Let's have some perspective

[Ryaldinhio]

About tonight's result!

We could go through the team and pick out individuals performances (lawlor and sterry for me) that are of concern, I've even seen a quote on another thread that this brings questions about much of the team.......

This wasn't our 'first' team

Everton are 3 divisions above us

Away from home

Everton under massive pressure to win

Everton new boys coming in wanting to impress

I could go on, but ultimately the better team with the better players won. That doesn't mean we have to question our squad?!?! Christ!!!

Let's take the positives:

Olowu and McGrath (in particular) for the vast majority of the game managed a £25m striker. Just let that sink in. £25,000,000 for 1 player. Yes he scored in the end, but £25m would probably buy our whole club!
BUT
£25m striker kept quiet by
Senior - free
Olowu - free
McGrath - about £500 + 6 guiness
Nixon - not a lot

Dwight McNeil was clearly a handful, as he is in the prem most weeks.

If we had have got a shot on target we had to beat England's No1

First half we did well to go in level, with the help of the post, but Everton clearly had another gear and fatigue/fitness would become a factor.

Overall the lads did well.
Hopefully no major injuries, obviously Nixon is a worry but McGrath seemed to take a slip late on that affected him for 5-10mins.

Roll on Saturday, because we won't get a footballing test like that in League 2.

Well done lads, nothing to be ashamed of there.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Agreed with this. Decent first half performance. They were much more clinical in strangling our midfield play in the 2nd, but you'd really expect that from a PL side. Not at all dispirited by the overall performance.

[edlored]

Trouble was when they strangled the midfield we couldn't put the ball behind the defence because we don't have anyone with real pace.

[Spud]

Everton undoubtedly improved in the second half but I'm surprised no one has mentioned Westbrook, I thought any sort of control we had in midfield disappeared when he went off. Wether Grant thought he'd done his bit who knows, but that game suited him, probably more than some of the league two games.