Michael Kenrick 28/09/2024 12comments  |  Jump to last
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Jarrad Branthwaite returns to the squad following 3 months of recovery from 'minor' groin surgery.

Everton are back at Goodison Park to host Crystal Palace in the first of two back-to-back home games that they hope will finally yield a first Premier League win of the season.

Jarrad Branthwaite is back in Everton's team after completing his very lengthy recovery from surgery on what was described initially as a 'minor' groin problem.

Sean Dyche is still without Nathan Patterson, Youseff Chemiti, and Arrnando Broja, but Idrissa Gana Gueye returns from a week of bereavement leave, mourning the death of his father in Senegal.

And as was widely expected, experience is preferred over the exuberance of youth at right-back with Ashley Young chosen again over Roman Dixon, who is not even named on the bench. 

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The visitors kicked off in the autumn sunshine, and knocked the ball about, Pickford forced out of his area to clear. Branthwaite was almost caught out by Mateta as he tried to build an Everton attack. Young gave away an unnecessary free-kick that saw Nketiah almost win a corner off Tarkowski.

McNeil tried to drive forward but had the ball taken off his toes and Crystal Palace mounted an attack that required some stalwart defending before Ndiaye tried to break out with the ball but he was stalled. Matteta got behind the Everton line far too easily but the cross was cleared by Young. 

Palace surged again, Eze about to strike before Doucoure pushed him off the ball for a very dangerous free-kick 25 yards out. This was drilled into the large wall, then driven wide by Wharton. But from the corner, Guehi snuck it in as the ball was recycled at the far post, for a very soft opening goal that admittedly they had threatened from the start. 

Kamada fouled Ndiaye and McNeil delivered his free-kick high and wide to Tarkowski, the clearance coming to Ndiaye who jinked and jived to win a free-kick. That one was headed by Tarkowski into Guehi for an Everton corner that was punched clear as Branthwaite was dragged down by Wharton; no penalty given.

Palace attacked again, Tarkoski making desperate clearances for the Blues under siege.  The Blues were really making a mess of going forward, gifting the ball to Palace again. Young tried to get it don the wing to Calvert-Lewin who lost out to Lerma.

Everton tried to build an attack but it was very fragmented, Mykolenko trying a long-range shot that Henderson gathered at the near post. McNeil delivered a beautiful ball for Calvert-Lewin but as usual he was the wrong side of the defender. The ball was recycled a couple of time from the ensuing corner with no end result and Young agains fouuled his man as Palace broke out.

Mangal got the ball to McNeil who put in a superb cross and this time Calvert-Lewin was properly positioned would surely convert from 2 yards out… but no, he jumped out of the way of the ball!   

Palace went up and won a corner that almost saw a repeat of the goal at the far post, A tremendous shot from Nketih was headed up high by Tarkowski and came down on the goalline amongst a group of players, Pickfrd flapping at it wildly before Tarkowski finally booted the loose ball away. Classic Keystone Cops, Everton all at sixes and sevens. 

Everton tried to break forward again but Palace seemed to want every ball just that little bit more. McNeil tried to play in Calvert-Lewin with a nice ball but he was half-asleep. 

Everton tried some possession play that eventually won a corner, Lindstrom to the far post, delivered well but headed clear. Calvert-Lewin won a throw but then gave the ball away for another Crystal Palace attack that was upfield in a flash. 

A better attack saw McNeil play in Mykolenko for a cross that looped over Calvert-Lewin 

Tarkowski appeared to catch Mateta just inside the Everton penalty area but the referee did not think it was a foul and was backed up by VAR. But a free-kick for Palace further out was almost met by Lacroix at the far post, somehow missed.  

Palace again mounted a fearsome attack but Whaton fired it at Pickford. Eze was next but his shot was weak. Everton's possession lay was just too naive and simplistic as the sneaky Palace players used a number of dirty tricks to brush off the Everton players and recover the ball.

A hugely disappointing half with Everton comprehensively outplayed in virtually every area of the field, and a few muted boos on the half-time whistle. Simply not good enough from Everton and Dyche.

Harrison replaced the ineffective Lindstrom for the second half, a rash move by the normally conservative Sean Dyche. Harrison somehow won an early free-kick wide right, McNeil delivering it well but Guehi beat Calvert-Lewin to the ball.

But an absolute beauty of a curler from McNeil put Everton back into the game! 

 

Everton: Pickford, Young, Tarkowski, Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Doucoure, Mangala, Lindstrøm (46' Harrison), McNeil, Ndiaye, Calvert-Lewin

Subs: Virginia, Keane, Beto, O’Brien, Gana, Garner, Iroegbunam, Armstrong.

