Didn't have the killer instinct today. Overall that's probably the difference between us and the top three.

Just trawled back through the fixture list. I know we've sneaked a few points this season but with hand on heart we've defo thrown more away where we've lacked the killer touch. Both derby games; the 2 games versus Brum; the Burnley away and Bolton away games; and of course the Arsenal and Spurs away games stand out. There's no doubt we deserved 6 or 7 more points from those games which would've had us sitting pretty in fourth.

Sorry for being a 'woulda, coulda, shoulda', but I think it highlights that we defo need to find another elusive poacher to supplement Saha. That for me is the key weakness.

Looking forward to Mikel being back against the Hammers — COYB!

Yup, no need to be annoyed with the performance, shit happens.

4th has gone. 12 points in 7 games, not going to happen.

Only thing left of the season now is to catch Liverpool. Europa take it or leave it... but please catch Liverpool!

Osman 3 good chances, Cahill 2 good chances, Pienaar 3 good chances, where are the match winners?

Lampard scored his 17th of the season today from a midfield position... that's the difference !!!

Yes Duncan. And good players/teams have those days. Mikel's absence? We still had the chances. So it's two points dropped, but not a disaster — what comes next — particularly next season is what is really important.

I wonder if Capello watching inhibited Baines and even Neville? The Jag played as he always does. Rodwell was one for the future in the notebook today, and Leon must have impressed. A continental English player? Fabio must have been puzzled.

First off, I'm not a Moyes blaster, he's done a incredible job, an above average manager who learnt from his past mistakes.

But, today's game he showed his tactical weakness again with his very late subs/changes to a team that clearly is not ticking. Rodwell and Saha were not even getting a touch for 10/15 mins before they were subbed.

And why put Bily on the 86th minute? What can he do in 5 mins? IMO he should be subbed on first before Gosling as he is more capable of changing the game rather than Gosling who is better at getting important goals.

And whoever is the last substitution should be given at least 10/15 mins to give them a chance to make an impact. Look at the Man Utd game where we won, Moyes used his substitutions early to change the game.

Post mortem? While disappointing, it was hardly a disaster.

Well, I was sat with Wolves fans today and they're well pleased with a point. We had some glorious chances, couldn't believe they just wouldn't go in. Should we have been braver and played two forwards later in the second half? Maybe.

...and no way can we get relegated now!

Criticism of tactics, selections and substitutions is really beside the point. We created enough chances to win 3 games and just didn't take them. We didn't need to be more creative, just more ruthless and that's one thing you just can't teach a player.

If only Pienaar had the finishing ability to match his all-round play, there would be few better. We didn't miss Areteta in the middle of the park, but given his recent goalscoring, possibly to be on the end of chances. We're playing well. Let's not be over-critical.

Well we've blown any chance of catching the RS now, its between us and Villa for 7th and they are 2 points clear witha game in hand. We have only ourselves to blame if we miss out on Europe, games squandered are being too common.

'And why put Bily on the 86th minute, what can he do in 5 mins? IMO he should be subbed on first before Gosling as he is more capable of changing the game rather than Gosling who is better at getting important goals.'

I dont understand your comment here Jack. Surely Moyes's idea of throwing Gosling on was to get that 'important' goal???

Third cleansheet on the bounce.

Bily should be on before Gosling.

Whatever next season's transfer budget is, we should spend the lot on a top striker,

We say it time and again. You win these games, with the results we've had against the top 4, and 4th is in the bag...........

Bily before Gosling....., I would put Nash on the right wing before Bily.

Bily is a total disaster, offload him on loan to some 2nd division Russian side while their window is still open.

Please Mr Moyes, you know he is crap, just admit it and cut our losses. Remember, you had the bottle before with Krøldrup.

Jeff, how is Bily a total disaster? The guy has played 2 consecutive seasons without a break and he's tired, yes. But look at the class of goal he can score, the quality of his long passes, I think it's too early to write him off.

Have we just become involved in a relegation battle???

Having watched the game we did indeed have one of those games where we just couldn't score. Sums up the season really but I'd be much more concerned conceding goals or not creating chances.

Take Rooney out of United's team and their leading goalscorer is own goals... it's a thin line.

Disapointing, but there's still lots of points at stake and a lot more twists & turns, so the result wasn't a complete disaster.

Finishing today was dreadful. Overall though, I wouldn't say we played that bad. To be fair, Wolves did play well for a team battling relegation. No excuse though, we should have scored at least once.

I missed the Osman miss... can someone explain what happpend after 4 minutes?

First time poster and hopefully it won't be my last.

Firstly I'd just like to point out that most of us would have taken 4 points from the Citeh and Wolves games but it just wasn't to be today. It's so frustrating. These things happen but I'm still confident we can still overtake Villa and possibly the RS. Most of their fans seem to think they have 4th place all sown up for themselves when clearly they should be more concerned about us nicking their current spot.

It's not the end of the world today but it looks like all the final placings could well be decided on the final day of the season. Plenty more nails to be chewed on before we get there. COYB.

Here are some of the match highlights (taken from Thai TV).

http://footyroom.com/wolverhampton-wanderers-0-0-everton-2010-03/

Nick - beautiful move but can't recall all the details in the build up.

However, after a few incisive passes the ball was fed into Saha on the right side of their eighteen yard box, Ossie pulled away from his marker and Saha squared it to him about 5-6 yards out, Ossie hits it but not with much conviction and the keeper makes a good save deflecting it wide.

It was such a sitter I think Leon was half wheeling away in celebration before he had made sure he stuck it in.

Another link:

http://www.footytube.com/video/wolverhampton-wanderers-everton-mar27-38056

Sorry, it wasn't Saha who squared it, it was Pienaar.

Saha passed it to Stevie, who squared it to Leon who missed a sitter....

Hardly a disaster did someone say, did I get that right?? It's an absolute complete and utter disaster, what are you on about?

That was our final chance to salvage a european place and we have just pissed it down the drain with yet another incompetent performance.

I have just got back from Molyneux and I'm gutted, absolutely gutted.

