Everton 0-1 West Ham Utd (17/10/21)

[Aceface]

What is the deal with Mark Noble? Injured I assume?

Yes. 4 ruled out at the weekend – Noble, Fredericks and Coufal with injury, Kral with covid.

[Aceface]

A bit more precision from fornals and benrahma and it would have been 3 or 4.

This caveat comes up every week and I'm sure will continue to in future, which makes it largely redundant in a realistic assessment of whether we should have won by more each time. For all their other excellent qualities, Fornals and Benrahma require a LOT of chances to score, which isn't likely to change any time soon. In an ideal world you switch Soucek's close-range finishing with one of that pair and we'd suddenly be genuine top 4 contenders rather than outsiders.

We absolutely deserved to win yesterday's game though.

[Turns to Stone]

I said last season, that with our current front 4 (Fornals, Bowen, Antonio and to a lesser extent Benrahma), we have essentially sacrificed work ethic for technical brilliance.

Arguably, Lanzini and Yarmolenko are more technically gifted players than Fornals and Bowen, but neither of them give anywhere near as much protection to the full-back, nor do they offer as much support either defensively or offensively.

I do think that both are capable of improving though but I do think that both Antonio and Bowen still have an issue with their decision making in the final third.

[Puff Daddy]

Staying the night in Liverpool after the game. Walking back to our hotel we passed a gaggle of Hammers on Lord St singing about Ludek Miklosko...

Due to our seats in the home end behind the goal we attacked from the off it was a game of two halves. Saw us attack well first half but couldn't see much second half. Absolute joke seats and how they can charge £45 a ticket week after week for that view is unbelievable. It was full of Everton fans so its not like they fill it with tourists. Everton never really threatened from what we saw which admittedly stopped just past the halfway line. Their fans weren't happy with what they saw either and there were plenty grumbling about Benitez afterwards.

Ludek Miklosko. Yeah I remember him. Didn't he come from near Moscow ?

[Knighter10WHU]

Good 3 points and day out that, West Ham of old would've lost that game after dominating for so long. Thought we could've been 2/3 up at half time if we'd actually put a good ball in the box. What was everyones thoughts on Soucek? Personally think he looks shattered and could do with a full week off at some point soon, definitely wouldnt play him against Genk.

Thanks to Vicky Pollard for entertaining all game, a very swift exit from her when we scored the winner...

[YorksHammer]

I think Soucek has been asked to be a little bit less attacking this season, which in turn allows Rice to be a little bit more attacking. They're swapping between being the deep midfielder and attacking midfielder regularly.

I'm not sure he's all that tired, necessarily, but he's played so much football in the last 18 months you could completely understand if he was!

Good game for us, that. And for once we looked pretty defensively robust - we didn't give them much in and around our box at all.

[roblo]

The best thing about us doing well is Lanzini's song getting an airing.

Still absolutely buzzing off yesterday. Great pub before and after, non-stop support, three points and clean sheet.

[Up the Junction]

The opposition view: Everton
https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=136337

[sutts07]

Decent opposition view, not surprised how many of them think we were bang average.
Truth be told we were not as amazing as many are making out. We knocked it about lovely but hardly laid a glove on them.

Turned out to be a near perfect away performance thanks to the goal we pinched, but we can't rely on a combination of Antonio and set pieces for much longer. We need to be more cut throat up top if we want to break into the top six or even come close to winning things. We need to create more and be more clinical.

[S-H]

The opposition view: Everton
https://www.kumb.com/story.php?id=136337

[S-H]

Truth be told we were not as amazing as many are making out.

I don't think I've seen anyone suggest, that we were amazing yesterday.

We were however, the better side, and deserved to win.

Simple as that.

[HitzlspergersBurgers]

I think we played well yesterday. Kept them out and prevented any major threats at goal. I was surprised how poor they were though. They've spent a lot to play as badly as they did.

[dave_l]

I'm always happy with any win at Everton given how many times we've been thumped there over the years. Pleasing to see that our away form wasn't just a flash in the pan from last year and is continuing so well this season. Declan on another level as usual.

[Centre Half]

It's great to go away from home these days and expect results.

It wasn't so long ago under Allardyce where you could write off getting anything any time we went away.

[Kialos]

[Billydinho]

We didn't have to get out of second yesterday, as their fans have quite clearly noticed.

That was the sort of performance I'd expect to get a result at Watford or Norwich, thought we'd have needed more away at Everton.

They were completely toothless, even Demarai Gray was quiet. I keep thinking Soucek's having a bad year, and he does keep getting caught in possession, but I think his off the ball work still needs praising. He's just always there, no matter the area of the pitch.

[larryberyl]

I thought soucek was better yesterday but he does need a rest.
antonio was in his non inteligent mode deciding to shoot and not pass.
rice was superb, 100m will buy you one leg. 200m player but I wouldnt sell him . he is the embodiment of the new west ham. no , away fans, we arnt west ham anymore !
deserved to win by a few goals and thats the only criticism I have.fornals bowen benrahma and antonio have to be sharper in the box .

onto genk in the EL and spurs on sunday. 2 wins and we are going to have a good season .

man city will be the game too far for us I fear.

[ChzMff]

This made me laugh from the opposition view:

A poor display as we had nothing (well less than nothing) up front. It was a similar game to the one last season when it had 0-0 written all over it until West Ham scored late on. They have spent a fair bit of money on that squad. I bet if you added it up not far off what we have and there's not much between the two teams. We probably shade it when everyone is fit."

Are they having a laugh? The amount of money they have spent compared to the return is absolutely criminal and I am surprised so often overlooked.

Pickford £30m
Michael Keane £30m
Jerry Mina £30m
Ben Godfrey £25m
Lucas Digne £18m
Allan £21m
Andre Gomes £22m
Abdoulaye Docoure £25m
Jean-Philipe Gbamin £25m
Alex Iwobi £28m
Gylfi Sigurdsson £40m
Richarlison £35m rising to £50m
Cenk Tosun £27m
Moise Kean £27.5m

[wolf359]

Are they having a laugh?

I see it as a compliment. They compare our squad with theirs, look at what they have spent on different players and assume (without looking it up) that Antonio, Bowen, Soucek, Coufal etc all cost us over £25million because they have spent that on players and we are as good (or better) than them.

Alex Iwobi £28m
Ben Godfrey £25m

[Aceface]

I've seen it a few times and still haven't the foggiest what was meant to be wrong about the build up to that corner. Antonio doesn't elbow him, doesn't clatter him as he comes down, and appears to get his head to the ball before Pickford gets his glove to it. Genuinely, which specific bit is the foul?