Thursday, January 29, 2009

EVERTON vs ARSENAL - FULL TIME

Well, when I woke up at 3.50am and turned on the tele, smacked in my face was a losing scoreline against Arsenal. Wow! I thought the game will start at 4am? Then I realised that it was a replay of some old game. Dang! I was had! Phew!

Anyway, Arteta and Felli are back for Everton after their injury and suspension respectively.

Everton started on a backfoot with Pienaar having to foul on an Arsenal player as our opponent continued to attack us for the first six minutes. Well, just acomment. I wonder why out of 10 balls, Felli can only win one of the header. Maybe he has to build up his upper body to win those balls.

Everton is pressing for every ball with Timmy leading from the front and they are playing with confidence. They are playing for each other. It's a whole lot of battle in midfield and both teams are still trying to unlock each other, even up till the 30th minute. In the next 15 minutes, nothing significant happened.The two teams are basically cancelling each other out. Let's see if the second half will be less yawn-inducing.

Cahill got himself free in the 53rd minute and he took a shot but it just ended hitting the side netting. What a goal from Timmy in the 61st minute!!!! He is in golden form!!! A cross from Bainsey on the left found Timmy's head. He was totally marked out but still managed to plant the ball beyond Arsenal's goalkeeper. Everton 1-0 Arsenal. The entire stadium has started to come alive.

In the 65th minute, a long ball by Howard picked out Ossie. The latter cut inside towards goal but his shot was wayward. Great strike in the 80th minute by Timmy once again. The power of the shot forced the opposing goalkeeper to palm it out for a corner. Nothing came out from that corner.

Timmy has played himself into the ground and has injured his ankle. Not sure if he can make it for the next match. Timmy's being replaced by Anichebe in the 86th minute. How did Everton let Arsenal score in the 92nd minute???? Oh boy. Everton 1-1 Arsenal. Sick sick goal.

Score: Everton 1-1 Arsenal
Scorer: Timmy
Assist: Pienaar
Sub: Anichebe

Monday, January 26, 2009

Next Team?

Well, if Everton gets through to the next round of the FA Cup, who will me meet? Being that "suay", I'd say Manchester United or Chelsea! So the "suay" tie lies in the hand of Gary Pallister and Gary Mabutt.

Ok, it's a home match versus either Doncaster or Aston Villa. Let's focus on the next match against Liverpool first.

FA CUP: LIVERPOOL vs EVERTON - FULL TIME

Its two games in one week and the bitter rivals lock horns once again. Arteta misses this game and Everton just continues to fight on. Liverpool seemed to be playing like a wounded animal, trying to cow Everton into submission.


Timmy gets a yellow card as early as the 8th minute and that's not a good thing. The pressure is on Everton right now as the "bird" continued their wave-after-wave of attacks. GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Everton SCORES!!!!! Incredible!!! A cross from Pienaar in the 27th minute, Timmy jumped highest to power the ball towards goal, while Lescott was just flicked the ball into the net. Liverpool 0-1 Everton. Irritating the world out of the "bird".

Everton caused Liverpool problem once again in the 39th minute when a long pass was knocked down by Anichebe to Pienaar who's ball then reached Timmy. All the latter could do was to strike the ball quickly as he was being closed down by two bird defenders. Everton more than survived the first half. They are leading!

Everton has to survive at least the first 10 minutes of the second half. Seemed like Anichebe has tweaked his knee ligament. Ok, we started without our playmaker, now we may be without our only striker. But Anichebe seemed to have run it off and because Anichebe was not chasing, Liverpool took the opportunity to draw level in the 53rd minute! Liverpool 1-1 Everton. We did not keep a cleansheet in the 10 minutes.

Howard made a finger-tip save in the 56th minute and somehow the goal against Everton is rattling them. The Toffees looks totally scattered. So far, Everton is still holding on. Anichebe is being replaced by Gosling in the 70th minute. It's the 75th minute, and again, Everton just needs to hold for another 15 minutes, please!

Castillo being replaced by Rodwell in the 75th minute. Everton blocked two definite goals but they continued to be stretched. Everton brings the FA Cup tie back to Goodison. Really, really hard fight against Liverpool. Tireless running by Pienaar. He played stupendously. Holding, running, passing. He was all over the field. Jag and also Lescott did not put a foot wrong. But what they did was to protect the goalkeeper all so well. Jag, especially, cleared so many balls away from goal that I suspect his boots may have been worn out by his constant activities.

