It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

This is how Brazilian Women celebrate a soccer goal....




I've just booked my ticket!

Dil [Send an email to Dil] [View Dil's profile] - 22 Nov 2013 00:31 - 2304 of 2311
KidA - 20 Nov 2013 11:45 - 2271 of 2303

Too many foreign players??? England '74, '76, '78, '80?

Missing your point here ????

England were just shite at the time end of. Top 2 teams Leeds and Liverpool were stuffed with foreigners (Scots) and they qualified in '74 and '78 and in '76 bloody Wales (yep and I was there) qualified for the Euro quarter finals !

---

Liverpool teams of that period had more English players than foreign. The point of the post; England were bad before the 'invasion' - it isn't to blame for the state of the national team. The number of players required is small and it isn't the foreigners fault England struggle to do the basics of retaining the ball, and moving and pressing in an organised way.

Cheers,
KidA

A big test for the Football League Leaders today as the table toping Clarets go to the City Ground.

Burnley will have at least 2000 there to roar them on.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/championship/

ToffeeWeb

NEWS
Everton News
News Archive
Everton News Links
RSS Feeds
NewsNow Trawl
Everton News Feed
Comment
Transfers
The Rumour Mill
SEASON
Season 2013-14
Everton Results
Match Reports
Appearances
Goalscorers
Goalmakers
Premier League Table
First Team
Televised Games
Reserves/Youth
Transfers
News Archive
PLAYERS
Players
First Team Squad
Player Statistics
Player of the Month
Transfers Since 1990
Player Features
Reserves/Youth
Past Players
Goodison Legends
Top Goalscorers
CLUB
The Club
General Information
The Boardroom
Team Managers
Goodison Park
Stadium Debate
Everton Books
Everton Stuff
The France Collection
HISTORY
Everton History
Concise History
Honours List
Complete Record
Competition Records
Premier League Record
Pages from History
Club Folklore
Past Players
Past Managers
OPINION
Opinion
ToffeeWeb Columnists
Fan Articles
Talking Points
Editors Blog
ToffeeWeb Poll
GrandOldTeam Forum
FANS
The Fans
Online Community
Web Links
Supporters Clubs
Everton Fanzines
Everton In Verse
ToffeeWeb Poll
Being a Blue
Celebrity Blues
Australia Blues
USA Blues
THE SITE
Site & Community
ToffeeWeb Membership
Site Introduction
Feedback
FAQ
Site History
Editorial/Privacy Policy
Advertising
Support Us
The Fans Online
Web Links
Celebrity Blues
Message Board
Member Profile Members
Log In
Join ToffeeWeb
Text Size: A A A ANews by Google:
Bleacher Report - Leighton Baines Injury: Updates on Everton Star's Toe, Likely Return Date

Twitter Facebook RSS feeds Contact Us
News Archive
The Rumour Mill
Elsewhere on the Web
ToffeeWeb Live
Opinion
Columns
Articles
Talking Points
Submit an Article
2013-14 Results
Match Reports
Televised Games
USA Blues
Join TW Fantasy League
Contact Us
About ToffeeWeb
Advertise
Become a Member
Site Help
Everton in the Community
NewsNow
Everton News 24/7
BleacherReport
EPLTalk Best Club Blog 2012/13
SEASON 2013-14 OPINION MATCH REPORTS
Everton forced to share the spoils of derby thriller
By Lyndon Lloyd :: 23/11/2013
Comments (18) jump to end
The television executives have doubted the power of the Merseyside derby to thrill and entertain in recent years but if the goalless edition at Anfield in March had provided supporting evidence, this pulsating first all-Merseyside clash of the post-David Moyes era at Everton showed that his meeting between two old rivals still delivers.

Last season's Goodison derby was a rollocking affair that had offered up four goals before half time as the teams played out a 2-2 draw but that was surpassed today by a game that almost everything – passion, drama, full-blooded challenges, six goals and, thankfully, no red cards, although Kevin Mirallas should have received his marching orders for an ugly, if fully-deserved, studs-up challenge on Luis Suarez in the first half.

For Everton, having benefited from Phil Dowd's cool head (if only for not being swayed by fourth official, Martin Atkinson, the villain of the 2011 Goodison derby) and roared back from behind to lead 3-2, this was a massively disappointing draw. Three goal conceded weakly from set-pieces proved to be their undoing, most crushingly after Romelu Lukaku had powered home his second goal to give them the chance at pricless victory.

