Everton U23s eliminated from EFL Trophy on penalties

Tuesday, 8 November, 2016 56comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton's second string went out of the EFL Checkatrade Trophy after they lost to Blackpool in a penalty shootout at Goodison Park.

The latest game in the revamped competition provided both Tyias Browning and Darron Gibson with more game time as they recover from their respective injuries, the latter taking the captain's armband for the evening as the most senior player in the Blues' ranks.

An Everton win would have consolidated their position at the top of Group A and book the club's progress to the knockout phase but they fell behind in the second half to Armand Gnanduillet's spectacular overhead kick.

Harry Charsley equalised with 11 minutes to go but the young Blues couldn't find an equaliser, sending the match to spot kicks.

Both sides converted their penalties, including an audacious Panenka effort from David Henen, until Josef Yarney missed for Everton and Gnanduillet converted the fifth kick for the visitors to win it.

Everton U23s: Hewelt, Foulds (59' Evans), Browning (46' Bainbridge), Yarney, Jones, Gibson {c}, Robinson, Baningime, Charsley, Henen, Dyson (59' Duffus).
Subs not used: Renshaw, Kiersey, Brewster, Holland.

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Reader Comments (56)

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John Dean
1 Posted 07/11/2016 at 18:37:13
This is a terrific chance to cheer on our younger boys as they'll be playing on a decent surface rather than the bog that Haig Avenue often presents.

In previous rounds, Unsy has played mostly U18 players due to international commitments of the U23s. Now that we are effectively at the knockout stage, I hope he picks a team to win.

Colin Gee
2 Posted 07/11/2016 at 21:33:38
Pity most of our first team are away on international duty, they might have given Blackpool a game.
Steavey Buckley
3 Posted 07/11/2016 at 23:39:37
The players missing would have had a better and more useful game playing for the Everton Under-23s.
Brian Wilkinson
4 Posted 08/11/2016 at 19:52:51
Gone a bit quiet on the Niasse front, injured or taken out of the headlines, strange no mention of the injury update.
Dave Abrahams
5 Posted 08/11/2016 at 19:54:20
It is still a very young team apart from Gibson, Henen and Browning, who is just coming back after a long spell on the injured list, they will miss Liam Walsh still out injured.

I can't make it to the game tonight due to a family commitment, hope the boys have a good go.

Ian McDowell
6 Posted 08/11/2016 at 21:08:05
1-1 Charsley just equalised.
Ian McDowell
7 Posted 08/11/2016 at 21:25:35
Penalty shoot-out.
Ian McDowell
8 Posted 08/11/2016 at 21:30:59
Blackpool win 5-4 on pens. Everton are eliminated.
Trevor Lynes
9 Posted 08/11/2016 at 22:12:11
We are now one of the very few sides who have lost to Blackpool.
Don Alexander
10 Posted 08/11/2016 at 22:35:31
Trevor, that's so very true. Hmm!
Andrew Presly
11 Posted 09/11/2016 at 00:30:22
Darron Gibson – a long night of the soul? Obviously not because you just about made it pro.

Too fat Dazza & your immobility was exposed in this game I'm sure. Sad.

Brian Wilkinson
12 Posted 09/11/2016 at 01:53:23
Stupid having this game when you have the Under-21 and Under-23 internationals; no Dowell, no Davies etc.
Alan J Thompson
13 Posted 09/11/2016 at 02:35:56
Is somebody embarrassed by Niasse's performances or is there another locker shortage?
Bill Griffiths
14 Posted 09/11/2016 at 10:39:50
I thought Hewelt and the lads at the back played well.

Blackpool had a few tricky players with great pace and I thought the lads at the back did really well. Charley looks to have potential.

I thought Antonee Robinson was our best player. To my mind Henen is never going to be Premier League material. Was disappointed with Baningime and Foulds also. Tyson was very poor, despite his strong looking physique he lost every physical challenge in the game.

I know it's hard to judge on one game but on this night no-one really stood out as being a star of the future.

John Dean
15 Posted 09/11/2016 at 10:41:31
Harry Charsley carried the forward momentum tonight on his own as Gibson provided little and Baningime also had a quiet game. He took his goal like a striker, instant control of a knee high driven pass and smoothly tucked home. He also hit the bar with a measured shot from the edge of the area. The absence of Davies, Walsh, Dowell, etc. made me see him in a different light as the creative midfielder.