Good fight. We'll meet "bird" again for the third time.

Score: Liverpool 1-1 Everton
Scorer: Lescott
Assist: Timmy
Subs: Gosling, Rodwell

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Actim Players Ranking: 200109

Everton players in the Top 100.

Arteta: 7th (347) - Fourth best midfielder (16/9), (13/1), Fifth (2/12), (9/12), (15/12), (23/12), (20/1) - Best position: 6th
Lescott: 18th (297) - Third best defender (6/1), (13/1), Fourth (20/1) - Best position: 15th
Howard: 32nd (261) - Fifth best goalkeeper (6/1), (13/1) - Best position: 29th
Neville: 38th (243) - Best position: 38th
Jag: 43rd (237) - Best position: 43th
Ossie: 50th (230) - Best position: 50th
Fellaini: 59th (223) - Best position: 50th
Timmy: 65th (220) - Best position: 65th

Previous Top 100.
Yakubu: 86th (133) - Fifth best striker (23/9) - Best position: 9th
Baines: 82nd (25) - Best position: 82nd
Yobo: 84th (168) - Best position: 76th

Bring it on, Birds! I mean Pool.

I totally like the way David Moyes, the manager of Everton Football Club, puts it, "We're at half time and we will get ready for the next one from tomorrow onwards". How Everton is cherishing the next clash against Liverpool on Sunday.

LIVERPOOL (1) vs (1) EVERTON - FULL TIME

Courtesy of Evetonfc.com


Great enthusiastic start from both teams with Everton putting Pool under pressure in the very first minute when Anichebe chested the ball down and took a shot at goal. The opposing goalkeeper was at full stretch to parry the ball away from goal.

Bainsey blocked a shot in the 12th minute after a free kick from Everton's right channel floated into Toffee's penalty box.

In the 25th minute Everton flowed pretty well and a cross came in from the right flank from Anichebe. Timmy planted a downward header towards goal but was pushed away by the goalkeeper once again. The subsequent corner was cleared away. Two minutes later, Everton had a real scare when their striker broke free and near;y scored if not for the Howard's left post.

Both teams take their well deserved half time break with the score at 0-0.

The mad rush starts again. Arteta took a blistering free kick in the 53rd minutes from a distance in hope the the goalkeeper spills the ball. But the Pool custodian was having none of that. Swiftly, Pool countered in the 55th minute and would have scored if not for Howard's heroics and Bainsey's challenge.

Oh no. From no where, Pool leads with a strike from distance. Pool 1-0 Everton.

Ossie had a go at things in the 83rd minute but it was a comfortable save by the opposing goalkeeper. Everton scores!!! In the 88th minute, Arteta took a free kick from the left and with the stiffest of all kicks, Timmy's header bulleted into goal. Late late goal that made all the difference. Pool 1-1 Everton.

Well, it might have dented Pool's hope of winning the league title, but it did Everton no harm at all!

Score: Liverpool 1-1 Everton
Scorer: Timmy
Assist: Arteta
Subs: Nil

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Actim Players Ranking: 130109

Everton players in the Top 100.

Arteta: 6th (327) - Fourth best midfielder (16/9), (13/1), Fifth (2/12), (9/12), (15/12), (23/12) - Best position: 6th
Lescott: 16th (290) - Third best defender (6/1), (13/1) - Best position: 15th
Howard: 29th (253) - Fifth best goalkeeper (6/1), (13/1) - Best position: 29th
Neville: 36th (236) - Best position: 44th
Jag: 45th (227) - Best position: 45th
Fellaini: 50th (223) - Best position: 50th
Ossie: 60th (213) - Best position: 56th
Timmy: 87th (197) - Best position: 87th

Previous Top 100.
Yakubu: 86th (133) - Fifth best striker (23/9) - Best position: 9th
Baines: 82nd (25) - Best position: 82nd
Yobo: 84th (168) - Best position: 76th

Saturday, January 10, 2009

EVERTON (2) vs (0) HULL CITY - FULL TIME

I'd to work late today. However, if I'd known that the cable tv people were switching the Portsmouth vs Man City's match, I would have rushed home for the game. Still, I had the opportunity to watch the last 20 minutes of the game. So yes, I missed the two goals and could only watch them on replays.

