A disappointing defeat at Goodison Park as once again Saints struggled to score goals or even create chances.

It would be easy to take the view that some Saints fans took up on Merseyside on Saturday and pour out vitriolic abuse at Graziano Pelle and blame all Saints woes on him, but that would be wrong.

The issue that Saints have is creating chances rather than scoring them, this was a game where despite having the lions share of pressure Saints rarely looked like creating a decent chance let alone scoring one, the only save of the game came after 6 minutes when Tim Howard somehow clawed out Pelle's effort from under his own bar and that just about summed up the Italian' luck in front of goal, after that the fans inside Goodison would not see another save of note.

So where are Saints going wrong ? well it is not as some fans would have you believe all the fault of Pelle, he was isolated for most of the afternoon with barely a decent ball to get on the end of, yes Everton are a good workmanlike side and stop you playingbut the real problem Saints have is that there is no one in midfield who is ale to create.

Schneiderlin and Wanyama dominate and win the ball but they cannot seem to create or even get in goal scoring positions themselves, James Ward Prowse seems to be the man who should take on the mantle of creator but he is not quite ready yet and Dusan Tadic is off the boil.

Add to that we cannot seem to get the full backs forward enough of late and we are struggling to create.

Of course tree is an element that the opposition are getting used to our style now and that is something that we have to come to terms with, but when it comes down to it we are a good workmanlike side, but we need someone who can play the ball and create those chances.

Saints did not deserve to lose to Everton, they had more of the ball and controlled the game from start to finish, the only chance the home side had was when they scored, but as comfortable as we looked we could not seem to look like scoring.

The only plus point is that with Liverpool losing and Spurs drawing it was not a disastrous weekend, however it has been a weekend where the hope of the Champions League ended, however there is still much to play for and Saints have a very good chance of finishing fifth which should now be the target.

What is needed though is unity and that was not the case on Saturday when a sizeable number of supporters vented their frustration in the direction of Pell with some very choice comments, I'm sorry to hark on about it but football is a team game an hurling personal abuse at a player is not supporting a team its just mob mentality, yes people have a right to an opinion, but we are supporters of the club and some need to look at the dictionary definition I'm afraid.

There is still a long away to go in this season, we still have some very winnable games, it can still be our best season in 30 years, what we need to do is make sure that we are in the top six at the end of it and that means creating an atmosphere for the team to play in not get on their backs.

Photo: Action Images

saintmark1976 added 10:53 - Apr 6 Your usual balanced report Nick. Obviously it was all the fault of Pelle as any one of the sadly increasing number of moronic so called fans will suggest. Of course nothing to do with the fact that we have a midfield, who collectively when it comes to scoring goals,appear unable to hit a barn door with a banjo at present.It is also the fault of Pelle that their keeper plays out of his skin and our manager does not play Mane,our only forward who worries other teams defences. Not to worry, I am sure that on the way home the morons congratulated each other on their in depth knowledge of the beautiful game and will be looking forward to abusing Pelle next week.After all if he improves they will always be able to find another player to channel their frustrations towards.

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SanMarco added 11:32 - Apr 6 Sadly our season is in danger of petering out and if the above-mentioned morons have their way it will be as unpleasant as it is disappointing. Our system/style is based on Schneiderlin and Wanyama protecting the five behind them and that leaves a lot of responsibility on the other 4 + the fullbacks getting forward. Once that style started to have problems soon after New Year (have we truly played well since Man Utd?) due to key players' loss of form/injuries/oppositon nullifying us (combination of all three I am sure) we stopped scoring. The window was closed and we seemed to have few options. None of the above is a disaster and those that think (if that's the word) that blaming one player for our failure to reach the top four is going to help are indeed morons. We CAN still finish 5th, above both of the teams we so reviled last summer, and even if we fall short it has been a wonderful season and the next one can be just as good or better - but that's unlikely if the morons hold sway...

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stmichael added 12:18 - Apr 6 It
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sidsaint added 12:22 - Apr 6 I wasn't at Everton and it is a surprise to hear about our away support which is usually so supportive. So I agree with comments made above. I also fear that with a number of very winnable games (Hull, Stoke, Villa, Leicester, Sunderland coming up and a crucial one against our old manager which every supporter wants to win, that the season ends on a sour note which would be a shame after all we have achieved in a season when we were written off.

