Good to see Lukaku back in the goals, especially after the article I wrote about his goal drought, let's hope he goes on a run now.

Nice to see the boys got a win for Paul Ferry, hope you enjoyed the match, Paul.

Barkley was just class as always lately.

37 points at the half way point is an amazing achievement. More of same second half of the season please. And here's hoping for a few fresh faces in January. COYB.

On the negative side, Baines looked very match rusty and I hate to beat a dead horse but Osman should be nowhere near the starting line up anymore; he's only good enough for the occasional sub appearance when we're two- or three-nil up with 10 minutes left.

I also think Naismith was very good today, which really gives me hope he could be used more from now on. Oh, and Lukaku finally smashing his long awaited one. Smiling again!

Great game and a close one. Touches are a bit off, thought they can get better. Southampton not allowing much space for sure so the bad touches were glaring. Robles have to make that save, long distance, right at GK. Otherwise a great game for him too. Definitely got away with Alcaraz handball. Wished Lukaku took all the chances he got, at least 3 good ones and banked 1, but he played an awesome all round game today.

Our squad is paper thin and we need reinforcements to ensure we stay in touch for Europe.It would be a shame to see all the hard work undone because we don't have enough fit players.

Martinez gave them a target of 70 points which I thought was a lot but they are over half way to it now.

Got to make a couple of January signings to stay in the title race.

Well done Blues!

Great to see Lukaku on the scoresheet, hopefully he can push on and start scoring for fun again. McCarthy definitely MotM. Bring on Stoke.

Osman was too light-weight for the pressing game of Southampton; Barry would never have allowed that shot from Ramirez. But, a really poor effort from Robles.

Alcaraz was outstanding – a cool head and you would have never thought that he was playing his first competitive game in a long, long time. The hard working Naismith was just what was needed in the middle against the pressing game of Southampton. The number of headers he wins for a man of his stature is amazing.

But, full credit to Southampton – what a hard-working team they are! And no real super-stars. They will do well under Pochettino.

I wonder after such a hard-fought match, if there is any gas in the tank for players like Distin, McCarthy, Coleman.

Come on you (Chelsea) Blues! Beat the other side, that will complete my Sunday!

It's funny how we all see things differently. Robles didn't fill me with any confidence today, he should have saved the shot for their goal, it should've been a routine save. I thought Osman did okay today, not one of our best players but was very steady.

I agree with you on Alcaraz – very good steady display.

Well BK, your new manager has done his part in the first half of the season by getting the team in a solid position for a place in Europe. You and your board have now got to do your part to ensure that the manager is given every opportunity to break through that mythical glass ceiling by fully supporting him with no excuses.

Slightly worried that we are down to bare bones particularly if we lose a centre half but Martinez has faith in young Stones.

I think we have cover for defence in general because of our midfield covering for them.. We can play a bit lighter than past seasons because of that if forced to. We definitely need a striker and a midfield, preferably right sided. I would think we need a defensive mid as well just in case for more Barry/McCarthy downtime. As the commentators said, defensive mids get so little credit for their hard work.

Great to see Lukaku look so threatening. Osman armband was a great touch by Roberto, though I don't feel comfortable with Leon starting. But it sent a message that said, "You won't be dropped for fucking up, so play without fear." I'm glad we have Robles in the squad, though I prefer Howard in the team. And finally, Alcaraz gets a game, and didn't he do well? Very impressed.

Depth of the squad really showed today, or at least Martinez's ability to make the squad appear deep. I didn't quite understand Oviedo's substitution, did he take a knock? Jimmy Mac and Barks were immense today. Happy New Year, Blues.

Reinforcements in January are a must. Up the Blues.

Generally speaking I think our defence has been immense this season, especially considering the total change in approach (i.e having to pass across the back and having players charging forward ahead of them far more rather than KITAP1) - we're one of the meanest in the league and look strong almost regardless of personnel changes (Oviedo in for Baines, Alcaraz for Jags, etc). There's genuine depth too with Stones, Heitinga and even Hibbert as back up to Baines/Oviedo Jags/Alcaraz/Distin and Coleman and the likes of Duffy and Garbutt waiting for their chance in the wings.

