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Jerome Shields
1 Posted 21/09/2020 at 05:36:19
I was pleased with the performance.

After the initial ballooning, Pickford put in a good performance and has improved on his previous wastefulness in distribution. Seamus Coleman and Digne were solid and contributed well in attack. The midfield was good, but initially suffered from loose of possession from Gomes and forwards not being available to receive a pass and not being able to maintain possession.

Defence was poor as you say when West Brom counter-attacked, Mina getting caught. His performance in the wall was poor at the free-kick.

The midfield got better as Allan and Dourcoué got an increasing grip. Calvert-Lewin was trying to get in position to get the one touch, recommended by Ancelotti. Such a simple coaching recommendation was exactly what Calvert-Lewin needed. Richarlison put in a great performance, though he was getting special attention most of the game.

I thought Iwobi looked better, fitted well into play. I was disappointed in Kean, and Sigurdsson's dependability, gratefully, is an issue that Everton do not depend on.

Santa Krsh
2 Posted 21/09/2020 at 06:38:52
Great report Lyndon as usual..
Dunno where to begin with, but have to say these are exciting days for the long suffering blues..
Could this be our year??? as usual there are issues at the Sky 6 with Mourinho's implosion coming a year earlier..Chelski can sort out the goalie.. United have a Davy Klaasen 2.0 as their only signing to date.. So could this be our year where we show some semblence of consistency and with some luck on our injuries.. Will we gatecrash the Top 4????

PS : When you see Gylfi spraying crossfield passes (which he didnt even attempt the whole of last season), something special is gonna happpen at this club!!!!! COYB NSNO.. from India..

Sam Bowen
3 Posted 21/09/2020 at 07:15:48
Fantastic start to the season, 3 wins in a week and you can’t ask for much more than that.

Pickford in nutshell for the first goal. No doubt crap defending by Mina dropping off but the shot goes pretty much in the middle of the goal. Not a mistake as such but one those that infuriates me with him as it should be saved. Goes unnoticed how many of those shots he lets in.
Anyway, he’s the keeper for the season so I’ll stop banging on about it and live in hope that he sorts his act out on a consistent basis.

So many positives going forward, Hameggs and DCL rightly getting massive praise but Richarlison has been utterly brilliant these opening 2 games. Such a winner and our talisman. Hope he stays manage a year.

COYB

Brian Harrison
4 Posted 21/09/2020 at 10:03:49
There is no doubt we are a better team this season than last season, I am not sure I will ever get used to watching games with no fans, and it does seem to have had effect. I cant remember a season that has started with not 1 drawn game in all the games that have been played. Usually the early games of the season are very cagy affairs with most teams trying firstly to avoid defeat.
But with no fans in the stadium it seems to have created a different perspective for players, they now seem to have thrown off the shackles and are having a real go.
I have absolutely no idea how the season will pan out, we are still to see how Man City will start the season, our neighbours seem to be strating this season as they did the last.
Watching the games over the weekend it seems refs have decided so far this season if a ball touches a hand of a defender in the box, then they are going to award a penalty. They used to only award penalties if it was deliberate hand ball, then last season it was changed to if the arm is in an unnatural position, but even that seems to have gone out the window.
VAR seems to be playing a bigger part than it did last year, at least the match official seems to be using the monitors on the side of the pitch more than they did last year. But there seemed to have been a few dubious pens awarded over the weekend.

With Branthwaite and Holgate out for a number of weeks and Gibson out on loan till at least January, I assume Carlo will have to play both Keane and Mina against Fleetwood and hope neither gets injured. I presume both Carlo and Brands are frantically trying to bring in another CB within the next few days. There were reports of us taking Tomori from Chelsea, but after Lamphards comments after the game yesterday that seems unlikely.

My other area of concern is if either DCL or Richarlison get injured, we don't seem to have any ready made replacements, as young Keane is still searching for some form. But its been a very encouraging start and our next league outing is away at Crystal Palace another team who have started the season with 2 wins so another tough test, but one that we are very capable of winning.

Tony Everan
5 Posted 21/09/2020 at 10:07:14
Thanks Lyndon,

I am loving it, 2 wins out of 2, but I am certainly not getting carried away. I think we have to improve further to make the top six come next May.

Ugly wins are great, you get nowhere without them. I thought this was an ugly win. I thought in the first half West Brom showed more spring, more energy and impressive counter attacking with great pace. We were caught out of position and Mina looked lost with it at times.

We could have easily been 2-0 down and West Brom would have caused us similar problems in the 2nd half with 11 men on the pitch. Gibbs idiocy ended the game. This game plan and set up will not be lost on rival managers and we will have to address it.