I knew exactly what Moyes would say and I knew exactly what the excuse makers would say "awww, unlucky, we missed some good chances".

Well, yes, it's true... we did.

What that neglects to mention though is that, despite not at any point looking in any trouble at all, whilst enjoying complete control of the game... not until the final 10 minutes did we show any serious urgency or attacking intent whatsoever.

In the context of our season, this was an absolute MUST WIN game. We may as well have lost going gung-ho for the final 30 minutes because a point to us in our current situation is about as much use as a solar powered torch.

Hugely disappointing yet again and I have to say that this game sums our season up really, we just can't get properly motivated against the 'lesser' teams and we just can't get the job done when the pressure is on.

The teams who succeed and achieve their aims don't have the series of hard-luck stories we have... they just find a way, through sheer bloody-mindedness and desire.

Sadly, it just didn't matter to us enough today and the European dream is dead for another year.

Well, before today's match, I was settling for 4 points in the next 2 games and then a 6-pointer with Villa. Hopefully Arteta will be back for West Ham and that will make the difference and if so gonna stick a £50 on Toffees to score 5...

Yeah European dream over....can't see Villa slipping up and letting their defensive strength slip!!!!

Still points to play for and if we can get past Villa who are toppling as usual, and Chelsea "do" them in the Semi Final - 7th is Europe (Portsmouth haven't renewed their UEFA licence and can't do whilst in administration).

So it's come on Chelsea, piss off Villa and win the remaining games!!!

Most bottom half teams would probably 'settle' for that, Eamonn, us though... seriously??

Neil, I'm a realist! It was just my opinion. We were unlucky today just like we got lucky at Pompey. I'd also settle for 6th after a pretty poor season although good to see we're starting to play proper football again.

I'd settle for 6th too mate, I'd be delighted with it right now... but it ain't gonna happen. I'd be delighted with 7th... but it ain't gonna happen. The reason that it ain't gonna happen is because of results like today.

I'm sorry but we were only 'unlucky' if that's what you want us to be.

For me, we didn't show near enough drive or urgency to go and win that game until the last 10 minutes, by which time it was too big an ask.

It was just really poor again and I'm tired of the excuses. We just have no clue how to go out and win games away from home against teams who are willing to compete as far as I can see.

The season is over, Europe is gone... I'm devastated. The only thing that is worse is reading the various loser acceptances on various websites from people who clearly don't give a damn.

Wigan won there for christ sakes!! But then I suppose Mick McCarthy did pay us some patronising lip service — still high on his point — so we must be boss.

FFS... People are on here saying can't see Villa letting slip, excuse me but I watched them get absolutely tonked by Chelsea 7-1, Villa are doing there usual end-of-season slump, I've every belief that we will catch them and overtake them.

As for the shite — probably a little too much to do. Roll on next season though if we manage to keep the squad as is and 2 or 3 more signings — Donovan for starters...

Good luck all blues...

Todays result is behind us - it's history.

Focus on West Ham - Bank Holiday Sunday 4pm at home. 3 points, thats all that matters.

Get it together people - FOCUS!!!!

Let's be honest, we all seen today coming... It's Everton — we don't follow up on anything.

Yeah, we were unlucky, but top teams make their own luck.

Overall, I'm still happy with how we're ending the season despite the obvious disappointments like today.

Neil - a header under the bar, or a shot past the keeper and two more points and you would be celebrating. No way there is no way to Europe. Still a hard season to go - for everyone.

Villa?

Perspective.

True, all is well. We are just the unluckiest side in football, bad luck chaps, bally good game.

I went to the game, I seen it... all 90 minutes.

It wasn't good enough, end of story.

Like I said, if you like excuses and want them... they are always there.

The stats probably say thay we had 14 shots on target... what they don't tell you is that a good 10 of them were akin to 12-year-old boy shots from Osman and Pienaar that wouldn't have troubled my nan, let alone a Premier League keeper.

Saha, absolute waste of space, lily livered, gutless, turns up when he feels like it... absolute disgrace today.

One-touch football... seemingly an alien concept at Everton. Almost every player in possession in good areas, extra touches, completely unnecessary, killing the pace and closing off their own space.

I just want us to do well, sorry if it offends that I won't buy into this 'all is rosey in the garden' crap.

There's a lot to be said for that Keith - how many times have we as football fans been left dumbstruck by what can happen in the last 6 minutes of a football game never mind the last 6 games of the season.

I'm down as fuck about the result today but half expected it, but when Villa equalised I bet there were Villa fans all over the country thinking "hello....."

There are many rivers to cross yet and there will be fuck ups galore by the teams around us between now and the end.

Come on you Blue Boys!

Neil, were all gutted mate. But as I have said to you once before, there are still quite a few points up for grabs and the season is not over yet. You had a go at people last week for believeing that we could still finish higher than eighth. You said it wasn't going to happen and told people to get real...

Yet now you are saying that today we have blown our last chance. Come on, mate — one game at a time, let's see where we are next week, there are still a lot of games to play before the proverbial rotund lady sings.

It's gone. Forgotten. You're all losing your focus, we need to concentrate!!!

West Ham. At Home. Bank Holiday Sunday 4pm. 3 points.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS......!

For fucks sake Neil - yes they should have shot rather than side-footed. But there was never, as far as I can remember, a clear run on goal. The second touch usually means there is a defender close by.

Did you watch Wolves today?

Mike, your attempt at being clever is woeful, hence why I ignored it the first time. Exactly what I was warning of has come to pass, "after the Lord Mayor's show" to some extent.

What was the City game worth after today's let down?

Well, less than it could have been... clearly. We have once again taken our eye off the ball, failed to come into a game with the correct attitude, and we have paid the price.

What did you think, we were great? I assume you were there?

What's done is done, yes some piss poor finishing today but it's over, move onto the next game.

Cheer yourself up with a bit of Schadenfreude, if the EPL is still not decided by 1st May, sit back and enjoy Chelski smash fuck out of the RS as they chase for the title, maybe five, six or seven goals again but no way will they sit back and allow that pub team to get anything from the game.

