Ben Crawford - Bore draw
Usually, a 0-0 draw against a promoted side would be seen as two points dropped but given Everton’s struggles on the road over the last 12 months Saturday’s result is not the end of the world.
The Blues’ solid and structured defence was once again the difference as the usual suspects of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski were as solid as expected but it was the performance of Vitalii Mykolenko at full-back which really caught the eye.
The Ukrainian has so far flattered to deceive in terms of his attacking influence on matches, but his defensive contributions have been more than satisfactory. A point well proven by his man of the match display at Craven Cottage.
READ MORE: James Tarkowski has already told Everton how they can make a big improvement
Everton fans will still have reason to demand more from Mykolenko, especially when Everton’s back-room staff boasts two former England international left-backs in Leighton Baines and Ashley Cole.
If he can add more penetrative attacking output to his game to compliment his solid defending then Everton may have a complete full-back to boast.
Jordan Pickford was again exceptional against Fulham which cannot go without special mention, but again the dreaded VAR debate within the Premier League rages on.
How Alexander Mitrovic stayed on the pitch after his 'yellow card' offence left me dumbfounded. Should the correct call have been made and Everton had the majority of the match to play vs ten men then the solitary point gained could have conceivably turned into three.
Paul McParlan - Glass half full, glass half empty
There was a wide spectrum of reactions to Everton’s draw at Fulham on Saturday. Some praised the defensive resilience of the Blues whilst others berated the apparent lack of creativity.
Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between. This was always going to be a challenging game for Frank Lampard’s side. Fulham had scored 13 goals in six league games at Craven Cottage so far and the free scoring Aleksandar Mitrovic posed a serious threat.
In addition, their manager Marco Silva was desperate to get one over on the club which sacked him. Once again, Everton’s defence stood up to the test. Conor Coady and James Tarkowski led by example and Jordan Pickford showed why he is Everton’s number one with a string of match winning saves.
Although Everton offered little attacking threat, especially in the second-half, it was a point well earned. It was their second consecutive clean sheet, a feat not achieved since May 2021 and they became the first side to stop Fulham from scoring at their home ground this season .
Perhaps, Lampard could have been bolder and gone for the win, but the result is still another point gained. Staying clear of the bottom three is a priority before the World Cup break and if Everton can remain comfortably safe in mid table that would be a clear sign of progress after the trauma of the previous season.
And perhaps after the restart Everton can start turning these draws into wins?
Tony Scott - Everton lose them types of fixtures last season
A point on the road is a decent result in any Premier League match so Evertonians can't be too down about a draw at Fulham last weekend.
On the coach home I was a bit down about how mad we are in the final third but if you can't win games, don't lose them, and that seems to be the approach from Frank Lampard this season with points away at Leeds United and Brentford, respectfully.
This season Lampard's Everton are more resilient and show character when needed and it's shown. Everton lose those types of fixtures last season. They turn into better results if Everton can continue to make Goodison Park a fortress like they have been over the past 12 months.
Leicester City are the visitors at the Grand Old Lady on Saturday night. This is our last fixture at Goodison Park before the World Cup break. Again we must make it count. It's glaringly obvious that Anthony Gordon and Demarai Gray are struggling for form but how long can we wait for them to turn it back around?
Thankfully there's not many games left until Kevin Thelwell and Frank Lampard can meet up again to improve in that department in January. Until then it's about getting as many points as possible.
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