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Lacroix, Guehi, Lerma, Mitchell, Wharton, Kamada, Eze, Nketiah., Mateta.

Subs: 

Referee: Andy Madley
VAR: Graham Scott

 

Reader Comments (12)

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Christy Ring
1 Posted 28/09/2024 at 13:57:16
So Young marking Eze, and Dixon doesn't even make the bench, great to see Branthwaite back.
Michael Kenrick
2 Posted 28/09/2024 at 14:08:42
Can't have these young bucks getting too big for their boots.

He obviously needed knocking back a peg or two.

Bill Gall
3 Posted 28/09/2024 at 14:11:28
Decent team with a good bench.I will understand the comments that will be made about Young but we don't see what goes on at training, and it easy to be an armchair manager, but I believe that Dyche now knows that when the takeover is complete his position will be more precarious than it all ready is and is hoping experience will help him out.
Alan J Thompson
4 Posted 28/09/2024 at 14:22:19
Has this team been selected in case Young or Mykolenko go down injured early in the game? Dixon must be glad he hasn't turned in any really bad performances and Armstrong that he has barely had any at all. Still, look on the bright side, we shouldn't see two keepers injured.

In the manager's defence, I suppose there aren't that many variations or hats from which to take rabbits but one day we might all be surprised and see Beto start alongside DC-L if for no other reason than to see if the opposition play more men back than forward.

Simon Harrison
5 Posted 28/09/2024 at 14:45:32
Michael K,

In fairness to Dyche, with regards Roman Dixon, iirc, didn't he have one of his thighs heavily strapped in the game against Soton?

He may well have aggravated what might have been purely a niggle at the time. Again, thinking back on the game he was fairly 'exuberant' on the night?

As you say, the defence is pretty much the same as last year now; the difference being that Young is the only player w/o carrying the after effects from an injury or illness, and is Tarks still carrying that back 'niggle' he's been struggling with this season thus far?

The positives are what is in front of the defence. Lindstrøm maintains his place, when it was thought that Jack H might have come back in.

My one concern with Lindstrøm, is that he isn't a RWF, as Napoli found out. He excelled in the 8-10 position with two 'holding' midfielders at Frankfurt, and was one of their standout players in EF's European campaign two seasons ago.

All else is as expected I guess, going on this season thus far.

The Doucs-Mangala MF axis may well develop nicely, while Tim develops his CV engine.

COYB!!!

Simon Harrison
6 Posted 28/09/2024 at 14:48:18
Alan J T [4]

To be fair, if Myko goes down, I guess Young goes LB and Garner will go RB.

If Young goes down, then a straight swap for Garner.

Failing that, again, O'Brien showed he can play RB, as he did against Soton for a long period of his time on the pitch, and he acquitted himself pretty well there.

Si Cooper
7 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:13:02
So the plan includes relying on the tried and tested rather than a cheeky ‘gamble’ here and there.
If it also includes hoping they all last 80 minutes or more then I will never understand the guy.
Let’s now see what unfolds.
UTFT!
Andy Mead
8 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:34:18
When you continually punt the ball to nobody this is what you get. Pickford pisses me off. Palace have had the ball from the ko. Every time we get it, we kick it away to nobody.
Dyche out
George Cumiskey
9 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:53:24
We've got no press whatsoever they press high and won't let us out of our half, shocking management
Alan J Thompson
10 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:53:40
That was a rather disjointed effort as we seem to have few players moving with intent or offering alternatives or support. On a few occasions we'd have two players moving forward toward the edge of their penalty box and there would be a misdirected header or clearance and there was nobody in a blue shirt within 20 yards. There seemed little interchange in midfield and most seemed to come from Ndiaye making a run and at times we looked like we missed having a winger to spread their defence.

And then another soft goal, nobody seemed to be marking players or space. In the absence of a midfield general there has to be more movement and support/

Ernie Baywood
11 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:54:44
I don't think we continually punt it. That would indicate some sort of plan, a playing strategy.

We mix up ineffective punting with ineffectively moving the ball to our ineffective full backs. Occasionally we go into an ineffective midfield.

I guess we'll see if something goes our way. It's about all we've got.

Michael Kenrick
12 Posted 28/09/2024 at 15:56:57
Just shocked at how easily we are being out-played all over the pitch. No guile, no real determination – except from Tarkowski, who appears to be almost back to 100% effectiveness with his young buddy alongside.

But with the sheer speed, creativity and variety of their counters, it's remarkable that we are not at least 3 goals down.

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