Monday 12 December 2011

Match Report: Arsenal 1-0 Everton

In reality, Everton's defeat at the Emirates told us very little we didn't know, on the playing side.
 
Defensively, we're not too bad. We have a lot of decent, experienced cover and our goalkeeper, back four and defensive midfield are more than good enough to be at the top end of the league. Unfortunately, we are woefully short when it comes to creative and attacking options - and we're certainly lacking the sort of player who can produce the bit of magic that settled this game.
 
Saturday's game, taken in isolation, isn't too much of a reason to worry. It was pretty dull for the most part, Everton looking comfortable and organised, and looked to be petering out to a 0-0 until Robin Van Persie struck an absolute blinder past Tim Howard on 70 minutes. Of far more concern are some of the tactical decisions being made, however, and we also got a prime example of one of them on Saturday.
 
Now, I am no Premier League manager and there is no way I could have performed the great job David Moyes has done with Everton since 2002. At the moment, however, some of his decisions are baffling, and the one to switch Saha for Distin on Saturday was a real head-scratcher. You can understand part of it - Moyes clearly wanted Fellaini further forward to try to hold the ball better and Saha was, to put it politely, 'quiet' - but why not, for example, put Vellios or McAleny on and just switch Fellaini and Cahill? As it was, we broke up the centre halves, ended up with Heitinga (Everton's best player on the day, along with Tony Hibbert) and Neville in midfield, and no real attacking options if, as happened, Arsenal pinched one.
 
It all just seemed a bit unnecessary and ultra-defensive, coming so early in the half. It also seemed partly just to be a way to shoe-horn Distin back into the fold, and there was just no need. The big Frenchman knows he's got to win his place back, but Jagielka and Heitinga have looked good as a partnership recently. Moyes is clearly in one of those periods, which seem to happen every season, where he doesn't know his best team and tries to keep things tight until he figures out what it is. All very frustrating.
 
The game itself was, in the main, pretty awful, but that suited Everton. Arsenal made a couple of incisive breaks first half - Tony Hibbert did brilliantly, twice, to deny Gervinho, Howard saved well from the same player and Aaron Ramsay shot over when well placed. Everton offered little going forward in the first half - a couple of Saha pot-shots the sum of their efforts - but improved second. First, Vermaelen just got in front of Cahill after Baines whipped in a beautiful cross, then Phil Neville shot onto the roof of the net after Coleman broke forward. In between, Howard again saved well from the lively Theo Walcott.
 
Everton were having more of the ball at this stage, but the substitution meant that the midfield was sitting far too deep when we were defending. When Alex Song, therefore, picked the ball up just inside the Everton half, we sat off too much and allowed him to chip a ball over the top. Van Persie, who had a yard on Jagielka for the first time really, smashed an absolutely beautiful volley past Howard and in off the post. The American didn't even have time to move - it was a world class goal.
 
After that, Moyes did ring the changes with Gueye and McAleny coming on, and both looked bright and had half chances to score. McAleny, in particular, is different to anything we have up front at the moment and went very close with a last minute half volley. These are the sort of players that are going to have to be involved more, given the paucity of striking options we have. Again you can understand Moyes's desire to protect them, but it would be nice to see half hour, rather than ten minute, appearances, and a chance for players to get into the game.
 
Everton now face two massive games before Christmas, at home to Norwich and Swansea. We have to pick up points from both, otherwise the new year could be a long, hard slog. This may force the manager into some difficult decisions - how long can Tim Cahill be allowed to be a non-scoring striker for example? He has to be bold enough to make them.
 
calcioEFC
 
 
Everton - Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Heitinga, Coleman, Neville, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov, Cahill, Saha.
Subs - Mucha, Distin, Barkley, Stracqualursi, Gueye, Vellios, McAleny
 
MOTM - Heitinga.

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