From My Seat: Swansea City (A)
A road trip for the faithful eyewitness who calls it like it was...
A trip to deepest South Wales and a journey that saw four seasons in four hours, weather-wise, for a game that would pit our present manager’s team against the team he built from the ground up. It would be full of emotion for him as today he had to plan their downfall; with two teams playing mirror-image styles, it was never going to be easy.The Blues saw two changes: Deulofeu and Osman out; McCarthy and Mirallas in. The Blue corner was packed with Blue Santas who soon showed they could sing as well as the Welsh choristers and we definitely had the edge in wit.
We won the toss and elected to play toward our end second half, a good move as it turned out. The start was quiet and box-to-box, the first chance of the match fell to Routledge whose shot, shall we say, was off target as it went out for a throw in! With the game lacking much excitement, the Swans fans launched into a song ‘Cardiff City is falling down’ obviously wallowing in that team's difficulties.
The 20-minute mark was reached with the Blues on top possession-wise but little else until Mirallas was put in on goal after a Swansea cock-up; however, he elected to shoot when a simple pass would have been less selfish... his shot came off the keeper and fell to Barkley who surged forward but the best he got was a corner that came to nought. Mirallas was not having the best of halves and when he gave the ball away near our 18-yard line, we did well to survive. Our crowd had been relatively quiet to that point but that incident upped the noise as they tried to lift the players.
We entered the last 15 minutes of the first period having lost some of our oomph and allowing Swansea a decent spell in which Bony fired over when well placed. With both teams matching each other in shape and style, it left the game with a lack of excitement and it seemed to frustrate us more than them; our passing got a bit loose and a Coleman ill-advised backheel attempt put us in trouble but we managed to get the ball out for a corner which was cleared. But then Distin made a mistake and when the ball came in Bony seemed to miss it altogether for another let-off.
At the other end, Pienaar took a rehearsed corner and found Oviedo on the angle of the box and his excellent cross just evaded the late arriving Jags and Distin at the back post. The returning McCarthy seemed off the pace first half and was caught in two minds too often; as the half ended, he backed off a Swansea mid-fielder too far and afforded him a free shot which thankfully was woeful.
Half-time: 0-0 and many thought we should have done better; many thought Deulofeu would be a big miss in an impact role. Plenty of Christmas cheer about though.
Second half and right away we gave away a free kick in a dangerous position which was well taken but we shuffled it clear. We then started to get to grips with things and this coincided with McCarthy getting into the game and starting to play like his normal self. He got Barkley in on 55 mins and Ross surged on goal with a distinct look of Zidane, he got to within 2 yards of the goal and fell over his own feet! Perhaps not Zidane-like just yet...
Next, Coleman burst from the right, passed two men but when in on goal, over-ran the ball... oohs and aahs were heard and we wondered: Would this be our day? We were well on top now and our crowd were in good voice, Allez-Allez- O struck up as the rain descended like stair rods.
On the hour Mirallas took a good corner and Distin headed up in the air but he was first to the ball again and headed forward for Barry to hook over the bar. We were really dominant now and all the songs you ever knew came out and none were louder than ‘we shall not be moved’ well maybe ‘we are gonna win the league’ rivalled it.
Next, on 65 mins, Barkley burst into life with another surging run past two defenders and a left-footed missile seemed destined for the top corner until the keeper got just enough touch on it to divert it onto the bar and over. Good save that! Coleman was a constant threat down the right and his pace, persistence and all round good dribbling left Swansea nerves a jingling and the play of Oviedo doing similar on the other flank, Kafu and Roberto Carlos came to mind. But still even with total domination we could not fashion that vital goal.
Lukaku looked lost but he wasn’t getting any real service and the way we were playing seemed as though we didn’t need an out-and-out striker as we tried to fashion chances from those running from deep and ignoring the out-and-out striker.
We continued pressing and gained a throw-in on our left which Oviedo took and the ball was shuffled smoothly into mid-field and McCarthy saw Coleman free on the right; he fed him the ball and Seamus set off at pace and – from some 25 yards – let fly... Now from my seat it was but a blur that moved and bulged the net – what a goal! Cue pandemonium and the sight of sprawling celebrating players and the frenzied dance of the Blue Santas.
