Everton 2017-18 Post-mortem: Eight(h) is Enough

OurF'ingCity

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Everton left holding a single meager point after the first two games of Europa League group stage.

2-2 today after giving up a late goal to Apollon Limassol, who (of course) only had 10 men at the time. Somehow I doubt this will quiet those calling for Koeman's head...
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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I was watching. Fucking disgusting.

My screed to follow later, when my bile subsides.
 

fletcherpost

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Everton and Palace really seem to be struggling without a decent striker available. Everton seem so sluggish, and the coming home of Rooney just isn't having that much of an impact. can Koeman make it to the window?
 

InstaFace

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If I were Koeman I never would have agreed to sell Lukaku, not for all the tea in china. That way when the board overrules you, you have something inarguable to point to. "Look, you valued money over victories. That's your right, but don't come crying to me for victories later."

Sigurdsson is a great player, but he's not a striker. Fletch is 100% right.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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The ship be sinking.

First and foremost the roster construction is not good. I am now kicking myself because this should have been glaringly obvious to everyone, including club leadership. The most common complaint is that Everton have "three No. 10's," with Rooney, Sigurdsson, and Davy Klassen, and that's true. Of course it's also bad that there's no hold-up striker in the mold of Lukaku. There is promise in the striker ranks, most notably with DCL, and this Croatian kid, Vlasic, looks tough and fearless - but neither of them is a PL-ready striker. What's even worse is that there is no width or pace at all. Mirallas, who can provide at least a whiff of that, is in the doghouse. Cuco Martina is trying vainly to do the Seamus-Coleman-bomb-forward-up-the-right-side-and-fire-crosses thing, but there isn't a single thing that Cuco Martina does on a football pitch remotely as well as Seamus Coleman, except maybe to metabolize food while playing. There is no one remotely capable of playing left back instead of poor Leighton Baines who's going to pop a gasket soon, unless you put an OOP Tom Davies or Mason Holgate over there, both of whom are fast young players with an instinct for making the One Big Fuckup at a Bad Time (to be fair this applies more to Holgate who has done it far too often including gifting Sterling the goal that let City draw with Everton, in a game that seems like the high-water mark of this season). Schneiderlin's game is similar enough to Gueye's that playing both of them is not productive. Injuries at the back have badly exposed the lack of depth and Ashley Williams all of a sudden seems 90 years old.

So too many of the same type of players in midfield; too few center-backs and wingers; no strikers or fullbacks to speak of.

So that leads to the problems with the tactics. Everton are slow, ponderous, hesitant. Chelsea showed how to beat Everton- they parked the bus. They sat back and basically dared Everton to break them down and without either a big target like Lukaku or someone quick enough to get in behind and make the defense chase, Everton couldn't do it. Everton's attack, such as it is, has to rely on a midfielder (or Pickford, who's probably the best passer on the team right now, sadly) to thread an absolutely-perfect ball and that's not going to happen often enough in the PL. Burnley did the same thing and Everton never had a prayer of winning that game (although Burnley impressed - they are my team to watch this year). Everton did do better against City and United - the United 0-4 scoreline was inflated by two stoppage-time goals, one by Lukaku, who specialized in garbage time goals last year - but even when they put it together they can't sustain it long enough. Without forward movement to break the pressure Koeman is asking the back four and DM's to play error-free for 90 minutes and that's not going to happen earlier.

Compounding the bad roster and bad tactics is listless and aimless play. Sigurdsson arrived out of shape from not playing this summer, and hasn't done anything, a golazo in Europa notwithstanding. It's discouraging that he can't make more with the Everton pieces than he could with Swansea. Rooney started the season well - he's showing his age but he was also showing lots of football smarts, being in the right place at the right time. Then he went out to grab some pussy. Now it just looks like he's confused. In every game there have been a handful of inexcusable blunders - against Burnley Schneiderlin whiffed on the pass that led to the Burnley goal in a way that would have gotten a kid pulled out of a U14 game.

