Manifest incompetence in the final third against 10-man Bees

Everton 0 - 0 Brentford

Everton huffed and puffed but could not score despite Brentford being reduced to 10 men at Goodison Park this afternoon.

Jarrad Branthwaite was declared fit enough for this game following his pelvic issue after the West Ham game, and Dwight McNeil returned as expected.

Broja, Chermiti, Garner, Iroegbunam and Coleman continued to work towards full fitness. 

No surprises for guessing how Everton kicked off, and how they immediately lost possession.  And 'scrappy' is how it continued until Tarkwski found Ndiaye with a great long diagonal ball, Myklenko's first cross to deep but his next saw Ndiaye skip through and win a corner.

From that, Gana drove one in low that Calvert-Lewin flicked cleverly with his heel but Flekken somehow got down to it. Then Gana picked out Calvert-Lewin but he could only head it well wide. 

A decent Everton break but Calvert-Lewin could not beat Collins with his shot. Good early dominance by Everton had produced nothing and McNeil continued that trend, shooting wide. 

Pickford had to be sharp to pick up a low cross from Wissa that Janelt was close to converting. Everton went forward but Calvert-Lewin had gone too early before winning a corner and he was flagged offside. 

Van den Berg lashed a shot across Pickford's goal following a long throw. Calvert-Lewin won a free-kick wide right but Lindstrom's effort was headed clear, Brentford working their way forward to win a corner off Branthwaite that ultimately saw the ball again flying across the Everton goal.  

The game went through a bit of a lull before McNeil strode forward but fired well wide after forced to shoot with his right foot. Everton came forward again but Branthwaie's deep cross was easy pickings for Flekken. Another Blue surge saw poor crosses from Mykolenko and Doucouré.

McNeil set Calvert-Lewin on his way, but driven wide, his shot was diverted behind by Flekken, with Everton called for a foul on Flekken from the ensuing corner. But the next corner was driven too hard again well beyond the far post by McNeil, and Tarkowski could not keep it in.

Ndiaye fashioned a chance to shoot but it was weak and too close to Collins. In the next attack, Calvert-Lewin laid one back for McNeil but his shot deflected behind for the corner that Fekken plucked easily out of the air. 

Mbuemo's shot was deflected behind, the corner headed clear by Tarkowski. Then Wissa easily got past Branthwaite but Pickford came out brilliantly to block his shot behind. The Bees kept buzzing around, winning another corner off Young. From another long throw, Wisa headed back to the far post where  Norgaard came in on Pickford, catching his leg and not the ball. 

Pickford needed treatment and VAR thought it was time to intervene, Cavanagh persuaded that the coming together was worthy of a red card for Norgaard's flailing foot challenge. Seemed harsh. Frank booked for his justifiable protestations. 

Ndiaye switched sides and crossed to Ducoure but he could not shoot. Mykolenko's cross was no better. And Lindstrøm just gave away a silly free-kick to end Everton's attack. McNeil then ran harmlessly into Janelt. Crosses kept avoiding the Everton man until Gana fired his speciality shot well wide. 

The half ended and Everton had been their typical useless selves in front of goal. Could Everton do any better against the 10 men of Brentford in the second half? 

McNeil tried to play in Calvert-Lewin with a low cross but the result was a gal kick. Lindstrøm and Doucoure exchanged passes leaving Ndiaye to shoot again straight at a defender. McNeil fired in a great low cross but Calvert-Lewin did not throw himself at it, letting Flekken connect.

A better shot from Gana needed punching behind by Flekken as Everton pushed up. Ndiaye tried to drive in but Collins baulked his effort while colliding with Flekken.  

A deep cross to the far post evaded Calvert-Lewin and Ndiaye was edged off the ball. Lindstrøm fired goalward, his shot deflected behind for another Everton corner that was driven close to the back angle but punched behind by Flekken. 

By the hour mark, Everton's attacking play seemed to have run into every cul-de-sac possible, but no sign of movement behind Sean Dyche on the subs bench. Meanwhile, Ndiaye saw Mykolenko coming in but smashed his shot over the bar.

Potter got forward but shot low at Pickford, Jensen firing the rebound just over. Huge chance for the visitors! The Bees attacked again but Everton stalled them again. McNeil saw space but fired well wide Everton visibly flagged until Yung drove forward and won a corner that went straight to Flekken. And another Brentford attack had Evertn back-pedalling again. 

Young put in a decent enough deep cross to the back post but Ducure could do nothing with it, as Thoma Frank readied some changes, and Dyche followed suite. 

A deep cross from the corner flag by Mykolenko fund Ndiaye but his cut-back found no-one. McNeil found Beto with a floated cross but the header was never beating Flekken. Low balls into a crowded Brenford area kept evading players in blue shirts. 

Yung put in a decent cross for Beto but he didn't get high enough and his attempt ballooned over the Brentford goal — the 21st of the game… only 4 on target!

Janelt blocked Ndiaye for a free-kick that Young pumped ahead... and past everyone. Tarkowski played a nice ball in for Beto to turn in and shoot wildly wide of the target. McNeil drove a low shot for Flekken to collect. 

Everton kept plugging away but they really had no idea how to get past the massed defence to score what would be a winner. Beto battled to win a late free-kick as 4 minutes added, McNeil's kick glancing off Branhwaite's head and well wide of the still unbreached Brentford goal. 

A great header from Tarkwski set up Beto for a powerful trike but there was Pinnock to block, and that was the end for a most painful demonstration of attacking incompetence by his woeful set of players and their increasingly intransigent manager.

Everton: Pickford, Mykolenko, Branthwaite, Tarkowski, Young, Ndiaye, Gueye, Doucouré (73' Beto), Lindstrøm (73' Mangala), McNeil, Calvert-Lewin.

 

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