Give that to their goal difference too and that plus eighteen they have today will come down too some way, it aint over til the fat lady sings.

Keith, yes. Are you telling me Wolves are good now, a serious outfit... because they beat West Ham?? You do realise they are still well in the relegation mire and have an abysmal home record, don't you?

They offered zero today but we didn't take up the rope, we didn't take the bull by the horns.

God knows what Moyes told the players prior to this, it certainly wasn't "this is MUST win" judging by what I saw on the park though.

There was simply no urgency and a lack of desire to get the job done.

Yes we missed some chances but come 60 minutes you expect us to up the tempo, start to turn the screw, take more chances, make the changes we were crying out for etc.

None of that though.

Not until 80 minutes did we look anything approaching concerned about not winning the game and by then it was far too late.

The chances and chaos we did create in that period did show what could have been achieved had we applied ourselves earlier though, which makes the result all the more galling.

Once again we were back in our comfort zone and it sounds to me like some of you are fine with that.

I'm not.

Neil - you need an arm round the shoulder right now mate.

If you haven't seen it 200 times already, about 30 minutes worth of Ball-Kendall-Harvey, plus Alex Young, 1967. I won't spoil the result if you don't know it.

http://www.vimeo.com/8968127

Mug of cocoa or something, feet up, enjoy.

Back on the road vs West Ham - fighting for their lives, probably with a new manager. Something to look forward to, eh?

Cheers Keith, I admit, I don't take defeat — and that's how it feels — well at all, nor do I want to start.

When we play well and we are unlucky, I will say so. That isn't the case today though. We missed chances, yes. We didn't play well though.

It baffles me why people just follow like sheep and call you 'negative' if you have the audacity to say what you see in black and white instead of sugar-coating everything.

I will take a break though and leave the uber-blues to it so as not to offend Eamon's delicate ears.

Arteta's influence in recent games was sorely missed today. Wolves are a better team than their position and missing chances early doesn't help. Just when we get all dreamy about finishing above the redshite we get the wobblies.

Still it can happen but once again after a high we get another low against a team we are expected to beat... and there are a few more of them coming up.

Neil, I wasnt there today but will be there on Sunday and will buy you a pint in the Harlech anytime from 1:30pm - 3:30pm should you care to join me.

I assume after that match, given that I would have been there, I'll be allowed to have an opinion.

Sometimes you have to be "clever" to make some people realise how daft they really are.

Good on yer Neil - we all really do feel the same, just perhaps some of us have a few decades on you slows us down a bit.

If you've never seen the '67 home game vs MU copy & paste the link for future use — it's a beaut.

Good time to be blue.

Neil fella, I think you need to chill and give Wolves some credit — some of the "12-year-old" shots were either part blocked, with the effect of taking the sting out, or the Wolves players were right on top of the Osman or Pienaar. It's not like we have a divine right to win or to be allowed to pick our spot when shooting... Wolves aren't Hull in short.

Not denying there was some shit finishing, but we haven't lost, the season isn't over and we move on.

I suspect that if an Osman shot got deflected in we wouldn't be moaning. Especially if it opened the floodgates. Swings and round-a-bouts.

Neil - we're all frustrated, want the best, want to scale the heights, bring silverware home in droves and grind the opposition into the dirt, play beautiful football, be the first, break records and knock it about so well it hurts, be examples of how the game should be played, the gold standard, the "Everton" way.

Given that I would say the above would be "B" and we are currently at "A", instead of dwelling on "A" could you give us a few pointers on how we get to "B"?

My last word is we are getting there.

6 games to go, 18 points to play for. Wolves are good at home, only 8 defeats. :)

Lovely football now from the Blues, it is coming together despite not scoring today; it happens. You knew they weren't going to lose today didn't you, you even thought a win was a given? (It's not that easy, and would you have thought the same 10 years back, possibly anticipating a defeat?)

Start looking upwards because this is far better football from the team than I have seen in the last 20 years. We will beat the 61 points total I think we got in 4th place in 2005. We are 9 points behind Spurs (but look at their run-in). 4th might be beyond us, just (but who knows). I think we will finish above Aston Villa, maybe Liverpol and Spurs, but not Man City, so 5th to 7th then and the Europa.

You'd have paid for the opportunity to have Euroean adventures post the ban from 1985 until 1990, and until recently the flirtation in 95-96 for a Round was our only comfort. The last couple of years we've had some fun in Europe (and, we admit, some lessons!). It's all a learning curve.

Why are a significant number of ToffeeWeb contributors, plus Michael Kenrick so down on the team (or possibly Moyes, eh Michael?). Get behind them and let's see where the next 6 weeks takes us.

The thing is Neil all the "neutral" observers said we battered Wolves and should have won, you are the only one seeing it differently. Sorry but that's not a compliment.

Neil, thankfully you are a supporter who sees that blind devotion is not necessary to be an Evertonian.

Duncan, I actually agree with you, it was one of those days. Arsenal had one. However, it puts into perspective that top four nonsense that was on this site after the City game.

This season is a write-off but I believe this summer is the most important for many, many years. David Moyes must, and I believe he can, be proactive. If sales must be made, make them. If Bill Kenwright cannot offer what is needed then David Moyes should split up the double act and tell the supporters why.

What 'neutral observers' might they be Brendan? If you mean Journo's, lets take a look back over some key Everton games from this season that you may have seen and compare their match ratings... you will very quickly get the picture that they don't pay much attention at all. They have a job to do, they are under time pressures... they trot out cliches, it's what they do.

I mean, if you think they know better than match going Evertonians, that's up to you. I didn't speak to anyone in or outside the ground who thought we played great though, so there you go. Keep following though mate, one day you might have something original and insightful to offer that you have witnessed first hand.

I must admit to pick up a point Neil said, is that since Saha has won a lucrative contract, his body language has been awful. I didn't go today only watched the extended highlights on Sky, but I do go to all the home games and I think a young hungry striker is our top priority

Neil, hopefully by now you will have poured yourself a nice strong drink, sat down and watched the video that Keith suggested, and had a good night's sleep. After which you can maybe now see things in perspective.