We played a back three in the first half and were very solid. The planned halftime replacement of Browning by Evans changed our shape and Blackpool had enough chances after that to win the tie. Could have been a much better story if we'd swopped Evans for Gibson.

John Dean
16 Posted 09/11/2016 at 10:45:30
I fully agree with you, Bill, about Henen and Robinson looks like a natural wingback.
Barry Pearce
17 Posted 09/11/2016 at 13:13:15
Thanks Bill & John for the insight.

I take a keen interest in the academy players. I only get to see them when they come down south, but always follow what news I can get of them.

Antonne Robinson has electric pace. A bit disappointed Banigime had a so-so game, I've heard good things about him. He's still very young so anything's possible.

Liam Walsh has always impressed me when I've seen him play. Hope his injury isn't too bad. You don't get much info from the club.

Gary Edwards
18 Posted 09/11/2016 at 13:16:50
Didn't make last night's game but seems like the lads who showed good form vs Chelsea U23s (Charsley and Robinson) continued their form through this game.

I rate both players highly. Robinson is impressively strongly built ... and quick. Charsley – skillful, tough and very dynamic.

I too was less than impressed of what I say of Dyson, reminds me a lot of myself at that age... tall, rangey, old school centre-forward with no defence. The main difference being I won 90% of the aerial duels and kicked CB's.

What was the formation? 3-5-2.

John Dean
19 Posted 09/11/2016 at 13:59:10
It's funny what catches your eye. I first saw Robinson as an unused sub in season 2014-15 (I think he missed most/all of last season) and he was warming up doing fancy ball-juggling skills and looked good so I was surprised when the club site listed him as a defender. But he's got fast feet and loves to run at defenders.

It's the first time I've seen Baningime play indifferently; he was instrumental in Everton winning the Dallas Cup this year and was terrific against Bolton in the first EFL Trophy game and Dyson scored a good goal that game.

Neither Dyson nor Duffus nor Sam Byrne seem to have the skill levels needed to make the highest level so we'll have to wait to see how Brewster shapes up.

Steavey Buckley
20 Posted 09/11/2016 at 16:22:15
Our much acclaimed Under-23s... beaten 4-1 against Norwich at home last Friday. Eliminated from the EFL Trophy last night by Blackpool, again at home. These defeats will do nothing for players' CVs if they ever want to be a first team players with Everton.
Barry Pearce
21 Posted 09/11/2016 at 16:26:05
John (#19). Young Brewster scored most of the goals in our Dallas Cup win. I know he's had a few injuries. Do you believe he's a better prospect than the forwards you mentioned?

Also Anthony Evans progress seems to have stalled a little, is Nathan Broadhead injured do you know? He was fairing well.

What's your take on the youngsters you've seen, who do you see as genuine prospects?

Steavey Buckley
22 Posted 09/11/2016 at 16:39:58
Everton must have about 40 players to call upon to play for the under 18s and 23s. Do the coaches, Kevin Sheedy and David Unsworth, really believe for one minute they all have a chance to play for the Everton first team sometime in the future?

Judging by Under-23s previous results there is little chance of any ever playing for the Everton 1st team, because the chances are getting even harder, when there are calls for a near clear-out of the 1st team to be replaced by expensive acquisitions.

Michael Kenrick
Editorial Team
23 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:10:34
It is a real pity the U23s did not progress in this revamped competition that pits them against first-team professionals in the Football League (or do we now have to call it the EFL?).

But perhaps it's just another reality check in terms of confirming the gulf between Academy and real competitive senior-level English Football — albeit at Tier 3 or 4 of the pyramid. On that note, I wonder how many first-team regulars actually played for their opponents in the three group games?

On the Blues side, rather a lot of key players were missing — Davies, Dowell, Walsh, Kenny, Joe Williams, Connolly, Calvert-Lewin, Niasse, Holgate... that's almost an entire team!

For those interested, we're tracking both the U23 and U18 sides this season with brief match notes, line-ups and appearance stats covering all games played.

Barry Pearce
24 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:34:45
Michael, Thank goodness for TW.
John Dean
25 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:35:07
Barry 21. I've not seen Brewster play, I've just seen him live on the satellite link for the Dallas Cup games. He was on loan for a month to Stockport 12 months ago and the reviews I read of his time there suggested he was very dangerous at running with the ball towards goal which is exactly how he scored most of his goals in Dallas. I haven't formed an opinion yet on either him or Shane Lavery who is also doing well at U18 level.

