Everton v Liverpool

[allouso]

What's up with Barkley?

 

[johnnytodd]

What's up with Barkley?

his brain doesn't work every week

 

[Smudge]

Yeah, because there are only two options eh? Balls out or defending like you're playing Barcelona.

If Moyes was the manager yesterday you for one would be giving him shit for the complete lack of ambition and don't pretend otherwise.

Of course not, but there is a time and place for every approach. We were excellent in attack earlier on in the season at home to Arsenal and Chelsea and ended up with one point and 8 goals conceded. Because the system we played last season isnt working as well this season, partly because teams know how we play so are setting themselves up better, and partly because we have had injuries or loss of form from players who made it work. Given our recent form, we've had to change things and go about them different and focus more on the defence, and after getting a first win in ages at Palace last week, in this instance, I think it was more important not to lose than to put on a show and go for the win. Put out the formation and personnel we played earlier in the season, Liverpool would have outnumbered us in midfield and more than likely picked us off. As Ive said, I dont think Martinez ever set out just for the point, but the formation we played relied a lot on Mirallas, and he was awful. No coincidence we picked up when Lennon and later Barkley came on. If Barkley had come on earlier as he was going to, it would likely have been a different game and we'd have had a lot more about us going forward. Then again, its easy to say now, and in playing like that, we might have left gaps at the back and ended up losing. I would take the same sort of setup against Chelsea, though on current form, maybe start Lennon ahead of Mirallas because the little sulk needs a kick up the arse.

When Martinez starts approaching every away game like that, regardless of the opposition, then Ill call him out for being a negative twunt. Until then...

The Barry, Besic, McCarthy trio never really worked in the sense that there wasn't enough attacking impetus. Not really sure how Barry stays on for as long as he does, but I'm taking a positive in another clean sheet for Joel.

Like I just said, I think it might have worked, but the attacking players need to be playing well too, and they werent. I dont think playing that kind of system should be written off immediately, and I do think we should do the same at Chelsea. Just need a bit more from the attacking 3 to make it work at the other end.

Apart from Everton fans everyone knows Liverpool were the better team and the only team trying to actually win the game.

Like Bilo said, who is the better team? The one who tightened up and came for a point, or the ones arrogantly proclaiming they were there to walk all over the opposition and failed to? Takes all sorts in football, there is more than one way to win a game, and nobody wins them all.

What's up with Barkley?

Poor form. Partly due to having to play out of position, partly down to low confidence. He was absolutely awful in that recent run of defeats over Christmas, trying to do everything going forward, then giving up completely when we were defending. He desperately needed dropping, for his own good and the team's. No coincidence we have played better at Palace, and after he was subbed when we were down to 10 men at West Ham in the Cup, when he wasnt on the pitch. Looked more like his old self in the short time he was on on Saturday though, so maybe he just needed that dropping and taking out of the team. Id do the same with him at Chelsea, start with the 3 holders and 3 attackers, and maybe bring him on in the second half if its still close.