Nottingham Forest vs Everton Player Ratings: James Garner inspires win at City Ground

They both contributed hugely to a team effort. Rohl even fitted in seamlessly at right back.

Jake O'Brien also really impressive. Sorry to say, Patterson looked lost at this level.

Giings 5s for two players who have been out for so long confirms that these scores have been given by a stats based robot!

Barry is so fristrating but with that goal he shut my mouth I should recognize.

If irogbunam keeps this level hell fight gana a place, reminds my of yaya toure

Dibling is an artist we can see, and hes just beggining to show what hes about. Hardly loses the ball in such tight Spaces.

We were lucky and direct, excellent defensive performance.

Strange the aznou situation

COYB!

Honestly those ratings are a joke. McNeil created the assist, but telegraphed every other pass he had. And was fairly anonymous nearly all game. When the break was on, he was in a different time zone. I assume McNeil is a close family member.

Grealish was on the pitch for moments, but yeah have a 7..

Patterson had a decent enough game, given that was his first start in an age, and Mykolenko stayed with his winger.

6s across the board for me.

They dodged a few bullets here and there but generally the defence was strong and attacking wise they looked a lot better especially without Grealish, Ndiaye and KDH who had been outstanding so far this season. I am sure Jack hadn't trained much before today.

The replacements did well and I am looking forward to seeing Dibling, Rohl and Barry get more time and progressing.

Obviously we will for now find it difficult against the likes of Arsenal and Man City but, next season, things could be totally different.

I thought he was shocking tbh.

Mykolenko was a 7 for me, he's never going to be great going forward but he's very solid.

McNeil also a 7, tackled and pressed much more than both Dibling and Rohl put together, also an assist.

Pickford's kicking was poor tonight but a clean sheet and a brave block gets him his 7, I suppose.

The centre-backs and centre-midfielders were all on it today, gave us the win.

COYB

Dibling showed tremendous skill and fearlessness on the ball, but you could see why Moyes has left him out, because it took him 45 minutes to realize he needed to play defense on Hudson-Odoi. He did finally get into his area a few times.

McNeil didn't just assist (beautifully) on Garner's goal... he also started the move for the second goal with a nice dribble and pass.

Tony, Patterson played his heart out against a tough opponent under extremely difficult circumstances, and I was surprised and delighted, but 5 is about right. He was adequate.

And I think 7 is too high for Barry. I'm a Barry optimist, but this was easily his worst game for Everton until the fine crossfield pass for Rohl and then the poised, classy finish. 5.5 for me.

Patterson slipped over every time they had the ball, and Myko allowed the other 21 million balls into the box. Maybe it was the plan?

But both full backs looked like the weak link tonight.

Fantastic effort from everyone else, in my humble opinion

Patterson struggled all game, was easily beaten all game.

And out of position, Rohl was awful first half and offers nothing.

Most would get a 7; Garner, Tarkowski and O'Brien all get 9 from me. But full-backs right and left are definitely our weakest link. But let's enjoy the win, COYB

I thought Tarkowski was immense in defence, a real leader. Delighted to see Barry score, and what a player Garner has become. Dibling is starting to look the part as well.

Well done, everyone. The away support was awesome yet again.

You were surprised and delighted, but thought a 5 was about right? Talk about a contradiction or having a real understanding of those extremely difficult circumstances you spoke about, especially after the way you described his winger's defensive contribution during the first half.

Patterson has been banished and has been out in the cold for a very long time, with his manager preferring to play a central defender (to the detriment of the whole shape of his team) or our best combative midfielder in his position instead.

A robot might give him a 5, but I think anyone who is aware of his circumstances and the whole picture would surely give Patterson at least a 6.5 for his contribution last night.

If I was jesting, I'd have given him a 9... but that's only because I've been totally fed up watching O'Brien playing fullback and how much I think it affects the shape and the balance of our team. I also thought O'Brien, had his best game in a blue shirt last night, and although you were observant picking up on Dibling's defensive duties, Mike, my own view is that players with the natural talent of Dibling have got to be nurtured and loved.

I don't care how it's done or even if you have got to give the kid a bit tough love because it's clear that the boy can play football and like the song says players only love you when they're playing. Or at least kept bloody involved!

Firstly, I see you have upped Mykolenko to a 6 and Roth to a 5.5 which doesn't reflect well on your original analysis.

However, based on your admission that Roth did well at right-back, he still merits a 5.5 whereas in the game I watched Barry was woeful, easily beaten in all duels but then took his goal well and gets a 7.

Although Dibling and Paterson may offer something going forward, they were yesterday, and will again be targeted by other teams if they continue together. And I'm not sure the left side was that much better.

In a way, I suppose that might play into our defensive strength -- repelling crosses -- though other teams, not least Brentford might have more joy.