The players who seem to have the best chance of succeeding are Tom Davies (and not just because his mum cuts my sister's hair), Liam Walsh (my favourite player), Jonjoe Kenny, Morgan Feeney and Matty Foulds. But I've been making wrong calls about junior players' chances for years.

Peter Gorman
26 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:42:18
As has been pointed out, the most promising starlets (at least those closest to the first team) were all away from this defeat so I would caution against reading anything at all into it.

The ones who did play are really rather young so again, shouldn't read much into it.

Except this; I think Browning is finished at Everton as he, through wretched luck with injuries, has missed way too much development time. He is further back now than ever and 22 years of age. Shame for the lad.

Peter Gorman
27 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:45:58
And John Dean, if Tom Davies's mum is so handy with the scissors, perhaps she should take care of the lad's flowing locks.

(That is a joke obviously, I hope it continues to grow into a Valderrama 'fro.)

Brent Stephens
28 Posted 09/11/2016 at 17:53:43
Steavey (#22),

"Because the chances are getting even harder, when there are calls for a near clear out of the 1st team to be replaced by expensive acquisitions."

I take it you support that?

Barry Pearce
29 Posted 09/11/2016 at 18:45:22
Thanks John. I know what you mean about being wrong about players. Walsh & Kenny are my favourites. Hope it's not the kiss of death. Although I do like what I've seen of Davies, he's related to Alan Whittle I believe. Same sort of hair as well.
John Dean
30 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:15:03
Alan Whittle was the first player I thought would be the world's greatest! Still, he did win us the championship.
Steavey Buckley
31 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:21:49
Brent (#28). Today's modern game is about results and 3 points, so there is no time for managers in the Premier League who have ambitions to give young players from academy a chance.

That being the situation, even at Everton, so what are David Unsworth and Kevin Sheedy going to do about that? The Everton Under-23s defeats by Norwich and Blackpool show there is little or no chance of these players playing for Everton 1st team. So what is their future, and where can they fulfill it, if not with Everton?

In the past, real prospects such as Rooney, Barkley, Anichebe, Vaughan and Rodwell were knocking on the Everton 1st team at 17 years of age. Yet, only Rooney in the past 16 years has been the one class act.

Brent Stephens
32 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:32:18
Steavey, I would hope that we don't need to get rid of all players except Lukaku, as you argue. I would hope a few of the young lads make the step-up – Davies, Holgate, Walsh and a few others.
Barry Pearce
33 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:38:09
Yes John, he did, help us win the Championship.

I started supporting Everton in 1968 even though I live in southeast London and the nearest club to me was Millwall. So it is true what they say about being an Everton fan.

I feel a bit sorry for my son, he hasn't seen too much success apart from the 1995 FA Cup Final.

First game I took him to at Goodison Park, we lost 3-0 at home to Ipswich. Titus Bramble un all.

Steavey Buckley
34 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:40:21
Brent. If you are happy with the present set-up at Everton that may finish in the top 10, that's fine. But the present set up will not deliver a top 4 place. That looks beyond Everton's ability.

The top 4 of Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea and Arsenal are just at another level. They had a good previous transfer window, when Everton did not.

Brent Stephens
35 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:45:53
Steavey (#34), "If you are happy with the present set-up at Everton that may finish in the top 10, that's fine. But the present set up will not deliver a top 4 place".

Why are you putting words in my mouth! I'm not satisfied with top 10. I want top 4 (in fact, if you're only satisfied with top 4, Steavey, and not wanting top spot).

All I said was I hope some of the young lads come through – Davies, Holgate etc. What's wrong with that?

Peter Gorman
36 Posted 09/11/2016 at 19:46:54
Steavey, you are right that the modern game is unforgiving at the top and few managers can afford the time to allow players to develop. Perhaps you have to be too good to ignore to make the grade (that said, it was Moyes's reluctance to play him so young that allegedly led to Rooney seeking his chance elsewhere).

But to write off these kids already? Way too hasty. Of the team that played; Foulds, Baningime, Bainbridge and Evans are 18! Too early to judge them considering the learning curve they are undergoing.