Disappointing yes. Disaster no. Disaster is if we didn't create any of the 14 attempts on goal that we failed to take. You're probably more gutted than most because you went to the game and spent your hard earned £38, but just because some of us couldn't get there for whatever reason doesn't mean we accept less.

By most accounts we played excellent football today, just couldn't finish it off.
Can I also suggest you listen to Pink Floyd's 'One Of Those Days' for therapy.

Neil, I was there also and saw the same game as you.

Sad to say many of today's Evertonians have never watched a really good Everton side, consequently they think that the current bunch are wonderful. Also many of the internet fans never actually attend a live football match.

That's not to say that we are a bad side... however we are nowhere near the high standard so many web Evertonians believe. The reaction after the City match was unbelievable, to any of us who actually go to the game. Some were delusional and talking about winning every game from then on and claiming 4th place. Meantime the realists just knew that the inevitable balls up was just around the corner.

We'll finish around where we stand now and that is exactly where we deserve to be. We're not a bad side but we've got a long way to go to even think about competing with the Sky 4. We're overrated by far too many, head in the clouds, Moyesiah worshippers.

Tom

I'm afraid you are suffering from a form of "go to the game" snobbery. I really doubt you see nearly as much when you go to the game as us hoi polloi who can't go see from our exalted armchairs. You also don't benefit from as many replays and analysis some of which can be good. You're the same as a bike GP or F1 snob.

I've seen some good Everton sides in my 50 years of watching but in reality after the 70s there was only one, the rest of the time we have varied from total shite to lucky to avoid relegation. Please don't try to also be a "you've never seen our real quality" snob because we've only had it once since 1970. Wolve's manager said that Everton were as good as any side they'd played this year and he was incredibly pleased with his 0-0.

We are a good side now, as good as we've been since 1970 apart from 86-88 and people have a right to be pleased and optimistic, nothing unbelievable about it. It is brilliant to see Everton play well and in days of modern football that is mostly unwatchable it is good to see them play it sweetly. I for one haven't seen a squad near as good as this since 1970 apart from Kendall's 80's sides and even then this squad fares well by comparison.

Like many I can't go to the game, I work in Malaysia at the moment but home is Horsham and when I'm home I look after an autistic daughter. Many are in my position. I'm an Evertonian through and through but it really is a shame that I have to share that position with patronising bastards like yourself.

Very interesting comment in the Times that Capello was there to watch Arteta who qualifies to play for England now.

That's a real shame today, but it's not down to performance or want of trying, just that little bit of luck, class or composure in front of goal.

I don't really disagree with Moyes strategy at all, we played great football and according to MOTD created pretty much the same chances on/off target as Chelsea vs Villa. Chelsea won 7-1, we drew 0-0 and yes that's 4th well and truly gone now, but it definitely wasn't for want of trying.

Yes, he made some late subs, but why change the formation/setup when you're creating chances? Moving to 2 or 3 strikers for instance doesn't always mean more goal chances, it could mean quite the opposite, as the supply lines get cut and the midfield stifled leaving us to go to the long ball.

The race for Europe isn't over yet. Villa are an increasingly spent force at the moment and will definitely drop a lot more points, who knows what the RS will do, either way I think that if we can keep on stringing wins together 7th will be there for us and considering our start that's a respectable finish.

It's just such a shame we pissed it away in Lisbon, I'm much more disappointed by that than some of our league results, I actually thought we had a real chance to win the Europa this year. Let's just hope the muppets across the park don't do it — I'd personally be happy to see Fulham lift it to be honest, Roy Hodgson is a lovely guy who has real class.

When it all ends I am sure there are two misses that are always going to remind of this unbelievably frustrating season.... Donovans against Spurs and Osman's yesterday. Both should have been pissed in and the season would have been completely different.

As far as Saha goes, he is not worth his new contract, he is not hungry enough and literally "turns off" when he should be most alert. He never expects things to happen and reacts too late. Priority number One for next season, sell those that don't cut it and buy a striker that gives 100%.....

Football is partly chaos theory (0-0 could easily have been 10-0 in a parallel game) and if it wasn't, the better teams would look brilliant and win every week but they don't and thank god.

The 70s Everton team and Kendall's championship team had games they should have won and didn't and lost games that they thoroughly deserved to by being unbelievably crap (I saw every game in the 1970 season). They were none the less brilliant for it though.

We are a developing team and far yet from the finished article. We are going to be inconsistent and we have to accept that and that also describes the top 3 teams perfectly. Some of you guys would be better not going if you can't take the rough with what has been some incredibly smooth performances recently.

I think what this game showed us is that our priority in the Summer has got to be a striker.

I don't think we played too bad, and on another day we could have had five.

IMO, Saha always looks half-fit or disinterested and the Yak looks like he couldn't give a shit.

One other point: what was going on with keeping Gosling on when he was clearly fucked?

Neil

There are people all over the world logging on to this site and they would love the opportunity to pay £38 to go to the game, I also saw plenty of blues still trying to get tickets having made the journey on the off chance yesterday.

I`ve come across supporters like you all my life, you want total commitment from everyone else, but at the first sight of a setback you can't get the white flag up quick enough. You`ll be here screaming "I told you so" if we don't qualify for Europe, but if we do, you`ll claim "I expect nothing less".

That sort of cowardly no lose position has been adopted by a few people on these pages — however, most of them do it better than you.

You're entitled to your views but if you're going to whine like fuck about the price you paid every time we don't win, step aside, let another fan have the ticket... preferably one who won't throw the towel in a readily as you.

It's probably been said many times before but when we have a set back , the "realists" on here give their personal opinions and refuse to sway. It's all about opinions but I think for one or two "realists" we should read "quitter" or "doom and gloom merchant" because I wouldn't like to have them in my trench during a battle.

Perspective is what's needed because yesterdays "battle" was a draw and there is still plenty to play for. Don't give up now, especially when the team needs our total backing and support.