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stmichael added 12:28 - Apr 6 Sorry guys when a striker does not score for 16 games and misses several guilt edged chances in that period he deserves and will get criticism no matter where he plays. The fact he has his name sing in encouragement every week is a credit to the fans and their patience. If he could win a header it would help..
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landsdownsaint added 13:27 - Apr 6 Pelle is a very good player ! The whole pkaying set up at the club seems to revolve around defending which Koeman is the best in he business ,have we got an attacking coach? Because Pelle & Elia don't look like they've had any instructions on how to approach the game .
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BoondockSaint added 15:21 - Apr 6 "Struggle to score goals"? They're "Struggling to score A goal" We were lucky to pile up the 8 against Sunderland in October, or our goal difference would be in the toilet and sinking fast! Nick you could save yourself work and just cut and paste from previous articles-it's the same every week: No sense of urgency, no drive to the goal, no proper service from set pieces, the players seem like they just want to walk the ball in, and if they don't, so what? I know many are new to the team, but they don't seem to have any team pride. Yes, we have "a number of winnable games" coming up, but we said that in February and that was when we threw the season away-proving the damn pundits right. It's really a shame.

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SanMarco added 16:12 - Apr 6 stmichael - yes of course he will get criticism and there are one or two other 'big names' who might deserve a bit too at the moment but foaming at the mouth abuse is a different matter and helps no-one...
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ronrulesok added 16:12 - Apr 6 Well here we go again. Everton are a good side. We were in deep yoghurt in the summer and these so called fans, better known as bedwetting morons were making scandalous comments about the owner and the board. They knew best as they always do. We are not going too make the top 4 because Arsenal and Man Utd have put together fantastic runs since we beat both of them. Our team needs a few tweaks to get it scoring goals -hopefully something we can address in the summer. Meanwhile bedwetters try to support Pelle and the team and who knows we might end the season 5th. I am embarrassed and ashamed to have this bunch categorised as supporters.

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SanMarco added 16:13 - Apr 6 To be clear I am not accusing you of foaming at the mouth stmichael but the article was talking about more than criticism.
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Stephen added 16:54 - Apr 6 We haven't been able to break down a max defense for years. One technique which is sadly missing is to for balls to be shot in at hip height. These are extremely difficult for defenders to deal with and would give us the opportunity to score an opportunistic goal.
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Whatsforpud added 17:15 - Apr 6 On a point of order, Nick, the clawing save by Howard was not 'the only save of the game'. He also made a very good save from a swerving shot from Ward-Prowse.
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DPeps added 19:20 - Apr 6 Ronrulesok has got it right: Everton are very good and their current league position is probably down to them focusing on Europa league. The problem is not Pelle but the lack of other out-and-out strikers and our attacking midfield not stepping up to the plate. Of course we'd all love it (just love it) if we could finish above Spurs and Liverpool, but ask me at the start of the season and I'd have said finishing above Villa would've been a good season. Expectations change, of course, but no need to start getting on the players' backs for perceived underachievement.

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SonicBoom added 20:28 - Apr 6 I think that we need to look at tactics. We control so many games but we have so little threat. Nick said things in this report that others have been saying for weeks. I know he tries to be reasonable and avoid the usual knee jerk reactions but this lack of penetration has been evident for some time and will ultimately define our season. We have Jwp, Elia, Djuricic, Long, Davis, Tadic plus two attacking wing backs, and we still can't register shots on target. Does that suggest that those players are incapable, or that perhaps there is something wrong with our tactics?

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ExiledSupporter added 20:56 - Apr 6 As a general comment to all the above views, we haven't had a high calibre No. 10 for years. I have successively thought that Ramirez or Tadic would provide these talents, but the former has consistently been inconsistent while Tadic started like a house on fire but has faded disasterously. I would like to think Ward-Prowse is the solution but still no first team goals and some frankly average deadball kicks (despite a reputation gathered from somewhere as a good striker of the ball) makes me feel that we do not clearly have the solution in our ranks. So back to the market again. I wonder also whether we should consider letting MS go this summer, stalwart player that I think he is for us, perhaps altering the formation to a 4-1-3-2 might give us a bit more attacking threat next season (especially if JR can play alongside Pelle) Final comment, while I would love to finish as high as possible, I rather think that finishing seventh might be a good strategy for next season, I don't think we have the depth to compete in the lesser European competition with all the pressures, tiredness and fixture congestion inevitably arising and the damage it might do to our performance/prospects for so little real gain.

