“We should batter these today” and “not a bad team that” were just some of the words I heard in the pub at quarter past 1 when the teams were announced. I didn’t say anything like that, I was just made up that two strikers were on the same field and he was giving Vlasic a game. What didn’t boost my confidence was Cuco Martina and Ashley Williams in the starting back 4. How Ashley Williams can keep his place after Thursday’s performance shows how little Koeman cares. He was shocking and was majorly at fault for Limassol’s first goal. Why’s he not been dropped? Jonjoe Kenny must be wondering what he’s doing wrong as well, he was massively involved against Bournemouth last weekend and had a solid game on Thursday and I cannot believe Koeman’s still picking Martina over him. It just shows his stubbornness.
Get in the ground, get to your seat in time for Z Cars otherwise you’ve missed the only bit of atmosphere for the next hour and a half and then you see the ref making us switch ends. Fuck off. Despise it when we attack the Street End first half. Let’s face it Burnley were here for a draw, they probably go everywhere and set up for a draw because a team with Chris Wood, Jack Cork and Stephen Ward in would never expect to win away at places like Goodison.
We played alright for the first 15 minutes, it was actually quite enjoyable to watch. Vlasic running at their defence and them not being able to get anywhere near him and Calvert-Lewin had a few good touches too. Those two are gonna be boss. Niasse had a shot on target and Sigurðsson had a chance but took one too many touches. A positive start for a change. But it all unravelled after 21 minutes when Burnley scored the best goal Goodison will see all season. We all see videos of Napoli scoring goals involving patient build up at the back and then a slick move and good finish, well this was like one of them. 24 passes, players moving into space, organisation and penetration and a lovely finish to top off a Brazil-esque move. We lack 3 out of those 4 things, the only one we don’t lack is 24 passes; Williams to Baines, back to Williams, into Keane, back to Williams etc etc etc. The rest of the first half was boring to watch and you just knew that we were coming out of this game with nothing.
Whatever Koeman says at half time must be the least inspiring message anyone has ever heard. If you’re 1-0 down at home to a team who’s objective is to survive relegation then you’d expect the team to come out second half and show a bit of fight and passion, wouldn’t you? Nah none of that, just the same old pass around the back and ping it into Calvert-Lewin with his back to goal and 3 players marking him. We also didn’t win one second ball showing how little our players wanted it and how much Burnley wanted it.
By the 69th minute that was me finished with the game itself and Ronald Koeman. Nikola Vlasic, who was arguably our best player on the pitch was taken off for Tom Davies. Our only winger and player with any pace about him was substituted for a central midfielder, so now we had 4 centre midfielders on at the same time and as I write this, still cannot understand where his logic in swapping those two came from. The fella’s completely lost the plot I’m afraid. No width, no pace, nothing. How can a 32 year old Leighton Baines be expected to cover the whole of the left side? How is that ever going to work and who thought it was a good idea? In comparison, Burnley had 2 wingers, both of which were stood on either touch line, allowing them to spread the ball which is how they scored their goal. Why can’t he see that wingers are effective players? Why won’t he play Ademola Lookman? Yes okay he’s inexperienced but he’s never gonna gain any experience sitting on the bench is he? Yesterday was screaming out for him. He pinged it through Bravo’s legs not even 5 minutes into his debut against Man City, what’s not to trust? Give the lad a go.
The whole of the second half was boring and we had to resort to shooting from distance with Gueye, Sigurðsson and Rooney all having shots that went so far over the bar even a goal double the size wouldn’t have caught them. 15 shots in total and not one of them troubled their defence.
A complete disgrace yesterday and now surely it’s time for Koeman and the board to have a chat about the club’s future and whether he deserves to be apart of it. 7 points in 7 games is horrendous especially with the amount of money we spent over the summer. A change is needed and if the board don’t want to change the manager then the manager needs to change his attitude and become less ignorant and stubborn cos his tactics are a pile of shite.
His second season now and he’s still not got a song or chant about him. Martinez had a few by now. He’s not taken to the fans because, like Lukaku to an extent, he’s only with us to move to bigger and better things. He’s got no relationship with the fans or the players by the looks of it cos the way they play it’s like they don’t want to play under him. I don’t know what the answer is.
A deserved win for Burnley. Well organised at the back and a manager who values every player and doesn’t single anyone out. Their togetherness is admirable and that’s why they’ll do alright this season. They’re all on the same wavelength and there’s not one player or coach there who’s in it for just themselves. On the flip side our team looks like they’ve never seen each other before. We’re so disorganised all over the pitch, from defence to attack and I fear for us. Something has to change.
-Joe ( @JoeWhitehead__ )