Yes, we are all gutted about yesterday... but let's move on and not surrender until its mathematically impossible. COYB

I think one of the Tony's mentioned something extremely pertinent in another thread the other day: if you buy the best they tend to give you the best results.

Whilst I have no doubt we have some talented players, we no longer seem to have a clinical finisher in the striker department. If we had our own Torres yesterday, we would have been out of sight by half-time with a lot more taken than missed. We need to address that if we are to challenge for anything next season.

Look at the goal difference at the top these days; how many goals do Chelski score per game?

Tom, thank you my friend, I am glad someone at least saw it like I did. Yes, lads, I have cooled off but the point I was trying to make still remains, we DIDN'T play well. Statistics are just that, and highlights are just that.

I wouldn't dispute for a second that we created a good few presentable chances over the 90 minutes but the point is they were sporadic, the play was fragmented and at no point other than the last 10 minutes did we show the drive or urgency to really take the game by the scruff of the neck and make sure we won it.

Good sides win games by 'turning the screw', by building a head of steam and wearing a poor outfit like Wolves down. We didn't and don't even look like being capable of doing that.

Most of the chances the highlight viewers who think we were ever so unlucky and played really well will have seen have come from two isolated spells, the first 10 minutes and the last 10 minutes. Unfortunately, there was this massive chasm of the match that constitutes the main part of it in which we offered next to nothing, percentage balls and dilly-dallying.

I've read a few people on other sites who clearly weren't there saying "Saha played well, what you on about"... presumably because he rasped one off the bar. That is to completely ignore his bone-idle lack of movement, his laxness when receiving the ball to feet that surrendered possession time and time again, and his general lack of interest in putting himself in areas where he may be liable to receive the ball or score a goal.

When Arteta is out of the side, we look so utterly predictable, methodical and one-dimensional it's untrue. We have to make up for that by being more positive in terms of running and also in the numbers we commit to attacks. We did neither.

It was a tepid display. There was no 'kitchen sink', despite this being a 'must win' game, and Moyes, as he so often does, left the painfully obvious required substitutions till far too late.

Just to finish I would say it is not snobbery or anything of the like to suggest you know better what you are talking about having seen the match, it's a simple fact. On TV you cannot see what is happening off the ball, you cannot see what moves players are making, or when, and it is much more difficult to judge the amount of physical effort a player is giving to, say hold off an opponent. Managers, when scouting players, go to the game for a reason... even when it is on TV. It's because you see and understand a hell of a lot better what is really going on.

Rather than slag people off for offering you that first hand view, try listening and you might learn something.

I'm not sure that buying a top class striker is either possible (they cost a lot) or will work. It may be unfair to expect big men like Yak and Saha shine in 4-5-1 or that Everton without Arteta can make it work well consistently. Torres would do the job but we are in trouble financially and don't have money for a top class striker. Can Everton make the break through when they are trapped in a negative system either by the manager or players? I expected them to win yesterday and I have shifted towards doubt. I'm a cup half full man though and am glad to see them doing so well otherwise after such a disastrous first half of the season.

I watched that wonderful video clip of the 1967 game against United. Everton called it 4-3-3 but they actually played 4-5-1 and beautifully. All you need is players like the brilliant Morrisey and Alex Young out wide and Ball, Harvey and Kendall in the middle of the park. Did you see that hoofball though from Labone? 67000 all ticket gate too. What a player Alan Ball was then, for me the standard against which all midfield players should be measured.

FOUR points from two AWAY games against City and Wolves... NO goals CONCEDED... two good footballing performances... a growing confidence... and a clear expectation to win... let's take some positives from the last four days?

Fourth place is a pipedream unfortunately. Spurs aren't - and never really have been - catchable. However, Villa clearly are, as are Liverpool and Man City. After all, we're right behind them already, with 18 points still to play for.

So yes, although yesterday was frustrating, it was also unlucky. You could see the players expected to, and believed they could win. Look at the stats for shots on target: I think it was 12-0 in our favour according to MotD. But for some good goalkeeping and the crossbar, we'd likely have coasted home.

And had it not been for the devastating injury list we laboured under for the first half of the season, it is fair to suggest we'd have been cemented in fourth place by now. Look at our form since Pienaar, Arteta and Jagielka returned and players like Heitinga and Baines began to show how good they are.

Furhermore, if we'd just beaten Liverpool once (never mind twice as we ought to have done), taken a deserved point off Spurs and retained the lead at Birmingham, we'd now be on 55 points.

That would have seen us one behind Spurs and seven clear of Liverpool!

I know it's all 'ifs', 'buts' and 'maybes': but even the doubters must be able to appreciate what this team of ours is now capable of it — and one can clearly see the players are beginning to realise it too. If we can carry that confidence through to the first game of next season, and beyond, we will hopefully be a much happier bunch in 2010-11.

The home crowd and the Wolves team were absolutely delighted with a draw yesterday. Everton are becoming a team to reckon with again (despite the media's determined fixation with the four teams immediately above us), and I think we are genuinely on the verge of something good.

There you go again Neil.

Now your setting yourself up as somebody who can explain things to the less enlightened, but you very clearly have no clue, How is anyone supposed to learn anything from you ? you saw , but you clearly didnt understand.

Everton lacked effort? ... what? Despite having no fire power — and I`ll say it again, we are desperate for a young mobile striker — we managed to create or force enough chances to win half a dozen games. People like Baines, Heitinga, Pienaar must have ran a marathon trying to win that game yesterday. And as for our chances being in the first and last 10 minutes, wtf? I can only assume you were in the bog.

Try to understand what you are watching lad, Wolves, roared on by a really hostile crowd, were fighting for their lives, they threw bodies in the way of everything, they tried every trick in the book to disrupt our rhythm, slowing the game down at every opportunity — they were actually waisting time in the first minute of the second half.

With Saha and Yakubu clearly struggling for match fitness, we may have lacked a cutting edge and without our main playmaker we may even have lacked quality with our final ball, but we certainly didn't lack effort, we actually worked harder than our relegation haunted opponents.

