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LEICESTER ARE EVERYTHING EVERTON ARE NOT …

For long periods Everton were much the better team but, stop me if you've read this before, they lack the clinical ruthlessness their visitors possessed.

Leicester converted three promising breakaways into goals, while Everton could only turn more possession, more passes and plenty of promising approach play into one goal.

Claudio Ranieri was hugely complimentary afterwards. “Well done to Roberto, Everton is a great team,” he said.

But it's easy to be magnaninmous when you're top of the league and have just won away from home. Again.

Everton have gathered plaudits galore this season. Their passing, easy on the eye possession play is good to watch and – occasionally – devastating.

But successful teams have a balance. They can mix the pleasing stuff with some downright dirty and cynical tricks. Just like Leicester City.

Everton don't. They're sometimes do damned nice, or focused far too much on creating rather than destroying.

Then there's clean sheets. Or an alarming lack of them.

Just one clean sheet for Everton in their last 11 Premier League matches, against hopeless Aston Villa, is quite simply not good enough.

Claudio Ranieri joked afterwards “No pizza for my players today. No clean sheet.”

Everton's defenders would starve if they relied on clean sheets for food.

But that lack of ruthlessness at the back is costing them points and starving their ambitions of a European place this season.

IN PICS: Everton 2-3 Leicester

IN MODERN FOOTBALL GOALKEEPERS HAVE TO BE MORE THAN JUST SHOT-STOPPERS

The ability to repel point blank efforts is a goalkeeping gift, and an art not to be sniffed at. But in modern football it's simply not enough. Keepers have to be sure with their feet and accurate with their distribution, which Tim Howard is, and commanding in the air in their six yard box – which the American most definitely is not.

In one bizarre first half moment Howard tentatively came towards a wickedly curving cross, flapped his arms scissors style, then stopped. Everton escaped punishment on that occasion but the moment generated a frisson of uncertainty in the Blues defence. With two young centre-backs Everton need a decisive goalkeeper behind them.

Sadly the only decisiveness Howard shows is when he rushes from his line at a forward's feet – and not for the first time in his Everton career a headlong dash yielded a decisive penalty kick.

The cup tie season – and Joel Robles' handful of seasonal appearances – is upon us. But perhaps the time is now right for a longer run in the starting line up.

EVERTON DO NEED NEW FACES

Phil Jagielka's presence has been sorely missed at the back, but Roberto Martinez is adamant he has the numbers to cope

At present John Stones and Ramiro Funes Mori are his only central defensive options and while Stones is unflappable Mori impresses and worries in equal measure.

He conceded the first penalty kick – and was also a contributory factor in Tim Howard conceding a second. He is a promising centre-half but gives the impression that he would benefit from occasionally being pulled out of the firing line.

Perhaps defensive reinforcements are required more imminently than Martinez thinks.

Phil Jagielka is still a month away from full fitness, Tyias Browning has also undergone surgery – and Brendan Galloway has never played a Premier League match in the position he ultimately hopes to fill.

And the matches are about to start coming thick and fast.

ROMELU LUKAKU CAN'T DO ANY WRONG

There aren't many Evertonians old enough to remember the last time an Everton striker scored in eight successive matches. Dave Hickson did that when football was played in black and white, in 1954, in the old Second Division.

Lukaku matched the Cannonball Kid's feat even though he wasn't at his most dynamic best – and even though Tom Cleverley and Ross Barkley could have scored – twice – in the movement which yielded his goal. But when the ball was cleared off the Leicester line by Andy King it fell straight to the Belgian.

Sometimes when you're luck is in …

If only that good luck would rub off on some of the players at the opposite end of the pitch.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, BLAME THE REF

Everton's record in Jon Moss's last seven games in charge is now won one, drawn none, lost six, including defeats in all of his last four appearances at Goodison.

Moss did not have a good game.

He missed a clear handball by Marcus Albrighton in the build up to Leicester's match clinching third, spurned the chance to play two good advantage decisions in Everton's favour in the first half, while Tim Howard claimed that Jamie Vardy left a trailing leg to invite the decisive second penalty award.

It was all clearly the ref's fault then. And yes, I'm joking.