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Everton U23s undone by Leicester City in Southport
Everton U23s 1 - 2 Leicester City U23s
Leicester City U23s came from behind to end a seven-game unbeaten run for David Unsworth's U23s in Southport his evening.
Coming ahead of the FA Cup 4th Round tie against Brentford tomorrow, and with a number of key first-team players injured, youngsters Dobbin, Onyango, Branthwaite and Kyle John held over tonight so some of them could be on the bench or even starting tomorrow's game.
And there was a first sighting in an Everton shirt for Billy Crellin, the young goalkeeper who was signed from Fleetwood Town on Deadline Day, on the bench tonight.
But the imperative tonight is to continue working their way back up the Premier League 2 table. Kick-off is at 7 pm GMT and the game will be streamed live on Everton's Official YouTube channel.
Article continues below video content
The squad included a number of players elevated from the U18s for the first time this season: Okoronkwo, Metcalfe, and Sherif.
Everton took the lead in blustery conditions when an excellent free-kick take by Rhys Hughes was delivered deep into the Leicester area where Joe Anderson got a deft foot on the ball to turn it past the Leicester City keeper from close range.
Stanley Mills, after having a great shot saved before the goal, had to be withdrawn 10 minutes before the end of the first half. Jenson Metcalfe came on for his first appearance ta this level after some excellent showings for the U18s.
The visitors piled on after the break, forcing Everton back, and the pressure eventually paid off with the equalizer.
The young Foxes kept pressing and a header from a free-kick came back off the post but Campbell could not stop it from bobbling over the line off his leg for the go-ahead goal.
Everton U23s: Tyrer, Quirk (71' Hagan), Campbell, Welch, Astley, Anderson, Mills (37' Metcalfe [Y:78']), Price [Y:51'], Hughes, Okoronkwo (76' Sherif), Cannon.
Subs not Used: Crellin, Kristensen.
Reader Comments (47)
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[BRZ]
2 Posted 04/02/2022 at 15:50:54
Harry has a lot of supporters on TW, but I wonder if Billy will get a run out tonight? Good interview with the lad on the club site:
Like Pickford's projectory, he has had non- and lower-league experience. He speaks very maturely about his loan experiences playing men's football, rather than junior football. Where in junior football he played for the love of the game, he quickly realised in men's football the three points and the bonus money it earnt the players was very important to help pay the bills. That it's a job, not just a hobby or passion.
Born in Blackpool, but from a family of Evertonians, even though he wasn't born when the Binman played for us, unsurprisingly Neville Southall is his all-time favourite Everton player.
One to keep an eye on.
3 Posted 04/02/2022 at 16:58:13
Thank you for flagging up the signing of Billy Crellin; it had certainly flown under my radar.
Just watched the interview; if he keeps goal as gracefully as he handled the questions he could become as good as his great hero.
Why doesn't the club bring in Big Nev on a part-time basis to work with our keepers both young and established?
4 Posted 04/02/2022 at 17:42:26
5 Posted 04/02/2022 at 18:24:54
I wonder if Jenson Metcalfe will be promoted to cover mid field or even Okoronkwo, but safe option is Dobbin and Onyango returning.
Editorial Team
6 Posted 04/02/2022 at 18:39:42
7 Posted 04/02/2022 at 18:47:31
Okoronkwo and Cannon start up front in a 352 formation.
8 Posted 04/02/2022 at 18:53:38
Tyrer
Welch, Astley, Campbell
Quirk Mills Price. Hughes Anderson
Okoronkwo Cannon
Edit looks like Campbell is left wing back
9 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:02:37
Phill, The midfield three will be good to watch, all good prospects Mills was a bit inconsistent last week, but Price I thought played well. Rhys Hughes is always involved. Will they miss Warrington?
[BRZ]
10 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:07:30
Tony, Warrington has gone out on loan to Tranmere for the rest of the season. Didn't feature at all in their 1-0 home win over Stevenage on Tuesday, not even on the bench. Understable as the game was played just 24 hours after his move.
11 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:16:49
Charlie Whitaker has not been involved in any games since before Christmas, which must mean he is out injured, sadly.
12 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:19:08
Good move a few min ago, great connection from Mills, thought it was an excellent save by the Leicester keeper.