Stop preaching and whining, you're giving match goers a bad name.

Seeing as you can't read Dave, i'll leave it. Not at any point did I say we lacked effort, I said we lacked drive and urgency, there is a vast difference. We put in plenty of huff and puff, but it was all misguided. Once again though, all you have in response is a bunch of generalisations and excuses. It's hard to deal in technical analysis when you are just one of the happy clappers I guess!!

Drive and urgency are fine when needed Neil, but not necessary to introduce when you have 13 shots on target and spending 80% of the match battering the opposition. Shit happens, get over it.

That's not what happened though Nick, we didn't 'batter' them whatsoever. We missed 2 gilt-edged chances and the rest was a load of huff and puff. You tell me, which other glorious chances did we miss? You tell me, give me the examples of when we opened them up aside from Ossie and Gosling's chances... which came in the first and last 5 minutes?? I'm struggling.

Like I said, we had a succession of child-like pea-rollers that have put the 'shots on target' stat up but were as threatening as Paul O'Grady. Saha offered zilch for the vast majority of the game, yet it took until 76 minutes to introduce the Yak.

Lack of urgency on the pitch and an absolute lack of urgency from the bench. I'm happy for people to disagree if you give me facts, tell me what you saw. Tell me you saw a team driving on for a goal and I will ask you what game you saw because it sure wasn't this one.

2010 results we would be comfortably in the top 4.

I understand the frustration of not getting all 3 points yesterday but the league is a marathon not a sprint and there will always be games where you SHOULD win but dont.

IMO we should be very grateful that we are playing proper football, starting to keep clean sheets and getting results in keeping with a top 4 place.

We need to start behaving like the Wolves fans yesterday roaring our team into a Europa place instead of bitching and moaning about what could have been.

Jay: precisely!

So Neil

When you say players "Can't get motivated against lesser teams", "Lack desire to get the job done", "Turn up when they feel like it", "are in the comfort zone" or you accuse one of them of being "bone idle" your not saying we lacked effort?

Maybe you`re right, maybe I cant read, because that's what it looks like to me — and I suspect everyone else.

You ask people to learn from you, but not only do you not understand what you see, you don't even understand what you have reported.

I probably give the team more stick than you so you can shove your happy clappers jibe, I'm a habitual moaner. I have no problem with criticism, even abuse if people are angry enough, but I have a real problem with people trying to feed us inaccurate shite. if you can't recall any chances outside the first and last 10 minutes then I cant believe you were watching the match.

It's alright being critical, but be accurate, don't just do it for effect, or worse still, to show "how much you care" — We all fucken care, lad.

I haven’t researched the subject, but it’s strange that there are a lot more postings when we lose or in the case of the Wolves fail to win, than there are when we win. Are there lessons to be learnt about the physiological makeup of Evertonians, or are Toffeewebbers just a gang of whining bastards. Discuss

Dave, deal in facts then pal, tell me about all the great chances we missed... in your own time.

Poor finishing from the players but who decided on one up front against a side who have only scored 10 goals at home al season and only 1 at home in the league in 2010?

When will Moyes get his tactics right on a regular basis? Wolves can be beaten if you attack them — that's why Wolves only have 32 points from 32 games. If we want to win domestic trophies and compete in Europe then we have to do better than this....

Ok Neil:

1. Ossies Two other missed chances after about 15 minutes
2. The Saha effort that nearly dislodged the bar - just before half time
3. The Saha Sitter when Ossie put it on his head - just after half time
4. The deflected free kick that we all thought went in but missed the bar by inches
5. The sitter Pienaar completely miskicked just after Ossie had knocked back Hetinga's cross.
6. Heitinga's week side footer when he should have put his foot through it...

That's not to mention The other chances missed by Pienaar again (twice) Cahill and Gosling, all after Ossie and Saha were subbed,

That's just off the top of me head, but I`m sure I`ll come up with more if you want to continue to pretend we didn't have ANY chances.

It seems strange that you claim you saw ALL of the game and that people should listen and learn from you, when it appears you saw less of the it than anyone!

Laughable Dave.

Your desperation is clear now and you are making yourself look a fool, classing 25 yard screamers as serious 'chances' as opposed to the something out of nothing that it was, and calling a load of absolute nothing attempts 'sitters'.

Face facts pal, we missed two great chances and that was it. The rest was just huff and puff.

We had plenty of half chances and useless long range attempts with all the power my nan could muster but we didn't open them up at all.

I accept you want to look on it one way and I clearly see it another, but what you have just written there is a load of tripe.

If you class all those you have listed as good chances, honestly...you must ONLY watch Everton games.

That's my last word on the matter...can't put sense where there is none!!

Not that it matters, no point crying over spilt milk, but there were a load of chances we created at Wolves that on another day we'd have slotted at least 3 or 4 of.

One of those days, focus should be on the future not the past... onwards and UPWARDS! COYB

Point is, Neil, if you check the ToffeeWeb matchday thread, the chances that Dave highlighted are all mentioned by other Evertonians or are they all fools as well?

Neil, your 'realism' is non-existent.

On the top of my head:
Osman from five yards
Saha header from five yards
Gosling from five yards
Cahill in the dying seconds, scrambled off the line

That's FOUR chances, three sitters, one good effort from Cahill (and well cleared). And those are not all our chances, they are just the ones that should have gone in, period.

Now, the game was disappointing, I'm not saying otherwise. But we created more than enough chances to win, and we should have won but for brave defending and poor finishing.

There might be some sense in what you write, somewhere, but your overall assessment is your opinion, and it's not well supported by facts.

If Eddie Wainwright had been playing we'd have got a hatful! For crying out loud what a lot of whinging from Blues supporters. After an abysmal start to the season, we now find ourselves lauded by journalists and other Premier managers. Maybe we are doing something right after all...

Of course we are. We are playing some decent footy and we aren't the only team that misses gilt-edged chances. Let's bask in the glory of the memorable matches this season. There's plenty of time for misery when we fail to sign anyone in the close season or — God forbid — start next season in the same predictable fashion.