Swansea came back strong and we had to soak up pressure for a while but then we got a break, Coleman was fed and as he crossed halfway, an almighty roar of ‘SHOOT’ went up... followed by ‘We are gonna win the league’ being roared out.
Swansea were now a different team and we were pushed back but we did seem to be dealing one way or another with their attacks... yet you just knew we needed to be careful. On around 70 mins, we were undone in unfortunate circumstances when a regulation cross that looked harmless came right across the box; from my seat, it looked as though someone slipped (Pienaar?), a shot ensued which deflected and left Howard stranded. 1-1 and silence in the ranks.
The game settled a little and Jags had a hopeful long-range effort go well wide but Swansea had got their tails up and were pushing us. Martinez made two subs: Naismith for Pienaar (who was limping) and Osman for Mirallas (who was ineffective).
Barkley showed his versatility by being asked to play the Pienaar role with Naismith going right and Osman in the hole. This change stemmed the flow and the game went more end to end as both teams had designs on winning. Swansea had the first chance and they got a player in on goal but he chipped softly into the arms of Howard.
The 85th min came around and the much improved McCarthy set of on a lung-busting run toward goal and was unceremoniously tumbled some 25 yards out. Free kick and a booking and I think that was the first yellow of the match. Lukaku and Barkley stood over it, it looked like Lukaku to take but no it was Barkley and the ball flew into the goal via the underside of the bar. An absolute gem of a free kick and the celebrations? Unbelievable. Many a Christmas present was delivered with that strike. How one small corner of the ground could celebrate like that in the prevailing weather conditions was remarkable. Only awayday Blues eh.
Swansea had nothing to lose now and just went for it. We repelled a few then Barkley gave a daft free kick away in a dangerous area... Breath was held, kick came in... and, after a bit of a melee, we headed clear – only for a following-up player to hammer it back and, but for a top-class save from Howard, we would have been undone.
The tension wasn’t over as Swansea again got the ball into the box and we were all delighted when their player mis-kicked right in front of goal, another let-off. "Has that clock stopped?" I wondered... then Barkley brought the ball out and was fouled. "Take yer time" was the yell – they did. Lukaku scored but it was disallowed and no-one cared as the whistle went. Players celebrated with fans, songs were sung. Hugs, hand- shakes and best wishes exchanged.
MotM – Coleman... Barkley the highlight of the match.
A good three points which puts us in a good position league-wise. I thought the game today lacked a little due, in the main, to similarity in style and set-up but none the less absorbing. Win away without hitting any heights is the mark of a team on the up and long may it continue.
With games now coming thick and fast, our medical team will be as vital as the players as our small squad needs to recover well in a short time for a few matches to come. When you look at teams around us, the difference stands out in quality squad numbers so we will end up pushing many of our key players more than managers like... so "Play up, the medics!" Do we have psychologists as well???
Sunderland Boxing day and we should be able to field a team fresh enough to win that one but nothing should be taken for granted. Sunderland are desperate for points.
All the best for Christmas and may 2014 be kind to you.
See you Boxing Day. I am bringing the mince pies, Big H is doing the pigs trotters and Tommy is getting them in as Buddy Holly sings "That’ll be the day"...
UP THE BLUES
Reader Comments (30)
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2 Posted 23/12/2013 at 01:56:34
I think that Romelu is tiring a bit now, maybe that's why Vellios was on the bench today? I wouldn't mind betting that Vellios will have a role to play in the coming few games. After all, we have no apparent need for an out and out striker. It's all about the attacking players, barring Howard, Distan and Jagielka, they are all attacking players.
COYB
3 Posted 23/12/2013 at 04:33:37
Great report as ever Ken. Happy Christmas Evertonians everywhere!
4 Posted 23/12/2013 at 06:09:34
5 Posted 23/12/2013 at 09:01:13
Well done, lads. COYB!
6 Posted 23/12/2013 at 08:40:33
I was in the posh seats yesterday, on the half-way line. The Everton end was something to behold, a fantastic turnout. The crowd we were amongst were mostly Jacks, including the dad of a pal of mine who was celebrating his 95th birthday there. One or two of them were muttering that they had deserved a point, but on the whole they were pretty gracious, and very complimentary about our football.
