I really wasn’t a massive fan of the team selection from the start. There’s nothing wrong with sticking with the same team, and it has its obvious benefits, that being consistency. However, there’s a time and a place for consistency, and following an uninspiring defeat is not that time or place. Changes had to be made both at the back and going forward, and unfortunately, they weren’t.
Just because I don’t want to see Silva sacked regardless of circumstance until at least the third season doesn’t mean that he is immune to criticism. But on that same note, just because I’d criticise doesn’t mean I’m too proud to hold my hands up and say that I was wrong.
We struggled in the first half to get any sort of rhythm going in what was a ridiculously stop-start affair.
But the second half was made of the good stuff.
It was the Everton we’ve wanted to see since the start of the season, and it provided our only comfortable win of the season. We looked like we’d score every time Richarlison or Walcott got the ball in the second half, and later on, Bernard provided the same danger.
We looked assured at the back also as the game went on, and never looked like conceding past Sessegnon’s rattling of the crossbar in what was really a horrendous miss.
But we won, and won comfortably, and that’s perfect really.
