U21s held by Crewe in EFL Trophy

Give Shae Cahill a game. We need him ready for first team action

My 9 year old grandson and myself will be attending tonight. I will try and give a report later. Looking forward to seeing some of our future talent and no VAR.

Bit of a surprise, Niasse playing. Anthony Gordon out due to illness.

Team is announced and it's interesting:

Harry Tyrer
Ryan Astley, Morgan Feeney, Lewis Gibson and Matty Foulds
Henry (Harry?) Charsley, Nathaniel Markelo, Beni Baningime, and Tyler Onyango
Kyle John and Oumar Niasse

Subs:
Joe Anderson
Nick Hansen
Alex Denny
Lewis Dobbin
Einar Iversen
Manasse Mampala
Ellis Simms

So no Anthony Gordon or Dennis Adeniran. First-team calls?

Ah Bill heard something I hadn’t and pissed all over my bonfire and then set off my fireworks.

Read it on the Red Echo site Steve.

Could be a smokescreen Bill, so Southampton don’t see him coming!

Seen William Jaaskelianen is their sub keeper. I wonder who he’s related to?

Niasse playing? I like the lad and would use him off the bench but he hasn’t been used al season, is Silva getting desperate?

Maybe Niasse wants game time. Can’t see him playing for Everton any time soon.

Good for him. Here comes the Third Coming after his hat-trick tonight...

Niasse scored off a deflection.

1-0 Niasse.

Baningime is impressing.

Surely this should be added to the mis-handling of Moise Kean thread?

If we can play Niasse then why not Kean?

Niasse and Benni is the best

Steve, Beni is a favourite of mine.

I agree Dave, Niasse is a useful option off the bench.

Hah, Tony, you have a point. Give him a chance to experience English football. What harm could it do? Same as Klaassen and Sandro when had them we let them get splinters.

Are you assuming that Kean wanted to play tonight?

Niasse is not even training with the first team. Is he even registered for the Premier League? Meanwhile, Kean is first team and was on the bench. He might refuse to play for the U21s.

Meanwhile, Niasse fluffed a chance for his second. We look better when Baningime is on the ball making things happen.

Crewe have a strong side out, 9 of them started last Saturday's game for them.

Well Oumar saved Koeman...

If Calvert-Lewin had Niasse’s chances, he’d have had 3 or 4 by now. Niasse only scored because of a big deflection. His shooting is wayward. The commentator says he is “rusty”. I won’t disagree. But I won’t accept he should be in first team contention.

Baningime meantime is surely impressing Silva here. Charsley, without a club, is surely worth a contract to a league one side?

ToffeeWeb’s own Harry Tyrer with a confident collection there.

Tremendous work by Onyango.

What you making of the lad Brent?

And Onyango again. Really excited by him.

Steve, I love him. Big, puts himself about. Quite pacey. Full of running. And some good skills.

Steve, do you have a favourite or two to step up to the first X1?

Lewis Dobbin looks very special to me. Reminds me a lot of James Vaughan. I know JV’s career was a disappointment, but I thought he could have had an outstanding career if not for injury. Dobbin has a few more tricks though.

Hope to see Dobbin at some point. As you’ve said before lightening fast.

1-1. Nothing Tyrer could do about it.

Gibson was holding back there? Shold have stepped in to challenge?

Maybe so Brent. Didn’t get a good look at it and the replays aren’t very good.

My first impression was that Tyrer could have done better. Hard to tell really.

Not a bad game for Andy and his grandson so far. I bet the little lad will glad to have seen Niasse.

An interesting flexible formation at the back, sometimes three CB s with John and Foulds pushing up, sometimes a four.

While we don't want to lose it I'm hoping Simms and Dobbin come on for Charsley and Oumar at some stage. Onyango looking impressive for a 16-year-old, looked two inches taller than Oumar in the goal celebrations!

Elsewhere, Garbutt just smashed the crossbar with an awesome shot.

I thought 1.1, fair. They had more possession and six corners to our none but we have looked good on the counter. I like the way Tyler always talking to his defenders but thought he should of done better with their goal. Although John is small I do like the way he reads the game. Well, I think we started bright but seem to fall asleep later.

