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Mike Gaynes
1 Posted 19/11/2017 at 22:00:16
Paul, I'd say some of your ratings are... well... overly generous. A struggling draw with (and being often dominated by) the bottom side shouldn't produce a list where 6 is the minimum.

IMO Schneiderlin's latest sleepwalking display deserved no better than a 3, Lookman's struggles rate a 4, Keane and Jags 5 at best. And Davies' recklessness and resulting suspension get a 4 from me as well.

But I heartily agree with your recognition of Niasse, Kenny (his best game ever) and Lennon, whose display was extra-gratifying given what he has been through. He is special.

Brent Stephens
2 Posted 19/11/2017 at 22:11:10
Yes, Mike. I was made up at Lennon's work rate. In a team that's shipping a lot of goals, work-rate is important at the moment. His contribution was well appreciated by the away fans.
Danny Broderick
3 Posted 19/11/2017 at 22:15:44
I think your ratings are spot on Paul.

Now that the dust has settled, I still can't believe that we conceded a goal after 50 seconds. Having 11 behind the ball from the kick off, no professional team should be opened up that quickly.

The manager (Unsworth or his replacement) must tackle our soft centre. We need more of a ‘thou shalt not pass' mentality, especially away from home. We need a proper leader to shout and cajole people into position during the games. Our experienced players (Baines, Jags) are steady eddies who look after their own games. This is a big worry for me.

Gareth Barry could do this – he would take a booking for the team and lead by example. I honestly don't see the leadership when I look at our team. Can Coleman do it when he comes back? It'll be a big ask for him to get back, never mind be captain. We desperately need a striker and a leader. Both are not easy to find...

Raymond Fox
4 Posted 19/11/2017 at 22:38:07
Paul, I too think you're showing a generosity of spirit towards our players. Nothing wrong with that though, its better than calling them shite etc as some do.

I agree that Niasse (thank god for him) played well, also Lennon had a good game; both should start every game for us. At least you are guaranteed two triers.

On the goalkeeper front, can they not catch a ball nowadays? It does appear that now it's believed that punching the ball is a safer option. I can't say it looks a good idea to me, especially when a shot is not particularly fierce.

Bill Watson
5 Posted 19/11/2017 at 22:42:12
Paul; I must agree with Mike (#1) in that some of your ratings were overly generous.

Schneiderlin was awful and was constantly putting the defence in trouble. He deserved no more than a 3 and was rightly hooked at half-time. I really do hope it's the last we see of him.

Keane was shaky throughout and a better team would have punished us with at least 2 goals directly from his mistakes. 4
Like the previous time he started, Lookman was anonymous, failing to hold up the ball and to bring others into play. 4

I completely agree about Lennon and I mentioned your very point about him chasing back on another thread. Kenny prospers with Lennon in front of him.

All our wins and draws have had an element of luck about them; Stoke, Man City, Brighton, Bournemouth, Watford and now Palace. Extremely worrying.

John Raftery
6 Posted 19/11/2017 at 23:02:31
I agree, Man of the Match: Niasse. Kenny and Lennon were our best players but I thought Pickford and Keane were poor.

Yet again, Pickford made a save only for the ball to come straight back to an opposing forward for an easy tap-in. Also, he too often creates problems for us with his hasty long kicks when we need him to slow things down and allow our players to move up the pitch.

As for Keane, he was embarrassed by Loftus-Cheek in the build-up to the first goal while again he was generally slow of thought and feet, confirming his vulnerability against pace and skill.

I thought Sigurdsson had his best game for us so far although still nowhere near worth the £45m transfer fee. That Rooney was overlooked even as a late substitute was quite telling, suggesting he can be no more than a bit-part player from now on.

I was disappointed Unsworth repeated Koeman's mistake of playing Schneiderlin and Gueye as a midfield duo. It has never worked, will never work, and needs to be abandoned forthwith. Schneiderlin is the problem, possessing neither the strength nor pace required for this level. Davies is not on top form, especially with his passing, but he is a more effective option in our current team.

Tony Everan
7 Posted 19/11/2017 at 23:04:01
On a slightly different note... Richarlison

What were our scouts doing when Watford got this lad out of the Brazil U20s side?

£11M.

Eddie Dunn
8 Posted 19/11/2017 at 23:04:09
Isn't it amazing how we are now so grateful for Oumar Niasse. We would be in deeper shit without him.
Danny Broderick
9 Posted 19/11/2017 at 23:09:03
Agreed Eddie (8),

If Niasse had agreed terms with Palace, dare I say we might have been bottom of the league?

