After a difficult-to-explain Tottenham Hotspur Premier League encounter, the blue world of Everton FC is somewhere between ‘it’s a disaster and replace everybody’ versus ‘the better team didn’t win’ debate. The all too brief home stadium successes dismantled in ninety Sunday afternoon minutes that were both hard to understand and also obviously Everton FC.
Apart from losing 0-3, Everton did pretty well.
On certain important metrics, including the eyeball test, Everton were superior. Possession statistics were dominant, shots at goal, shots near goal, goalkeeper activity, and the general passages of play were all Everton. However, the flash point moments that decided the game outside of the general middle phases of football all fell to Tottenham.
Everton missed their goal-scoring chances. Beto didn’t convert a 3rd minute miss kick, a chance that was cut and pasted from last time, and sadly will be repeated next time. Jack Grealish on the follow-up shot, hitting scrambling bodies rather than the net. Goalkeeper wonder moments and referee wonder moments all detracted from the Everton efforts. But perhaps flawed Everton efforts.
Blemished Tactical Game Model
Attractive and decent enough, Everton's build-up play through midfield was massively undermined by embarrassing finishing at one end and unforgivable defending at the other end. Serviceable in the soft parts, blunt at the sharp ends.
The slow, predictable build-up play seems contemporary, modern, and sophisticated. The way Everton do possession football is ineffective and eminently defensible. The low-risk, no-risk ponderous ball circulation isn’t unbalancing any opposition defensive structure. Grealish is reverting back to his frustrating past; talented and skillful, but with no productivity, just an expensive counterfeit threat.
Each 45-minute Grealish should be performance-related-paid to meet certain criteria. Shoot 3 times, cross early 4 times, and drive to the endline for a cutback 5 times. Mandatory. Hit these objectives or don’t bother. Every eight touches and a dribble infield should be sanctioned. Iliman Ndiaye should be mandated to meet the same requirements on the other side.
From this greater-known threat, there is greater potential to teach the misfiring no.9s where to be and how to be there. Whatever Everton are doing right now, it isn’t working.
Moyes Substitution Patterns
Is it also beyond possible to swap the no.7 & no.11 around every now and again?
Maybe try Grealish on the right. Or maybe sample Ndiaye on the left again, he was kind of okay there last season, remember. Perhaps a fifteen-minute experiment to see if the alchemy of the game might improve.
Or perhaps Grealish in the no.10 central playmaker role, maybe encourage Tyler Dibling on for a few minutes, maybe Carlos Alcaraz being recognized for his talents a bit longer, maybe Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall at left back with an attacking left foot, or maybe KDH starting deeper in a classic no.8 box-to-box midfield role, or maybe Merlin Röhl, or maybe two strikers. Or just maybe something different from this.
The options are exhausting. And yet we have exhausted almost none of them. Same team, same bizarre random substitution patterns, same outcome. If nothing changes, then nothing is going to change.
But to come full circle, Everton were the better team. And the better team didn’t win. Why?
Set Piece/Corner Kick Defending vs Corner Kick Attacking
Defending corner kicks should be your staple, the first tool in your toolbox, especially with the group of old-school defenders that we have. Everton failed twice at this essential task. Poor preparation, poor individual accountability, and poor goalkeeping. Times two. Can’t happen, mustn’t happen. Did happen.
Attacking corner kicks should be your staple, the first tool in your toolbox, especially with the group of old school defenders repurposed as set-piece attackers that we have. Everton failed multiple times at this essential task. Poor preparation, poor individual accountability, and poor ball delivery.Times nine. Can’t happen, mustn’t happen. Did happen.
When Did Cheating Become Refereeing?
Sure, the game day officiating was obnoxious. Everton scored a legitimate goal; 1-1 is dramatically different from 0-2. Premier League referee’s decision yesterday is oddly now different from Everton’s referee decision today. The thieves don’t even try to hide it anymore.
Van De Ven straight-arming Pickford for the second goal was overlooked while Ndiaye was passively standing on a football field and was deemed to be interfering with the Tottenham goalkeeper. Minutes were invested by VAR to ensure no Everton goal was scored.
But then also, Idrissa Gana Gueye’s being tipped over in the box was never discussed; a 73rd-minute penalty kick would have been more than a reward with the scoreboard against Everton. Nothing was ever mentioned for a certain foul.
One goal off them, plus two goals for Everton. With the addition of the two minutes wasted time per throw-in, this surely gives Everton the corrected win.
Everton didn’t lose because of the referee. Everton lost far more because of Everton. The referee just made sure it was as difficult as possible.
What Next?
It’s up for debate who was most to blame for a terrible outcome. There are many candidates. Whoever’s fault it is the peril remains the same.
Everton don’t win. Everton can’t win. Everton can’t win like this anyway.
Newly promoted Sunderland FC away on Monday night is a certain victory and 3 points for a well-established Premier League giant like Everton.
4th -v-14th. Nothing is certain at all.