13 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:19:44
14 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:23:12
15 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:27:25
Don't know who took the free kick?
16 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:30:45
17 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:31:35
18 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:37:49
19 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:48:41
20 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:50:47
[BRZ]
21 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:52:47
Looks like it is blowing a gale, so always difficult to play good football in those conditions.
Sorry to see Mills go off. He is usually good to come up with an assist or goal.
Great delivery by Hughes and good finish by Anderson for the goal.
22 Posted 04/02/2022 at 19:54:05
23 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:02:10
Yes, Rhys Hughes with the free kick, he also started the move where Mills had a good effort well saved by the Leicester ‘keeper.
Hughes has played well, always trying to use the ball, but it's not a night for football with the wind spoiling many attempts.
The Leicester Number 4 looks decent – always looking for the ball and using it well when he gets it.
24 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:03:03
25 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:04:14
I did catch the footage of training. Very interesting. Unlike Benitez who was very in the mix (stop -stand still), Lampard stands back and observes. He let's his coaches do the coaching.
Also, even though I can only go off the footage, it all looked about ball work. Playing the ball in tight places and pressing off the ball to get it back. Brazilian grids; one of the best sessions there is both in terms of teaching players to keep the ball and move it quickly as well as getting them to press and work hard to get it back quickly.
26 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:13:11
27 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:15:23
28 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:21:44
Commentators course. We've just won a corner!
29 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:23:53
30 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:28:23
Getting back into the game now.
31 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:30:28
32 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:30:45
33 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:32:27
34 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:41:09
35 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:42:10
Leicester better team this half.
36 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:45:24
37 Posted 04/02/2022 at 20:58:02
38 Posted 04/02/2022 at 21:07:08
No real plan, even for allowing the wind spoiling the game to a degree it didnt stop Leicester from producing some good moves and using the ball much better than the Blues who I found embarrassing to watch for most of that second half, hopefully this new regime will sort the U23s coaching out better than Friar Tuck.
39 Posted 04/02/2022 at 21:07:14
Good point about the wind Dave. Maybe it was that rather than losing Mills.
40 Posted 04/02/2022 at 23:16:10
Genuine question.
Is he the Director of the Academy or the U23s Manager?
I only saw the 2nd half and appreciate we have lost a few players for different reasons, but we didn't have enough players comfortable on the ball.
At this level, I'm not necessarily looking at the result, just the potential and the ability.
41 Posted 05/02/2022 at 00:05:07
42 Posted 05/02/2022 at 00:05:40
You can't keep ripping the side apart and expect them to carry on doing well, especially as the lads drafted in are relatively new faces.
43 Posted 05/02/2022 at 00:07:49
Unsworth's job is to take best in class under 18s (Simms, Warrington, Dowell and Co, Walsh) and stifle their progress before shipping them off to low-level teams. Or at least I assume that's his job based on outcomes.
44 Posted 05/02/2022 at 04:34:02
45 Posted 05/02/2022 at 09:29:36
Sammy Braybrooke
He definitely caught my eye, only 17, he has been training with the first team and had some interest from abroad before signing on with Leicester. Reminded me a little bit of Conor Gallagher, but a long way to go yet.
46 Posted 05/02/2022 at 09:43:36
There's a lot of irony in your comment Kieran! I'm hopeful for Warrington.
James Flynn: possibly the legacy of what the much constrained and maligned Marcel Brands was trying to implement and achieve?
47 Posted 05/02/2022 at 09:58:46
Whether they make it depends on talent and coaching much further down the conveyor belt. The U23s is just the final moment before first team, loan or departure.
If you haven't made your first team debut by 18 you are already behind the vast majority of genuinely top class talents. That's not to say others won't make it – but the stats are against you.
The thing that bothers me most about Unsworth's U23s is the lack of any style.
It is, essentially, lower division football – with goals generally coming from set pieces, forcing errors or counter attacks.
You could see Leicester were approaching the game in a different way. They had midfielders receiving the ball, probing, asking questions etc – and they played like the younger version of a stylish Premier League side. We play like the younger version of Burnley.
This is a disservice to a few players of genuine quality – and not a good place to kick on from U18s in readiness for the first team.
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1 Posted 04/02/2022 at 15:22:57