However, a lot of positives; not least a big boost for morale/team spirit.

I'm sure the vast majority of us would be delighted with 4 points from 2 successive away games, no matter who the opposition was.

I thought, as I said last night, that it was a great team performance. We'll always have different ideas about how each player performed but we got those 3 points; with last night's line-up, that was much more than, I think, most fans expectations. So I'm more than happy with that.

Let's just give it to Brentford in the next game!

Such a shame used to be great site. I've been on here since nearly the start

I know this is not an airport and I don't have to announce my departure but I'm off.

As I said in the other thread, they never cease to surprise you, this team. I must confess I didn't fancy us last night, I was still hoping for the best, but feared the worst.

Every game is different though, what worked against Forest might not necessarily work against Brenttford.

It's about time Moyes got his dues too, I think he is over-achieving with what he has had to contend with.

I would like to see Rohl have a bit of a run now to work out what his best position is. I think we can say it's a given that we'll be buying him permanently after all.

Dibling also needs a good run of starts, but I really like his willingness to take people on.

I would also keep McNeil, I think he is very under-rated and, let's be honest, if another player had made that pass for Garner's opening goal, plenty on here would be raving about it.

I think the 5 for Patterson is very harsh; admittedly he struggled for the first 15 minutes against a very tricky good winger but, once he got into his stride and Tyler tracked back, he grew into the game. After so long out, he tired; a 6 from me and he keeps his place vs Brentford.

I thought Garner was easily the Man of the Match but O'Brien and Tarkowski were outstanding and deserved a 9 each. Like everyone else, I don't know what Rohl's best position is and, like Patterson, he got tired... he doesn't look like a Number 10 to me but he put a shift in.

Well done, Barry -- he played well second half as well as his goal. He played some lovely passes but first half he was awful. Very pleased for the lad, he didn't put his head down and much improved after the break.

The only change I would make next game is to bring Jack Grealish back in for Rohl.

Hopefully a new right-back and a striker for New Year then we can really kick on but I think we are having a good season and love to have a good cup run. Happy New Year to everyone.

Dude could be the Number 10 until Dibling develops.

Moyes should find more work for McNeil.

But he improved as he got into the game and it was nice to see our right-back getting high up the pitch. I thought that he and Dibling did well together.

Patterson should start against Brentford, if only to keep Tarkowski and O'Brien together.

Believe it or not, someone on another thread was defending or failing to explain our failure to get a right-back on board over the summer. We need one now please.

I was surprised and delighted that he was adequate, particularly after his torrid first 25 minutes, when I texted a friend that, if we made it to halftime without Patto giving up a goal, it would be a miracle. I'd have given him a 3 at half-time. He did improve significantly in the second half until he tired, as Paul says.

Personally, Tony, I don't adjust my game ratings for the player's circumstances. I recognize and acknowledge the circumstances, but my ratings are based only on actual performance. You may differ of course.

And Tony, I agree 100% that Dibling needs love and nurturing and even tough love, but obviously from Moyes's perspective, he had not earned minutes on the pitch in place of Ndiaye, Grealish or Dewsbury-Hall. Sometimes the tough love part is making the kid earn his trust. I think he did so at Forest.

We all have different views, Paul, it's what makes the game so intriguing. But what made me pick up on Mike giving Patterson such a low mark was the praise he had given him beforehand in his post @15.

To some people, I come across like I don't like our manager, but this doesn't mean I can't acknowledge that he's done a good job over the last 12 months. My problem with Moyes is that I don't believe he rotates his squad enough. Looking at him closer, it's one of the reasons why I think he's got such a poor record in cup football, and why his teams often go through a bad spell with his players looking tired.

The squad he inherited last season was a lot poorer than the squad he's got now, I keep hearing, but he got more points in the second half of last season with an allegedly worse squad of players than he's got out of this better one, so far.

The record is very similar, which means I could be accused of splitting hairs, but my own view is he prefers to concentrate on his team rather than the overall squad. As a result, when too many players are brought in rusty and underprepared, it never seems to be the manager's fault when they don't perform.

This to me is constructive criticism, and much more honest and a lot less condescending than damming a player or a manager with faint praise. It would be exactly how I'd start a conversation with our manager, if I ever got around to talking about football with the man!

As you say you don't like Moyes and criticize his lack of rotation, which is fair enough, but you also say he has done a good job over the 12 months since returning.

Well, as far as rotating the squad, he did rotate against Wolves and Burnley and we saw there was a big drop-off in quality. I think most managers are reluctant to change things unless the game is going away from you.

But what has changed significantly since his return is that we are no longer looking over our shoulder at the results of those in the Bottom 3, while under Benitez, Lampard and Dyche, that's all we did.