Felli and Arteta, both Everton's important players, scored through what they are usualy known to use. Felli headed the Toffees aheaded in the 18th minute with a brilliant cross from Bainsey. The latter is fast penning himself into Moyes's first XI.

The second goal was one that derserves to be the goal of the season. Arteta took the free kick and the ball just whizzed past everybody, the wall, the goalkeeper, and even nearly the net.

All in all, Everton has kept their sixth clean sheet and it seems like the English combination of Bainsey, Lescott, Jag and Hibbo are coming together quite well.

Score: Everton 2-0 Hull City
Scorer: Felli, Arteta
Assist: Bainsey
Subs: Anichebe, Rodwell

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Actim Players Ranking: 060109

Everton players in the Top 100.

Arteta: 11th (294) - Fourth best midfielder (16/9), Fifth (2/12), (9/12), (15/12), (23/12) - Best position: 11th
Lescott: 15th (274) - Third best defender (6/1) - Best position: 15th
Howard: 32nd (236) - Fifth best goalkeeper (6/1)- Best position: 32nd
Neville: 44th (219) - Best position: 44th
Jag: 51st (213) - Best position: 51st
Ossie: 60th (203) - Best position: 56th
Fellaini: 75th (195) - Best position: 75th
Timmy: 91st (184) - Best position: 91st

Previous Top 100.
Yakubu: 86th (133) - Fifth best striker (23/9) - Best position: 9th
Baines: 82nd (25) - Best position: 82nd
Yobo: 84th (168) - Best position: 76th

Sunday, January 04, 2009

We Meet Pool At Anfield!

Boy oh boy! How exciting can this get? We got Liverpool for our 4th Round FA Cup competition. Dave Beasant and Di Matteo each picking up a black ball. Beasant picked Liverpool. I had this very bad feeling that it'll be us. It turned out to be so, so true.

It's not that we should be afraid of Pool. But what I'm totally irritated with the way it panned out. This is one cup that Moyes so want to have a good run, and to face Liverpool at this stage is just so difficult.

Cursed hands of those two ex-players!

Saturday, January 03, 2009

FA Cup: MACCLESFIELD (0) vs (1) EVERTON - FULL TIME

Moyes has chosen the strongest team ever for a cup match. No bit-part players, but all full fledge first XI. Only Fellaini is sitting on the bench to steer him clear from another yellow card, which will bring him to an automatic suspension.

Everton had a fright when the opposing striker pounced on the ball and struck it towards goal, just beyond the vertical post. If Everton's thinking of an easy match, this is definitely not it.

In the 10th minute, Macc player took a quick free kick that saw Everton caught unawares. The opposing striker took his chance, but totally skyed the shot! What a let off for Everton. In the 15th minute, Pienaar found Bainsey in so much space, who made a low cross into the penalty area. Two Everton players slid in, but none made any contact.

Everton is starting to pull the strings but it does not mean a one-way ticket. Macc players are also attacking well. In the 30th minute, Everton won a throw in. A long throw taken by Neville. The ball went pass nearly everybody except Timmy who took a shot albeit a little weak. Saved by the opposing goalkeeper.

Everton scores in the 44th minute. Arteta took hold of a corner, shimmied the opposing defender, and put a cross into the penalty area. Cleared by the defence but reached only as far as Ossie, who chested the ball and volleyed the ball into the net.

It's the 56th minute but still not earth shattering. Everton's dominating passing and Macc's just giving the Toffees so much space to venture. Nearly a perfect flick by Jag in the 73rd minute, but it was over the bar. The game is starting to get stale and Everton should start making some changes.

Gosling on for Pienaar in the 90th minute. Macc nearly scored at the end but Howard pulled off a stupendous save! Definitely not the best match in Everton's books, but at leastthe move to the next round.

Around the grounds, Premiership clubs Stoke City, Manchester City and Bolton all dropped out of the competition while CHELSEA!, Portsmouth, Hull City and Newcastle will head for a reply. Yes, tire them out!

Score: Macclesfield 0-1 Everton
Scorer: Ossie
Assist: Nil
Sub: Gosling