There were also murmurings about the ease with which young Ross fell over, and the equal ease with which Mr Mason awarded him a free kick – it was difficult to argue. McCarthy was excellent in the second half, and Barry was constantly in space to receive the ball and keep it moving.
The Lukaku situation is a difficult one; even when he is not at his best, he is keeping two defenders occupied, creating the space that others take advantage of. We were saying at half-time that the game was ripe for an impact substitution at 60 minutes, Romelu could be devastating in that role for a game or two but it would be a huge decision to rest him to the bench.
Thanks again Ken, best wishes.
7 Posted 23/12/2013 at 09:28:56
8 Posted 23/12/2013 at 09:47:55
To be honest, I was shouting quite a bit at Seamus in the first half, as he was shaky in defence and out of position and gave a few passed away, but made up for it in 2nd half. Great lad, and true blue spirit. Great to have a McCarthy style player again and a great mix of experience and brazen, young and talent with confidence and as Roberto says with arrogance. That arrogance was missing in DM's time.
Starting to worry about Lukaku in terms of frustration – I'd like to see Roberto give him a break or time off. Put Mirallas up front, or the Greek lad – but Lukaku needs a break soon.
9 Posted 23/12/2013 at 09:47:47
Delighted for Seamus and Ross, two fantastic strikes, nice to see we have the quality to edge a game like yesterday and we always looked a threat.
Patience is the key to our style of play, however I would like to see us take the lead a little earlier in games. Hopefully over the next few weeks we'll see our dominance produce a few more goals.
Thanks for your reports Ken, Merry Christmas to you and all the Blues out there.
10 Posted 23/12/2013 at 10:28:15
11 Posted 23/12/2013 at 10:59:22
There was no way Swansea deserved anything from the game, we had the best chances and should have killed them off before their flukey equaliser.
I hope players get their feet up for a few days and come back on Boxing Day in the mood to put a shed load past Sunderland.
12 Posted 23/12/2013 at 11:00:44
All together now...
"The big ship sails on the ally-ally-oh The captain said it will never, never do The big ship sank to the bottom of the sea We all dip our heads in the deep blue sea
The ally-ally-oh, the ally-ally-oh
Oh, the big ship sails on the ally-ally-oh
On the last day of September.
Never, never do, never, never do
The captain said it will never, never do
On the last day of September.
The bottom of the sea, the bottom of the sea
The big ship sank to the bottom of the sea
On the last day of September.
The deep blue sea, the deep blue sea
We all dip our heads in the deep blue sea
On the last day of September"
On second thoughts, there could be miserable omens here... let’s stick to the French etymology.
13 Posted 23/12/2013 at 10:58:38
Merry Christmas.
14 Posted 23/12/2013 at 11:41:15
We played pretty well in spite of the conditions and it was a great result. Mirallas is dangerous as he has lots of pace and could perhaps be used more infield where he can run at the centre backs. McCarthy improved a lot in the second half as his first half display was pretty average. But Swansea are a decent team if allowed to play as they showed against Newcastle just a few weeks ago.
15 Posted 23/12/2013 at 13:29:25
Does anyone have any insight as to why Coleman was so animated, toward what I presume were Swansea fans, after he scored? It was like had a a point to prove; was there some animosity there? It was hard to get any context on TV as I was watching without commentary...
16 Posted 23/12/2013 at 13:43:03
Despite the performance, a win was vitally important. We are now averaging two points a game and confidence will still be very high after yesterday. Two good results this week means that we can go into the FA Cup weekend halfway through what is a great season. It also means that we can rest some players for QPR.
The bench caught my eye yesterday. The absence of Heitinga and Jelavic, added to Martinez's comments during the week makes me think that they may already be out the door. Fair enough, there was a little bit of squad rotation going on and while I was happy to see Vellios on the bench, I do think that not having Heitinga and Jelavic there was more than just rotation. The bench didn't fill me full of happiness though and I do think that we will need to buy players next month. I think Martinez will need to raise the cash before he can buy and Heitinga and Jelavic are the most obvious players to go.
