Fixture…
Sunday 19th January, 14.00
Everton Vs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League
Available On…
UK TV – Sky Sports Main Event
UK TV – Sky Sports Premier League
Optus Sport
SuperSport MaXimo 1
More Info…
Result: 3-2 (Everton Win)
D. Calvert-Lewin (13′)
I. Ndiaye (30′)
A. Gray (45’+7 og)
D. Kulusevski (77′)
Richarlison (90’+2)
Match Report…
I’m not saying Ange read my last blog but possibly for the first time this season Spurs utilised a back three with Ben Davies joining Gray and Dragusin. Maybe I should have kept my mouth shut because it didn’t help a bit. Without a single holding midfielder on the pitch we were still wide open and so easy to break on the counter. Dragusin and Davies lack the pace required and the jury is still out on new goalkeeper Kinsky. I’m not sure if Kinsky is a good signing but I do find him entertaining and so I guess that fits the Ange way.
It didn’t take long for a team sitting close to the bottom of the league who’s struggling to score goals, to find themselves 2 nil up against Spurs. At the other end of the pitch Son missed an absolute sitter and after only half an hour Spurs looked in real trouble. By half time we were 3 nil down and the writing was on the wall in more ways than one.
With very few options on the bench optimism was low for any remarkable second half turnarounds. Youngsters including Lankshear and Moore were sitting patiently as was Richarlison, returning from another long term injury. It was Richy who got the nod and the back 3 was scrapped with Dragusin being replaced.
Spurs started the second half brighter but with such open play, the risk of conceding more was probably greater than us ever getting on the scoresheet. After 70 minutes Sarr was sacrificed for young Mikey Moore and that was about all we could hope for by this point. Another training exercise for our young players to gain experience.
However, on 76 minutes Tottenham were offered a slim lifeline when Kulusevski scored a wonderful little chip with the goalie off his line, but there were few celebrations from a much deflated Spurs side. A short corner and a beautiful ball in to the far post from young Moore in the 93rd minute allowed Richarlison to score on his return from injury and against his former club. With the scoreline now 3-2 there was a frantic last few moments around the Everton goal area but it was too little too late for Tottenham Hotspur.
With so many injuries it can be understood why we are struggling but questions still need to be asked of Ange’s system and Levy’s lack of activity in a time of crisis. If you don’t have the players to make the system work you have to adapt, it’s as simple as that. If you don’t know how to adapt then go back to your school boy league, because this is the Premier league and quite frankly you’re not only embarrassing yourself, you’re making a mockery of this club, which takes some doing after the last 20 years under Levy’s Spurs.
But what can we expect from a manager who refuses to change his high line defence when going down to only nine men against Chelsea, or from a chairman who refuses to buy a single player for more than 16 months.
We are now more than half way through the January transfer window and all we have added is a goalkeeper. What is this club doing? Get in Toney, get in Eze, get someone in who can make an instant impact. We have an abundance of players for the ‘future’ and we don’t need any more average players, we need a top class player who can come into this team and make an actual difference.
With regards to the injuries It’s no coincidence most of our injuries are hamstring problems and I don’t accept it’s just bad luck. If players are constantly overstretching or over trying these sorts of injuries can occur. For me this suggests the players are just not relaxed in their play and this over trying results from acts of desperation. A poor run of results and this set of players are looking both physically and mentally drained. Ange cannot get these long term absentees back quick enough I’m sure.
However I’m just not convinced that if we had a full squad available our performances would be any more consistent but we cannot ignore the fact that the injury crisis has gone from bad to worse and the results have followed suit.
If you were in any doubt before the Everton game about the threat of relegation, take a look at the league table, we are now sitting 15th in the league. Just 19 wins from 49 Premier league games now for Ange. Time is running out.