Everton were terribly unfortunate to lose to Manchester United on Saturday, but once again were architects of their own downfall.
Having started well, pressing the hosts into submission, two reckless challenges gift-wrapped the Red Devils a 2-0 lead from the penalty spot; one they had hardly had to work for.
It feels like, whilst Sean Dyche’s men have retained their worrying inability to score, they have actually lost their patented solidity of late too. Without that, they truly are relegation fodder.
However, two pundits remained effusive in their praise for the Toffees, whilst also outlining how they forced United to play a style of football unbecoming of a club of their stature.
What Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe said about Everton
Speaking on their podcast for CBS, The 2 Robbies, both Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe were in agreement over the impressive thing Everton did at Old Trafford.
Visiting a ground where they had claimed just a sole victory in 32 years of trying, there was little expectation over their capability to claim a result.
However, they once again did all they could to do just that, forging chance after chance but unsurprisingly failing to score.
Earle first noted: ‘You can get at Manchester United and we said it before the game, you thought they’d dominate the ball and I just said if I was Sean Dyche I’d go after them, try and cause them problems, and they did for the first ten minutes and you actually said when we were watching, this will be typical United.
‘Ten minutes in they’ll suddenly get a foothold in it, something will happen and then they start to counterattack.’
Mustoe was also left stunned by how the mighty Manchester United had to respond: ‘But I thought they possessed more, I thought they’d control the game. They didn’t!’
His co-host claimed: ‘You’re playing counter-attacking against a team that’s 16th. Incredible!’
Everton deserve more than they are getting
This is not the first time that Everton’s style of play has forced a side into submission, forcing them to play in a while uncomfortable and often unattractive.
However, and perhaps most worryingly, that reversion often breeds success.
After all, the Toffees have not tasted Premier League victory in 11 matches now, suggesting that whatever their opponents are doing is proving profitable.
There is no side in the division that has underperformed their expected goals more than Dyche’s side this season, but eventually, that argument has to run out.
After all, it has persisted relentlessly all campaign.
The 52-year-old boss can keep banging that drum, but he cannot keep relying on the story to naturally change. Hopefully, this three-week break will be beneficial, and return a side refreshed and ready to score some goals at last.