The number of posts during that period who stated wouldn't it be nice to have a season where we weren't looking over our shoulder... Well, since Moyes came back, we have been able to look forward instead of backward.

Also he has done this without Richarlison or Calvert-Lewin which the other 3 managers could call on.

Moyes has had 1 transfer window and I think the players he brought to the club have made a massive improvement. Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish, plus the improvement in Garner has been very noticeable.

Now granted the player must take most of the credit for that, but generally Moyes improves players. Also, we never saw O'Brien under Dyche.

Of course there is going to be a drop-off in quality when you replace certain players, Brian, it's exactly why I'm saying I think David hasn't got a very good record in the cup competitions, because he brings players in from the cold, often rusty and underprepared, and I think this was definitely the case in those two games that you mentioned?

We weren't great against Forest, but we were resolute and resilient, and definitely played the game with a lot more purpose and intensity, and this usually only happens once players have got used to playing again.

I also believe that knowing you will be playing in the next game regardless (in this case, because of injuries and Afcon) definitely helps to give a footballer a lot more confidence.

One example would be Dewsbury-Hall, who has also had some very indifferent games, but because the manager has shown faith in him, that was most probably missing at Chelsea, it will have given the player a lot of confidence, and will have surely helped him to put in the very good performances, we were getting used to before he got injured?

We all want the same thing Brian, and I'm not asking you to agree with me either mate. I'm just pointing out that football is such a physically demanding sport nowadays, and I believe that, if David Moyes learned how to integrate and use more of his squad players on a more regular basis, then he might just become the manager we all crave.

Moyes has proved he's decent to me, and much better than decent to you, Brian, but either way, surely the thing that we all crave most is for David to grasp the nettle and turn both himself and Everton Football Club into winners.

Is that how you grade papers?

I might be wrong because I remember USA drawing with France in a friendly not long before the World Cup Finals, which was a tournament I'm sure the French ended up winning.

I remember you being delighted and then Darren Hind explaining that the French would get a lot better because this is how the best teams usually prepare.

Darren wasn't dismissing USA, he was just pointing out how the best teams usually operate with regard to their preparation, but I suppose Darren is old school and football is becoming more robotic every single year.

I read the reasoning behind a couple of marks after the Burnley game (so I already had a pre-conceived view, Anjishnu) and my own view was that the comments were not entirely his own views from watching the game himself because I just had a feeling that he'd had some help off a robot.

I might be wrong, Anjishnu, and will take your word for it if I am, mate, but at least it's got people trying to debate again. If ToffeeWeb is going to survive, then it definitely needs more intelligent debate.

This has been lost lately, because point scoring and toys out the pram seem to have taken over from posters having knowledgeable debates, sometimes with no quarter given, but it's like people no longer have the time for this, unfortunately.

Happy New Year, everyone. I'm wondering if anyone has got the capabilities to bring a seance onto this website because with the FA Cup, just around the corner, I'm sure we all share the same dream.

That day was one of the highlights of my life, regardless of the game's sad outcome (it was the Pickford derby) and there's no way my thanks could ever be adequate.

My own opinion is that the quality of the debates on TW goes up and down naturally as people leave and join, and the changeover in the site has had a transitional effect. I miss the old-timers who have moved on, but I think new blood will come in and bring fresh perspectives. I'm just very glad the Abrahams remain.

It's been a long time, a lifetime for many fanatical Evertonians who have yet to see that joy, and an absolute eternity for the older generations who have actually seen us win before.

I remember the eighties, when the fans of the two clubs were a lot closer and a few of my red school mates even used to admit that they went to watch our team of the eighties because of the atmosphere that us Evertonians used to generate once we had a team to be proud of.

They wouldn't admit to that now but, when the Everton crowd was allegedly heard 6½ miles away from Goodison on that absolutely beautiful night against Bayern Munich, it tells you everything you need to know about Everton Football Club and its incredibly passionate fans.

It's 60 years since the Chinese year of the fire-horse, Mike, and 60 years ago that Everton came from two goals down to win the FA Cup without the aid of extra time or penalties.

Give us the cup… please let us win the cup, and because it's been so long, the scenes of joy will last an absolute lifetime.

We are not neutrals and, as Evertonians, we should absolutely take the players' circumstances into consideration when marking or judging them.

Giving a cold as-I-see-it mark for a match that doesn't involve Everton is all very well but, as Evertonians, we should be judging a player by what he has given for the cause. Our cause.

I'm not a fan of Patterson the player, but he went right up in my estimation at Forest. He knew he was only playing because his manager (who clearly doesn't rate him) was all out of options.

The last thing he needed was to be targeted by a former manager. His heart must have been in his mouth when he was left for dead twice in the opening exchanges. The fact that he appeared to be wearing the wrong boots didn't help; he was sliding everywhere.

