Goalless pre-season friendly shows immense improvement needed all over

Bolton Wanderers 0 - 0 Everton

Everton continue their pre-season runouts with a short trip into the heart of Lancashire and the home of Bolton Wanderers.

David Moyes continues to be hampered by circumstances and squad limitations while his recruitment team have come up with very little so far to boost his numbers. 

Jarrad Branthwaite (wearing Number 4) makes a massive return to fitness and is named in the starting lineup, but solitary new signing Hayden Hackney is still not involved. Also missing is Tyler Dibling, with a minor knock. Both young players are expected to feature against Stoke City on Tuesday.

James Garner has had surgery on his groin problem and is now in recovery, but Mykolenko rejoins the squad after taking off last week for the birth of his second child. George Pickford (no relation) from the U21s is the third goalkeeper named after Travers and King.  

First Half

The home side kicked off and most of the play was in Everton's half until O'Brien sent a ball forward for Barry to chase. The Bolton keeper came out and mis-headed it, colliding with Barry, who was deemed to have committed the foul. 

Everton should have had a corner with Merlin Rohl overlapping but the linesman missed the Bolton player's last touch. Bolton resumed control of the game in Everton's half and Rodriguez tried to beat Travers from the corner of the penalty area, the Blues' reserve keeper pulling off an excellent acrobatic save to tip the shot over his bar. 

Everton came forward and Aznou played a lovely ball to Barry's feet but he completely failed to shoot first time and the defender was in quickly.

Barry's cross was headed behind for an Everton corner, taken short, the cross earning another corner but Everton's feeble efforts were easily repelled. 

Iroegbunam was doing a good job as stopper, while the homer referee was happy to ignore Bolton fouls. A Bolton header fell just wide with Travers tracking it. 

McNeil took a great pass from Tarkowski and delivered a perfect cross for Barry who headed inches wide of the far post. A brilliant first-time low cross from Merlin Rohl was finished perfectly by Barry close in but he was flagged for a marginal offside. 

Bolton got in behind Aznou and he recovered well to put the striker off his shot. At the other end, Aznou and Barry worked an opening but could not deliver a decent cross. 

Barry played a nice ball forward to Armstrong who then set him up for a strike on goal but the big man failed to put his laces through it and could only pass the ball weakly back to the keeper.

Not really a very impressive display but Everton started playing forward a bit more before the break. But the lack of incisive goalscoring skills either up front or in midfield is glaringly obvious.

Second Half

A simply bizarre piece of play by Barry in an advanced position, only one defender ahead of him, and without looking, instead of shooting, he passes the ball to his left, where the ghost of Alan Ball was overlapping behind him, and straight out of play!  Simply astounding to watch!

A good Bolton headed effort forced a fine save from King, on in place of Travers, with Keane doing a job on the striker. 

Barry was so easily dispossessed in midfield... just shocking. Moyes had at least noticed and was quick to put Beto on in his place. 

McNeil worked the ball to Merlin Rohl who fired across the keeper, but it was parried away. George and Dewsbury-Hall worked it well on the left but the cross evaded everyone. 

Time for a few Bolton changes on the hour mark. 

A nice ball over the top looked to have landed nicely for Beto but he seemed befuddled by the bounce and proceeded to welly it well high and wide. Shockingly poor.  

Bolton won a corner with a shot that King had to parry behind. Dewsbury-Hall was cynically pulled back by the shirt: yellow card. 

McNeil thought he would show them how to shoot... but no, his effort was just as poor as everyone else's. Bolton pressed forward as result, winning a corner off Keane. 

George tried a bold cross-field pass to McNeil that flew past him and straight out of play before Bolton rang a slew of changes. 

Graham won a free-kick wide left, but nothing came from it. Dewsbury-Hall then crossing over everyone. More Bolton changes further broke up play.

George paltyed a beautiful ball in for Beto who just stumbled and bumbled and lost the ball! Even more shocking play from the highly paid Everton strikers! It really is pitiful.

A George free-kick was headed back by Tarkowski but Keane completely misdirected his header, nowhere near goal. Three more Everton subs made with 10 minutes left.  

Bolton put on a good move that needed Mykolenko to intervene on the stretch, at the expense of a corner that was cleared. 

From a long way out Malik Olayiwola took a great shot at goal, but too close to the keeper. A ball down the middle for Bolton was fired into the side netting. 

And that was that. A good workout, perhaps, but it clearly showed an immense amont of work and improvement required... or a lot of new faces required. 

Everton Line-Up:

Everton: Travers (46' King), Aznou (46' Mykolenko), Branthwaite (46' Keane), Tarkowski (82' Finney), O’Brien (82' Campbell), Röhl (73' Foster), Armstrong (46' Dewsbury-Hall), Iroegbunam (73' Graham), Alcaraz (46' George), McNeil (82' Olayiwola), Barry (53' Beto).  

Subs not Used: G Pickford, Tamen.

 

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