Seasons2019-20Everton News
Everton U23s draw with Arsenal
Everton Under-23s played out an entertaining 3-3 draw with Arsenal at Southport tonight, with Joao Virginia back in goal after returning early from Reading. Monday, 13 January, 2020Ellis Simms struck twice and Lewis Gibson also found the net on his return to action following injury but David Unsworth's side couldn't hold out after regaining the lead at 3-2.
Joseph Olowu has put Arsenal's U23s ahead but Antony Evans set Simms up to sweep home an equaliser.Simms then scored an excellent solo effort to put the Blues ahead barely 60 seconds later.
James Olayinka scored later in the half to ensure that the two sides went in level at the interval.
There were 16 minutes remaining when Gibson restored Everton's lead, heading home Evans's free-kick.
But Matthew breached Everton's goal four minutes after that with a close-range effort.
The visitors finished the game with 10 men after Tolaji Bola was sent off for a reckless challenge on Beni Baningime who was also making his return from his latest injury lay-off.
Everton U23s: Virginia, John [Y], Foulds, Feeney [Y], Ouzounidis [Y] (83' Mampala), Gibson, Iversen [Y] (52' Onyango), Baningime, Simms, Markelo (88' Quirk), Evans.
Subs not Used: Tyrer, Astley.
Reader Comments (8)
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2 Posted 14/01/2020 at 02:52:51
3 Posted 14/01/2020 at 10:08:50
Last night was actually a younger team for Everton with the likes of Charsley not playing. And yet it was still a significantly older team than their Arsenal counterparts.
We had (for outfield players) 18*2, 19*2, 20*2, 21*4 which means almost half our outfield team were 21. By comparison for Arsenal 8 of their team were 19 or under, with just one 21 year old playing.
Liverpools U23 team had 7 players who were 18 or younger.
I think once players turn 20 or certainly 21 they really shouldn't be playing in these development sides. They should be with or around the first team or out on loan getting minutes. Or they should be cut loose to make way for the next batch.
It is said that Brands will overhaul the academy system this summer, will be interesting to see what changes are made.
[BRZ]
4 Posted 14/01/2020 at 13:35:24
Thanks for that link. That was an interesting read.
A pretty damning observation of the academy at the lower age groups if, as Unsworth claims, Simms is only now learning and being taught the key skills he needs for his position because he totally lacked them in joining the U-23s.
5 Posted 14/01/2020 at 13:46:59
He says they have been working on Ellis, since July, and maybe like Silva, Unsworth might have been disappointed, that he never had players already ready for his team, but I'm wondering how good of a coach Franny Jeffers might be, because he was a natural talent, and football might be a second nature to him?
6 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:50:10
7 Posted 14/01/2020 at 19:53:11
8 Posted 14/01/2020 at 22:22:59
In fairness Unsworth has helped his progress this season, but playing him upfront on his own doesn't fit with how the u18s and our first team play. Equally, Unsworth made similar comments about Simms towards the end of last season when he featured mainly off the bench in U23s games, that is that Simms had a lot of developing to do to bridge the gap between u18 and U23s. So he should have started that process last season, giving him more game time at U23s, working with him then. Instead we got the likes of Charsley and Sambou playing, older more experienced players who were then on their way out of the club.
Sam's post#3 on age of players in relation to other clubs covers this, though our U23s have got younger this season.
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1 Posted 14/01/2020 at 01:16:58