Steavey Buckley
37 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:08:15
Peter, a top manager such as Conte (former manager of Italy) came to a club like Chelsea to have the right players there already to do what he wants them to do. Yet, he still had to bring in a couple of top players, Kanute and Luiz. Now, he has them playing the football he wants. Everyone connected to Chelsea are now very happy. But there was no word about bringing players from academy into the 1st team. It would not have worked. Even though Chelsea have better younger players than Everton.

At Everton the situation is different. Koeman came to Everton with ambitions, but not with a team that can fulfill them. Koeman like Conte brought new players in, but still there is no great improvement, yet, fans are clamouring for academy players. That is not a foreward step if Everton want to be a top 4 team, but a team that continually finishes in 10th or 11th.

Brent Stephens
38 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:13:34
Steavey, talking to you is like talking to a lamppost – except the lampost shines more light. "Fans are clamouring for academy players. That is not a forward step if Everton want to be a top 4 team".

Again, you're drawing the wrong conclusion. To hope ("hope" was the word used) that a few of the young lads come through is not to say we don't need to sign other players. You really are obtuse at times.

Steavey Buckley
39 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:21:31
Brent: Unfortunately, top clubs don't bother with their academy players. They just go out and buy the best. Hope does not come into it. Results that matter. Not dreams.

The Premier league is a big business, a global brand. The much-hated Murdock empire through Sky TV is now giving Everton £100 million a year. And Everton still can't get it right on the field even with that money...
Brent Stephens
40 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:26:34
Steavey, another attempt. I hope some of the young lads come through (so "Hope" does come into it). But hope is not a prediction or guarantee. So if they don't come through, we HAVE to buy.

The two are not mutually exclusive. Do you understand that? Are you really that thick? I guess I'll have to explain "mutually exclusive" to you now.
Steavey Buckley
41 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:32:22
Brent, I will give Koeman his due. He has probably looked at the up and coming players but is not convinced. That is why they are not starting from the beginning unless they have to.

Koeman most probably prefers to be manager at Chelsea, with their talented squad of players. The present manager, Conte, only had to add a couple of top class players to get them playing the way he wants. Koeman appears to be light-years behind Chelsea with Everton..
Brent Stephens
42 Posted 09/11/2016 at 20:39:07
Yes, Steavey, we are light years behind. But given that we're not mega rich and given that we can't yet attract the top players, then I would not be surprised to see a couple of our young lads come through in the future (Davies, Holgate, maybe Walsh and others).

We'll have to wait and see. Hope springs eternal (though he was one not to come through).
Dave Abrahams
43 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:02:59
Steavey, you are correct; it is harder, a lot harder than it used to be for young lads to progress from youth and reserve teams to the Premier League.

What some of us are saying is that some of the young players at Everton look very promising and a couple could possibly go all the way.

You seem to be writing them off; as a matter of interest, Steavey, how many times have you seen these young lads?

Steavey Buckley
44 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:04:53
Brent. It is better for Koeman to be direct with the academy managers, Sheedy and Unsworth and ask them where are the next great players who can walk into the Everton 1st team?

If not, the academy is a waste of time and resources. Because they are the questions that should be asked by any manager who wants to keep his job, and his team playing well without having to spend a fortune recruiting them.

Brent Stephens
45 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:06:01
Steavey, apologies. I went a bit over the top in having a go at you instead of just the argument. Sorry, mate.
Steavey Buckley
47 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:14:00
Brent. Everton fans on TW care about Everton FC, so it is right for everyone to express their opinions, whether accepted or not. At present, for me, Everton are not going in the right direction, because team performances and results are not going in the right direction.

The academy managers can help a lot the 1st team manager, by identifying top young players who can walk into the 1st team. Because it does appear the Under-18s and Under-23s are just making the numbers up to represent Everton at junior and middle levels. That's all.

Brent Stephens
48 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:16:46
OK, Steavey. I understand that.
Tom Bowers
49 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:18:42
It Is a sad, modern-day fact that young players, especially British ones, have to be really exceptional to progress at the Premier League level simply because of big contracts being handed to imports.

The Premier League has become an international league being sold all over the world and because of that the worldwide audience has come to expect a large contingent of players from all over.

Years ago, young players such as Holgate and Davies could well have been playing as regular starters for Everton by now but many young players with talent are being sent out on loan whilst the big contract players get extended runs even if sometimes they hit a poor streak of form.

Remember Rooney bursting on the scene under Moyes but he still only got the occasional games after that which I think eventually led to the rift and subsequent departure.