On a more serious note, we do need a striker — is Vaughan no longer in the frame? — and Ossie clearly needs shooting lessons. We seldom play with guile when Arteta is missing. Bily will come into his own next season and on no account must we sell Rodwell. Oh... and let's sign Donovan as well.

Neil, you can't have it both ways.

You can say a shot struck from distance like a rocket isn't a chance, but then 3-4 mishit efforts from a few yards aren't either, loved the way you ignore Saha's header too.

Not sure why you think I may be desperate, these as Brendan points out, these are guilt-edged chances... in ANYBODY'S language (with the possible exception of you).

Sorry, lad, you tried to set yourself up as some sort of sage, a serious critic, but trust me, you merely come across as a whining idiot.

Let me teach you something. Some of the most knowledgeable Evertonians you will ever come across visit this site and when you come on here proclaiming "I was there, I saw everything, so you should listen to me and learn" — be very certain you know what you are talking about.

The wisest words you`ve uttered in this thread is "my last word on the matter" ... It needs to be

Neil apropos of post 54...."trotting out cliches" etc., does this refer to your comments in today's online Observer?

It may do Tony, only I didn't say that...they water it down. What I actually said is "this was typical Everton - we go and beat Man City, like we have beaten Man United and Chelsea...and then undo all the good work with poor displays like today's. That's journo's for you mate, they read that as "it wasn't our day". I was clear that it wasn't our day through our own fault. That having been said, to fit a 10-minute conversation into a couple of paragraphs isn't easy I guess.

Just a note to say that I'm not from Dumfries!!! Don't know where TW got that one from!

Øystein Bjaanes Lemvik

We are possibly distantly related If only because my ancestors settled in Normandy, and the Norman succession brought us here some little time after 1066 and all that.

And the Scots/Irish half of me from my lovely family gave me red hair and blue eyes. A bit like Moyes. Less talented, but I like to think, a bit better looking.

Sorry, Duncan... it just sounded appropriate. (I needed to add some location when converting what was your comment as a starter for the post-match discussion... although judging by how it's gone, perhaps I shouldn't have bothered.)

It's odd that Neil insists there were so few chances... I forgot to tot them up in my match report but there were at least 10, and by my book at least 6 of them the kind of situation where we seemed bound to score. How he could deny that is simply bizarre, but seems to be driven by the need to defend his belief that we did not play well.

I wonder if the sheer frustration of it all got to Neil in the end. It certainly did to me. We clearly played some good football in possession going forward — something I have been clamouring for all season long — even without two of our best passers in Fellaini and of course Arteta.

What I found really poor, though, was the finishing, Osman is simply woeful, the shots that Heitinga and Rodwell should have buried ... one commentator said Jack kicked the turf. Saha's header had me screaming, as did Cahill's glancing one rather than powering it into the near corner... Just astounding that so many lost chances came in one game.

And maybe that is what has coloured Neil's eye. Nice build-up play is all well and good but if you can't score... Is that perhaps what Neil really meant when he said we played poorly? We failed to really put them to the sword, and it's something that has bugged me about the way we attack.

If we score more goals than the opposition, it doesn't matter, of course... the corollary of that being If we don't score more than the opposition, then it DOES matter — which is why I thought it worth of the 'post mortem' label, the two points verging on 'disaster' in our situation. (Hopefully we can all agree that three lost points really would have constituted a disaster but there are so many quick to provide excuses for our failings, I'm beginning to doubt even that!)

And here's a question: so this the Post Match Analysis thread... now, if you don't like the idea off that, fine. But there are those of us who do take the time to read these comments and participate in discussion of the game just gone (which, if may remind you, is actually what this football malarkey is all about at the end of the day — games played). So do we really need to hear the negative responses about things, like "done and dusted; move on"; "Focus on the next game"? (Which is all of one whole week away.) If you can't contribute on topic, please don't.

Can't we have a bit of Live and Let Live on here, rather than jumping down people's throats or coming with this sad ad hominem crap about being at the game verses watching it on telly, questioning people's football knowledge based on highly dubious credentials?

On that last point, yes, at the game you can see how players close to you are performing off the ball and perhaps get a better idea of effort expended when they are near where you are sitting, but how many times have been at the game, peering across the other side of the pitch, trying to figure out exactly what is happening... and then saying, never mind, I'll watch it when I get home (irony!) — or now just looking instead at the giant Jumbotron in the corner for an instant replay (if you are lucky).

There are plusses and minuses to watching the game live and watching at home (have I mentioned it's actually fabulous in HD!). Neither is perfect. Some prefer one; some prefer the other (for a lot more than just seeing what goes on on the pitch). Can we please NOT use this as a basis for claiming the right interpretation of what happened at the game?

And can we not also accept the human factor here? Which is that, if you ask 10 people to describe something they all just witnessed, you will get 10 different accounts? Can we not accept that these reflect a diversity of perceptions and not always seek to distinguish right from wrong?

I had vowed not to post much in the run-in as I had uncharacteristically accepted that the season was effectively over. Wednesday night suggested that it was not. But for me, these last six games need to be about laying a foundation for the most tremendous opportunity looming next season. Maintain our impressive form since Christmas, and anything is possible.

Neil, I thought we controlled the game and should have won, simply unlucky. Without Arteta and Fellaini also,

Do agree that Saha didn't have the best of games, he seemed to stay too central and didn't look mobile. You say lack of effort, I put it down to either unfit or simply off game.

Mr Kenrick, it is your train set and so you can do as you like.

Personally, what worries me sometimes is that one train can dominate so much of a track and also query why others are on that track especially when they get to the points they view the way forward so differently than the rest of the trains and when the rest do not agree, the new train gets all abusive about how good a train he is at the detriment of the other trains without whom of course the train set would not work.

We all want the best line and quickest way to the next level but to go steaming into fellow trains is not a way forward and appreciating others may not be all the same maybe a better way of running the train set.

Have a word.

I think, Dave and Neil, that going to a game gives one a much better perspective of what is happening. Next best is watching live on tv, finally, there is MotD. Really, that just doesn't count. I've been to games, watched the highlights on tv and wondered if I was there at all.

