i said the other day that everton where jelly babies in the centre, err perhaps they where a bit tougher than that maybe wine gums!!! but hey ho we deserved at least a draw without a doubt, thought ayling was very good tonight especially bombing forward....need to change those blades we had on the boots!
Choosing his next wine gum maybe!! Don't think anyone in defence covered themselves in glory for both goals to be frank
That was a massive improvement on the recent home performances against Brighton and Burnley...but let's not kid ourselves that we deserved a point. The issue is the soft goals we keep conceding. First goal from a turnover of possession and almost exactly like at Leicester on Sunday...an ambitious cross field pass that's off target and 5 seconds later we're 1-0 down. Second goal, Everton had 1 corner and scored from it...come on, it's just not good enough. In other news...Torville and Dean have confirmed they will be doing 5 live shows a week when lockdown restrictions are eased.
You could have at least had the good grace to tag me in Uncle Albert. Geriatric Rambo the plassie Leeds fan
Levy didn’t bother telling you it was a gridiron pitch it seems. Absolutely awful surface. Decent game, especially first half. Shame Pickford was injured
If we'd not conceded two soft goals then maybe we could have had all 3. That's how football works...balls in onion bags trumps everything else.
Think we should've got something out of last nights game with all the chances and saves their keeper had to make but sloppy defending has cost us again. Make those kind of mistakes and you'll get punished in this league and we've seen that a few times this season. Player ratings: Meslier - 6 - His distribution was pretty bad tonight, gave the ball away a few times and could've done a little better with the first goal. Made a good save to stop a 3rd goal when Hernandez gave the ball away. Ayling - 5 - Thought he made some good runs and linked up well with Raphinha down the right but lost his man at the corner for the 2nd and conceded the goal from it. Not the first time this season. Struijk - 6 - Pretty solid and good passing. Could've reacted quicker for the first goal and booted it in the stands. Cooper - 6 - Made some sloppy passes but wasn't at fault for any of the goals. Could've done better with reacting to the first ala Struijk but he also made some vital challenges. Not sure why people are getting on his back on social media. Far from the worst out there tonight and don't really think he's made many mistakes that have cost us this season. Alioski - 6 - Thought he did okay tonight. Didn't seem to struggle as much as he has done is the last few weeks. If his shot was on target I think it would've been a goal. I do remember him losing the ball and Everton broke from it but nothing came of it in the end. Phillips - 5 - Poor first half and didn't stay with his man for the first goal. Also cost us a few times this season for not being switched on. Looked better in the 2nd half but needs to get more consistent. Raphinha - 7 - Looks a handful and runs his socks off. Got another good goal. Needs to stop wasting possession as he gave the ball away too many times and you can get punished by that. Dallas - 6 - Did what Dallas does without doing anything spectacular. Always an asset when he plays and doesn't usually do much wrong. Klich - 6 - Thought he was okay again, not back to his best yet but did do some nice stuff but was a bit sloppy at times. Feel we'd have been better off keeping him on over Roberts as Klich is a much more intelligent player. Could've had a goal. Harrison - 5 - Frustrating night for him. Couldn't hit players from crosses and gave the ball away for the first goal. Needs to be better and pass first time or think quickly otherwise it's too late. Bamford - 7 - Thought he did well and almost scored from a header but it wasn't to be. Put a lot of effort in and don't think he had any clear cut opportunities. Got another assist. Subs: Roberts - 4 - Misplaced passes and didn't look like a threat or game changer. When he had the shot at the end he needs to do better and at least get it on target, force a save or corner. Hernandez - 4 - Almost cost us a 3rd with his misplaced passes. Doesn't look the same player in this league. Such a shame as he'll always be a hero and he will still have that magic in him but isn't quick enough for this level and when his passing doesn't hit a Leeds player it can be costly. Think he could still be useful coming on this season against lower teams in the league. Costa - 5 - Didn't do much but I think he got a decent cross in which we had a chance with.
Match of the day Micah Richards blamed Struijk for the first goal, not doing the basics as he put it. “They played so well Leeds but they’re just not doing the basics correctly. If you just look, Struijk here is playing Digne onside. “But if you make a mistake it’s not a problem here. The ball comes in and he needs to be five yards across to stop the ball coming in. “Granted Cooper should do better chasing his man there but he’s made two mistakes and he’s cost his team the first goal and that gave Everton the confidence to go and win the game.”
The more you look at that picture the more you see what a terrible goal that is from our point 3 white shirts in the area with sigurddson coming in and he gets his goal,correct Mr Richards spot on!
If you look at the clip, Struijk has almost stopped running, realises it's too late and the balls gone passed him. He was at fault for one of Liverpools goals at the start of the season, when he should have sent it out for a corner, but blindly headed it back and you know who volleyed it in. He also sent a ball back across our box last night, but maybe he sliced it. But my point is that the margins are so narrow in this league between winning and losing, so we must cut out these mistakes. I also appreciate that they aren't robots.
I'm hoping that a settled back 4 will generate that 'muscle memory' that allows them to know who will go where in any situation. At the moment there's too much clumping together or being caught dithering between options.
Not sure if it has been mentioned & haven't got time to go through 12 pages today but why did we move Struijk to the right of Cooper? they were the other way around against Leicester and when Struijk came on at Newcastle & I just assumed Struijk was more comfortable on the left so Cooper did the senior thing and moved across for him. Maybe minor but does mean Struijk is covering the cross from Digne from the side that is not natural to him. At this level that is a big decision - against Brighton we swapped Harrison and Raphinha with the nett result being they were both garbage that day! Last point, unfortunately for me last night proved Hernandez days as a PL player are behind him. Too slow and lightweight against this level of players (not even one of the top top sides with the greatest respect) - no time on the ball to do anything decisive so just a passenger and one that could have cost us more goals.
Struijk played right side against Leicester as well, it was just when he came on (for Llorente) against Newcastle that Cooper switched. I'm guessing that Struijk is more comfortable on his wrong foot than Cooper...certainly looks that way. We need a few upgrades for next season and Hernandez would appear to be one of them, unless it's his lack of match sharpness that's making him look weak. Klich is another along with Alioski, Costa, Roberts, as well as questions about Shackleton and Davies and whether they are good enough for this level. Much work to be done reshaping the squad...get it wrong and we all know what happens as failing footballers still want paying.
I see a few players being criticised for their performances last night. And it was earned. However, at least they tried! Well, most of them. My heart sank with Roberts coming on. We'd be playing with 10 men. Then Costa came on. 9 men. It was at that point I realised the game was over. Pablo took the biscuit, sadly. It's difficult enough carrying 1 passenger, but 3? Says an awful lot that the other 8 still kept us interested & didn't concede further. Could we have a few more Raphinhas, please?