Without Phil Neville, David Moyes left Irish starlet Seamus Coleman on the bench and brought in the experienced Tony Hibbert at right-back as he stuck Victor Anichebe back in the first team. Phil Neville was presumably injured while the poor Louis Saha was dropped in favour of Yakubu.
An early free-kick was delivered in superbly by Baines but Distin could not reach it. Anichebe was in action too down the right. Pienaar did well to feed Cahill who decided he would be a striker today and had a poke but showed just why Everton don't shoot from distance. Hopeless. Anichebe had a better poke from wide that Carson had to save well as Everton looked to take full control of the game after dominating the first exchanges.
But of course that led to a period of more sustained possession for West Brom, although they could provide little penetration as Everton kept swinging the ball up the right to Anichebe. But it was West Brom who won the first corner, and a fantastic bullet header from Paul Scharner was poweered into the back of the net despite a hand from Howard, with Cahill nowhere to be seen.
Anichebe won a rather soft free-kick right on the edge of the area but Baines's curler was far too high as Arteta stood back and looked on. Cahill won another kick a little further out; this time, Arteta on que failed to beat the lone first defender. Heitinga needlessly passed straight to a West Brom player in the Everton half, allowing them to develop their second attack and a strike that screwed wide of goal.
Lee Mason was being very generous to Everton with marginal decisions, this time Yakubu going over very easily inside the Dee. Arteta did a lot better this time, forcing the save form Carson. Cahill then gave away a dangerous free-kick at the other end that Brunt stroked superbly over the four-man wall and into the top corner, just an inch inside the post, with Howard close to it but unable to keep it out. 0-2!!! Oh dear...
The Everton crowd now became frustrated and super critical of poor player decisions, Pienaar's pass back to a marked player who lost possession drawing howls of derision. But Mason gave them another soft kick and Brunt got booked for kicking the ball away. Everton's problems were underlined with a pathetic shot from Pienaar that dribbled well wide of the Park End goal, followed by Yakubu misplacing a simple pass from a throw-in.
Carson cleared straight to Cahill but Yakubu was clearly offside for the return ball as Everton struggled to get anything going. Pienaar looked to have stopped a cross with his arm but not for the first time, Lee Mason looked kindly on the Blues, although it actually was off his chest.
Everton won their first corner in the 42nd minute, and a beautiful outswinger delivered from Baines was met perfectly by Cahill and powered in to the far side of the goal, a superb header to put the Blues back in it. Much better football followed from Everton, winning Everton's second corner, clipped in well with real power by Baines... but incredibly no-one could convert it, Heitinga the closest at the far post.
Second half, and no need for Moyes to make any changes after that rousing Cahill strike, although Anichebe had switched to the left side, but the Baggies were not for giving up the fight easily, pressuring Everton all over the field, and making the Blues work for any meaningful possession. And when they got it, Anichebe's cross was poor.
With nothing happening for the Blues after 6 or 7 minutes of the second half, Moyes descided to make what was a for him an early and significant double change... but not completing it until West Brom had another worrying attack. Beckford on for Heitinga; Saha on for Yakubu at 56 mins!
Beckford got his chance early but Carsdon got a good piece of it, Brunt clearing it off the line, then Jara elbowed Baines in the face ? no free-kick, then Jara leapt in on Arteta for a clear red card that incensed Arteta, who stampled on his leg, and the Everton players and crowd went nuts... But Jara, the cause of all the mayhem, got off scott free, while Areta walked for his reltaliaton.
So... a goal down, now a man down... Goodison not exactly a morgue this week! Moyes then switched Rodwell on for the tiring Anichebe on the hour. Beckford took a shot too early and screwed it weakly well wide. Rodwell did well down the right and then Cahill had a pop from distance but the chances were hard to create. Pienaar pushed through a good ground ball for Beckford, just fractionally overhit, but Carson was out fast. West Brom counter-attacked with pace to keep Everton's 10 men on their toes as Di Matteo began his substitutuions to disrupt the flow as much as anything else.
West Brom had a very strong spell as they took full advantage of the extra man; Dorrans went in the book for a tackle from behind on Pienaar. Everton worked the ball forward, Hibbert over everyone to Beckford who, with the goal gaping, wellied it horribly into the top tier of the Gwladys Street. League 1 striking skills sadly in full evidence from the ex-glass-fitter.
Cahill, playing deper, tried the same Route One to Saha but nothing came of it, while at the other end, substitute Tchoi ran in easily on Hibbert, backing off, and he clipped in an excellent shot high to the far side of the goal that Howard was nowhere near close to saving. 1-3 and the fightback now surely over, with 15 frustrating minutes left.
Tchoi was dancing past Hibbert at will down the Everton right and creating havoc, Everton totally defeated, unable to do anything with the ball. Mullumbu should have been booked for a foul from behind on Pienaar. From the free-kick, the ball hit Jara's arm, but howls for a penalty were ignored by referee Mason.
Mullumbu was the next to rub salt in as, in yet another stinging attack down the Everton right, Tcjhoi waltzed inside of Hibbert to set up Mullumbo for West Brom's fourth. Mullumbo was yellow carded for his clebration, and them given a second yellow when he clipped Pienaar's heel... Red card.
Beckford squandered yet another guilt-edged chance, hooking over with only the keeper to beat, and summing up a dreadful say for him and the Blues.
An astounding confounding game of football that everyone expected Everton to dominate after a good opening, but little went right for the Blues today, while everything clicked for West Brom. Things could have been very different if Jara had been correctly penalized and dismissed for (a) elbowing Baines and then (b) diving in on Arteta. But instead, Arteta got the red card at a critical point in the game.