Summary;

Pickford continues to infuriate me, madness one minute and brilliance the next. He had my nerves jangling after about 20 seconds on Saturday. Overall I think he has done well these last two games.

Keane and Digne are looking on top of their game, Seamus is doing well I think, Mina looked indecisive against the counter attack pace of WBA, should have jumped on a 30 yard free kick, like he needs more games and to sharpen his decision making. I am not too down at all on Mina though I think he played well in the most part and well against Tottenham. He will get better with a run of games.

The midfield is now a midfield we can be proud of, just shows the importance of the signings we have made. Special mention to James Rodriguez, what a privilege it is have him at Everton. Another sublime performance and his exquisite goal changed the dynamic of the game and added to Gibbs's being tipped over the edge.

Then we get to Richie and DC-L. These two have gone up another level this season. Richarlison hasn't scored but he has blown me away with his commitment to the team and his contribution, what a player! DC-L is equally impressive, finding the net and taking on board Carlo's and Duncan's advice. Long may his scrappy 6 yard goals continue. Without the bread and butter, you can't make a sandwich.

We are knocking on the door now of being serious top 4 challengers. places 3 and 4 are totally up for grabs. Places 5 and 6 are very achievable with this team. We should fear no-one.

I think we need one or two strategic signings to keep us on course for the long hard season. A bit more strength in depth where it matters, so that injuries or fatigue do not drastically affect form. These next 2 weeks will see a bit more business that will help us consolidate our excellent start.

The players I am thinking of are back up players, quality yard dogs to shoulder the burden and keep the team ticking over through the winter. Think Hojbjerg and Doughty of Tottenham. Pig ugly strong quality yard dog players but players who will carry the team physically when needed.

Liverpool sign them, Winjaldum, Milner, Oxlade, all physical, all sometimes fringe, all ready to fight and facilitate the ugly wins that put clubs into Europe and leave others missing out.

Tony Shelby
6 Posted 21/09/2020 at 11:00:05
Brian (4) - I must admit that I'm worried about us once the fans are allowed back in.

Would we have reacted the way we did against WBA if there'd been the palpable tension that's normally present at a packed Goodison?

Hopefully by the time fans return our form will have been so good that the mindset of match-going blues has become a tad more positive!

Martin Reppion
7 Posted 21/09/2020 at 11:07:30
Good report.
I have said elsewhere that I don't get the criticism of Pickford.
The early bad touch was from a stinker of a hospital pass that he had to somehow deal with. The first goal had him left exposed by a defence that failed to challenge a man who ran 40 yards with the ball and was shown the whole of the goal. Apart from that, the keeper was decisive and dominant.

Going forward, I am not alone in thinking it strange that young Gibson is going on loan when we have 2 injured CBs and Mina only a knock away from a fortnight's rest. We have to get cover here in one form or another quickly. Whether that is a loan of a senior man currently out of favour or a youngster needing a chance, or even John Stones, who surely needs to leave Citeh for the sake of his career, I don't mind. But we could get caught short in that department.

We also need some cover at the business end. Apart from young Gordon, we have Bernard, Kean, Walcott, Iwobi and (amazingly, Ramirez and Bolasie). None of these seem likely to inspire belief in the event of injury to our current front three. I understand that we have to have 2 players leave for every one that comes in now in order to trim the squad. So it may be that we have to stick with these or let them go for a song, if they can find clubs to take them. It may be January or next summer before we can bring in serious replacements. I hope that is not the case or the deliveries to Finch Farm of cotton wool to wrap the strikers up in will need to be considerable.

Patrick McFarlane
8 Posted 21/09/2020 at 11:14:26
Whether some think that the fans are a negative force or a positive one when the team goes behind can be argued until the cows come home but it's just a shame that none of us were at Goodison to witness Saturday's events, the Rodriquez goal would have brought the house down and the newcomers would have seen the place at its best before, during and after the match.

I think that most clubs have begun the season realising that draws aren't really good enough to keep you out of that lower to middle tier and every team has their eyes on all the points on offer, that will change as the weeks pass and as things settle down. Hopefully, Everton will win a good few more in the coming weeks and months.

Franny Porter
9 Posted 21/09/2020 at 12:03:35
Sam @3, it doesn't go unnoticed by me, no goalie in the Premier League gets beat from distance as often as he does.
Rennie Smith
10 Posted 21/09/2020 at 14:13:51
A great result in the end but a few of last season's deficiencies reared their ugly heads before we took over after the red card. That's no bad thing because it reminds us all to not get carried away and this is still a rebuilding process.