All of that mess ultimately comes down to the manager, of course. Koeman seems to have an allergy to using pace or width this year - last year it came mostly from Bolasie and Coleman in Everton's most successful part of the season. Both should be back soon, but Koeman hasn't tried to use what he has, other than relying on Martina who is bad at football. As if to say "OK, I'll play all of the fan's binkies," on Saturday he started both DCL and Niasse up front, Vlasic out wide, and Jonjoe Kenny in the back, and while they all played well to varying degrees for varying lengths of time, there was no coherence, no common plan to impose on the opposition. This team used to revolve around Lukaku. Lukaku couldn't have been replaced like-for-like, of course, but if there were another big target forward then at least the team could have reached into its recent past for a playing style. Everton finished 7th last year with a "get it to Lukaku" attack, which while predictable and susceptible to variances in Lukaku's performance, at least everyone in a blue shirt knew what they were doing. Now this team needs to be built around its best player, Sigurdsson, but for most of the season so far he's been stuck out wide, which makes him about as useful as a third tit.

Koeman also has come across poorly in the media. He's right that the players have looked "scared" going forward, but whose fault is that? Koeman agitated for the players he has, in particular Sigurdsson, the pursuit of whom took almost the whole window and left the team unable to get a striker or fill other needs before the window closed.

There have been periods of very good play and there are good players. I think Koeman is capable of getting this team to gel and play better. He had best, because his managerial career is over if he fucks this up. It wasn't so far fetched that his name came up for the Barca job, given his pedigree there. Right now that would be a joke, and if he can't get out of this tailspin then the only way he'll get into Camp Nou again is to buy a ticket.

So let's hope.
 

ninjacornelius

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The most amazing thing about this team is that not having a legitimate striker isn't the worst of their problems. While I agree that this team would be better with Lukaku, it has several fundamental issues that one striker can't solve:

1) A complete lack of pace. One stat floating around Twitter the past week was that Erverton is the slowest team the League to advance the ball forward by almost a full meter per second. Lukaku is speedier than what we've got now, but he wouldn't make the midfield or fullbacks any faster in advancing the ball up the pitch. Also, no team other than Crystal Palace relies more on passes of 30 yards or more to advance the ball upfield. It's ugly, and will not improve.
2) A complete lack of width. This team hasn't had a legit winger since Steven Pienaar's legs disintegrated, but this is the worst it's ever been. Either by tactics or by age, Baines doesn't get forward nearly as much as he used to, and absent Coleman and Bolasie there's no one to provide anything along the touch lines.
3) Playing multiple number 10s at the same time. Rooney, Gylfi, and Klaassen can't play together, but Koeman doesn't seem to have figured that out. Maybe been he's too enamored with the new toys that he gets to play with, but it only creates a very muddled central attack. Also, playing two holding midfielders every game makes it impossible to have any decent link-up play.
4) The collapse of the back line. Jagielka is old and injured, Coleman is seriously injured, Martina has always been terrible, Williams has fallen off a cliff, Funes Mori is injured and terrible, Holgate is young and currently terrible, Kenny is young and can't get any run with the first team, and Baines is old and slow. That leaves Michael Keane, who's been fine-to-good so far.

In short, this is as bad as anything from the Martinez era, without players who could even make losses fun or exciting. It's dour, plodding, soulless football right now, and Koeman's time to figure something out is dwindling rapidly.

Edit: or what OCST just said.
 

coremiller

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How much control over transfers did Koeman have this summer? Because Everton's transfer business seemed bizarre at the time and now looks downright disastrous.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Giroud's wife wanted to stay in London was the chatter on the blogs.

They could do better with the pieces they have. Players don't know their jobs. Gueye shouldn't be hitting shots from 30+ yards into the stands which he did twice on Saturday to kill promising buildups. He shouldn't shoot at all unless it's a sitter frankly. Meanwhile Cuco is so bent on making raids up the right that he leaves gigantic gaps in the back and it's too easy for the other side.

If DCL comes close to his promise - AND Coleman and Bolasie come back well from very serious injuries- AND one or more of Sandro, Vlasic, Lookman, or Niasse hits as a lottery ticket and starts scoring goals, AND Kenney and/or Random Guy from Academy or Discard Pile can provide another human being to serve as a serviceable fill-in at the back, then hey!!
 

Dummy Hoy

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Sigurdsson needs the team built around him, which honestly would have been a solid move, especially if you’re dropping 45m or whatever they did. And obviously you have to replace some part of Lukaku’s production...which they didn’t.

