Season › 2012-13 › News Malaga 1 - 0 Everton Michael Kenrick , 11 August, 24comments | Jump to most recent Moyes's strong team lose in Andalusia Everton's preseason schedule drew to a close with a trip to Andalusia to take on Málaga. The game included a Trophy that both sides were playing for, the magnificent Tropheo Internationál Costa Del Sol. Fellaini was missing, out injured with a slight knock, but Phil Jagielka returned to the side, which was a pretty much full-strength one considering the players David Moyes had available. Not too much to report in a fairly mild first half, played in the sweltering Mediterranean heat. Málaga were playing some neat football but not getting much penetration in the same can be said of Everton. Tim Howard had been the busier of the two goalkeepers. Jelavic did have a good drive from a free kick. Despite the conditions, David Moyes did not ring the changes at half time; only Sylvain Distin came on for John Heitinga. But Everton where slow to start in the second half with some sloppy football, although no real danger from any Málaga attacks. A couple of better opportunities for both sides saw offside decisions go against each team. Everton finally started to play a little bit Jelavic scoring a nice goal although he was clearly offside. Anichebe then replaced Seamus Coleman, and the big Nigerian was strangely booked inside two minutes. Some better football from Everton saw Leon Osman get into the penalty area but his shot was pretty lame. At the other end, simple defending for free kick saw a free header of the delivery and pretty easily Everton went behind to a goal by Welington. Francisco Junior replaced Phil Neville, then Magaye Gueye replaced Steven Naismith... followed by Ross Barkley for Nikica Jelavic. Barkley should have scored off a great Baines cross that he headed over, but he was offside anyway. All things considered, this was a good pre-season finalé for Everton, and should set them up nicely for the massive challenge on August 20 when Manchester United come to town. Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Baines, Heitinga, Jagielka, Neville, Osman, Pienaar, Coleman, Naismith, Jelavic. Subs: Mucha, Rodwell, Distin, Gueye, Barkley, Vellios, Anichebe, Junior, Duffy. Reader Comments (24) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer Jem Traynor 1 Posted 11/08/2012 at 21:50:59 How big a miss was Fellaini tonight!?!We couldn't keep hold of the ball in the middle and were awful at playing the offside game, ie, defenders sitting way too far back and not checking with each other where the defensive baseline should be and pushing it upfield when there was no attacking play to cope with!Just a preseason game, though, nothing to worry about and.... to be fair, I thought the linesmen should've gone to Spec Savers and donned their spoils. Nevermind, again pre-season. Jem Traynor 2 Posted 11/08/2012 at 21:56:25 Haha, we play Man-U on the 18th and Manager David Morris hopes Fellaini will be back fit in time because we were pretty short looking in the Middle!! Haha. Jem Traynor 3 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:00:26 Sorry, Michael, you're right on the date.... Ray Robinson 4 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:00:38 I never read too much into pre-season friendlies and I didn't watch the game tonight but the one thing that I was reasonably certain about tonight, after watching the Blackpool game last week, is that we wouldn't score. Oh for some creativity, flair and pace! Tom Bowers 5 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:03:09 Well, as I have said before, the result is of little consequence as long as the fitness mark is reached. Hopefully Fellaini will be fit for Monday.It would have been nice to see Everton at least score after the long journey to Malaga. We need to get some extra finishing from the midfielders to become a better team than last season. James Martin 6 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:09:04 Didn't think it was that bad. Malaga are a champions league side in a league considered to be technically superior to ours. They were always probably going to be too strong for us away from home, especially with us missing our first choice midfield pairing. We were short of creativity up front but looked alright at the back apart from a slip up at the set piece. Barry Rathbone 7 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:43:15 Good to see the green shoots of "same old, same old" this pre season ..... I'm so excited. James Flynn 8 Posted 11/08/2012 at 22:55:18 No injuries resulting from the game mentioned. Anything new on Gibson's return? Keith Glazzard 9 Posted 11/08/2012 at 23:51:32 Malaga are a good side, but 4th here is a bit like 4th in Scotland (as was) - the top two are way ahead. Malaga would compete and survive in the Prem, around half way I guess. So it was a good work-out.The most obvious thing is how much we missed Fellaini and Gibson. We could mainly hold and contain, but going forward? Not much. Which is a pity, because Naismith looks