Mick McCarthy said we were "as good a team that's been to Molyneux all season". It was, as Duncan said, one of those days. Unfortunately we get too many of them over a season and that must be addressed in the summer. The Moyes/Kenwright project must be complete by then.

Neil, why do you come on to a discussion board when you are only capable of transmission? You state opinion as fact and your own gospel version of what constitutes a chance or when genuine effort is huff and puff. Nothing is black and white in football and believe me what you see, especially at a match, isn't what happens (I'll explain why if you like and it's the reason why 20 people would genuinely see a different situation for the same incident) it is what your ingrained prejudices think they've seen most of the time. What you see on TV is far, far better information.

Saturday was a chance missed for Everton and we're all disappointed, it happens.

What's interesting about today's side is that if opponents try to out-football us, we're a match for anyone. Manure, chelski, shitty. Now it's when the opponents stop playing football and out-hoofing, out-kicking us we don't know how to respond. Shite, wolves.

Horses for courses, Mr. Moyes. COYB

Cheers Michael, I actually found it very funny, as I'm not at all Scotch (apart from about 1% of the blood every weekend!). The whole McDine Clan (there's about 100 of us in the world!) thought we came from Scotland, but turns out its Northern Irish. So I guess I'd be Paddy or Seamus if they'd done their homework with the family tree!

Just a wee note on the topic of Wolves game... it was just one of those days - Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal all have them, so don't let the frustration of the match get you down. We're playing the best footy since the late 80s, and still progressing.

I'm looking forward to the West Ham game, which I'm delighted to say I'm attending (allbeit in the Top Balcony — missus doesn't like the other lady in my life... Gwlady's!!!).

Congraulations on your patronage, Duncan!

I'll try one last time to make my point clearer, I admit, I struggle immediately after a game because I don't take poor results well, they really get to me.

I am not saying we were awful or anything like that. We controlled the game, not at any point did Wolves look like they could win, or were they even a worry to me.

What I am saying is that the STATISTICS, i,e we had 13 shots or whatever it was...don't tell the whole story.

For the first 15 minutes we were right at them, as I expected us to be in a game of this importance...but then after the chances came and went in that period, we took our foot off the gas.

I say again, which someone disagreed with - wrongly - the only SERIOUS chances we had came right at the start and right at the end...and that is my problem really.

There was this huge mid-section of the game during which, whilst we still enjoyed full overall control we just showed no real urgency to go and get the job done. Saha was a nonentity for the entire second half...yet it took until the 76th minute to replace him. For 25 minutes in the second half we just wasted time, ticked the clock down to no effect. There was no tempo to our play, no focus and, like I keep saying...no urgency to get the job done.

Only during the last 10 minutes did we seem to wake up and realise that the game wasn't going to fall into our lap and we would have to push for it.

In that period we once again looked a real threat again and cut them open several times, and we were admittedly unfortunate that Gosling couldn't sort his feet out to bag the winner.

The point is though, we just didn't get the job done. Yes 'bad luck' is a part of it, but I maintain...anyone who saw the 90 minutes, you just can't tell me thaqt we made the best of that game because we simply didn't. Teams who win trophies, teams who achieve their goals....they find a way to get the job done, they show more determination, more focus and more drive than we showed...and that is where my disappointment comes from.

By the logic of some on here we could have enjoyed 15 goal attempts in the first 20 minutes, missed them all and then switched off and sulked for the rest of the game and that would constitute a great, dominant performance and leave us ruing 'bad luck'.

Whilst that is an extreme example, it makes my point. People are deciding we played great based on stats which are misleading. We definitely had far the better of the game but we didn't 'batter' them by a long shot.

2 clear chances in 90 minutes isn't a lot at all and I would ask you all again to watch and tot up the rest of the shots on target and decide for yourself if they were serious attempts or not.

I would say Pienaar and Ossie had probably half a dozen joke attempts between them that were never, ever in any danger of even troubling the keeper, let alone resulting in goals. These efforts seem to have misled some people.

It was an acceptable performance, we controlled the game and the composure and control of possession was MUCH better than we have seen in many away games. We didn't get the job done though and instead of ruing bad luck, we need to look at where we went wrong and put it right.

The game was there for the taking but, in my opinion, we just didn't want it enough. After the chances went begging early, we lost some belief and instead of driving the game on and making things happened, we just kept playing the numbers and waiting for something to happen.

That ain't what top sides do.

Fair enough?

Very frustrating — especially for one who can only get to occasional matches.

I have had a lousy season: the Goodison derby; Brum in the cup: Sporting home and away... Even when I saw us win, we were awful: Wigan at home and Hammers away. And then on Saturday we played well and could not kill them off.

In learning how to beat the top 4, Moysey seems to have lost his talent for beating those around and below us.

OK Neil could take issue with a few points but fair enough!

Must jump back in here. Somewhat predictably Neil and Michael are getting stick for being 'negative' Whilst I don't for the minute doubt anybody's devotion to Everton. Some of you guys allow blind support to get in the way of real life.

Being 'positive' frankly achieves absolutely nothing. No doubt there's loads of positive Portsmouth fans but one thing is for sure all the positive thoughts in the world aren't going to save them from relegation. Good players, good management and good coaching is what produces good football teams. Positive thinking from fans, or anybody else, except possibly the players, has very little to do with it.

Everton currently has a very good side but it's not good enough to compete consistently with the very best — Sky4? It's quite acceptable for realist fans to point out that most salient fact, ie, we aren't quite good enough.

Sorry boys but we aren't, we'll finish just around where we are now.

Sorry, Tom, perhaps I need my first cup of coffee of the day but are you actually agreeing with the "dynamic duo", disagreeing with them or simply upholding their right to express their honest opinion about the club? I reallly ain't sure.

I am with you on this one Brendan. It seems that Tom is agreeing with Neil & Michael but then agrees wwith the other people who think we are not as good as some on here think we are......which seems to be against what Neil is say......I need a coffee now too...bah!