Was it just me (and The Guardian) that was left less than convinced by the Everton game?

I think I know how Ruud felt after we won 0-5 at Coventry.

Defending in the first half was shoddy and creatively, throughout, I felt we were lacking. Maybe I've just been playing too much Championship Manager and am consequently used to us scoring hatfuls of goals and winning the league, but I wasn't left half as buoyed up as I should after a 6-2 win. There were long periods when the passing was absolutely dreadful and there were a bunch of unforced errors, partly the consequence I think of too many players trying to be Bergkamp but not actually being able to carry off the little touches. There was also a long period - after Everton's second, IIRC, when the movement almost visibly drained out of the team, everything became static and stodgy and devoid of ideas and energy, not helped by what sounded like an empty stadium. The fact that Everton fell apart in the second half papered over the cracks for me. Certainly, we scored some great goals, but though this was our biggest win of the season, would anyone really put it in our top 5 performances?

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

Answers

Just call me Victor Meldrew.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

Can't agree Dan. OK, first half left something to be desired, but I'll settle for consistent working of goals like the 4th, 5th and 6th.

I don't think Cort has been given enough credit for the way he took his goal, and how that clown Townsend ignored it for goal of the week is beyond me.

You'll not see many goals as good IMO.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

Meeting you a week today for a bevvy, aren't I Dan?

I'll make sure your glass if half full.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002

First half was strange. We did lack the movement, you're right in that sense, but we had enough chances to score 4. Everton's goals were very poor in all honesty and none of them should have been allowed by our defence.

The second half was a different matter, the confidence brought a massive amount of movement, all over the pitch you could see midfielders and even Shearer and Cort pulling away into positions.

The one bad thing was the atmosphere, which was dire and made the football less enjoyable.

-- Anonymous, April 01, 2002