Sunday, February 27, 2011

Easy Win for the Toffees

It was a clinical win by Everton as Sunderland posed no real threat to the Toffees.

It is always good to see Everton playing a little bit more adventurous - 4-4-2. But the first 5 minutes belonged to Sunderland who even saw a one-on-one opportunity. Fortunately, the Sunderland striker could only slice the ball past the goal post.

Sunderland was undone by Everton in the 7th minute. Ossie puts in a through pass that split the entire defence. Becks was on hand to pick up the pass, intricately chipping the ball into the net. Lovely move. Everton 1-0 Sunderland.

Everton nearly gave away their lead in the 27th minute, but Howard palmed it against the bar and back into play. Coleman, seemingly playing deeper right, does not look too comfortable at all. His overlapping play was terrible.

After Sunderland's threatening run, Everton struck once again in the 38th minute. Arteta, receiving the ball on the left, shimmied his way through the defence before cutting in an incisive pass which Becks so cleverly curled it in. Everton 2-0 Sunderland.

Felli had to be substituted in the 41st minute after he had seemingly sprained his left ankle. In came Rodwell. Coleman has been making horrible passes all day.

Half time, and Everton looked comfortably ahead.

Everton continued the second half with what looks like a slow pressure cooker. They are attacking, but not really in waves. Still, Sunderland has not shown much threat.

Becks seemed to have injured himself and was replaced by Timmy in the 72nd minute and a final substitution of Saha for Bily in the 82nd minute. Moyes played a 4-5-1 with Timmy being pushed up front.

Everton could so nearly be 3-0 up. Ossie rounded the defender, rounded the goalkeeper, curled in a nice shot towards goal but it was cleared off the line! So close.

At the end, the game ended 2-0 to Everton. This is the type of game that Everton should win, and this time they did.

Score: Everton 2-0 Sunderland
Scorer: Becks (2)
Assists: Ossie, Arteta
Subs: Felli, Becks, Saha

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Creeping into Relegation?

Everton was never at the stands. They played a truly forgettable game and many a times, it felt like Everton was playing against 15 players or even more. Passing was poor, finishing negligible.

Everton drew with Bolton in their reverse game with Becks scoring. Today, the club will be without Saha and Rodwell, both tremendous performers. But we have Timmy back and Anichebe has been roped in to lead the pack.

Bolton seemed to play better than Everton and have been pressing for the last 10 minutes, and ultimately they went a goal down in the 10th minute. Bolton 1-0 Everton. A deflection off Heitinga.

Everton were not even able to control the midfield.

So close for Timmy in the 16th minute! Skipped past two defenders but tapped it beyond the post. Everton are not putting enough pressure on Bolton's defence.

No Everton players have impressed so far. But from the other side, Everton's playing some horrible football. no overlaps, poor control, ill-disciplined markings, no incisive runs. Utterly poor!

Bolton started the second half. Bily was really quite useless. Anichebe looked lost, Timmy had brely had a chance, and Arteta's passing continued to fail him. We'd need to see Becks come in.
A throw-in by Bily turned out to be a foul throw. Impossible!

Ossie and Becks in for Bily and Coleman in the 60th minute.

Everton two goals down y 66th minute. Bolton 2-0 Everton. The Toffees don't look like they could fight anymore. Anichebe kept trying to get foul calls that never came.

Anichebe was finally taken out of his suffering in the 77th minute. Replaced by young Baxter.

It's a total wreck of a game and Everton falls even closer to a relegation fight.

Score: Bolton 2-0 Everton
Scorer: None
Assist: None
Subs: Ossie, Becks, Baxter

Saturday, February 05, 2011

What A Cracker of A Game!

Everton 5-3 Blackpool

What a pulsating game. Leading a goal, Everton then trailed by a goal. From there, Everton scored three goals and Saha played a chief role in making sure Everton picked up three points.

Moyes spoke out about not being able to do any business in January. That is totally worrying as there are players who will be out of contract soon and for the fact that Everton has no money to buy, these players may just leave as well. Everton is also short of strikers, thus seeing Moyes play 4-5-1.

Two free kicks in six minutes, both smacked the wall. In the 9th minute, Bainesy stole a low cross into the penalty area only for Bily to over-shimmy and the chance was gone! The ball reached Heitinga who first time shot hardly troubled the goalkeeper.