Funny old game.

Steavey Buckley
10 Posted 19/11/2017 at 23:38:18
The rot set in when Moyes left Everton to go to Man Utd. The work ethic, togetherness, organisation and discipline gradually went when Martinez took over. But, when he was sacked, he at least left Everton with 4 or 5 very good players in Stones, Lukaku, Barkley, McCarthy and Niasse, who is now showing as Everton's most influential player.

But Everton really went downhill when Koeman took over, who wasted a fortune on inferior players, and for one reason or another, those 5 or 6 players have been transferred or not available or not wanted in Niasse's situation.

Jay Harris
11 Posted 20/11/2017 at 02:04:19
I thought we were an absolute shambles of a team first half, Paul, and the only players deserving 6 or over were Niasse (8) and Lennon (7).

I wouldn't give the rest more than a 5 as I don't think Schneiderlin was the only lightweight.

How we have got to this is less important than what we are doing about it. I don't think Unsy has enough experience at this level to deal with what is a mammoth task for anyone and I personally see Silva as another Martinez who won't sort our defensive problems out.

I originally wanted Tuchel or Ancelotti but, after the last couple of games, I think we need Dyche to get some structure and organisation into this team before we sink like the Titanic.

Guy Hastings
12 Posted 20/11/2017 at 06:43:58
Questions(s) of the Day. Have we missed an opportunity/dodged a bullet with Chris Coleman? Did we even look at him when the likes of Dyche or Laughing Sam (apparently) or Silva were considered?

If we didn't at least interview him then why the fuck not? And if we did, what have Sunderland got that we haven't?

I like the guy a lot. At least he cares.

Ralph Basnett
13 Posted 20/11/2017 at 07:00:32
Guy (12), what do you think Coleman has that we so desperately missed out on?

He got an ageing team to punch above their weight in the euros whilst most of the major teams where in transition for the upcoming world cup, and then failed to qualify for said world cup?

Everton have paid out too much compo to be looking at journeymen managers like him!!!!

Ralph Basnett
14 Posted 20/11/2017 at 07:02:56
My MotM was, like everyone else, Niasse; that's where the problem lies, he is shit and is still our MotM.

We are in it a lot deeper than some imagine and only a bucket load of money in January will get us out – cheers, Koeman!!!!

Kieran Fitzgerald
15 Posted 20/11/2017 at 07:06:13
Six goals now for Niasse and at least one assist, albeit dodgy, for the penalty on Saturday. Keep playing him. Lennon, as with Niasse, a ton of work rate and heart, which are what we need right now. Keep playing him.

On Thursday I would like to see Sandro and Vlasic start. I think both players have heart and work rate. Get them ready for the league game at the weekend.

The more players on the pitch who will work and commit themselves the better.

Paul Smith
16 Posted 20/11/2017 at 07:29:20
Money still the answer for some, £140 mill says it isn't. More to this than pound notes. Chaos springs to mind.
Dave Abrahams
17 Posted 20/11/2017 at 09:26:51
Why did we take a chance on Schneiderlin, he was given an injection in his toe right before the game, why the desperation to play him considering the form he has been in all season?

The team were better in the second half, it was impossible to be any worse than they were in the first. We are in a huge mess and every player who will graft has to be utilised. Davies would be one of them, but he needs it stressed to him he has to calm down, not go rushing into crazy tackles, lay off a bit and make the opposition slow down as well.

Sandro is a player well worth keeping and playing in the squad, he has a football brain and will prove his worth. No-one knows how the rest of the season will pan out but at the moment I'm down to prayers.

Phil Walling
18 Posted 20/11/2017 at 09:45:25
As usual, all Paul's ratings are at least one point 'over the top'. It's as though he thinks 'gilding the lily' will turn them into better players!

I have to agree that it will be nice to see his long list of players in mid-article. For him he wants to see them in action but for me (and most others, I suspect) it will be nice to see their lazy arses disappearing from our club.

Crisis of confidence? More like a crisis of competence. All through this hapless club.

Danny Broderick
19 Posted 20/11/2017 at 19:15:52
Jay (11),

That’s a bit harsh on Jonjoe Kenny, who had a cracking game against Zaha..

Rahman Talib
20 Posted 21/11/2017 at 07:33:38
We are still leaking goals.

We need to plug the space left behind by Baines with a fast centre-back and Jagielka can't do it anymore.

Holgate is the man for me.


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