That said, IF Gibson and Deleafou were fit our midfield isn't too bad either, so it's really up top we need to concentrate next month. With Jelly on his way and assuming Kone's not coming back any time soon, I'd hope for 2 arrivals (at least one permanent and maybe one loan) to give us some options and take weight off Lukaku's shoulders for the second half.

Lukaku looking good... Coleman Man of the match.

Well done, Blues... let's keep it up!

Potential banana skin avoided though and another very winnable game next. Not sure whether I want Chelsea to win today or whether a point to them and the RS would benefit us more come May.

Alcaraz is a classy player, he'll pay his way without a doubt. Robles let that shot go under him, but it's a blunder that you see plenty other goalies make, he'll do for me. McCarthy had his usual solid game, what's he valued at now, more than £13m I'll wager.

Good to see 'Big Lu' score again, a confidence booster for the next game.

It's sure tight at the top though!

What he can't do is impose himself in a physical battle or last much longer than an hour in most games, so it will be up to the manager (and whatever options he has available at a particular time) to decide if and when he gets on the pitch.

I don't think we were ever under the cosh today, though we were definitely chasing shadows at times during the early part of the second half. The Soton players deserve some credit for that, though Mirallas on for Ossie could have happened 10 minutes earlier for me.

Almost any player seems to have their detractors who are ready to pounce at the slightest sniff of weakness.

It probably shouldn't surprise us as everyone is different and has their own opinions and likes or dislikes.

Alcaraz didn't look out of place which was good in the absence of Jags, Robles was steady enough and even the Ramirez goal had a look of the Cabaye screamer so not overly upset he didn't manage to save it. Three points keeps us right in the mix and where we need to be going into the New Year.

I think Man City, Arsenal and Chelsea are the strongest sides in the league and will get into the CL. So, besides hating RS, I think along with Manure they are our closest rivals for a top 4 Spot. I want Manure and RS to be beaten regardless of who they play.

It showed to me how crucial and how good Barry is, and also showed how important Distin is to this team, head and shoulders above today literally.

Not going to go on about the negatives as we got the win and that's what matters. The positives were Seamus Coleman great goal again and lightning quick defensively, Lukaku done nothing apart from bury a well worked chance stemming from a great run and assist by McCarthy.

We definitely need another striker, centre mid cover as poor Ossie's little leg's are gone, and an attacking midfielder, too much is expected from Barkley every game.

Onwards and upwards; Allez, Allez, Allez, Ohhhhhhhh!!

In my opinion Osman has been a very good player for Everton. Excellent touch, some great goals, v Man City at home last season for example, and certainly does not deserve the outright slatings he sometimes gets.

The point made above seems accurate to me "Ossie is fine in the against teams that rely more on guile in their midfield than physical intimidation.What he can't do is impose himself in a physical battle or last much longer than an hour in most games".

If you play for Everton, whoever you are, you deserve a basic level of respect. After all it is the season of good cheer!

COYBs

I'd forgotten Alcaraz was in the squad !

I'd be happy if Martinez signed another McCarthy and a striker.

Barkley was dominant, creative, at times reflected the growing mercurial nature of this team. Naismith made a useful contribution and offered an option other than Lukaku for the long ball. With Oviedo playing in midfield, he was a little less visible than iin previous games. Lakaku give tireless industry with has great awareness... scored a stunning winner. Mirallas (sub) provided the Saints defense with another thing to think about. Pienaar's understanding with Baines did change the dynamic a bit, but he can over elaborate and expose the left flank.

My MotM has to be McCarthy

I would def be happy if we get another McCarthy, and he can be a teenager for all I care as long as the budget allows. We need more players like him but don't require them to immediately step up.

That was our hardest game so far this season; and the goals to win it were belters.

Well done, Blues.

Bloody good job too as Jagielka is ruled out for 4 weeks.

But a good win ground out by a much changed side.

Alcaraz got us out of jail a few times today, one of the best debuts for many a year - reminds me of Paul Power.

Incredible to see 20 players within 5 yards of each other on the half-way line, two top managers on show there today.

We are at 78 mins in the RS v Chelsea game, we should all want a draw, but feck the dogs!!