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Surely, there are few Evertonians who can believe that David Moyes is fit to run the club? Today has been coming and was needed. We have a reasonable squad and an inept, tired. over-rated, bewildered, over-paid coach.
If David Moyes has any pride or integrity, he will follow the decent example of Gordon Strachan. I fear, however, that this will be a painful lingering death. We are in serious trouble.
Any of the above would be an improvement.
Things are not great but, with no money to improve the squad, it was inevitable that we would struggle at some point. The season might be finished as far as Europe is concerned, although looking at the table it is still wide open.
Dont give up just yet, other teams got walloped as well, the EPL is crap as West Ham's sacked No 2 said.
Yes, we were shite, but so were others. This is where we are, this is the lower reaches of the EPL. They smell roses while you sweep up after them.
Our players just aren't good enough, so let's stop kidding ourselves. We will avoid relegation, and that will do. No dosh, no movement, no bloody silverware... Well, at least we might win the Ashes???!!!
What is it about Everton fans and their lack of an ability to complain? We just don't seem able to do it!
Teams like Blackpool, WBA and Bolton all have no money but can still manage to play attacking football... No movement. No passion. No ideas. No excuses.
Christ, wasn't it West Brom who put four past us a few years back around the same miserable time of the year in the midst of another of his spectacular harrowings of the basement? So much for goddam eschatology...
We should also have Rodwell and Fellaini in the middle. Arteta is either injured or shit, as well as now banned, and Heitinga is not a midfielder ? end of.
Coleman on the right and Pienaar on the left. Maybe give Mucha a go while we are at it. The defence will concentrate more as they will feel he will need that bit more protection til he settles in.
Today's 'performance' is just another crap display to go with so many others when Moyes decides to write his 'memoirs'. This will definitely be Moyes's last season, one way or the other, and I think that most of this crowd of players will all decide to go their own way after this season ? most of them only signed new contracts because they thought something good was on the cards. They were mistaken and so were we.
He just hasn't got a clue about how the fans feel, and neither the Echo nor the Radio Merseyside phone-ins will reflect the views of the fans on the matter.
Any Norwegian derived from the "Clan Schitten Reddisk" are deemed expert. Hope that helps...
Johnny Heitinga should have been playing that role, you could see within 5 minutes, the big hole in front of centre-halves. If i could see it, Moyes should be seeing it.
Even the Big Fella, who is looking classy, drifts when playing that role and has not got the speed to get back, which puts pressure on Jags and Distin. Martin O'Niell with John Carew for a Plan B.
A new manager required; I don't know about that, but Mr O,Neill was on £35k/wk at AV, so double your wages?
I think Everton's next manager is certain to be Phil Neville: won everything, dozens of caps and educated at the feet of a master. (Ferguson... not Mr Moyes!)
Let's be real fans and get behind the manager who is forced to work on a shoestring!!!
Moyes isn't the mug, we are for contributing to this shite. £3million a year to stroll round the pitch with an attitude ? and it isn't just Heitinga.
ps: Well done today to Distin and Cahill who showed the rest up !!!
Stop panicking like a wartime home guard and get behind the team. I am still going home and away and giving positive support. Could all other true blues do likewise please! In Moyes We Trust ...
I suggest we forget the cumbersome Yak or Saha and start with Cahill and Beckford. Movement, pace and arrogance. Just what we need.
I called recently for 4-4-2 leaving out Tim Cahill. I am happy to admit that was a shite call. Cahill has been superb. Start him with Beckford.
Beckham... why not? We had Gazza, Sparky, Ginola ? all past their sell-by date and on more money than we'll ever see!
WBA looked like the home side, they ran us ragged... is O'Neill still available?!
Goodison has been flat from kick off for all games since the derby. I dread going to home matches, yesterday was the worst home performance in living memory. At least when we were thrashed by Arsenal last season we played a good team.I remember Moyes once saying he wants to go before he's hounded out of the club... I think that time is now; it's time for a change.
Heitinga out of position and playing horribly;Rodwell benched, but substituted on the wing;Arteta ineffective, but remains in the line-up;Coleman a true bright spot, yet dropped;Saha always absent, yet starts;Bily out of position continually, now a head case;Gueye ? where is he?Go back a month or so and you have Osman starting out wide ? where he's basically ineffectual;Beckford back a few months ago blooded up top with no support playing alone;Howard ? and this kills me as an American ? never once sat despite some horrible play in goal... etc, etc, etc.When you're continually making horrible decisions as to whom plays and, more importantly, in what position, then you're to blame. No vision, no adventure, no results.At home, against West fucking Brom, and we go with ONE up top and bench our only speed on the wings in Coleman, and inexpicably play Heitinga in a position he's been absolutley horrific in while benching Rodwell? At some point, you've got to drop this blind allegiance because Moyes is the problem. I like the Moyes immensely. But how long does it possibly take for him to shake up the line-up and stop running out players out of position ? it's NOT WORKING!If he'd just say "fuck it" and go for it once. Christ go 4-3-3 with 3-4 youngsters. If we lost I'd be 10 times happier because we would have at least thrown caution to the wind and went for it!It's not overreacting, Paul, if you're pissed off watching a mule try the same failing thing time and time again!And, for God's sakes, aim higher! Mid-table and a good Cup run! FFS man, we've missed a GLORIOUS opportunity to push into the top 4! We've pissed one away, and a mid-table finish will change our minds?Seriously! Disgusting man, just disgusting.Nothing personal ? but your compass needs adjusting.
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* Everton deducted 8 pts; †Forest deducted 4 pts for PSR breachView full table
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