Thy won’t go down, but I think they’re going to need a new manager and a reboot of the squad before they can try to catch top 6 again.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Today's Europa match against Lyon is as close to a must-win as Koeman has ever had.

So what has he done?

-Martina at left back WHICH HE DOES NOT PLAY AND HE SUCKS AT ANY POSITION

-Ashley Williams and no Jagielka. Ashley Williams has been one of the worst players on the team this year.

-Schneiderlin instead of Gueye at DM. He has been the other worst player.

-Klassen at No. 10. Why, God, why? Why bring on Sigurddsson and play Klassen?

Oof.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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So still Everton 0-1 Lyon after 65' and Ashley Williams pushes the Lyon keeper up against the boards and a melee breaks out including fans. Fucking brilliant.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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FUCKING YES. Ashley Williams on a clean header off an absolute gem of a delivery from Sigurdsson. 1-1. at 68'.

That's the best goal I've seen from Everton in awhile. Not that it's a big batch to pick from.

Williams is lucky since he forearm-shivved the Lyon defender after the goal. It's VERY chippy now and Williams arguably should have been sent off, he's on a yellow as it is. Nice to see the emotion from the Toffees but there's going to be more bookings here and don't want to lose this game on something dumb.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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....aaaand..... a late goal by Lyon and Everton loses.

Much better in the second half with Sigurdsson on. Hit the woodwork once. Carried the play but had a bad lapse to allow the goal on the counter - Keane let the guy get across him.

Still - despite the fighting spirit I wonder if Koeman makes it to Sunday's Arsenal game. It's gotten mighty old to say "after Koeman put on the right players the team looked better."
 

ninjacornelius

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I was about ready to write up a nice post mortem on the Koeman Era as soon as the final whistle blew yesterday, but I thought better of it. I think Moshiri and Kenwright will give him until Wednesday to get a big result: if he doesn't beat either Arsenal on Sunday or Chelsea in the League Cup, he's gone. I'd put the chances of either happening at around 20%, and that's because I'm an optimist at heart.
 

PedroSpecialK

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Eh, I think there's a huge gulf between 'failing to be as successful as a 7th place finish' and sitting in the relegation zone ~25% through the campaign. I have to assume Koeman had some significant input on the incoming transfers. He went into the season with no focus on width in midfield or defense (exacerbated by loaning out an internal option in Galloway), and relied on the two-headed monster of Sandro Ramirez and Nikola Vlasic to lead the line while spending nearly the entirety of the Lukaku money on Sigurdsson and Klaassen.

Regardless, OCST and NC have dissected the flaws in roster construction in far greater detail - to the extent that Koeman had a say in the roster construction, IMO the team's lack of performance is on him.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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"how dare you fail to field a team that was as successful as last year after we sold your best player, a world-class striker!"
Yeah, this is not close to the whole story.

In terms of buying the groceries:

Koeman was vocal about wanting a striker and a left-back and the board did not get them. This is true and it's not on Koeman.

Koeman also pushed very hard for Sigurdsson, who will be the heart of the team for years to come, but the transfer saga dragged on for months and diverted the team from other targets. Most likely not attributable to Koeman.

I assume that Rooney was a consensus decision - and Rooney is all at the same time one of the few bright spots and one of the biggest problems.

Keane and Pickford were also consensus buys; at the time the fans thought that Pickford was an overpay but he's far and away their best acquisition and will be a bedrock for ten years. They might be below Palace without him (sorry jk).

Koeman scored a coup in picking Vlasic off of Hadjuk Split's roster after playing against him in the Europa tie. That is 100% to Koeman's credit.

Sandro and Klassen have been failures and those are entirely attributable to Koeman. The "Continental finesse player who can't handle the physicality of English football" is a tired and abused trope along the lines of "can't handle the pressure of playing in Boston," but in these two cases it's accurate. Klassen exacerbates the clog in midfield which is the biggest roster construction problem.

Koeman was a dick to Niasse, but Niasse isn't the binky that his proponents think he is, redemption story notwithstanding. Niasse is a poacher, but there's nothing to poach if your teammates can't get the ball into the box in the first place.

So on balance you'd have to blame the board more than Koeman, but Koeman hitting the lottery on Vlasic doesn't mitigate his overinvestment in Klassen and Sandro.


In terms of cooking the meal: Koeman has been a complete and utter disasater.