Vital to win this and we did just that, the passing for the 2nd aaaaahhhhhhh

Lovely positive vibes at the old lady today knowing that we are on the cusp of something treating thursday as a mere blip and nowhere near full throttle we take care of a good saints team.

Ah final whistle at the bridge, shite in our wake, nice .......

Ho hum 747 to chicago tuesday see you all on here for the flesh-dripping living-dead mutants game

4th eh - smug smile!

Happy new year and all the best for 2014 to us and one and all!!!!!

Off to the Crows now Gerry and Eric!

Vital to win this and we did just that, the passing for the 2nd aaaaahhhhhhh

Lovely positive vibes at the old lady today knowing that we are on the cusp of something treating thursday as a mere blip and nowhere near full throttle we take care of a good saints team.

Ah final whistle at the bridge, shite in our wake, nice .......

Ho hum 747 to chicago tuesday see you all on here for the flesh-dripping living-dead mutants game

4th eh - smug smile!

Happy new year and all the best for 2014 to us and one and all!!!!!

Off to the Crows now Gerry and Eric!

Vital to win this and we did just that, the passing for the 2nd aaaaahhhhhhh

Lovely positive vibes at the old lady today knowing that we are on the cusp of something treating thursday as a mere blip and nowhere near full throttle we take care of a good saints team.

Ah final whistle at the bridge, shite in our wake, nice .......

Ho hum 747 to chicago tuesday see you all on here for the flesh-dripping living-dead mutants game

4th eh - smug smile!

Happy new year and all the best for 2014 to us and one and all!!!!!

Off to the Crows now Gerry and Eric!

Those smug Kopites who predicted they would be top at New Year are now silent. They are not even top in their own City.

COYB!

I also agree with John Malone that I thought we were out-played for much of the match. Southampton work really really hard and they have good technical players who play football in the right way.

Good performers for me were Alcaraz, Coleman, McCarthy and Barkley. Wasn't impressed with Lukaku, despite his goal. Naismith works hard and wins more than his fair share of headers, but otherwise he is not of the quality we need. His first thought is always safety first, which is not what you need from a forward. Maybe a bit unfair as he's never been a winger, but I'd preferred to have seen one of our academy players such as Matthew Kennedy given the nod.

Considering we were severely weakened a win is a great result, even at home.

Never dignify kopites with a capital letter.
Just as you wouldn't put a capital G in front of gobshites.

Now for a quick rendition of "Singing The Blues" ...... :)

I must admit when the Saints equalised I could only see one team winning but we created a good chance and took it well. Let's hope we can finish the season where we have finished the year.

COYB

So I wouldn't rank this performance among his best.

Did you see Carragher's face then when they cut back to him after the table was shown?

Biased RS.

I felt the same but, to be fair, we have a relatively small squad size and the number of changes had me worried before kick-off. We were never going to be as fluid today due to that.

The way I look at it, we've dropped points this season when we deserved better so it's about time the opposite happened.

Southampton was always going to be a tough game so just glad of the points tonight and to be looking down on the RS. If the media are talking them up as title contenders then why not us? Then again, who gives a flying one about what the media think?

One of the bonuses of not having Sky is I don't get to see scumbags like Carragher.

I'm just waiting for whatever shite Stevie G Lar comes out with ahead of the derby match - particularly if we're still ahead of them. There's usually some bitter and demeaning comment from that lowlife.

Now they are playing half decent sides let's see them slide back where they belong.

Now they are playing half decent sides let's see them slide back where they belong.

Hate the lot of 'em.

Aside from the win, the positives were McCarthy and Seamus doing their usual excellent stuff, Ross impressing when he was playing as forward midfielder (he's wasted when pushed further back) and Alcaraz making a promising start.

The negatives; Robles does not convince at this point, Baines looked very rusty and slow while Naismith does as Naismith is- runs around a lot, wins more than his share of headers but not much else. There was a classic moment in the second half when he actually had a one on one but instead of trying to make something happen, he crabbed sideways and backwards. You just know that, for all his shortcomings, Mirallas (or Delboy) would have instinctively tried to attack.

