Let's get the good points from Sunday out of the way first - the pre-match tribute to Gary Speed was, as always with Everton in these situations - superbly done. I'm sure few will forget the images of the teams walking out to the Welsh national anthem, in almost total silence, and the sight of Speed's father on the pitch, looking utterly destroyed by it all but full of appreciation for what Everton were doing. Well done to all involved at the club.
Unfortunately, whilst that tribute was a fitting one, the subsequent 90 minutes were anything but.
Everton were awful. Truly, truly dire. It's not like we were beaten by a better team, or one who dominated possession. We weren't outdone by a tactical masterstroke from Stoke's coaching team. We can't blame bad luck or a dodgy refereeing decision - though the continued presence of the hopeless Lee Mason refereeing top flight matches is baffling, to say the least. Everton were just so mind-numbingly predictable when trying to create chances that Stoke never looked under any danger of conceding. Dreadful stuff.
David Moyes wasn't helped by Louis Saha - again - picking up a 'not serious' injury which ruled him out. His options were further limited by the continued absence of Royston Drenthe. Now, whatever you think of either player - and Saha's mystery injuries are, putting it nicely, beginning to wear a bit thin - both have that little extra spark of something which is needed to influence games like this. Without them, the game was going to be a grind, and that's exactly what it was.
Apostolos Vellios replaced Saha and it is easy to see why Moyes has been reluctant to start the young striker. His effort was fine, he looked to come and lay the ball off to get moves going, but against a fit, disciplined defence like Stoke's he was too often simply out of the game. This is understandable given his inexperience - hopefully he will benefit from it and learn from the game - but Vellios's strength at the moment seems to be exploiting tired defences as a substitute. Despite the frustration that comes with him, we need Saha fit and quickly.
It's unfair to single out Vellios as there were much more experienced players than him who just didn't turn up on Sunday. The likes of Cahill, Osman and Bilyaletdinov have to take more responsibility in games like this. Cahill in particular is in a bad run of form - he's snatching at chances, trying to over-compensate all the time and desperately needs a goal to try to kick start him. At the moment, however, it doesn't look like happening.
Of course, Cahill's job is made harder by our constant struggle to create anything from midfield. In fact, it's hard trying to think of any Everton chances worth mentioning. Gone were the low, whipped crosses we saw in the second half against Bolton, and in came a load of hopeful, high, aimless loops into the box, which Stoke's team of grocks happily smacked to safety. Bilyaletdinov miscued an early half volley which he should have done better with, Fellaini flicked a header wide on half time and substitute Jack Rodwell should have probably scored in a second half goalmouth scramble. That was about it. Whilst some players - Jagielka, Heitinga, Baines and Fellaini - kept at least trying to drive us forward (the centre halves deserve credit for trying to step in and play the ball to feet as much as possible), others hid a little bit. We cannot afford for even a single player to do that.
Stoke, for their part, came for 0-0 and hoped for a break. They got it on 15 minutes. Leighton Baines - who was willing as ever going forward but had a bad game defensively by his high standards - made a complete hash of a clearance which led to a Stoke corner. The kick was half headed away but no-one had picked up Dean Whitehead on he edge of the box. He fired the ball back in, and Robert Huth diverted it past an unsighted Howard. From there, it was all-out defence and spoiling tactics from Tony Pulis' men - not that you can blame them - and Everton simply didn't have the guile to break them down. It is the sort of game where we desperately miss someone like Steven Pienaar, who can just slip a pass round the corner to create a chance. I'm sure Moyes knows this, but a playmaker and a striker are essential if the supposed January signings are going to materialise.
Moyes now has a big job in getting the players ready for a trip to an in-form Arsenal side. You get the feeling already that there will be changes - I'd be very surprised if Phil Neville didn't come back into the side - but any repeat of this performance and we will get absolutely battered.
Utter rubbish.
calcioEFC
Everton - Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Heitinga, Coleman, Osman, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Vellios.
Subs - Mucha, Distin, Neville, Rodwell, Barkley, Stracqualursi, Gueye
MOTM - Jagielka.
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