The passion has gone

Dave Williams

25/11/2024

Everton 0 – 0 Brentford

I was up at 5:30 due to road works on the M5 with the prospect of driving back from Taunton through Storm Bert. I was telling myself that a good performance would give some comfort whilst battling the torrential rain.

With the storm not yet hitting us, we had a good drive in the coach and arrived in plenty of time for a beer with Bill and Ian at The Harlech. The team selection was disappointing as I’d have played Mangala rather than Doucoure but otherwise it was good to see Jarrad Branhwaite back and it would be interesting to see if Lindstrøm could improve on his poor showing last time I was up for the Palace game.

I thought we started very well with some nice football and it seemed to me that the players had been encouraged to shoot on sight. We needed a goal but couldn’t get one and Brentford weathered the storm (which was more than I did on my drive back from Taunton!!).

We then had a pretty even game with a boring stalemate. Pickford made one great save and a couple of decent ones and their goalie was dominant, catching a number of crosses and wasting way more time than was added on by the referee.

I was on my way to the gents for a half-time visit when Pickford was fouled, reasoning that I would be back in my seat before the game restarted, but couldn’t believe that VAR was looking at a possible red card. My view wasn’t great but it looked like their guy was going for the ball.

Against 10 men, I was disappointed that Patterson didn’t come on in place of Young. Ashley had played well enough but surely we could have used Patterson’s attacking ability against a 10-man team and with Branthwaite and Tarkowski in control at the back.

Beto disrupted the Brentford defence and had four half chances in the short time he was on. I still think he is a better version of Niasse and no more than that and not worth anywhere near the money we have paid for him, staged payments notwithstanding.

Ndiaye was good – he provided what little excitement there was – and McNeil worked hard; on another day, he would have scored. Gana was very good – okay, he loses the ball with poor passing but he was good going forward and came close to a goal.

I’m no fan of Dyche but his hands are tied. His two best midfielders are injured – Tim and Jim will make a big improvement on our creativity if Dyche selects them. Broja is looking good in the training clips I’ve seen and Chermiti was very good in pre-season. With those four fit and ready to play, Dyche will then have some decent options… whether he realises this and plays them is anyone’s guess; I’m not convinced!

The drive home from my West Country Blues drop-off point was the worst I have experienced in 52 years of driving. Torrential rain, non-existent lane markings on the motorway, gale force winds – it really couldn’t have been worse and I was highly relieved when I got home having spent 10 minutes circumnavigating my village to find a road which was not flooded.

We have a tough run of games now but last season we played better against the better teams. Hopefully, with a fully fit squad, we can pick up a few points. If we changed manager, I’d go for a Moyes – Carsley team but I can’t see anything happening until the ownership is changed, if at all.

What struck me more than anything was a lack of passion from the pitch and the stands. The players all worked hard but lacked true passion and a bloody-minded will to win. Those who can remember Joe Royle’s Dogs of War will know what I mean. Are they becoming stale after the same rhetoric from the manager for the last 2½ years?

Likewise the fans – how can they make such a racket when travelling away but be so quiet, even hushed, when at home? Again, are we reconciled to our situation and to the fact that the manager will not change it up a bit and play a more offensive style?

We have too many players over 30 years old who sit back and play their positions but do not add anything else to the performance. The injured players coming back will help but I see this as the manager failing to get the best from his squad and he needs to change this.

Other clubs at the bottom get results against the bigger teams by having a go- we need to rediscover our passion – fans included to give the team far better encouragement – before it is too late.