Pickford - hospital ball that made him look nervous early on, but not his fault. I think we need to get off his back a little because he's looked more solid in the last 2 games. Absolutely no chance for the freekick, no keeper would have saved that. The first goal was a strange one, why are we looking at Pickford when the lad has been allowed to run from his own half without even half a challenge? At least push him out wide. Sam@3 "the shot goes pretty much in the middle of the goal" have another look mate, it hits the back corner, that's not the middle of the goal.

Seamus - outstanding for me in the first 2 games, particularly as he's doing the job of 2 players. As much as I love James and what he's brought to the team, It's going to be a very tiring season for Seamus as he's got zero cover in front of him.

I'd expect teams to start roughing up Digne more than Richy in the coming games seeing as the James-to-Digne-diagonal seems to be our main switch.

Let's make hay while the sun is shining boys...but don't get too carried away.

Francis van Lierop
11 Posted 21/09/2020 at 15:32:49
I'll keep it short, it's great to be an Evertonian again.
It's been a mere 35 years...
Rick Tarleton
12 Posted 21/09/2020 at 15:37:17
In my sixty plus years as an Evertonian, I have seen two players who by their skill and charisma excited me above all Everton players. There were better players, more effective players, better battlers and leaders, but these two epitomise for me what Everton are all about.
They were Alex Young and Duncan McKenzie.
I think I'm about to add a third: James Rodriguez. His touch, his confidence in his own skill, his innate ability to see what lesser mortals cannot and the sheer charisma of his play make him able to be admitted to the august group.
I look forward to seeing him play in the flesh. This is a player that younger Evertonians can idolise and who can help Everton to achieve a level they havenot reached for almost forty years.
Bobby Mallon
13 Posted 21/09/2020 at 16:17:43
Martin Reppion @7, Pickford should have belted that backpass into the top balcony NOT try and pass it to one of ours. But I agree the midfield and defence where at fault for their goal he should have been fucking chopped down. Their second was a worldy no goal keeper was stopping that
Charles Brewer
14 Posted 21/09/2020 at 17:11:36
I think we should get rid of Pickford immediately. He's crap. I've got lots of suggestions.

We should get Nick Pope - he only let four in last night and one last Thursday. Or maybe that bloke Kepa from Chelsea - the Chavs supporters seem to have lots to say about him, or maybe De Gea or possibly Hart who's not let any in yet (because he's been warming Spurs bench). Liverpool's Alisson (that's a girls' name isn't it?) has let in 3 despite playing for a team that lost very few matches last year so presumably has a decent defence.

I don't think there is a better keeper in the Premiership. All have strengths and weaknesses, and Jordan's weaknesses seem to be fewer and less of a problem than the vast majority of the others.

Mike Gwyer
15 Posted 21/09/2020 at 18:23:56

Sam #3.

Seriously. How can you say that:

"but the shot goes pretty much in the middle of the goal".

The shot goes directly into the corner of the goal. If we are going to slag-off Pickford lets keep the facts real. Yep, he was shite last season but YES he's played well the first two games so far, particularly against Spurs.

Pickford is our keeper and it looks to me that Carlo is not replacing him, so lets support the guy.

Brian Harrison
16 Posted 21/09/2020 at 19:10:37
I see that Spurs may get a bye into the next round of the Carabao Cup as opponents Leyton Orient have a number of players who have tested positive for Covid 19.

There seems an increase in professional sportsmen becoming infected, I see Gundogan from City is having to self isolate after testing positive, and it was only a couple of weeks back both Mahrez and Laporte tested positive.

There were pictures all over twitter today of Allan saying farewell to his ex team mates at Napoli with friends and girlfriends there yesterday. So not sure if he will have to self isolate coming back from Italy.

Seems Premier League players think they're above the rules that apply to everybody else. We have had both Greenwood and Foden arranging for girls to visit their rooms while in Iceland on International duty. Now the season is back up and running I wonder how many teams will have to field under strength teams because of positive Covid tests.

Geoff Trenner
17 Posted 21/09/2020 at 19:18:49
Brian, I think that there is some exemption for elite athletes
Gerry McDonnell
18 Posted 22/09/2020 at 17:17:20
Great post and a fantastic start to the season. While I am not getting too carried away just yet, I must admit I have been reminiscing...

At the start of the 1984-85 season, EFC started with a 4-1 home defeat to Spurs which was quickly followed with a 2-1 away defeat at West Brom. And if you know the history... at the end of the season we were crowned champions.

Dare we Evertonians dream?


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