Match Day Thread Norwich City Vs Everton

McLean has been the same player for a season and a half at Premier League level. You know you're getting a 6/10 performance without any howlers, which I suspect is why he's a reliable option for Farke/Smith to turn to, but he also rarely imposes himself on a game, at either end of the pitch.

I'd really like to see Sorensen given a run of games to see if he can be more than that. Sorensen+Normann might give us proper solidity.

I worry with this 4-4-2/4-2-2-2/4-2-3-1 whatever it is formation, we're going to be outnumbered in the middle of the park against teams playing 4-3-3, etc. Everton didn't and Idah dropping into space between their defensive and midfield lines caused them real difficulty.

Watford have regularly played 3 central midfielders...

 

I really like us playing 3 strikers and given our present shortage of midfielders we could tweak the current 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 blend into a 4-3-3 by having Sargent drop back into midfield when we don't have the ball and then move forward when we attack, as he did quite a bit yesterday. Josh is very versatile and it could allow us to maintain our attacking strength without risking being overrun in midfield.

 

My God, you really think that performance justifies your entire mantra? You really are deluded as well as immensely arrogant. It was great to see us win, but the fact is we got lucky against a team wildly out of form, with injured or only just returning players. It took an own goal for us to win and it was deeply uncomfortable, especially after about minute 55 when Everton finally pressed us.

You get to rodomontade when and only when we start beating relegation candidates and even mid table teams in a comfortable fashion, keep clean sheets and when we survive playing this predictable structured football you wished for. I hope instead we play with some flair.

 

Little ol' Nodge - the straw that broke the camel's back!
Adios Benitez.

 

Rafael Benitez has been sacked as Everton manager after less than seven months in charge.

The Toffees appointed the former Liverpool manager, 61, as Carlo Ancelotti's successor in June.

Everton, who lost 2-1 to Norwich City on Saturday, have won only one of their last 13 Premier League games and sit 15th in the table, six points above the relegation places.

The club say an update on a permanent replacement will be made in due course.

Everton held an emergency board meeting on Saturday to discuss Benitez's future following the defeat at Carrow Road, which was a ninth loss in the club's past 12 league games.

 

Let's hope we can do the same for Ranieri next week.

 

<clears throat> ^ --- Post 144--- ^ above.

 

Breaking News guys.

https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...n-six-months-into-job-after-defeat-at-norwich

Rafael Benítez sacked by Everton six months into job after defeat at Norwich

 

Careful buddy, you might get accused of plagiarism

 

Dunno if anyone has seen but apparently Benitez has been sacked

 

Blimey, that's a surprise

 

Let's be honest we got a slice of luck against a poor side yesterday. OTOH if we could go on to beat Watford it might be enough to give us a fighting chance. It's a tall order because other sides now have games in hand on us. Adding Idah to Pukki seems to at least given us some goal threat.

 

Yeah if they can draw with Burnley and then we stick the final nail in the coffin

 

Just glanced at the current form table. Those two teams have taken four points from thirty six between them. This is massive for both of them. Barring an away win The MoneyMags will be bottom come tomorrow night.

 

It was very noticeable vs Everton how much more of a threat up front we had. I made it to this game and interesting to see how Idah was played and how effective he was up front. There's been lots of chat about how effective he was as a target up front and his ability to take the ball down and feed in others but he had several great runs at and around the full back to the touchline with a cut back in mind. And with this formation we had more support in the box.

I didn't see glaring holes in midfield as a result. Sorensen and PLM seemed pretty comfortable and Rachica, Sargent and Pukki were all dropping into those slots regularly. It wil be interesting to see how effective this tactic is vs Watford. Surely we'll go with the same, unless Aaron's is out. He was wearing a boot at the end, but have to say, Byram looked good too.

 

Hanley and Idah make it into Garth Crooks’ team of the week (for what that’s worth…)

 

The Aarons boot is very strange as that’s normal for foot/ankle injuries (which is what it looked like at the time) but all I can see from the reports are that he got a dead leg from a bash to his glutes?

 

Can't see why there would be any changes other than McLean possibly coming in if DS wants a more secure 4-3-3 formation at Watford. If Aarons is injured, Byram can fill in and he's arguably the better defender. Watford are missing 4 players including Sarr, so I'd hope we stay the same with Sargent dropping back when needed.

Idah's up for it:

https://www.norfolklive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/man-united-williams-idah-norwich-6501616

That was a great assist from Brandon.

 

I think it's probably worth a lot to Idah, Rob. He also made WhoScored's team of the week:

 

I think the dead leg came a few mins earlier in front of the Riverend before he got on with it again and then the final tackle later closer to the dugout that ended up with him leaving the field. Finger's crossed.