Highlights & Ratings

Good morning.

I used to think the world was flat. Rarely threw my hat into the crowd. I felt I had used up my quota of yearning. The tide is turning. And good morning Roger Waters.

The joy of last night’s performance was in how we managed to break with tradition against this lot in the past and managed to largely avoided getting bogged down in a largely dull head-locking exercise.

Playing Everton is always mostly frustrating but last night they were the frustrated ones; well beaten and awarded 3 yellow cards for their trouble that all stemmed from an inability to genuinely cope with us.

The second half was better than the second. Obviously that’s when the winning goal came, but it was a half that could well have yielded four goals for us. The overall match possession figure I saw bandied about was 62% in our favour.

 7.oo1 Apparently he was heard screaming through the wall in the Away dressing room before kick off telling an as yet yet unnamed Evertonian player, ‘You trouble me much tonight boy and Ill tear your bladder out and use it as a swimming cap’.

 7.500 Less useless going forward. The runs forward were good and he thankfully opted to opt for a short pass on most occasions. So well done. More retaining possession like this please, if you don’t mind awfully.

 8.265 Had he been born in Roman Times he would have been a legendary character. Probably a high status slave that led an insurrection/organised surprise parties. That sort of thing. A geezer.

 7.378 Moderately awesome. How refreshing was the lack of hoofing? Answer a) Very refreshing indeed. Looked perhaps a little sluggish but that’s me looking for problems. A good comeback from a terribly decent chap.

 8.898 Don’t cha? Made Donovan look like the worst American import since the DeLorean. His ball to Azza Blud was ridiculously good, his goal was out and out inspired. Last seen LOL’ing all over Twitter.

 7.999 I suggested flogging him off earlier and I stand by that. Handy little goal, but otherwise the usual ‘getting back into the swing of things after a knock’ type performance. Let’s hope his next  game includes even more wing heeled hi jinks and even another goal …maybe.

 7.877 For the much of the game he simply underlined why Chelsea have been so openly desperate to sign him. For some of the game he was bustled. It’s absolutely vital that the rest of the squad are given clear instruction to get the ball to him. Don’t like him hanging about.

 8. 002 Hurrah. A controlled performance on a par with his first few games in the first eleven. He’s a talented guy but a string of dubious outings really set him back. Less fannying about and less ‘I’m in the first team’ strutting and more playing like a pro like this will set him in good stead.

 7.222 He needs a plan B when people start kicking and pushing him. The bulk of fouls on him would be given in the Champions League but in the Premiership he’ll only get maybe 53%. Looked dangerous, but Everton’s marking was slack and he won’t get that space every week.

 8.500 All in all one of the most interesting players to have worn the shirt in my lifetime. His vision and drive are sensational. A complete menace to any opposition and he was pretty much unplayable as far as Everton were concerned.

 6.999 He didn’t really get to do very much and it’s difficult to defend him. Admittedly he was marked up to his eyeballs but given the free role Bale had we ought to have been able to find a way for him to do more than he did. Holds the ball up well, but he needs to do more.