17 Posted 23/12/2013 at 13:58:12
http://www.evertonfc.com/evertontv/home/9759
18 Posted 23/12/2013 at 14:27:04
19 Posted 23/12/2013 at 15:08:33
And then he gets asked about Ross but at the end he said to those that don't subscribe, it's only an e-mail registration away. He seems like a nice lad.
20 Posted 23/12/2013 at 15:49:20
Mr Mason was rather whistle-happy either way, but one thing he did do correctly was to take 10 decent sized paces to position the defensive wall for Ross's free kick.
21 Posted 23/12/2013 at 15:56:46
22 Posted 23/12/2013 at 16:29:13
I mean, can you imagine, in your wildest dreams, hitting a ball so perfectly, getting it to fly initially straight at the keeper, then curve away and beyond him just inside the post, and into the net, right in front of 2,000 drenched Evertonians who had just watched attack after attack after attack come to nothing?
Simply fantastic stuff.
23 Posted 23/12/2013 at 17:06:01
24 Posted 23/12/2013 at 21:56:36
Chelsea and Arsenal have just finished and that leaves us tied for fourth with Chelsea and only two point out of first. For me the great part of the year so far is that we have only lost one game and, like this game, we have found a way to win. It wasn't Romelu today but it was two great strikes from Seamus and Ross. Consistency at the back has been critical and as we look forward to the next few games over the holiday things are looking very good.
Merry Christmas from Canada. Wish I was there!
25 Posted 23/12/2013 at 22:06:35
This may prove critical in the run in as, much as I hate to say it, it looks like the RS have finally got it together under Brenda (assuming they keep Suarez who does seem to be very happy there right now) and Citeh's home form should keep them in the top 4 so it could ultimately be one of these two we nick 4th place from if our season continues like this.
I do have concerns about Mirallas's service to Lukaku in particular but with so many others prepared to step up, it's becoming a habit to get results like the Swansea game. Long may it continue.
Finally,those saying Macca needs to add goals to his repertoire are crazy. 85 mins in and who was it that made the Barkleyesque drive through the middle to make something happen? Admittedly he was going nowhere and we were reliant on a lucky break (the needless foul) and a bit of magic from Ross to get us those all important, pre Xmas 3 points but what I saw was McCarthy's efforts creating that opportunity. Play to your strengths!
26 Posted 24/12/2013 at 00:21:36
Only 2 points off the top with only 1 game lost and the best defensive record in the league.
The thing I am really happy about is that we can mix it up short, long, tough, pretty, tight or open. We can be a match for anyone.
Happy Crimbers to all fellow blues and lets hope for a very prosperous New Year.
27 Posted 24/12/2013 at 01:02:56
Love the way when the two wingbacks are bombing forward, Barry just drops in between distin and jags so seamlessly if possession is lost and we need to defend as a three if the two boys are outta position. . Everybody is just totally on the same wavelength. Long may it continue. COYB.
28 Posted 24/12/2013 at 01:30:23
29 Posted 24/12/2013 at 06:07:06
Enjoyable report as usual Ken. The way we allowed them so much possession in the last 20 minutes was very puzzling and slightly disturbing, to put it mildly. We completely lost our shape. As you pointed out, they had nothing to lose but it took a brilliant performance from Howard and a goalmouth covered in stardust to keep us in front. Just when I thought dropping deep was disappearing from our game, it reappeared and scared me to death.
30 Posted 24/12/2013 at 10:07:35
I agree, the game is forgettable for Lukaku but I hope he has patience because, as some mentioned earlier, this is one of those games where the wing-men do better because of the defence marking Lukaku down too much. I look forward to the games where he'll get more space as opposition start to realize we will attack them from all angles, not just Lukaku. Hopefully he'll get to catch up on his scoring then!
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1 Posted 23/12/2013 at 02:00:55
Not many of the diaspora on here seemed that moved by it but it sounds like the faithful who were there fully appreciated two goals of stunning quality and execution. All the best to you this Christmas, and let's hope the festivities continue at a packed Goodison Park come Thursday afternoon. Let's make it a true Boxing Day!