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BuenosSaint added 21:24 - Apr 6 I know its the hope that kills..... But..... not over just yet for CL. Man C have to lose 2 more and we win 2. Match their results otherwise and within 3 points on the final day..... where we take their 4th position at the Etihad..... Of course we will catch the 1 pt from Spurs / Liverpool too.
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A1079 added 21:47 - Apr 6 Nick, I don't know where you were sitting/standing on Saturday but hand on heart, I can honestly say, that from where I was (lower Bullens, at the back with an awful view) all I heard was unstinting support for Pelle, right until the end, even when it was patently obvious we were not going to score in a month of sundays. You are right, if there was abuse, it serves no useful purpose, and whilst his scoring rate is woeful, he is not alone and as Sonicboom and one or two others have pointed out, defence wise we have been great this season but scoring goals has been a problem, with one or two exceptions. In respect of Saturday and other games since the new year. Loads of possession with no cutting edge. It is frustrating but more so on Saturday as I saw no sense of urgency, no desire, just sideways passing and tippy tappy football going nowhere. In fact we have become boring and sterile to watch. £100 I spent on Saturday, over £500 in recent games and can I honestly say I or my son have been entertained, the short answer is No. I don't expect to win, I just want us to try and win and I am not sure we are even trying anymore. The copper standing behind me said, it is like an end of season game. He was right. That was 2 poor sides on Saturday. Jagielka and Stone apart, Everton were awful. Our best chance to beat them and yet we have lost points to too many poor sides in the 2nd half of the season. Is schneiderlin playing for us anymore? Does he want us to win? Why on Saturday did we not push up on their defenders, like we did the first half of the season? How come all our corners come to nothing and barely beat the first man? The same with our crosses into the box. Why do we persist with the same tactics if they are not working? Our recent performances are all too reticent of our end of season last year. Hull on Saturday. On paper winnable, but Hull will be fighting for their lives and will park the bus because each point will count to them, so will we have the guile to change tactics to overcome that? I have said it before, what we have done this season has exceeded so much more than I and most of us expected, but that is no excuse for not levelling criticism when clearly it is due. That is not bedwetting it is a recognition that when we did well, we were right to applaud them, but there have been too many games recently which simply have not been value for money and constructive criticism is valid, not abuse. The support on Saturday was great as it has been. Witness Everton support, which was like their team - supine. Koeman has got a lot right this season but recently either he has got the tactics wrong, or some players are not up to it, or some players are simply not bothered any more - or may be it is a combination of all those factors.

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montecristo added 05:16 - Apr 7 I have always felt that Saints should not play two holding players in midfield, yes it guarantees a large slice of posession but does nothing for creativity. We should have bought a midfield dynamo to boss midfield and open up defences we have a couple of youngster who might fulfill that role in years to come Koeman had a look at them and then stopped picking them although injuries played a part. I miss Lambert who is twice the player that Pelle is, and a real character.Saints need to find a goal scorer for next season if we are to make an impact and that will cost some money perhaps that is what the owners new loan is for??

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simmo400 added 07:01 - Apr 7 I dont think RK knows his best front line. Mane not starting is a joke in my opinion, hes far and away our best bet for a goal. He should be our NO. 1 centre forward till the ens of the season. Pelle or Long can partner him. Elira is a waste of a position in the team. Tacic although not great should start in front of him every game.
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BusterCornelius added 08:57 - Apr 7 Nick, you are going way over the top here. I didn't hear much in the way of stick for Pelle, apart from the odd groan. However, I know why you've highlighted it. I was with the group of blokes behind you. I didn't notice you until you turned round to my mate to shout 'shut your f###### mouth you fat c###. We jumped in to defend our mate. This was in injury time after 90 minutes of constant support. Ironically, I didn't agree with my mate, but I'm not having another saints fan have a go at him like that. Perhaps frustration got the better of both of you.

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