The lineup construction has been sheer guesswork, the formations and tactics shifting randomly from one game to the next or one half to the next. Understandable to a certain extent with so many new pieces, but the press and fans have been screaming for more width, more pace, fewer plodding No. 10's in midfield, and a stable defensive alignment. The shifts between back three and back four and quasi-back five (Koeman's favorite, with Baines and Coleman as wingbacks pressing forward around a conventional back three) have been without rhyme or reason. Granted injuries and the decline of Williams have left him little to work with (I'm not going to blame for the loan-out of Galloway, because he's been terrible for Sunderland). Rooney scores nice goals when the ball falls to him but that doesn't happen that much because he keeps tracking back deeper to get the ball. Last year Gueye was among the best DM in the PL, IMO, and he and Schneiderlin played well together with Schneiderlin as a holding-type DM in front of Gueye, but this season neither of them seems to understand what to do - Gueye seems to think that his job is to attack, which he sucks at, and Schneiderlin has been dreadful, continually being exploited on defense. It's been a fucking trainwreck.

As a leader of men, Koeman has also been awful.

He's vacillated between no-nonsense, take the players to task public persona, and making excuses for the tough schedule (either is understandable but pick one). No one seems to understand what they're doing out there, and the overall effect is listless, dull, tepid football. Everton's brand has always been that they would fight like hell and make the opposition work hard, especially at Goodison, even if they weren't very good. This year it's been... not that.

Roger Bennett posted this on the MIB Facebook page:

Watching Everton used to be a the joy of my week. A respite. An escape. An occasional wonder. Irrespective of the score, you were guaranteed 90 minutes of collective endeavor and tenacity, often in the face of stiff odds.

This season’s Everton are unrecognizable. The club have stumbled into a lethargic stupor of brain dead decision making in which the players toil with little evidence of tactical gameplan, cheer or care. To watch is to suffer grimly. A corrosive, toxic gameday experience without an upside. One that leaves any supporter, in a numb puddle of anger and despondency, and worst, short-tempered with all those around you whom you love. Manchester By The Sea, Johnny Cash’s “Hurt,” or Cormac McCarthy’s The Road lift the spirits more.
Yesterday was a busy family day and watching the Arsenal game was going to complicate arrangements. I told my wife before the game, "maybe I can spare the two hours; I can get the same net effect by smashing my ballsack with a hammer for thirty seconds." Oh how right I was.

There are enough good players that this team should not be in the drop zone in the PL and with one point halfway through their Europa group schedule. They have looked far, far worse than the sum of their parts, and even if it will take time to knit those parts together, and even if some of the new pieces and academy kids wash out, there is no excuse for the kind of rudderless, joyless, hopeless football that I've watched this season. The USMNT's showing against Trinidad is comparable in overall effect but the USMNT's performance in Trinidad would be an aspirational level for Everton right now.

That is on Koeman.

So he had to go.
 
Last edited:

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Thing is that the schedule is about to become much kinder (next 8: lei WAT cry sou WHA HUD liv new), and Bolasie and Coleman are expected back in November-December. A manager could step into the situation and look like a genius just for taking advantage of the improved circumstances and stabilizing the lineup.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Everton U23 David Unsworth named interim, and evidently will be given a chance to earn the job: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/david-unsworth-manage-everton-chelsea-13802326

Everton's U23s won the title last year. Unsworth has had significant time as the coach of youth products Davies, Lookman, Holgate, Niasse, Kenny, etc. He is well regarded in Everton circles as an "Everton man" (insert analogy to thousands of other coaching jobs here).

Could be worse, and there's a chance (how big I don't know) that his knowledge of the kids will enable him to build the spine of a best XI and figure out a default formation.
 

ninjacornelius

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I can live with Unsworth. I think he'll be able to right the ship pretty quickly given his familiarity with Everton's core, and there's bound to be the post-sacking bounce that nicely coincides with a decent schedule (but then again, the last month was supposed to be a decent run of matches too, and look where they are now). However, I'd be surprised if he's given the job on a permanent basis this Summer. Everton's ceiling is probably 10th this year, and improving from "disastrous" to "respectably mediocre" won't satisfy many fans or ownership after so much was promised this season. Whether it's wise or no, I think that Moshiri and the board will want to have another public display of ambition and go after an Ancelotti or a Tuchel (but will likely end up with a Sean Dyche or a Paul Clement).