Phill, I thought Kyle John is right wing with Ryan Astley at right back. Am I mistaken?

I am. Graham Stuart confirmed it.

Astley normally RB but three at back first half. ?

Not paying too much attention Brent. Been working as well as watching.

Steve/ Brent, yeah at times first half John was right wing back, but also dropping back to form a five allowing Astley to be part of a three CBs. I like John, he deserves more time sorry to see him subbed, by Denny whos more defensive minded in mid field.

Crewe look too physical for us, but we look dangerous on the break ...

I write as Naisse scores on the break!

No Lewis Dobbin tonight as Joe Anderson comes on for our final sub. He’s a defender isn’t he Brent?

OUMAAAR! !!! 2-1.

2-2. Jammy goal took two deflections on the way in. But then it was ruled out. Then ruled back in again. Where’s VAR? Haha

Yes defender Steve. Not seen anything of him. Brazilian?

I hear he’s a good communicator. Might have a career in politics in the future?

I’ll get my coat, Taxi!

A lad of many talents then!

Joe Anderson was initially a left back with u18s, then took over as left centre back last season, he seemed to grow about six inches. Looks like he’s put on as a left midfield. I think he’s come on at left back for Foulds this season.

Do you rate him Phill?

Crap second half for us. But we got the result. Now for some semi competitive penalty practice.

Lost 5-4 on pens. Ryan Astley missed. Seemed to be all defenders taking them and Niasse.

Brent #54, re Joe Anderson, he's very comparable to Matty Foulds, tall, thin, can play left-back or left centre-back. He didn't do much as a left-back in his first year at U18 but really developed as a centre back last season his 2nd year. He displaced a kid we had Michael Collins from centre-back after Collins had looked a decent prospect.

I would never discount a youngster like Anderson making it but it's a big ask. I'm a bigger fan of Ryan Astley. I've got a feeling that recently Unsworth has had Kyle John covering Foulds at left-back, I may be wrong, so maybe not in favour as a left-back. It'll be interesting to see what happens in January if Feeney/Gibson move up or on loan if is Joe Anderson is considered as left centre-back.

As an aside, he's not to be confused with Jonathan Anderson, a left-back with the U18s.

Thanks for the info Phill

Thanks Phill. Re Feeney /Gibson it seems Brands view is that they are not likely to step up a level for a while.

After realising that it was a team consisting of Crewe first team players then I think it’s a disgrace that Kean hasn’t been given a run out tonight.

Nothing professional about Everton tonight, and surely Kean would have been desperate to play considering he’s come to England to play football?

Tony I agree totally. Why Niasse instead I don’t know.

Contractual reasons Kean doesn't/can't play for the U-23s..?

I’m not saying they are ready Brent, I haven’t even seen these kids play, but Silva wouldn’t play either Davies or Holgate until he had to, and they’ve definitely been our better players in the last few weeks.

I doubt it Jay, but it’s the only thing that makes sense, so not much sense in not playing him, because he surely should have been the first name on the team sheet tonight.

It was Baningime's harassing that created the chance for Oumar's opener.

Given the dearth of options suddenly in midfield for the first team, and judging by reports on the U-23s this season, I presume he is the obvious choice to step up as cover, possibly even a starter, if Delph is also out.

Jay, Beni was on the first team bench the other week, you would hope he’d get at least back to that position, then who knows. There’s talk of him being frustrated by lack of opportunities and wanting out, so if he doesn’t get any opportunities in the next few months with two of our key midfielders out injured then he may well be better off leaving.

Is Beni ahead of Denis Adendorin? Denis has been with the first team all season but played for the u23s. He’s a bit more attacking than Beni. He was missing tonight, was that because he’s going to make the first team squad proper?

Tony, on Kean:
1. Is he even eligible?
2. Was he given the opportunity to play?
3. Would he take the opportunity?
4. Is there something else preventing him playing? Contractual prohibitions?

As for who can step up in the near future:
- only Beni Baningime for me.
- Feeney and Gibson look solid but they’ve got some way to go yet.
- Astley - very promising but long way to go for him.
- onyango - looks a prospect but only 16 and it shows at times. I can see why he’s likened to Vieira but such comparisons but pressure on him.
Niasse - scored two but missed three more!
Tyrer - looks to have a future
Foulds - needs a loan now
Charsley - good kid but when you see his age you realise he’s missed the boat now.
Markelo - fast, but needs one position instead being the utility man.

