Everton may not have played overtly poorly against Aston Villa, but to throw away another two-goal lead means there must have been a few disappointing performances throughout the match.
And, as is often the case for Sean Dyche of late, these deficiencies and dog legs from within the squad really killed them in key areas, particularly in midfield.
After all, their inability to keep ahold of the ball, even in brief spells, left them constantly open to wave after wave of attack.
The same occurred against AFC Bournemouth, where they had dominated beforehand before tired legs gave way to a historic collapse.
It’s so frustrating to watch the inevitable unfold before our very eyes, but arguably of all those who disappointed most at Villa Park, and thus deserving to drop out of the starting lineup at Leicester City, Idrissa Gana Gueye stood out.
How did Idrissa Gana Gueye play vs Aston Villa?
The Senegal international has been a hugely dependable stalwart across two successful spells on Merseyside, but at 34 years old, he is not quite as relentless as he once was.
And yet, he is still being heavily relied upon alongside many other elder veterans within the first team, with Gueye averaging 83 minutes per game in the Premier League this season.
On Saturday, the former Paris Saint-Germain enforcer only played 64 minutes, but was woefully out of the loop from minute one.
To perfectly outline his anonymity, he only managed 20 touches all game, completing a desperately small eight passes, via Sofascore.
This would be more forgivable were he a success defensively, but even in this area he lacked.
He won just two of the seven duels he competed in at a 28% success rate, committing two fouls, losing possession three times and being dribbled past once as well.
It was really tough to watch, yet Orel Mangala hardly fared much better.
Who could replace Idrissa Gana Gueye in the Everton midfield?
And yet, the Belgium international might actually represent the only alternative that Dyche has to replace him with for their next Premier League match at the King Power Stadium.
After all, with the lack of options at right-back, and Vitaliy Mykolenko having been subbed off early vs Villa as well, there’s every chance that James Garner might be drafted in to play at right-back in the coming weeks whilst Young starts on the opposite flank.
Tim Iroegbunam has impressed early on, but has also shown a few glaring deficiencies that were natural to come with his youth and inexperience.
Other than that, there are no real alternatives in the midfield, meaning Mangala might have to be afforded a start on Tuesday in the EFL Cup, using that as a trial shift to see if he seems ready enough for a Premier League return.
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