Please note that I'm not saying that Unsworth wouldn't deserve the job - I have no reason to doubt him after what he's done with the U23s - but some people are going to want to see a flashy move, and the board will probably oblige them.
 

OurF'ingCity

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The lineup construction has been sheer guesswork, the formations and tactics shifting randomly from one game to the next or one half to the next. Understandable to a certain extent with so many new pieces, but the press and fans have been screaming for more width, more pace, fewer plodding No. 10's in midfield, and a stable defensive alignment. The shifts between back three and back four and quasi-back five (Koeman's favorite, with Baines and Coleman as wingbacks pressing forward around a conventional back three) have been without rhyme or reason. Granted injuries and the decline of Williams have left him little to work with (I'm not going to blame for the loan-out of Galloway, because he's been terrible for Sunderland). Rooney scores nice goals when the ball falls to him but that doesn't happen that much because he keeps tracking back deeper to get the ball. Last year Gueye was among the best DM in the PL, IMO, and he and Schneiderlin played well together with Schneiderlin as a holding-type DM in front of Gueye, but this season neither of them seems to understand what to do - Gueye seems to think that his job is to attack, which he sucks at, and Schneiderlin has been dreadful, continually being exploited on defense. It's been a fucking trainwreck.
I read somewhere that Everton had far and away the most substitutions before 65 min in the PL, which is definitely a sign that Koeman had essentially no fucking plan once his initial approach which as noted relied way too heavily on Klaasen and Sandro was shown to be a failure. He also bizarrely often insisted on pushing the ball up the right side despite Everton essentially not having a viable right back at all once Coleman got hurt. I'm not one for mid-season firings usually, especially with a new manager, but he really was pretty much a chicken with his head cut off by the end and essentially begging to be fired.

I'm with others in that I'm not clear on how much of some of the transfer window problems were Koeman's vs. the board's, but I have to assume he at least had a significant say in the players coming in so at a minimum he should have been able to develop a viable backup plan once some of them didn't pan out.

I'm fine with Unsworth as interim and frankly it may be best to just leave him there the rest of the year - I'm fairly confident he'll at least be able to work with the available pieces better than Koeman, which should be enough to avoid relegation this year (god, it's depressing that I even have to write that) which at this point is really all this team can realistically shoot for (unless they go on some weird Cinderella Cup run or something). Of course, if a legit replacement candidate becomes available before the end of the season Unsworth shouldn't be an obstacle to signing someone else. Seen multiple outlets saying Sean Dyche from Burnley is the most likely successor; he strikes me as a bit underwhelming but then again if Everton are just looking for a stabilizing presence at this point I suppose there are worse options.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Also don't forget Koeman brought in Cuco Martina from Southampton, who should be sent right back out with him.
 

InstaFace

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What an incredibly good attitude that guy has.

“I’m just thinking about what I have to do,” Niasse says. “If, at any time, Everton need me – for the 23s or the first team – I will be there, because I work for Everton. They paid a lot of money for me and that’s why I feel I have to show something. People say what they think but they don’t know me in England. They have never seen me fit and playing.

“I want to show myself in the Premier League and I hope it can be at Everton, because it’s the team that I’m feeling. Every weekend, I’m watching the games, I’m supporting the team, I’m behind them. I’m a Blue. But, if I get the opportunity to show what I can do at another Premier League team, I will go and I will do it. You never know what can happen. This is football.”
He'd fit right in on a Bill Belichick team, that's for sure.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Niasse was a fan favorite before ever seeing action this season, just because of the grace with which he bore Koeman being a dick to him. When Koeman put him late in the second half losing 0-1 to Bournemouth, and Niasse promptly scored twice in four minutes, the Goodison crowd reacted in what I can only describe as a spontaneous group orgasm. That's the only game that Everton's won in the PL this year other than 1-0 against Stoke in the opener.