I wasn't at the game but I'm reliably informed that, when he went to retrieve a ball that had gone out, he was met with very real encouragement from the travelling blues. Instead of giving him the sort of abuse he was receiving on the TW Live Forum. The fans were shaking their fist at him shouting "Come on, Nathan lad!"

Knowing the travelling Blues, I believe that account to be 100% accurate. The lad knew from that moment on that he wasn't friendless. He started talking to young Dibling (who had also been lost) and Hudson-Odoi may as well have just fucked off there and then.

This was not a written exam; you can't mark a footballer's performance and not take the character he has shown into consideration.

Tony A,

The biggest blow this website has suffered was losing the best Everton correspondent there is. That could have been fatal. I won't insult you by trying to tell you that you can replace Lyndon. Who could? But like him, you talk about Everton from your soul. With members like you (and there are quite a few), this site has no earthly chance of going under.

What I have always liked about your posts is that more than most on here you bring the authentic experience to these pages, whether that is a mate at the match, your experience, you at the match, the 95' cup being bounced around Boundary Road, or, quite rightly, bollocking me about you as the coach driver.

One thing another site could not replicate is the lovely back and forth between Tony and his dad. Dave had me in fucking stitches the other day when he said that he retired early thinking that Tony would make boss money out of the game. But then he had to go back to work. Fucking priceless.

Eighteen months ago he blew his hamstring, sprinting on the track in wavertree, five days before he was due to return to pre season training, in what was hopefully going to be a big year. He had to have an operation, which put him back a few months, so they sent him to Bromley on loan.

He played left back for Bromley, a position he had never really played before, but a position that I personally believe, will take him the furthest in the game, because he does way too much defensive work, for a genuine winger. Just after he signed for Bromley, I watched him play at MK DONS, gave him a nine out of ten, he was celebrating tackles, more than I’ve ever seen him celebrate scoring a goal, when his team were defending a one goal lead.

He told someone close he was finding it too easy, and did the most stupid thing. He took his foot off the pedal, instead of trying to learn this new position, (a position I think is tailor-made for him) by pushing on, and then the season ended. (Flatly imo)

Back to Millwall, played the first hour of their first pre season game at left back, told his mum, he played really well, felt his hamstring and was told to rest. I think they already had other plans because they signed two left sided players, and this meant he had to go on loan again.

He’s been playing well, very well in some games, helping his manager be flexible because he’s been playing as both a left winger and also a left wing back. He still does too much work for his fullback, one of my old mates at Forest, who was a very good fullback, has just become his agent and says exactly the same thing.

The fullback isn’t going to tell him to stop working so hard for him is what my mate, who actually played for England, before he was out of his teens, as a fullback, keeps saying, but I already know this and is why I’ve always believed his best position, would be left back.

Anyway he was playing at Chesterfield, a few days ago and he’s pulled the same hamstring again. (He’s a sprinter) It hopefully isn’t as bad as the last time and it’s in a slightly different area, but the scan, says a Three C, and probably means at least ten weeks on the sidelines, at a time when he was apparently attracting interest from a few league one clubs, although he’s loving his spell at Cambridge.

He’s 21 and I was looking at something the other day, that shows he’s now played 95 league games for a few different clubs, so hopefully the injury isn’t as bad as it first looked and he’s back with the squad by Easter🤞

He’s big, strong, quick and athletic, and can definitely go and play a lot higher, but if I had my way, I’d coach him for a few months as a fullback (in 99% of cases, football is all about today, and there’s not many people who have got the time to coach, imo) because he’s got every single attribute that’s needed for that position in the modern game.

I've often thought about this, Tony. So, we had the Merseyside League Cup Final and 2 years later in the 0-2 there was serious violence in the right-hand side of the Kop as you look from the pitch, where a large number of us were gathered, me among them.

Two obvious things happened in those two years. We became the best team in Europe and they couldn't stand it. And, of course, Heysel, made on the Kop, and we felt so cheated and they created it.

I know who the lad is as I keep an eye on Cambridge where I lived for seven years or so. I'm not surprised that he likes being there. It's a lovely place to live and Neil Harris is the perfect gaffer for the 'Us'. At least Cambridge won the match.

Will his recovery be at Cambridge or his parent club, Tony?

The lad lives in Newmarket, but he has been given a few days off to get away from it all and then he will find out more.

I’m positive, he has been playing with a thigh strain, and he’s been playing a lot of games, so although it showed a tear, I’m just hoping a few weeks away and a positive attitude gets him back with the squad by the start of March.

There was a suggestion that Millwall, were going to pull him back in a similar way to what Everton have done with Harrison Armstrong, but that’s out the window, so I’m just hoping he recovers and helps Cambridge to promotion, because I think they have got some very good supporters, who deserve it🤞