Williams...

again far better than Gardner.

Still gets stick but better on the ball and better at winning it back.

Gardner has dropped back to his early games.

 

It’s one or other (Williams on last 2 games). They both want to play in the same space. Playing both of them is as much use as playing Tom Bradshaw or Moore upfront.

 

Gardner weren`t his best today.

 

Of course he has, they can't play together. Williams was a bit toss as well though. Lazy passing with complacency abound and then risked a red by lunging in two footed near the end

 

Thought they both did OK and make a decent partnership. When one goes forward the other holds back and they take it in turns.

 

Gardner had a really poor second half. Williams was good I thought.

 

Williams definitely got forward more today I thought.

 

Gardner assisted for the goal

 

Both look like box to box midfielders to me. We've deployed both in a defensive position in the past, but not today. Williams was the better of the two against Wednesday, but I think having Gardner at the side of him gives Williams the confidence to go forward because he knows Gardner has the discipline to cover for him.

For me, today is the best formation and the best team we've got. Ran out of ideas a bit in the second half but that's because Isgrove and McBurnie both tired and they were the best attacking players on the pitch.

I know you're not keen on Bradshaw, but it took a cracking save to keep out his header low into the bottom corner.

 

Did ok today but not at levels before suspension, needs a few more games , Gardner is a terrible player

 

Funny that cause today I thought both were *****

 

Williams was awful today. Gave the ball away on at least 5 occasions.

 

Their keeper pulled off a save at top corner from a Bradshaw shot he couldn`t have hit sweeter.

 

I got slated on here the other week suggesting Gardner wasn't up to task. Altho I've seen a slight improvement, he can't hang on to his starting spot much longer. Hope Knasmullner can slot in at the side of Williams (altho he looked a bit hesitant on the ball today) and develop a midfield partnership.

Defence looks a fair bit more stable with Lindsay / Mills, could develop to be a strong partnership there.

Townsend, releasing far quicker than Davies which I much prefer to see. Looks to have good vision with his distribution.

More positives than negatives today but we have another level to step up to before we can go on a run. Needs to start v Burton. Hopefully having taken their manager!

 

Why on earth would you want Nigel Clough?

 

Williams is my favourite player, and for me our player of the season, but his distribution is poor to say the least, he gives it away more then any other player, but he wins it back more than any other player, so it’s a catch 22, but if he doesn’t weak points then he’s in the Everton team not ours.

 

one or the other for me not both together

 

Baffling why anyone would want Mallan / Moncur instead of either of these two especially in a derby.

Folk are obsessed with pigeon holing midfielders as either central attacking midfielders or central defensive midfielders when you can be an all round midfielder like Scowen, Hourihane & Brownhill all were.

 

Either Williams or Gardener will have to make way for Knasmullner (if he ever gets clearance and has accepted his Nobel Prize). For me it wouod be Gardner. Williams is an apprentice Josh Scowen.

 

We don’t have one though