Michael Kenrick 05/10/2025 24comments  |  Jump to last
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It's Super Sunday and Everton welcome Crystal Palace to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on the back of a remarkable 19-game unbeaten run by the visitors, with the game live on Sky Sports Premier League, kick-off at 2:00 pm BST.

The great reveal, with David Moyes making what could be a crucial choice of who will replace the suspended Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as he hopefully looks to inspire an increasingly moribund attacking force to some greater achievements in terms of creating chances and scoring goals.

At long last, Tyler DIbling is given his first Premier League start in an Everton shirt. And Moyes goes with the ineffectual Barry up front but he can't fight his inner pragmatism with the inexplicable nonsense of naming two goalkeepers on the bench. 

First Half

With Palace kicking off, the line-up behind Barry was Grealish, Ndiaye, Dibling. But Everton could not prevent an early corner after a midfield throw-in. Pickford had to dive low to clear an early shot from Pino. That was followed by a weaker shot from Mitchell.  

There was little by way of a high press as Everton allowed Palace to run at them Gueye very fortunate not to be called for what looked like a trip. But the Palace free-kick tally was ticking up quickly, although they preferred playing it backwards, and when it did come up field, some fine work from Michael Keane to clear the ball.

Everton got forward, Mykolenko winning a long throw that looked momentarily dangerous. Garner and Gueye tried to build on the left without involving Grealish and soon lost the ball. Ndiaye forced a turnover and fed Grealish who shot too close to Henderson. 

Palace looked threatening and were quickly up the other end, Barry losing a cleared ball. Head tennis from a Palace throw saw Kamada's shot blocked. O'Brien fouled wide right, a deep free-kick ending in a Palace corner that was desperately defended until Everton somehow got a free-kick off Guehi.  

Ndiaye tried to dribble through three players and won a throw-in but A turnover saw Palace forward again before their move broke down. But Everton were slow in trying to break clear of pressing players. But Mykolenko tried a shot from long distance, flying over, a bit of a waste.  

Sarr could not get past Keane on the Everton left but it gave Richards another opportunity for a fantastic long throw, a deflected shot from close range pawed away smartly by Pickford, Blues just about hanging on! 

Everton were really struggling to get Grealish involved, although he was passing the ball off quicker when he did get it. O'Brien found Mykolenko with a deep cross but he was immediately blocked from crossing it in low. 

Pino released Mitchell in acres of space and his shot clipped off the angle. Mykolenko lost the ball cheaply in the ryturn and Palace were right through, a great chance for Mateta, hit hard and low, saved brilliantl;y by Pickford, who should probably be up 3-0 at this point, Everton were being so outclassed.

Dibling and Grealish connected but the play slowed up and any space was gone. Barry was in strongly on Wharton but no foul, Everton then given the free kick. Grealish was forced to play back by Munoz.  

Grealish got another chance to advance but again came back and played it square. It eventually got to Dibling who cut in and shot but low and weak, easily saved. Everton's defending looked better but a loose ball gave Palace another corner, defended clear for another Richards throw that looked to cause havoc, Tarkowski prodding it away.

Grealish fed the ball back to Garner who put in a fantastic ball to Barry at the far post but he completely missed the ball under pressure from Guehi. It got a bit competitive in midfield, Garner and Guehi.

Both Grealish and Dibling had to drop deep to help out but, as Everton pushed forward, they lost the ball and it was suddenly three against two, Sarr feeding Munoz on his right on full overload with acres to himself, firing low under Pickford. Remarkable that it had taken 37 minutes!

With Palace pushing for a second through some excellent intensity, there was a brief moment where Ndiaye conjured a break but it exposed Barry's incompetence more than anything, him unable to beat his man or play Ndiaye back in. 

Everton got forward and looked to create something, Mykolenko battling valiantly, but it was shockingly poor in comparison, Ndiaye getting the ball but then he was double-teamed with no one bothering to show themselves and help him out. 

And so the half ended, Everton comprehensively outplayed all over the field and very fortunate to be only a goal down. 

Everton:  Pickford, O’Brien, Mykolenko, Tarkowski, Keane, Gueye, Garner, Dibling, Grealish, Ndiaye, Barry.

Subs: Travers, King, Coleman, Aznou, Iroegbunam, Alcaraz, N Patterson, McNeil, Beto. 

Crystal Palace: Henderson, Munoz, Richards, Lacroix, Guehi, Mitchell, Kamada, Wharton, Pino, Mateta, Sarr

Subs: Benitez, Lerma, Nketiah, Uche, Hughes, Canvot, Sosa, Devenny, Cardines

Referee: Michael Salisbury

 

Reader Comments (24)

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Ryan Holroyd
1 Posted 05/10/2025 at 12:42:34
Dibling and Barry start.

COYB

Julian Exshaw
2 Posted 05/10/2025 at 12:58:01
Quite an attacking eleven. Good to see.
Andrew Merrick
3 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:23:21
A predictable team, but is Dibling right or centre, is Jack left or centre, is Illy left, right or centre?

Or will they mix it up in game? No, don't be daft, Davey's never trying that one .

Neil Lawson
4 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:30:44
I reckon Ndiaye left, Dibling right and Grealish wherever the fancy takes him.

Does it really matter so long as Barry scores!!

Stu Gre
5 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:40:20
I like this team.
Paul Kossoff
6 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:41:23
I'm a bit worried Crystal Palace will control midfield and go right through the middle of us. Why? Will those attacking players do the donkey work when not in possession?

Hope they do. Attack them, take the chance when it comes, but do the hard work when we have lost the ball. Coyb.

