What a truly dreadful afternoon at Villa Park as Everton slumped to a terrible 4-0 defeat in their second game of the new Premier League season.
After narrowly and arguably unluckily losing the opening match to Fulham last weekend, today the Toffees were totally outclassed and deservedly well beaten.
This afternoon’s debacle underlined all the problems that are bedevilling this Everton side and which simply have to be addressed urgently before this season is too far gone.
Calamatious defending and individual errors, a lack of attacking dynamism and creativity, no goals scored for the second week running, and more injury worries were all on display again today.
I really don’t know where this Blues team goes from here now without a massive injection of fresh talent both in attack and at the back. Some hope of that.
Sean Dyche had picked pretty much his best available side and as I had wanted, he started with Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front.
However, the injury-jinxed centre-forward lasted just over half an hour this time before a freak facial injury forced him off again. It is almost comical how ridiculously unlucky this team and it’s players are.
Alex Iwobi joined him leaving the pitch later to be replaced by Neal Maupay. He could be out for weeks along with Calvert-Lewin.
Meanwhile, as all this was going on, Villa were carving Everton open almost at will and they created chance after chance in a dominant performance.
Jordan Pickford saved a couple of other opportunities to keep the score down, although he did concede a penalty too.
Micheal Keane was again at fault for one of the hosts’s goals and I’m sick and tired of saying this but he cannot start another game for Everton, ever.
Jarrad Branthwaite or even Ben Godfrey must start the next match. Anyone but Keane.
The midfield also failed to perform anywhere near what can be expected of them as well and they were overun far too often.
Well, there is not a lot more I want to add after a debacle of that kind.
We are still waiting for any sign of a proven Premier League goalscorer and now with Calvert-Lewin again out for who knows how long, will this club finally get a move on and sort it out!