Substitute Daniel Sturridge proved to be the recipient of slack marking as he steered a Steven Gerrard free kick past Tim Howard in the 89th minute and Roberto Martinez had to be content with a point from his first derby experience.

Though question marks over his defence's frailty from dead-ball situations will dominate the aftermath of this game, the Spaniard deserves credit for a positive approach to this game, both in terms of initial selection – Ross Barkley was rightly reinstated to the starting line-up in place of Leon Osman and the youngster was electric for much of the contest – and his substitutions. When Leighton Baines was forced off through injury five minutes after half time, he introduced Gerard Deulofeu and deployed Gareth Barry at left back.

The result was enough clear-cut chances to win the game handily and but for some disappointing finishing and an inspired display by Simon Mignolet, the Blues would surely be toasting victory this afternoon.

The game kicked off in frentic fashion, more evocative of derbies past than the more recent editions, albeit without the usual dangerous, borderline-legal challenges that often set the tone of these occasions – they would come later.

Everton, unfortunately, shot themselves in the foot at the first corner of the game, Baines allowing Suarez to out-muscle him as the ball came in and that allowed it to come through to Coutinho who had the freedom of Goodison at the back post where he prodded home.

The Blues' reaction was to take the game by the scruff of the neck, though, and hit back almost immediately from a set-piece of their own. Seamus Coleman floated in a free-kick, Barkley knocked the ball down and Mirallas stabbed home at the back post. 1-1.

Having steadied the ship, Everton then retained control of proceedings and set about trying to break Brendan Rogers' side down again. Lukaku was almost put in on goal by the lively Steven Pienaar but Mignolet got just enough on the ball to deflect it back onto the marauding Belgian's leg and it ricocheted behind for a goal kick.

Barkley was scintillating going forward at times for the home side and looked the most likely player in Blue to carve Liverpool open and, in the midst of a promising spell of possession, it looked like Martinez's men had the platform on which to turn the screw and find a goal that would have put them ahead.

Instead, it was more self-sobatage at the back that saw the reds re-take the lead. Attempts to pass their way out from the back had produced mixed results in the first quarter hour with insufficient movement from the likes of Barry and James McCarthy to show for the pass. One such incident saw possession gifted to Liverpool in midfield and on the resulting attack, Barry tripped Suarez in a dangerous area.

Anyone who had seen any of the Uruguayan's highlight reel knew exactly where the free kick was going and yet Everton left a crucial gap in the defensive wall between Baines and Pienaar and Suarez exploited it with deadly accuracy, Howard diving in vain as the ball crept inside the post.

It was wholly against the run of play but though Everton would edge possession for the remainder of the half, they struggled to carve open another clearer chance until Mignolet, seeing it late, tipped Barkley's shot around the post at the last moment with 20 minutes gone. Mirallas then drifted a right footer across the Liverpool goal and Barkley dipped one over as the Blues tried their luck from distance.

It was around the half-hour mark that the home faithful got the welcome sight of Suarez hobbling badly following a collision with Phil Jagielka and signalling to his bench that he probably couldn't continue. He was already a passenger at this point but Mirallas decided to exact some revenge for the Uruguayan cheat's cynical stamp on him here last season by clatting through him with his studs planted firmly on Suarez's knee. The Belgian was hugely fortunate to only pick up a yellow card and he would go on to add an assist to his goal in the second half.

If the first period had fizzled out from Everton's perspective, the second was much more promising from an attacking point of view, particularly once Deulofeu had added more counter-attacking threat. The Spaniard suffered a bout of stage fright within five minutes of coming on, though, when he was put clean through on a lightning break but he fired straight at Mignolet who had raced out to close him down.

More slack defending at the other end, almost put the game beyond the Blues on the hour mark, though. Liverpool carved them right open and Joe Allen was presented with the reds' third goal on a platter but he somehow side-footed wide with the goal gaping either side of Howard.

Everton kept up their momentum in the attacking third, though, and great, determined work by Lukaku ended with the striker being thwarted once more by his international teammate, Mignolet, the 'keeper stopping his goal-bound shot with an out-stretched arm as he rushed out to close down the angle.