Funny how that old Napoleon chestnut about lucky Generals comes out for some players while Niasse is a jammy sod for scoring with a couple of deflections.

Whenever I watch the U21/U23s I am impressed by the way that they play with a calmness and assuredness, rarely shown by our First XI. Last night, playing against mostly hardened professionals, they always looked to move the ball forward positively, notably through Baningame and Charlsey. Niasse was his usual erratic self, but took both his goals - and his penalty in the shootout - weĺl and could have had more.

Robert #66 I think that's a good assessment. Unsworth has his teams playing with confidence; they usually (though not last night) set up with a flexible 433 (as far as I can judge); they move the ball forward faster than the first team; they vary the approach between playing a long ball and playing a shorter passing game, keeping the opposition defence guessing; they don't play zonal marking at corners; etc.

Unsworth made played with a back 3, then a back 4 in a 451, then went 442. The players showed they could adapt to major tactical changes on the pitch. They all knew what they were doing. He’s a good manager is unsworth.

Steve, why wouldn’t he have been eligible, considering he’s a fuckin footballer mate? Why wouldn’t he want to play? again considering he’s here to play football. And Why didn’t Silva and Brands demand that he played, considering they signed him to play football?

I thought Kean came to Everton to play football and if the manager isn’t playing him In the first team then surely playing 90 minutes competitive football would have done the lad more good than a training session, and I can’t believe the powers that be never gave him some proper game-time.

Tony, there are strict rules for that competition. I don't think anyone who has played a Premier League game over the age of 21 can play. something like that any way.

First team players don't play reserve team football. "surely playing 90 minutes competitive football would have done the lad more good than a training session" - modern fitness coaching seems to go against this now. It's not just us, it's every premier league club and on the continent. Player's don't play for the u21s like they used to play in the Pontin's league back in the day.

Moise Kean would have been on the pitch after the final whistle putting in enough effort to be the equivalent of having played the game. It doesn't make sense to me, and I think I would rather play a reserve game than nothing at all. But this seems to just be the way football is today. And it is nothing unique to Everton, and certainly nothing unique to Silva as we've had this conversation before under other managers about other players.

Fair enough Steve, I wasn’t really pointing the finger at Silva, but more the unprofessional nature of the whole of our club. (Given the circumstances)

Has you have pointed out, then it seems to be most football clubs in general that are cursed by this lack of professionalism, and I’m sure Everton could have got these rules about first team players not being eligible, when you take in the nature of Kean’s footballing experience in England so far?

Training is great, you learn loads everyday especially when it’s in a new/different environment, but he’s come to play football, and I’d stand in a room with any football man, and be able to put up a very good argument that 90 minutes competitive football, would be worth more than a week’s training for someone in Kean’s position, and I can’t believe he never played last night.

Tony, he would also have missed two days training to play the game, this could have been crucial preparation for Southampton, and he's a certainty to be on the bench and is likely to come off the bench, as he has only remained on the bench twice, playing in each of the first 9 Premier League games, and 2 of the 3 League Cup games. That's 4 starts and 7 sub appearances from 14 games.

Leaving aside any contractual agreements or possible competition rules, is it not likely that he would have been with the rest of the 1st team squad preparing for the next game and, if has been said that his English is not the best, that it may have been considered unfair on the rest of the U23 team to have him play.

Interesting and enlightening interview with Anthony Gordon in the Echo today: Link

Thanks for all those stats and crucial training sessions for the sub Steve, but football is a confidence game and imagine if Kean could have played and scored the other night?

He’s 19, he’s come here to play football, and the biggest issue that he’s going to have is adapting to the speed and physical nature of the English game, so I can’t believe you can’t see the wisdom in playing him the other night against Crewe, Steve. Baffling!

Joao Virginia played for Portugal U21’s last night and kept a clean sheet. However he has only played three times for Reading since he joined them, Everton are believed to inserted a return clause in their transfer loan deal and are considering bringing him back to Goodison in January.

Maybe this is because they are thought to be selling their Dutch understudy goalkeeper in the next transfer window.