Everton manager Sam Allardyce has looked for the positives and praised the sides ‘resilience and character’ as we took a point from Swansea City at the weekend.
Heading to the Liberty Stadium for the game with Everton’s season largely fizzling out, we travelled back with a 1-1 draw and Swansea actually scored both goals on the day with Allardyce’s side only registering three efforts on target.
???? | "#EFC had chances to leave Wales with their second successive away victory – Coleman smashing a volley against the crossbar with the score at 1-1 – but it was honours even as they closed the gap to one point on eighth place."
Match Report ???? https://t.co/lxxXbPNdqQ pic.twitter.com/L3XyOldLLw
— Everton (@Everton) April 14, 2018
The main difference between this one and the last one was the gaffer picked out Wayne Rooney for praise instead of berating him for his behaviour when he was substituted – other than that, well maybe that’s a personal judgement?
The telling stat from the game is in the fact that following December’s two clean sheets, we have now conceded in each of the last seven away matches in the Premier League and our away form continues to cost us.
???? | A safe journey home to all our travelling Toffees. Thank you for your support today. #EFCawayday pic.twitter.com/QnQXqmUCCY
— Everton (@Everton) April 14, 2018
Speaking to the Official Site as he met with the media following the game, the manager praised the return of a ‘big battling point’ but did talk about the chances we had to take the win.
“It’s a big battling point for us. We faced opponents who are the in-form team at home. They’ve beaten Arsenal, Liverpool, Burnley and West Ham in their past four home league games. We always knew this was going to be a difficult game and it was.”
Adding.
“One of the important things was the resilience of our team which was very good. Getting the first goal was very important as well just before half-time. Then there’s the backs-against-the-wall period for us in the second half and they managed to score in the end. But then we recovered from that where some of our chances came, particularly Seamus Coleman, who could have won it for us. But I’m pleased with the point.”
Allardyce did concede that it was far from a glowing performance, even in those periods where we were more on top in the game, but he did speak of his pleasure at seeing the reaction from the team to Swansea scoring as Seamus Coleman rattled the woodwork after Jordan Ayew had brought them level.
With no prospect of relegation, a good number believe that Allardyce has achieved the remit of the job he was handed following the departure of Ronald Koeman, but discontent with our style of play, our safety first basis and results themselves aren’t warming him to the crowd and the game saw possibly more of the vocal displeasure that has now become usual.
That spins off into social media these days and Evertonians aren’t happy.
Allardyce out before next week please, and his cohorts Lee,Walsh,Shakespeare and Ferguson,let’s start planning now Moshiri
— Running Gardener (@matteusjack) April 14, 2018
Time to break the cheque book … BRING #DiegoSimeone to E F C !!!
— Ravi Arunasalam (@rarunasalam) April 14, 2018
I try to aim a little higher than a draw with Swansea being a good result.
— goodisonblue???????? (@goodisonblue2) April 14, 2018
Get rid
— LYKA (@lykadj) April 14, 2018
— Phil (@philefc38) April 14, 2018
I’ve never felt more disinterested in my club! Allardyce out! #imnotaminority
— Lee Johnson (@LeeJEFC) April 14, 2018
Get him gone shocking again give it to Big Dunk till the end off the season!!! He will get the passion back to the club!!
— Danny Harrison (@DannyHa89299135) April 14, 2018
Hey guys, just wondering if you have an ETA on when we can enjoy watching our football team play football again?
— Goodison Roar (@GoodisonRoar) April 14, 2018
You couldn’t even be arsed to finish off the match tweets not even 1-1 FT, that’s where we are at
— GP (@GCP1989) April 14, 2018
“… closed the gap to one point on eighth place”. You say that like it’s a good thing. Is that what we’ve been reduced to?
— David (@Hughes43D) April 14, 2018
I would say the players had downed tools on big Sam but that would imply that they had picked them up in the first place.
— angie (@ThisIsLiverbird) April 14, 2018
I'd say I'm heartbroken but there's no heart in this team anymore. Pathetic. Sam needs to go. To say a draw with the swans is an accomplishment is insulting to Everton.
— matt stanley (@mstan2012) April 14, 2018
Keep playing this kind of football and you’ll be lucky if anyone turns up next season #UnwatchableRubbish
— Mal What (@Malwhat_ex) April 14, 2018
Terrible performance. Terrible tactics. Terrible manager. And a board with no balls or vision.
— Martin O’Sullivan (@ToffeeWraps) April 14, 2018
You are joking we could have been 3 down in the first half , first shot on target on 34 mins. Lucky to go in at halftime 1 up this is not good enough #AllardyceOut
— Garry Peter (@GarryPeter) April 14, 2018
I think we should sack Allardyce as now season is over for us
— sameer chavda (@SameerChavda) April 14, 2018
Absolutely not good enough for Everton football club. Get rid of sam Allardyce now we deserve better give it back to David Unsworth until the end of the season get some passion back into our performances and go all out for Paulo Fonseca in the summer #AllardyceOut
— Simon J Villiers (@sjv_simon) April 14, 2018
Whether the numbers are enough to force the club into acting at the end of the season, or even prior to the final game as some fans want, remains to be seen. But it hardly takes an educated guess to imagine the atmosphere getting worse unless Big Sam is prepared to let the shackles off a little more and revert to the style of play that was actually pleasing on the eye all those year’s ago at Bolton Wanderers.