I'm another not entirely taken by Lukaku. He's a reasonably proficient goalscorer but his play otherwise is not that of a £25m striker and I'm not convinced he fits that well into RM's usual system.

Still, can't grumble with where we stand at the end of 2013.

Hull (H) Stoke (A)
Stoke (A) Norwich (H)
A Villa (H) West Brom (A)
Everton (H) RS (A)
WBA (A) A Villa (H)

Typically, they get 2 easy games to come, Hull and Stoke, just to make up for the 2 defeats they've suffered. I still think we'll be above them come derby day.

Gavin #937 - Jimmy "Shithouse" Case (to give him his full name) is a neanderthal. How the hell he gets a commentary / punditry role is beyond me. I'm sure there must be a scar on his forehead where he was lobotomised. He has all the right words - just not necessarily in the right order. I can't listen for long when he's on. He talks out of his arse. Then again he's a red.

That's what separates them from us in my view. They're glory hunters, all of them.

However I shall look forward with great delight to watch MOTD tonight and listen to those biased twats make excuses and squirm.

Ho ho Fucking ho. !!

Good on James McCarthy too, on Boxing Day pre the game whilst kicking in, one of his shots whacked a young lady right in the face. He showed concern at the time, but at the final whistle today he headed straight for the spot on Gwladys St to try and find her and as she wasn't there today handed his shirt to a bloke who said he knew her and would get it to her (really hope that happens too). Nice touch, James.

Did you actually watch the match or go to it as I did? So all those life-long Evertonians ahead of you on this thread are what wrong for praising McCarthy today? No. Piss poor judgment and footie nous; only Alcaraz and Coleman were better than McCarthy today and I would not be surprised at all if someone comes on here and say hey Ferry you fool McCarthy was better than one or both of those lads.

Footie nous, to be learned and earned down through the years.

I doubt if we have spent £28m net since the start of the Premier League.

Ross, I wouldn't write Hull off as an easy game for them, they aren't a bad side and look to have worked out how to score now too.

Wonder how long it'll take me to get over the Sunderland game? (To be honest, I've just about recovered from the terrible performance away to Palace - this is the problem of raising expectations Mr Martinez, long may it continue, hopefully with our trip to the Potteries in a couple of days).

Another gain is how calm Alcaraz looks. A typical Roberto player.

Great goal from Coleman and a good performance. Barks was in and out as was Lukaku. I suppose as were a few others eg Osman, Mirallas, Mais (great in the air, Douglas Bader on the ground). But Macca solid again.

Roberto gives Osman the armband - what a touch - our manager has so many qualities.

Ajay #856 "Osman was too light-weight for the pressing game of Southampton; Barry would never have allowed that shot from Ramirez." It was Macca who lost his man.

There is no doubt that in the modern game you have to rotate players especially at this time of the season, so I suppose we can expect more changes for the Stoke and QPR games. But if we are to compete at the top end of the league then our squad players will have to put in a shift.

Today's game was probably the hardest of our season so far In my opinion. 3 of our back 5 had changed as well as our rock in centre midfield. If any team was going to put us under huge pressure, it was going to be Southampton with their great pressing game. I was pretty impressed with Southampton today. Good team.

Robles looks a bit dodgy but he has plenty of time. Alcaraz looks cool as fuck and is probably our best ball player from the back. Baines looked rusty. Lukaku looked lazy and a yard behind everyone else. McCarthy is tireless. Naismith gives his all and wins everything in the air but that isn't enough.

Motm - Coleman. The lad just gets better and better. Love him.

My one moan is the time it took Martinez to change things. I think everyone could see Southampton were getting on top and it was only a matter of time before they scored. That doesn't mean I hate him and want him sacked - Ross.

I thought McCarthy really took responsibility today, which he did not do against Sunderland.

He showed well, demanded the ball, used it well and put his foot in. His run beyond the Southampton defence was perfectly timed and his pass to Lukaku excellent.

The contrast with the previous game was stark.

Injuries are beginning to mount now, Jags and Deulofeu especially are huge losses. Lukaku looks to be running on empty; I'd consider starting Mirallas up front against Stoke to give the big man a rest. If he gets injured, we are in serious trouble. Hopefully we can push on for 4th spot now, great opportunity...