With his garbage-time goal against Arsenal on Sunday, Niasse (3) and Rooney (4) are the only goal-scorers for Everton this season. They have given up 18.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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Didn't Ashley Williams get one vs Lyon? Maybe you meant in the PL.
Yes, in the PL. Sigurdsson had a golazo against Hadjuk in Europa also:


Sundry other goals in Europa and the whatever-it-s-called cup, where they beat Sunderland 3-0 (away to Chelsea tomorrow in that competition; look for Unsworth to start lots of his former U23 proteges).
 

candylandriots

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Niasse was a fan favorite before ever seeing action this season, just because of the grace with which he bore Koeman being a dick to him. When Koeman put him late in the second half losing 0-1 to Bournemouth, and Niasse promptly scored twice in four minutes, the Goodison crowd reacted in what I can only describe as a spontaneous group orgasm. That's the only game that Everton's won in the PL this year other than 1-0 against Stoke in the opener.

With his garbage-time goal against Arsenal on Sunday, Niasse (3) and Rooney (4) are the only goal-scorers for Everton this season. They have given up 18.
I still don't know what happened with his transfer to Palace that fell apart at the deadline. Was that just more dickishness from Koeman?
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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I still don't know what happened with his transfer to Palace that fell apart at the deadline. Was that just more dickishness from Koeman?
I honestly don't know. I think there's a decent chance he stays now given his folk-hero status and the fact that he's one of the few guys finding the back of the net. I don't see him as a permanent starter in the best XI but with this group who knows. Unsworth seems to have inspired much loyalty in the U23's he coached and vice vers, and Niasse was one of them, so maybe he's the Niasse Whisperer.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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In what has been a very entertaining Carabao Cup game so far (1-0 Chelsea, 77'), I think Jagielka just killed Batshuyi, by tackling him into the post, gut-first).

Lots of academy kids for Everton. They gave up a dumb goal on an oopise header off a corner in the first half, but have been very lively in the second and have had the better of it.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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So 1-2 and out of the Who Cares Cup.

But very encouraging. After a lackluster first half, the Toffees by far had the better of it in the second and had a 15 minute spell where they had Chelsea pinned back and probably should have scored a couple of times - the Chelsea keeper made several highlight saves and there were two penalties that went uncalled. Chelsea scored a second off a corner in stoppage time but Everton countered less than a minute later - Niasse plowed through three Chelsea defenders like Earl Campbell and still stayed up, and nudged to Calvert-Lewin for the tap-in.

As expected, Unsworth featured U23 products whom he knows well, starting Davies and Kenny and subbing Lookman for Mirallas in the second half. Unexpectedly, he started Congolese DM Beni Baningme. This kid was fantastic. He made a bone-jarring tackle on some Chelsea dude and the resulting outlet pass sparked the period of Everton dominance in the second.

Unsworth afterwards: http://www.evertonfc.com/news/2017/10/25/unsworth-excited-by-blues-potential

The fans and press are pleased with the display. It can't be overlooked that Everton still lost, and to a shit-cup side at that, and were not great in the first, but in the second they attacked and defended with purpose and fire and actually kept their shape. The contrast with the forty-days-in-the-desert display of the Koeman sides was huge, and on most days the team would have earned a result with a showing of that quality.

Fans are largely happy-to-ecstatic with Unsworth - partially because he looks and talks like them and is a lifelong Evertonian. Some are saying that the lovefest is parochial and that the club needs to be looking to the top managers in Europe. For now, it seems as if Unsworth will have at least til the January window to put in a claim on the job. If he can string together some results - entirely possible given the weak schedule and the imminent return of Bolasie and especially Coleman - it will be hard for the club to look elsewhere.

I like the guy a lot. He's humble, hard-working, ambitious. Let's see.

Leicester on Sunday.
 

Dummy Hoy

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So 1-2 and out of the Who Cares Cup.
I know this was a throwaway line, but it's been 22 years since Everton lifted any trophies (Lancashire and Liverpool Cups most certainly do not qualify here). Given Everton's cemented status outside the top 4, I'd think this would be something to aim for.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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I know this was a throwaway line, but it's been 22 years since Everton lifted any trophies (Lancashire and Liverpool Cups most certainly do not qualify here). Given Everton's cemented status outside the top 4, I'd think this would be something to aim for.
That's true.

