Turned a corner? Really?

So during the Everton v West Ham cup game on Tuesday night I spent some time on social media looking at what people were saying about the game. Yes, I was bored of what was unfolding in front of me. Some may say I should have been ‘getting behind the team’ instead of staring at my phone. They could be right but I found it very difficult to get enthusiastic all night.

The feedback from all Blue fans seemed to be 90% negative concerning performances from certain players and also the way in general that we were playing. One injury time equaliser later and apparently things are rosey and we have ‘turned a corner’. People are linking a good cross/control/shot with the Kevin Brock backpass v Oxford United that changed the course of destiny for the 80s for Everton.

Let’s not pretend that the performance wasn’t all over the place. Lukaku has stated that the players begged Martinez to allow them to play the longer ball during the game so as to ‘play to his strengths’. After spending £28m on him last Summer shouldn’t that have been happening anyway? And even he needs to be doing better – running around the defence to get the ball onto his left foot as the ‘wing-backs’ push up is only likely to get us caught on the break with a quick anticipated challenge when better teams realise that he can’t do anything on his right foot. At all.

I also heard people talking about it being our best attacking performance for some time. I guess that’s because we kicked the ball forwards sometimes and broke a couple of times and had some shots. Off target. Or dribbled at the keeper. Against a weakened West Ham at home I expect a little more than that really.

It looks to me like certain players either aren’t good enough at the moment to play (Barry and Jagielka for now, with Naismith looking like the post-injury version of himself) or look like they are playing for a move (take a bow Mr Mirallas).

With a view to the Man City game, it would not surprise me at all to see the longer ball dropped from the tactics, but either way I do fear that without all players playing really well and without McCarthy back protecting the back four we could be in for a long afternoon. Especially with it being a 3pm kick off and without the bear pit of an atmosph…. Oh who am I kidding? Last time we had an atmosphere like that was some time ago!

In a more positive light a last-minute goal may give us the edge over West Ham in the replay next week (I’m clutching at straws now) and we do have a pretty good record against Man City. Let’s face it, most Blues fancied losing last season in the equivalent fixture when we couldn’t get 4th and them lot across the park were trying to win the league. Arf.

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