post-Watford test, if not with distinction, certainly with some honour.
Mani Lanzini’s strike alone was worth the price of admission and it was interesting and pleasing to watch his growing maturity as he stepped up to the plate following Payet’s early departure.
Winston Reid’s calm authority at the back was a massive plus and Victor Moses, Carl Jenkinson and Mark Noble were bang on their games throughout.
But the major bonus was that there was no hangover from the Watford setback as the team moved up into fifth place ahead of the international break with a composed performance.
The one concern remains Andy Carroll who was shackled throughout by the Toffees defence. Diafra Sakho’s return is keenly awaited.
This was not a vintage Everton display but we were made to pay for one moment of brilliance when a defence splitting pass found our old nemesis Lukaku to rifle home.
But for that we were comfortable and although things looked a tad more disjointed after Payet and Valencia disappeared we were always comfortable.
It was the sort of performance we required after the Vicarage Road Hammer House of Horrors and we move on to north London in very good heart – particularly with ‘Sak back.’
Off the meds again canchaz
Slav built nothing he picked a forward who told the world how he dreams of playing for England,do you think Roy is going to change his setup for Carroll,
No Carroll needs to learn to chang his game and work with runs off the ball,
If Slav had subbed Carroll 30 minutes earlier we would have had a good chance of winning the game,
I for one still think we will be in the top 4 and hit a rich vein of form once Slav works out his first 11
To read this report, one could easily believe we had won today. To claim some sort of victory because after losing to a team we should have beaten hands down to a draw with a team we should be beating at home if we believe we are now a top PL team, is the height of self delusion.
One point from a possible six is not what top teams aim for and considering that our roster is considered to have real strength in depth, why are we so dependant on Sakho.
As for Carroll, Slav built this team in a way that doesn’t work with a Carroll type striker as their main threat, so why would anyone expect it to work.
Fact is there is still a whiff of the old hammers in this team. The one that would turn over a top side and have the fans talking of Europe and other dizzying heights and the one that would then lose half a dozen in a row to bottom half teams.
Still,in my book a work in progress and not yet time to hang out the victory flags.
I generally agree with this, I still believe Jenks offers us very little. I would much prefer to see Ogbanna in CB and Tomkins RB or Oxford. I wonder where Obiang was today ?