like he is settling quickly.Subs thrown on late in a game like this can never be judged fairly but Gueye, I'm sorry to say, looked like he always does - a couple of decent touches, but inept.And who said Barkley still looks like the best lad in the school team? I watched him playing with the big boys tonight. And you're right. Lots to prove yet. Ernie Baywood 10 Posted 12/08/2012 at 00:26:37 Hopefully it just being cautious... but Fellaini and Gibson injured has me worried.What position did Naismith play? Peter Barry 11 Posted 12/08/2012 at 01:35:09 Tom Bowers# 794 I am sure you will be singing the same predictable mantra as we lose our opening games of the season too. Anto Byrne 12 Posted 12/08/2012 at 02:36:34 This is Everton... what do you expect? James Flynn 13 Posted 12/08/2012 at 02:51:52 Peter (822) - "as we lose our opening games of the season too".You weakling. Ernie Baywood 14 Posted 12/08/2012 at 03:19:04 You seem to be revelling in pouring negativity over every article posted on this site. I hope this team and manager shoves it right up you this season, Peter.Because I'm an Evertonian. Peter Barry 15 Posted 12/08/2012 at 06:12:35 @James Flynn# 825 What an illogical immature comment for anyone to make.@Ernie Baywood # 828 No I am merely being a REALIST and whats more I have HISTORY on my side. What do you have except 'High Hopes".I would really love to see Everton come roaring out of the gates and stack up a series of stunning victories and finish comfortably high in the League and possibly win a Trophy on the way. But the history of the past TEN YEARS under Dire Dour Defensive Davey tells me that just will not happen. Peter Warren 18 Posted 12/08/2012 at 07:36:41 One thing that has concerned me ore season is Neville playing in centre midfield. Hope he ain't there a week Monday but wouldn't surprise me if he was. I think Stubbs had it spot on when he commented on Rodwell and Coleman to step up to the plate now Shane Corcoran 19 Posted 12/08/2012 at 08:00:31 Steady on Keith. I think Malaga might should just shade it against St. Johnstone. Shane Corcoran 20 Posted 12/08/2012 at 08:02:19 Keith, not picking on you but only just read your second point. We finished 7th last year so Malaga would finish ahead of us and I reckon they'd push Newcastle and Arsenal hard so to say they'd finish mid-table in England is again a little off. Sam Hoare 21 Posted 12/08/2012 at 08:34:55 Our season will depend on injuries. Fact is that lose any of fellaini, jelavic, pienaar, baines and possibly Gibson and our team becomes considerably less effective. This is why we will struggle to improve on 7th. No squad depth. Unless a handful of youngsters make considerable strides forward but for all their promise I'm not sure the likes of rodwell, Barkley, Coleman, mcaleny and Duffy are the answer yet... Paul Gladwell 22 Posted 12/08/2012 at 10:02:19 Peter, well said I have thought the same, we know what Neville can do in the centre, so it is about time in games like this he gave Barkley and Rodwell as much game time as possible as they wont be getting much soon, he needs to be pushing them and not an ageing player who knows the ropes. Paul Andrews 23 Posted 12/08/2012 at 10:23:46 My main concern would be our attacking threat,he will drill the defensive requirements into them over the next week,so we should be ok there.However I don't think we look up to shape going forward,from what I have seen there is not a lot of goals in the side at the moment. Jamie Barlow 26 Posted 12/08/2012 at 11:29:03 James@825 and Ernie@828, it must be a very miserable life that Predictable Peter leads. The only pleasure he gets is coming on here slagging every little thing his beloved club does. He's a one man 'I told you so' band. Martin Farrington 27 Posted 12/08/2012 at 12:50:36 Lucky we've just sold Rodwell to City then !!!!! Now watch NO NEW FACES . . . Nick Page 28 Posted 12/08/2012 at 13:55:03 Not sure why you guys spend so much time bickering when you could be collectively voicing your concerns to the club, especially when we're all on the same side. For instance, why a man whose sole intention was to "find investment" into the club when he became majority shareholder in 1999, has done absolutely NOTHING! And why with every year that passes the club seems to have less money. And why the club has successively closed down all levels of communication with shareholders, deemed to be asking too difficult questions, never mind clamping down on supporter dissention within the stadium. The man has become, quite fittingly, a dictator. So if he/the board are not embezzling funds or are looking for a windfall payout from a sale at a silly-high price, then why are they still here? If everyone spent their time writing to the club, emailing the club or whatever then at some point people-power would have to be addressed. So if you continue to enjoy posting things like "it's Everton" or whatever, then consider your apathy towards the club you love for all our sakes. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. About these ads