Season › 2012-13 › News

Friendly with Bulgarians ends even

Lyndon Lloyd , 2 August, 38comments  |  Jump to most recent
Everton 1 - 1 Ludogorets Razgrad
Everton played out a 1 - 1 draw with Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad in a behind-closed-doors friendly this afternoon, arranged to boost squad fitness after the cancelation of the trip to Indonesia. Leighton Baines's penalty had the Blues 1 - 0 up after Victor Anichebe had been felled in the box, before Marcelino leveled in the second half. Referee Chris Foy, who can't usually officiate Everton games because of his Blue leanings, disallowed goals for both sides.

The game gave pre-season playing time to a number of first-teamers, like Baines, Nikica Jelavic, Phil Neville, Marouane Fellaini, Seamus Coleman, Darron Gibson, Steven Pienaar, Tim Howard and Steven Naismith.

Quotes or other material sourced from Novonite

Reader Comments (38)

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Glen Anderson
1 Posted 02/08/2012 at 16:33:03
EFC goal scored by a Baines penalty. That man is our single most important player and must not be sold.
Chris James
2 Posted 02/08/2012 at 16:34:43
Any other information about the game? Who played where, etc?
James Stewart
3 Posted 02/08/2012 at 16:38:38
One of our biggest goal threats and main source of creativity, our left back.
Mark Riding
4 Posted 02/08/2012 at 16:55:24
Why behind closed doors? Especially during the school holidays... an easy day out for a family and the chance to sell a few shirts?
Mark Riding
6 Posted 02/08/2012 at 17:10:04
No need for full staffing / stewarding etc... just open up the Park End? May even persuade those just thinking of getting a season ticket for a child to actually buy one. I shouldn't be surprised anymore.
Tony Pickering
8 Posted 02/08/2012 at 17:38:08
Think they already cooked the Golden Goose Mike. Think it was called Kings Dock.
Phil Sammon
10 Posted 02/08/2012 at 18:58:39
They can't just hold an impromptu football match and sell thousands of tickets on a few days notice. Isn't that obvious?
Si Cooper
12 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:08:22
Would expect these things have to be sorted with police well in advance, apart from the logistics of producing tickets and bringing in the match-day staff on short notice.

Run out for the players; would be a bonus to know if the players looked sharp.

Nice that Chris Foy got to referee at Goodison.

Andy Crooks
13 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:08:59
Phil, why not arrange an impromptu match and let people in free? Anti- Everton is turning a blind eye to the ineptitude that seeps through the club.
Si Cooper
14 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:17:13
Andy - Could easily get a few trouble-makers in if you just fling the doors open like that. Only need one toe-rag to do something stupid / malicious and the club would be in deep trouble.

In an ideal world your suggestion would have had a lot going for it, but.....

Shane Corcoran
15 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:20:43
Well from the video of their goal neither Coleman nor Heitinga looked too sharp. Should be ready for the second half of the season recovery though :-)
Andy Crooks
16 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:25:47
I hadn't thought of that,Si. Fair point.
Mark Riding
17 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:18:31
Phil, the fact that the opposition was from Bulgaria would have suggested that a little notice would have been given. I wasn't suggesting printing tickets, more like, free entry? A donation to the Everton charity into a box at the gate? Anything is better than nothing.

The club use text messages, emails etc at every opportunity.. Even if the local radio put out a message that kids and season ticket holders could get into Goodison for free would have created a bit of interest. Yep, Interest! We moan that Liverpool have this huge fanbase from outside the city, why can't we look after and give a bit of enjoyment to our local fans is hard to fathom.
Mark Riding
18 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:35:27
Si, a good point. Maybe we could have got Yobo to work as a steward? Earn his £40k a week?

Tony Bellew, Duncan Ferguson, Davie Weir stopping any pitch invaders?
Ben Jones
19 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:38:40
Does anyone know what the starting 11 was?
Si Cooper
20 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:37:21
Mark, truly think the local police would have been the sticking point on this one. A lot of them may be in London providing cover for the Olympics so they probably can't be too flexible at the moment.

Loved the 'Yak / sniper's target' comment on the Hibbo thread, by the way.