Kevin Molloy
7 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:48:28
Paul

Yes, I think you're right. Dibling and Grealish will not be nearly as effective as Harrison and Doucoure when we don't have the ball. To the extent that I think we will play more of a patient possession game so that we reduce the risk.

Doucoure and Harrison were not pretty to watch, but for the system we were playing last season they were very effective. But with Grealish and Dibling, we effectively now do not have a press. Especially when you factor in we are playing with a low block cos no Jarrad.

Joe McMahon
8 Posted 05/10/2025 at 13:49:13
I suspect Palace will target the right side with pace. Jake O'Brien is not a right-back as Nuno sussed.

If Nathan Patterson can't get in the team now, he never will do. I feel for the lad.

Kevin Molloy
10 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:01:09
you've only written a few words there Michael, but my word what a lot of nonsense. 'At long last' Tyler gets his start? who would you have dropped to bring him in? Grealish? Ndiaye?
And your reference to 'the ineffectual Barry'. He's had one start in the league. And in that game he played his part in both the goals we scored.
John Wignall
11 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:29:48
Playing with 9 men Barry and dibling can't get into the game
Ernie Baywood
12 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:39:28
We'll they've definitely deserved that.

Again we look ineffectual against good opposition.

A chain is as strong as its weakest link. On the ball we just have so many of them.

John Wignall
13 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:42:39
Barry should have scored palace go down the pitch and score palace look miles better
Sean Kearns
14 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:43:36
The league scripted this by booking Dewsbury-Hall 5 times. He’s our most effective player and the PL knows it…. Play N’Diaye up front and fuck Barry off for good. Badly hope we get Gabriel Jesus in January… Wouldn’t mind Doucoure’s goal threat right now. Gana, Barry, Beto offer nothing going forward. Jake is not a RB who gets up and supplies crosses so why do we play a target man forward? Our team is so imbalanced and blunt for an elite PL team in the biggest sports league in the entire world. It’s a borderline piss take… Barry makes Victor Anichebe look like Pele…. Get Barry off and put N’Diaye up front. This is a fucking Joke!! The lad is beyond shit… Get Beto on for the second half, at least he creates opportunities by his own hard work. Palace have got Eddie Nketiah on the bench ffs… I need to know who specifically is in charge of scouting and signing our players. And he/she needs sacking asap. Not even joking… we call for managers and players heads all the time but this goes deeper. Who is signing forwards like Beto and Barry? Ellis Simms was better than both of them
Andy Mead
15 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:46:56
Can't keep the ball and Barry's first touch is awful. The most basic of skills. Who scouts these players? He is rubbish! If we don't change something here, we will get embarrassed.
Michael Kenrick
16 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:51:33
Kevin @10,

Asked and answered by the utterly useless Barry.

Next question?

Grant Rorrison
17 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:57:39
At least we know why Turdo Barry and his mate Dibling aren't getting more game time.
Ernie Baywood
18 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:57:48
I remember the Blue Room had a correspondent from Villarreal on after we signed Barry and he expressed a bit of surprise at the signing and the fee.

Sadly I think he was on the money. I'm not sure how you find a player in there from what we've seen.

Mind you the other expensive young fella looks petrified too and I've at least seen him play with confidence before.

It's going to take some time to right the wrongs of many years. But the lack of quality on the ball sticks out as soon as we play a decent side.

There was an attack in that half where O'Brien received the ball; played safe to Gana, who goes safe to Keane, who goes safe to Mykolenko. Kind of sums up where we're at. They're all fill in players at this level.

Playing Barry seems just as damaging to his confidence as dragging him so we might as well take him off for the good of this game. If we had an option then I'd do the same to Dibling. He needs to figure out whether even he thinks he can hack it at this level before we find out.

But I suspect we'll see Beto and just hope things change.

Christine Foster
19 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:58:10
Half time and we were totally outplayed by a better team. If not for Pickford we could have been 3 down. But my oh my, Barry.. should have buried it. Hard to see where to make changes that will make a difference but they have the run of the middle of the park bypassing Gana with ease, that has to stop, we are letting them play. We are a yard behind them in mind and body.
Peter Gorman
20 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:59:43
I think it's fair to say that Moyes' ludicrous failure of a result away to Wolves in the cup has torpedoed any momentum we had started to generate.

A typical, avoidable but totally predictable blunder from the man.

Tom Bowers
21 Posted 05/10/2025 at 14:59:59
Moyes is ready for the push although we don't have the squad that can trouble any team at the best of times.

Palace tired from their long European trip so what the hell excuse do Everton have ?

Poor so far but surely has to be better in the second half.

David Wall
22 Posted 05/10/2025 at 15:00:16
Control, pass, move!!!! It’s very simple. Palace putting on a masterclass at the basics of football.
The only player we have that can do this is Grealish, occasionally Ndiaye.
Alan J Thompson
23 Posted 05/10/2025 at 15:01:07
Palace are certainly the better team whereas we look half paced and half arsed.
Barry looks woeful albeit he'd had nothing to work with for 30 minutes but he should have put us one up just before they scored. And for that goal where were our central defenders? Tarkowski nowhere to be found, Keane watching his man so Mykolenko had to leave his man to stop Sarr(?) just walking through. If not for Pickford this would have been all over for a game.

Anyone think we'll see some Moyes half time magic or will the players have to yet again tell him it has to change.

John Wignall
24 Posted 05/10/2025 at 15:01:52
So predictable. It's embarrassing no movement off the ball to static so easy to play against nothing new with this team got to change it half time
Sean Kearns
25 Posted 05/10/2025 at 15:03:51
Beto and Charly on…. I hope Moyes seen here that Beto is the lesser of the Evils and has to be our starting forward full time. Barry is fucking WANK… I hope Beto plays every game and stays fit for the love of god. He’s all we have up top.

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