For me and I suspect for a lot of fans, righting the ship in the PL is more important, and though top-four is a fantasy, at this point we'd be relegated. Unsworth had an agenda in this game and it was to right the ship. Part of that was to give McCarthy his first game action in coming back for injury. The plan was to play him 60' and then switch to a more offensive-minded setup, and that's what he did. McCarthy may be past his sell-by date and seems to have lost a step, but he is a needful piece if he can perform decently. The other part was to play some of the kids and show some cohesion and spirit, which they did. I'm much more cheered going back into the PL after this game and I'm actually optimistic going into the Leicester game. If a loss in the cup is the price for that, I can live with it and I suspect most fans can. Not to mention that they could have won and should have at least had a draw, so it's not like they deliberately punted the game.

Still, your point is well taken.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
I don't know how many times I can come here right after the final whistle and say I'm too disgusted to discuss the game. Here's one more.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
So spitting the bit against Leicester caused Unsworth to fall out of favor with the cognoscenti. The team did have a better second half after certain substitutions were made, should have had a penalty called, and had a couple of very close misses. That's the exact same thing that could be said about most of Koeman's losses and it's what the losing side says. The two problems that seem intractable are a lack of pace at the back, as shown when Vardy and the Leicester counter (which looked like a clip from their title-winning season) cut the Toffees open like a fishmonger filleting a salmon), and a lack of quality up front to break down a defense - or to "ask questions," as the pundits have it.

Sunday's PL game at home to Watford is pretty much a game for Unsworth's claim to the job. A resounding wind that gets Goodison jumping and he's still in consideration. A moral victory like the Chelsea cup game won't cut it. If they lose, he's got no shot, and a draw doesn't probably keep him in contention either. He acknowledges as much.

Today's Europa game at Lyon is interesting. After 3 games, or half the round, it looks like this:

Atalanta: 7 pts
Lyon: 5 pts
Appolon Limassol: 2 pts
Everton: 1 pt

If Atalanta, clearly the class of the group, beats Appolon today as expected and pulls ahead for the top spot, and if Everton win at Lyon (don't laugh), then Everton would be in third on 4 points, one point behind Lyon and two ahead of Appolon, with games left at home with Atalanta and away to Appolon. They would have zero margin for error since their GD is bad, and they have shown little ability to win such a game (or any game), but you play to win the game.

So there's a chance [insert gif of stoner guy].

Now the Europa game is less important than Watford for Unsworth's prospects but it would still be part of his body of work, obviously. A good showing and a win would go a long way.

So he:

-Did not put Baines, Rooney, or Jagielka on the squad, they did not make the trip (arguably resting them for Sunday as they're all over 30 and have played a lot)
-Gave Ashley Williams the armband - which I think is stupid since he fought with the Lyon keeper last game - but maybe Unsy's trying to stoke the crowd into a passion that will rub off on his guys
-A youth movement all around, but
-With Sigurdsson at No. 10

Pickford; Holgate, Williams, Martina, Kenny (not sure how they're lining up); Schneiderlin, Gueye, Banigname (three #6s ! if you keep leaking goals why not, I guess); Sigurdsson, Lookman, Lennon.

So lots of midfield cover for a shaky back four, their best player (on paper) in the middle, and two pacy guys up front (with Calvert-Lewin resting).

We'll see.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
So far this is not working that well. I won't provide play by play but two things bug me: Gylfi's floating around on the left not sure of what he's doing; and Cuco Martina picked up a booking early, should have had another; and sucks.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Martina hurt at 34', looks bad - not moving and they're putting the blocks around his head to keep it still.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
Lyon 3-0 Everton.

Players uncertain of roles/out of position.
Terrible defensive lapses.
No discernible way to build an attack.
No way to break down a defense.
A red for Schneiderlin.

So more of the same.

Unsworth has managed 1 game each in PL, EFL Cup, and Europa, and lost all three, scoring 1 goal and allowing 7.

He will not be the manager.

I’m just numb. I’ll stop until there is some glimmer of hope.
 

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Sunny von Bulow
SoSH Member
Jan 10, 2004
24,483
The 718
For Watford today close to theXI I would have picked: Pickford; Baines, Keane, Jags, Kenny; Gueye, Davies, Baningime; Rooney, Siggy, Niasse.

Worried that they have Gylfi listed as a forward; he is not a 9, as seen. If he is the tip of a midfield diamond, great, that’s their best formation now IMO.

Might have preferred either DCL or Lookman up front due to Rooney’s lack of pace, but we need someone to finish and he will finish if he gets it, and Niasse too.

I am a fool but I feel a good win.