Mark Riding
21 Posted 02/08/2012 at 19:52:58
Si, I couldn't resist that one, but I felt bad about it. A cheap shot, as I worked with his brother Semo last year (he is a pharmacist) and we often talked about his brother and especially his injury. Yak's injury was a shocker, a really bad one. He did get fit again, but from what I heard it wasn't enough...
Si Cooper
22 Posted 02/08/2012 at 20:07:05
Mark, it wouldn't have been funny if I had thought there was any real spite in it. Took it as a bit of a mickey take and it made me laugh!
Ian Glassey
23 Posted 02/08/2012 at 20:09:29
Watching the video of the goals it looked like Vic on the right wing, Jags and Distin
centrebacks and Naismith behind Jelly....
Patrick Pulis
24 Posted 02/08/2012 at 20:21:15
For the video during the Hungarian sides goal, there is a number 42 at the top of the screen playing for us. On the OS I can't find anyone with that number, anyone know who that is?
Chris James
25 Posted 02/08/2012 at 20:23:24
Highlights are in a bit of a small window and it's odd situation, but I thought Naismith looked pretty dangerous pushing forward and linking well with Jelavic for a couple of chances. Looking forward to Blackpool.
Mark Riding
26 Posted 02/08/2012 at 20:34:41
Thanks for the link, after searching the official site for footage.. again.. not surprised. Cameras there but not shown live ? Even for us mugs who paid for the pre-season package.. anyway I digress..
I just love watching Jelavic.. one touch.. shot.. everytime. Total predator ! ( as someone on another thread called him)
Naismith seemed to find a lot of space.. may have something there.
John Crook
27 Posted 02/08/2012 at 21:11:55
What is the link for the highlights?
Peter Mills
28 Posted 02/08/2012 at 22:19:59
We looked a bit vulnerable to a through ball down the middle.
Peter Laing
29 Posted 02/08/2012 at 23:10:57
Naismith looked sharp with some good link up play and through balls to Jelly, looks promising
Kase Chow
30 Posted 02/08/2012 at 23:53:22
Our defence looks so leaky as per the majority of last season. Hence we'll have to score at least 2 goals per game to win

*sigh*

James Martin
31 Posted 03/08/2012 at 00:28:19
Kase didn't we have the third best defensive record in the league? I agree though that Jagielka and Distin whenever together look dodgy, Heitinga with either of the other two seem to be better partnerships.
Mick Davies
32 Posted 03/08/2012 at 02:13:20
Same old: 11 players in our own box at a set piece. It's like schoolboy football, we've got some really class players but no one is coaching them by the look of it and it takes until January before they work it all out between themselves. Round out and Irvine back in, at least we looked a lot less clueless with him coaching the side
Jem Traynor
33 Posted 03/08/2012 at 05:55:42
Mick, I'm with you on the 'Round' question.

I thought we looked a well better side with Irvine as the second in charge. Whether that was down to him being more hands on with the team in training or the fact that he was always on the touchline belting out orders or at least when needed, I'm not sure... but the team were better drilled if memory serves me correctly. And I don't fancy having to watch the annual catch-up saga like the rest of us!
Jem Traynor
34 Posted 03/08/2012 at 06:57:05
By the way, thanks for the link to the highlights.
Who was wearing 42?
Peter Thistle
35 Posted 03/08/2012 at 07:28:30
YouTube the highlights. The link below this post seems to have the vids removed.

Unless the first team gel real quick (unlikely), it's gonna be another slow start. Horrible pre-season, especially as we have played reserves for most games. How is that going to get Jelly, Baines, Felly, Naisy, Pienaar etc sharp for the season?

Amazes me how each year the preperation is amatuer.

Ryan Holroyd
36 Posted 03/08/2012 at 08:27:00
This "11 men behind the ball at pieces" clap-trap that people go on about. I've seen both Spain and Barcelona do it, so there must be some merit in it.
Chris James
37 Posted 03/08/2012 at 08:53:15
@Patrick 520
42 was Anton Forrester, reserve player.
Chris Davies
38 Posted 03/08/2012 at 08:49:12
Praying Moyes doesn't go with Jags/Distin partnership for the real shindig. Totally agree with James Martin. Dodgy, dodgy, dodgy otherwise.
Paul Gladwell
39 Posted 03/08/2012 at 13:25:50
Nevermind everyone back for a corner, where`s the new blue gravel again?.................gang of fecking cheapskates I tell ye.
Rhys Owen
40 Posted 03/08/2012 at 18:31:43
Naismith looking good setting quite a few up there, with Jelavic getting one saved off the line and a few good shots, looking forward to the next!
Peter Thistle
41 Posted 03/08/2012 at 18:58:37
Man Utd will be playing Barcelona next week, makes our pre-season look a joke. We have no chance of a good start.... again.
Nick Armitage
42 Posted 05/08/2012 at 11:48:50
Very susceptible to simple balls down the channels and over the top, as we always are when Jagielka plays.

Looked very very dodgy at the back, as we always do when Jagielka plays.

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