Injuries are beginning to mount now, Jags and Delefeou especially are huge losses.Lukaku looks to be running on empty id sonsider starting Mirallas up front against Stoke to give the big man a rest.If he gets injured we are in serious trouble.Hopefully we can push on for fourth spot now, great opportunity..

The best left-back in the country who is 30 and who can see the other side of the hill or the best right-back in the country who is little more than a kid who hasn't reached the summit yet?

Tough one.

Having won at OT,beaten Chelsea, outplayed Arsenal and only lost twice all season their desire to see the so called big boys in the top 4 rather than acknowledge us as a genuine contender is disgraceful.

Great result today and let's not forget the absence of Gibson around whom our passing game was to be based before his injury.

And lay off Ossie everyone- not the greatest player to pull on an Everton shirt but gives it all he's got,contributes more often than not and in my book if they give it everything they deserve our respect.

Something was clearly amiss with him and progressively so these last few weeks, but that arrogant dribble through their defence in seeking a second goal ?
FFS that alone was worth the ticket money

Colemans run & goal !

Alcaraz was bloody good after such a long layoff, I know he is a proper footballing CH but maybe we all saw today why he was an early priority (and for FREE) for RM

And though he's not a huge favourite, Naismith won a staggering amount of headers AGAIN, I just love his sheer determination, he never quits and for that he can not be faulted

McCarthy, well he does cover a hell of a lot of ground and that touch that set up Lukaku.......... he knew bloody well that RL's mini drought was over the second he put him in. McCarthy's transfer fee looks better value by the week, and so much more to come

So we enter are ready to stride in to 2014 in he top 4
Roberto, you're doing just bloody fine mate

Such a shame that Kev seems unable to find his form; until Gerard is fit again, we may struggle for inspiration unless Ross is able to maintain his form. The transfer window could give us a huge boost if RM and BK can repeat their heroics from the summer.

That said we have had a tremendous start to the season and there is no reason why we can't keep it going.

Firstly, the negatives: We, didn’t close down in their first third of the field... er, at all. It was woeful. Their whole game was based on the fact that we allowed them to create and keep possession from the half-way line to our first third of the pitch. Not good.

Secondly, what was it today about not winning that 50/50 or second ball? Not sure how this works really. Is it a fate thing or is it just poor play from us? In the end, it was a well scrapped out victory and all the best teams... etc etc.

Not sure but I may stand alone on this but I had massive confidence in Robles. I was sat in the Upper Bullens near the corner flag close to the Gwladys Street; when a corner for them happened, you could see the positioning of our GK. No problem whatsoever — which says to me that this guy is probably better than Tim Howard on set pieces. And that my fellow blues is a great pet to have at your side. Make no mistake; this guy will be good for us. The more games he gets, the better he’ll get.

Overall, we deserved to win this game. Why? Because we put the ball in the net more than they did. And, at the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about.

Today actually taught a lot about the team and the players that make it up.

For starters, Osman obviously does a lot around the squad off the pitch, as that's the only reason I can see that warrants him having the armband. I don't think he should have even been in the squad today after his boxing day shambles, yet he was captain.

Naismith, as hard as he works, is nowhere near good enough to be associated with the team if their top four ambition is genuine.

Coleman is a gun, and, as already said by many, one of our best players this season. Obviously I wouldn't want him to be sold, but I'd be interested to know how other clubs may value him come January or July. My guess, at this point he'd be worth as much as Baines due to his age. Although it won't be long before he's just worth more because he's better.

Baines - he has his work cut out for him in the next six months. His form wasn't great before the injury, and a good performance will be needed to let people know today wasn't just rust. I think Shaw was much better than him today, and Gibbs is also no slouch these days.

All in all, once again a sign of a good side when you can win when not the better side, so I'm feeling pretty confident going into the second half of the season already in the top four.

Roman, I think you actually mean the sign of a good side is when you win even when you do not play your best. Winning when you are outplayed is the sign of a lucky side.

We were not simply 'lucky' today, ergo we were not actually outplayed. Possession isn't everything and that was the only way Southampton were actually superior to us today. We created the better chances and converted more of them as well.