Third freekick in the 16th minute, plumped into the wall again.

Lovely set-up goal, lovely strike. Pass by Rodwell in the 19th minute, Bily faked two defenders, and the man of the season for Everton, Saha scored! That's what a class striker is all about. Everton 1-0 Blackpool. Assist: Bily.

Rodwell had a great chance. He ghost past a defender, lobbed it past another and he was free in the six yard box. But nerves got the better of him and he missed the shot totally.

Blackpool scored. Fluke goal! When will Everton ever keep a clean sheet? Everton 1-1 Blackpool.

Everton had scored but the referee pulled play back for an earlier foul. What nonsense!!! The referee has played the main role in this game! Too much a part he has played.

Start of 2nd half. And now, Saha scores in the 46th minute. Finally! Good splitting pass by Rodwell. Lovely low cross by Bainesy, and Saha tucked in the ball without missing a step. Everton 2-1 Blackpool. Assist: Bainesy. Saha has been winning all the headers!

Everton needed to score the third goal and Rodwell so nearly scored in the 59th minute! Just can't find that target! A big big mistake by Heitinga. He was not even convincing in the clearance! Everton 2-2 Blackpool.

Felli strikes in the 63rd minute but cleared off the goal line! Counter attack by Blackpool and Everton is behind! What is happening? Everton 2-3 Blackpool.

Everton's defence have totally collapsed!

Off the line once again! Rodwell's ball was well on the way but cleared by a diving defender!
Timmy and Becks are on for Bily and Rodwell respectively.

Saha scores his very first hat trick for Everton in the 76th minute! A cross by Arteta, and no one was marking Saha. Everton 3-3 Blackpool.

Everton takes the lead in the 79th minute!!!!!!! A lovely pass from Bainesy on the left for Becks to tap the ball into the net. Everton leads! Everton 4-3 Blackpool. Assist: Bainesy.

What a roller coaster of a game!

Saha scores again!!!!! Running all the way from midfield, he sprinted past the entire defence to tuck in a wondeful goal. A great through pass from Felli! Everton 5-3 Blackpool. Assist: Felli.

Final substitution in the 86th minute - Jag for Saha.

Convincing win. But defensively, Everton really need to pick up a notch or two.

Score: Everton 5-3 Blackpool
Scorers: Saha (4), Becks (1)
Assists: Bily, Bainesy (2), Felli

Wednesday, February 02, 2011

Wasted Points

Arsenal 2-1 Everton

Everton squandered the chance to move up the table as they conceded two goals in a short span of time.

Everton started with the unchanged team that competed against Chelsea in the FA Cup. This means that Bily kept his place , hugging the left lane. Timmy is back in UK but Moyes is giving him the required rest.

Everton are asking the questions for the first 10 minutes with good, crisp passes.

Saha! Saha! He scored!!! In the 24th minute, Coleman cuts inside and ran at the defenders. The through ball looked a little late as Saha was clearly offside. But the an Arsenal defender sliced the ball into the path of Saha who slotted it into the net. Arsenal 0-1 Everton. To be fair, I think Saha should have been called offside.

Everton had another chance in the 38th minute with a nice padded header into the path of Bily who shot first time. Saved by the sprawling goalkeeper.

Half time. Everton need to ensure that they do not collapse like a deck of cards. They have to deny Arsenal that first 10 minutes equaliser and continue to press Arsenal and leave them with no space to play their game.

Everton has survived past the 10 minutes. Neville seemed to be blasting the ball up front without thoughts on whether there are players up front.

Ossie is in for Bily in the 64th minute.

In the 70th minute, Rodwell misplaced his header and Arsenal sneaked a goal! Arsenal 1-1 Everton and soon after, Everton is behind in the 75th minute. Poor, poor marking.

Moyes may need to play 4-4-2 now to salvage anything. Anichebe and Jag in for Coleman and Neville in the 78th minute.

It's not for the lack of trying, but a problem with quality that saw Everton lose this game.

Poor, poor finish.

Score: Arsenal 2-1 Everton
Scorer: Saha
Assist: Nil
Subs: Ossie, Anichebe, Jag