Everton’s win-less run extended into an 11th game as they were beaten by Watford for the first time in almost 30 years.

The visitors took an early lead at Vicarage Road courtesy of Romelu Lukaku but Stefano Okaka brought an end to the Blues’ advantage 19 minutes later.

Sebastian Prodl powered the Hornets ahead after the interval before Okaka last struck again to extend the hosts’ upper hand to a two-goal cushion.

Lukaku attempted to redress the balance with a close-range finish with just five minutes remaining but Ronald Koeman’s side could not push for an equaliser.

Here were the key talking points from Vicarage Road…

No more excuses for Koeman

 

He has hidden behind mitigation for the majority of his fledgling Everton reign, but this is where Ronald Koeman’s excuses finally ran out.

The Dutchman was promised to be an upgrade on Roberto Martinez but contrast his current record with that of his predecessor and the latter comes up marginally smelling of roses.

Koeman believes that Europa League qualification is a viable aim this season but one win from 11 games is form more befitting of the opposing end of the Premier League table.

Explaining away his side’s abject and meek performances with promises that they will be rectified in the January transfer window will no longer wash with Blues fans.

Lukaku still going it alone

 

Another of Koeman’s grand claims was that the burden placed on Romelu Lukaku would be eased by Everton’s supporting cast.

Yannick Bolasie was identified as an alternative source of goals to the Belgian but with his season ended, the coveted striker is being forced to go it alone again.

Those around Lukaku are not capable of stepping up and those who are, namely Ross Barkley, have been restricted to minimal opportunities under Koeman.

A brace at Vicarage Road saw him extend his record for the Premier League campaign to nine goals – 47 per cent of the club’s current overall tally.

Everton’s hierarchy may have tried to keep suitors at bay but Lukaku won’t be swayed by the promise of a brighter tomorrow for much longer on this evidence.

Expect a nightmare before Christmas

 

With an unenviable run of fixtures which includes Arsenal and Liverpool in the next 10 days, Evertonians will want Christmas to arrive far quicker this year.

Watford’s win-less record against the blue half of Merseyside stretched back to March 1987 and should have made for a confidence booster ahead of the run-in.

Instead the ‘Z-Cars derby’ served as a warning of the potential nightmare ahead.

Both Everton’s local rivals and the Gunners will have a field day against a defence which appears incapable of heeding its previous mistakes against opponents.

Take Sebastian Prodl, who was able to breach Koeman’s back line to head just over. He made no mistake when history repeated itself later in the game.

There is unlikely to be much festive cheer around Goodison Park this month.

A true Nil Satis showing

 

Everton’s Latin motto – Nothing but the best is good enough – is supposed to be its standard.

That mantra has been taken in half-measure in recent years and the defeat to Walter Mazzarri’s inconsistent side was the latest case in point.

Picking a man of the match contender in a royal blue shirt was a thankless and near-impossible task – no one truly rose from the doldrums in this showing.

Koeman will carry the can for the toothless performances as much as the players who continue to live up to the ‘nil satis’ billing. Optimum remains in short supply.