Southampton played well but did not unreservedly deserve anything from that game. People are taking 'being good winners' to ridiculous lengths.

By lucky, l meant we had some horrendous passes and touches that went straight to Soton, especially in the second half, that didn't get punished like they may have against other teams at or near the top.

I'm not trying to be a good winner, I crow like the best of them, especially as though a lot of my mates are redshite supporters. As well as the Saints are playing, I do think we should be annihilating teams like that. What I do concede though is that there are some players in our team that are lucky to be part of a team as good as we are this season.

Aren't you the same person that claimed RM was a disaster waiting to happen, if we sign Wigan players we're going to get relegated etc etc?

Well, guess what, pal, we have a fantastic manager, a potential young superstar in McCarthy, an excellent FREE agent CB in Alcaraz, a young keeper with huge potential, and yes, I think Kone will come good, so how come your predictions were so off the mark then, Phil?

Can't wait for Jan window to open. What are the rules to loan players? I bet we can get some more youngsters from Barca or even Bayern! Add a few perm players at low cost and we should have a decent depth to make a title run.

1 good GK coach, plus Robles playing time with us or loan elsewhere will give us an excellent selection of GKs. Side note, add a backup, one with closer to Howard's age and experience. Brad Friedel maybe? Or is he retired?

McCarthy's poor touches will be in check when Barry returns but he's one player I hope we see faster progress on since that would be the centerpiece of his role. Holding and spreading the ball after he takes them away from the opponent. Not sure what sort of coaching they have available for that but I hope RM has something! Another thought, why can't Baines play this position?

Mid, we need more crossers and wide vision passers. We have Pienaar, Barkley and the 2 rioting wingbacks but they should mix an occassional cross or deep ball into RL range. That should be our priority before we splash on a new forward.

These are my wishlist for the transfer window for now.

One thing I find funny....... write off Robles for one iffy game, assume the "birdman" is the next coming after one match? Hopefully it was just a blip for the young GK and a sign of things to come from the CB

I also think Paul Ferry could do with pulling it in a touch regards Mike Gayness. Plenty of posters on here differ in their opinions, not cool to go after a bloke on a personal basis. Plenty of us don't make it to matches for various reasons (I myself live in Asia and only spend a couple of week in July in the UK) should we all defer to others who do go? I have read, and experienced first hand at Goodison some of the most ill-informed opinions regarding football.

Sounds like Alcaraz was very solid which is superb news as he will get lots of playing time in the next month.

Time for the board to back Martinez in the transfer market. I'd like to see Jelavic and heitinga out with a striker, winger and holding midfielder coming in. In an ideal world perhaps tom ince, will Hughes and that Belgian kid batsuyashi(?!).

McCarthy was terrific yesterday and is level pegging with Seamus for player of the season so far for me.

The general consensus among our large group of Evertonians was:

- it was expected to be a difficult game once we saw the team sheet
- almost everyone thought it was a good game between two good footballing teams - personally I enjoyed the football played very much
- most people agreed that McCarthy, Seamus Coleman and Ross Barclay were the "best players" with many stating MotM to be Coleman because of his goal but also thought McCarthy was outstanding
- Alcaraz looked comfortable and good on the ball
- Joel looked like a safe goalie
- Lukaku looked poor until his goal seemed to revitalise him
- Naismith worked tremendously hard and threw himself around well
- Oviedo looked good wide and forward
- an excellent three points.

The later result just added a bit of icing to our Blue Christmas Cake.

Up The Blues — looking forward to a great 2014.

He was off the pace for long periods, getting nowhere near the mobile saints midfielders and, when he did get possession, his passing was erratic. Everyone around me was asking what was "up with him".

The general consensus seemed to be that he was missing his partner and, with The Saints pressing in numbers, he was being overrun at times.

That said, I think this guy is a genuine winner; the game was heading for a draw (just as it was at Swansea) ... and, just as at Swansea, McCarthy wasn’t settling for it; another lung-bursting run and we’re ahead.

Two late determined runs in these games have turned 2 points into 6 and who knows, maybe this winning mentality may be the difference between Thursday night and Wednesday night footie next season.

MotM ? No chance. Winner? Fucking right he’s a winner.