Peter Gorman
50 Posted 09/11/2016 at 21:41:14
Steavey, I think I get where you are coming from but we can't realistically buy all the players we need to replace the dross that we have so it is more realistic to hope there are gems in the academy.

The good news in my opinion is that there are namely, Walsh, Dowell, Kenny and Davies. Together with the recently departed Ledson, this lot have demonstrated a quite remarkable level of determination and calmness under pressure in the games I've observed them in for England youth and our own Reserves. In short, they are cut from the right cloth which is more than can be said about the shower in the first team. They have more natural drive and self-assertiveness than Barkley for one.

It would be lovely to buy some energetic, skillful, hatchet-faced bastards to shoot our club up the table but I'd be just as happy right now to see the rosy-cheeked, little bastards we have of our own getting their chances ahead of the guaranteed 6/10 players like Cleverley.

Davies has already shown he doesn't look out of place and I think the others would do similarly well if surrounded by these so called senior pros. At the risk of being exposed on occasion, the long-term benefits would be promising, local (and hopefully loyal) young players who give as much of a toss for the club as most fans.

Steavey Buckley
51 Posted 09/11/2016 at 22:14:35
Peter, with all due respects to your well thought out comments, Koeman is not convinced. If he was, the players you mentioned would be playing in the 1st team. Even the previous manager was not entirely convinced. He only played Pennington regularly, and that was towards the end of last season. Yet, he is out injured.

There appears not to be a plan for recruiting players into the Everton academy. I mean, what is the basis for joining? Are they recruited to make teams up, as an Everton obligation to provide teams?

On a personal level, I would not allow any player to join the academy unless they are good enough to eventually play for the 1st team, as all great players from the past made their mark at a very young age.

It is not just having ability, it is more of a mental attitude. Rooney knew he was good enough at 15 years of age to play for Everton 1st team. But where is that mental attitude in the academy now, because I have not noticed any?

Peter Gorman
52 Posted 09/11/2016 at 22:51:38
Steavey, those players I mentioned have the mental attitude you seek, at least I see it whenever I've watched them play. Koeman might not yet be convinced (as with Galloway who he shipped out) but he has been at the club a fraction of time and is still working out what to do with Tom Cleverley.

I totally agree that ability is not enough, take the well-worn example of George Green who had all the talent in the world and therefore fit your recruiting criterion of being good enough to eventually play for the first team. Except he proved not to be.

The issue you have with academy players is that they develop at all kind of rates. To hark back to Davies again, in my opinion he is currently unrecognisable from the raw boy I saw about a year and a half ago, he really has come so far in a short space of time.

You ask where is the mental attitude in the academy today, you'd be amazed; I believe Unsy in particular is instilling it into the kids in spades. The problem remains your earlier point about the risk-averse nature of top-flight football. Too few will be blooded and a few more will drop down to climb back up again (like Forshaw at Boro). The rest will drop out altogether, but it won't be for want of talent or application.

Steavey Buckley
53 Posted 09/11/2016 at 23:14:32
Peter, for all of your generous support for certain academy players, Koeman is not yet convinced. Yet, if a young Rooney was about, he could not resist him.

Players from the academy who are ready would make it known to the manager. So in the coming months I will watch in interest who can start for the 1st team and remain there. Because Everton's playing strength at the moment is not that good.

Peter Gorman
54 Posted 10/11/2016 at 00:05:48
Amen to your last sentence.
Anthony Dwyer
55 Posted 10/11/2016 at 00:11:32
Anyone got any news on Brewster?

Hit a lot of goals last season, gone missing of late, I'd imagine it's through injury, but I'd like to see him break through soon.

Don Alexander
56 Posted 10/11/2016 at 01:39:38
Look at every single team currently in the top six of the league and you will need less than the fingers on one hand to count the number of regulars who originated from their, ahem, academies.

The only difference between us and them is that only "lesser" clubs pay up, and pay for, such as Cleverley, Deulofeu and Gibson. More fool us.

Alan J Thompson
57 Posted 10/11/2016 at 04:36:47
Some postings above give me the impression that some think that Everton could put half-a-dozen youngsters straight into the First XI at the same time. Obviously, that is not going to happen but introducing one for a run of games every now and then may not show that they are out of place.

No team has eleven Maradonnas or Peles or all players of equal ability. Indeed, did Galloway, Browning or Holgate look totally out of place when presented with a run of games?


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