Sheaf Saint

More space for our midfielders to dither about in before passing sideways/backwards you mean? I still don't see the benefit.

So you're upset that the manager is now rectifying that with a substitution? Seems like he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

Yeah, because that's not at all going to be anything to do with the fact that this is Austin's first start since December and was never likely to be fit enough to play the whole 90 mins. We've got some utter f***ing muppets on this forum

They could always head to Quayside Road if the crowds get too much at Weston. With its amazing views of a scrapyard, the Stoke fans will feel right at home.

Do we? Really? With Austin out, the only player who looks remotely like getting goals is Gabbiadini. With Long and Rodriguez as our only other strikers, and too many midfielders who don't know how to hit a decent shot, is our lack of goals really that surprising?

And even then it still relies on the player actually accepting their terms and agreeing to the transfer. There's just no way he will agree terms with Everton, no matter how much money they are offering, when he knows full well that one of the top Champs League clubs is going to come knocking sooner rather than later.

Here's an interesting little snippet for you all... I've been visiting family this weekend and saw my 14 year old nephew who is in the Everton academy. I asked him what he thought of Koeman. He said he is undoubtedly a good manager, but he shows zero interest in the academy. The previous managers in his time there (Moyes and Martinez) were frequently seen around the training ground and always took time to get to know the kids, but apparently Koeman never visits and doesn't even bother to say hello if he passes them in a corridor. Fits with what we already knew about his ignorance of our own academy while he was with us. I told my nephew not to worry because he will no doubt have already moved on again by the time he's old enough to sign a pro contract.

No keeper in the world is stopping that. Perfect connection.

We didn't get a penalty because probably because Davis blazed the ball wide before the defender made contact. Not making excuses for him because it was reckless and dangerous, but it looked to me like he was just shaping himself to block the shot.

When refs are making howlers as huge as the handball decision not given tonight, the case for a video ref is overwhelming IMO. It's unforgivable that potential match (and season) defining moments like that can continue to happen when the technology exists to prevent it.

The first one was ridiculous. Totally deliberate movement of the hand towards the ball and he literally punched it away. The most obvious and blatant penalty you could imagine. As for the second one, I think the ref got it absolutely right. Long knew he wasn't going to get to the ball before the defender so he changed the direction of his run very slightly to cut across him and engineer the contact. He does it quite frequently, and I reckon all the refs are suss to it because they never get given.

I thought that too. Watching the replay he initially looks over at Townsend and sees him in space, but then ignores him and leaves him far too much room to run in and provide the cross.

Looks a bad one for Davis.

Shane Long is probably the most limited striker I have ever seen play for us at PL level. Even worse than Iain Dowie!

Anybody still of the opinion that we don't need video technology? The most blatant and deliberate handball you will ever see, he literally punched the ball away, and it's not given. It's just not acceptable that refs can get away with such incompetence any more. And as much as I hate to agree with Fat Sam, if I was him i would be pretty livid about the foul not given in the lead up to our goal as well.

That device must have malfunctioned, just like it did when we signed Osvaldo.

No, I watched on a stream and had the benefit of multiple angle replays, and I stand by my opinion. Forster has been a liability for months now and it's obvious the rest of the defence have little confidence in him.

For the first goal, once again he got beaten by a bouncing shot from outside the box that was well inside the post. He got nowhere near it, like he hasn't done all season because he doesn't have the reactions to get down quick enough. Other PL keepers frequently save those kind of efforts but Forster never does. For the second goal, when the ball broke to Yoshida and he flicked it back into the danger area which lead to the penalty, Forster should have been screaming at Maya to leave it for him to claim which would have snuffed out the attack. He stayed rooted to his line and kept quiet, and for the umpteenth time this season the attack continues as a result of his inability to deal with first time balls into the box. But if you want to keep your head in the sand and pretend that all is fine then go right ahead.

Watch it again. When the ball breaks to Yoshida before he made the stupid flick, Forster needs to be taking command and screaming at him to leave it. But as usual he's just rooted to his line and quiet. He's a total liability in all aspects of his game at the moment.

What the hell was that stupid little flick in the run up to the pen? Why on earth didn't he get a shout from Forster to leave it? FFS our defence is an utter shambles at the moment.

Jesus Christ Dusan! You can't be missing the target from there! I know it wouldn't have counted but FFS, that's unforgivable.

I wouldn't say it was an amazing save. I would expect any PL keeper to make that. Interesting that when he can stay on his feet he can make saves, but never when he has to dive.

I like Davis, but he's hopeless in that holding role alongside Romeu. Putting a player who can't tackle and constantly misplaces short passes in that position is just inviting pressure onto our defence.

FFS. Yet another weak shot (it bounced before crossing the line) nowhere near the corner, and Forster gets nowhere near it again. He's got the reactions of a f*cking sloth.

Probably because he got something of the ball before clattering Redmond.