'Even their biggest fan would admit' - media on defeat as Everton tactic 'belongs to another age'

Everton's five-game unbeaten run came to a sudden halt on Saturday when they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton at St Mary's. It was a first Premier League victory since March 2023 for the hosts and sucked the momentum from a Toffees side that felt as though it had turned a corner in recent weeks.

Beto missed a big chance before Adam Armstrong went up the other end and struck the winner with just minutes left on the clock. There was still time for Beto to put the ball in the back of the net, before a long VAR review saw the striker's effort ruled out for a narrow offside.

But what did the national media make of a day of frustration for Sean Dyche's side? Here are the views of the national journalists, as well as our very own Joe Thomas.

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Ed Aarons, writing in The Guardian, says there was little quality on show from either side in what was a frustrating afternoon for Sean Dyche.

"Southampton’s Serbian owner made a rare appearance here and had watched his team once again flatter to deceive until the game’s decisive moment arrived five minutes before full time. Everton substitute Beto had seen his header cannon off the crossbar before Southampton broke downfield and Adam Armstrong swept in Yuki Sugawara’s cross to send the home supporters into raptures.

"For Sean Dyche, it was a frustrating afternoon after Southampton’s Jan Bednarek survived a VAR check when he brought down Beto and VAR decided against overturning referee Andy Madley’s decision to show only a yellow card.

"Other than the energetic Idrissa Gueye – who was easy to spot because he was sporting white leggings on a mild autumnal day on the south coast – there was not much quality on display from either side."

Meanwhile, in The Telegraph, Nick Szczepanik labels Everton 'curiously unambitious' for their approach to the game.

"Everton made the better chances, hitting the bar through substitute Beto – before the hosts broke away to score – and forcing Aaron Ramsdale into a number of good saves. But they were curiously unambitious for long stretches against a team with only one previous point to its name, and they were lucky to finish the first half with 11 players after a reckless challenge by James Tarkowski on Cameron Archer.

Joe Bernstein, of The Daily Mail, says Southampton were slightly fortuitous to emerge with all three points.

"They’ll have to rethink the old cliche that luck always goes against teams at the bottom. Southampton greeted their first Premier League win of the season with the enthusiasm of a trophy lift but even their biggest fan would admit fortune favoured them. Adam Armstrong’s late winner occurred just 25 seconds after Everton substitute Beto had hit the crossbar from a few yards. And when Beto did slot home in the final minute, a long VAR check decided he’d been a toe offside."

And in The Times, Nick Szczepanik is back again to label Everton's tactics "from another age".

"Southampton were the more adventurous and creative throughout. When Martin’s high-risk, high-reward game comes off it is very good to watch indeed. Everton mostly looked pedestrian by comparison. Their opening gambit, a long, high ball down the middle, seemed to belong to another age, as did a reckless late challenge by James Tarkowski on Cameron Archer for which he was lucky not to see red."

And in the ECHO's match verdict, Joe Thomas says Dyche has lessons to learn from the demoralising defeat.

"It could so very easily have been so different - Everton would have made it six unbeaten had it not been for those superb saves, the millimetres that separated Beto from the last man, leading to his wonderfully taken equaliser being ruled out for offside, or perhaps the yellow card for Jan Bednarek at 0-0 that Dyche believes should have been red when the Blues striker burst beyond him and towards goal.

"But if Dyche happened to leave St Mary’s feeling as though it was just bad luck, or hair-breadth judgement calls that ended Everton’s unbeaten streak, that would be wrong. This was an almighty missed opportunity for his side. It was also a missed opportunity for him.

"Seven days earlier, Everton got out of jail. After being toyed with for 90 minutes by a Fulham side that was too organised, too intelligent and too strong, the Blues’ resilience - an impressive attribute that Dyche deserves credit for driving into his players - broke through in stoppage time and Beto turned a bad performance into a useful point.

"That was a game that offered lessons that were not heeded in the seven days that followed, however."