Lukaku would best his compatriot just a few minutes later, though. With Baines off the pitch, the on-loan forward elected to take a 25-plus-yard free kick himself and though Mignolet beat away his smashed effort, Everton kept the ball, worked it down the left side of the box and Mirallas cut it back where McCarthy's out-stretched leg pushed it on to Lukaku and he side-footed home via the goalkeeper's glove.

A great chance to take the lead then evaporated when Lukaku wasted a three-on-two break by ignoring Mirallas who was completely open on his left and rolled the ball inside straight to a red shirted defender and Mignolet again had to be at his best to deny Deulofeu as he greedily eschewed the cut-back in favour of a shot at the near post.

It was the Barcelona teenager's jinking run along the byline – and refusal, again, the cut the ball back into the danger zone – that forced the corner from which Everton took the lead for the first time in the game. Lukaku rose ahead of Glenn Johnson to meet the delivery from the Blues' left and powered an unstoppable header into the net to send the Gwladys Street into bedlam.

There was to be one more frustrating defensive lapse, though, with less than two minutes remaining. Distin raised an unnecessary boot on a Liverpool player in the left-back position conceding a needless free kick in a dangerous area and Steven Gerrard, as usual, took license with the placement of the set-piece before despatching it onto the head of Sturridge who did the rest.

So, much to admire and much to rue in the final reckoning of what was a cracking game of football, albeit one whose thrills are dulled to a large degree by Evertonian frustration that we couldn't hold on at the end. To give up the two points that would have brought us level in the table with Liverpool was desperately disappointing but defeat was, at least, avoided.

Importantly, though it took a while, the Blues have rediscovered some of their attacking Mojo and it was pleasing to see Lukaku back on the goal trail with two really well-taken efforts. Additionally, while a couple of slips too close to his own area and his propensity to over-elaborate in the opposition third, Deulofeu showed that he is capable of playing in the same team as Mirallas. The Belgian, meanwhile, looked a good deal more threatening when gven the license to operate across the front with Lukaku rather than pinned to the touchline.

That will bode well for the upcoming challenges against Manchester United and Arsenal, of course, but there will rightly be concern about the manner in which those three goals were conceded.



Reader Comments
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


Andy Morden
715 Posted 23/11/2013 at 18:59:33 Great report and pretty much how I saw the game. Very refreshing to see Everton really having a go in a Derby. We took Belgians to a gunfight and did OK!
Richard Tarleton
743 Posted 23/11/2013 at 20:35:01 I want to win, I'd love to do what Liverpool did today and what they do so often in this fixture, get goals against the run of play and get a result which they don't really deserve. I've been watching this fixture since the dreadful cup tie of 1955 when as clear favourites we lost 0-4 at Goodison. Mirallas was, I admit lucky not to get a red card, especially as Gerrard was having a great game as Mr. Dowd's assisstant.
Chris Leyland
763 Posted 23/11/2013 at 23:01:40 The thing that saved Mirallas form a red card was the shite's physio. He told Dowd to send him off and you could see Dowd wasn't best pleased and he showed a yellow to prove a point. That he was the ref. We are used to the shite refereeing the game but trying to get their physio to do so takes it to new levels.
Patrick Murphy
764 Posted 23/11/2013 at 23:05:14 Quote of the season from Rodgers "I'd like to see what would have happened if Suarez had have put in a challenge like Miralas" Well Mr Rodgers just get a DVD of last season's game at Goodison - there you go mate!
Michael Penley
766 Posted 23/11/2013 at 23:20:25 Mirallas didn't deserve a red. Martinez was right - you have to look at what he did. Both Mirallas and Suarez went for the ball the same way, legs the same height and studs up. It's just that Mirallas was late, and there was no malice. That's a yellow, not a red. It was far more benign than Suarez challenge last year when he stamped on Mirallas' ankle.
Phil Friedman
768 Posted 23/11/2013 at 23:33:12 Masterful game, but the last move by RM – subbing on Osman for Mirallas – caused us to drop 2 points. Osman was closest to Sturridge on the late goal... but not nearly close enough. He probably should have brought on Naismith, if Mirallas really had to go off. It cost us.
Patrick Murphy
774 Posted 23/11/2013 at 23:36:50 Of course Martin is correct we do still have that annoying habit against the Dark Side and we still leak goals from set pieces. Last year 0-2 and rescued a point this year we are very very disappointed that we didn't take all three points.
Howard
Coleman Jagielka Distin Baines
Naismith (85' Oviedo) Osman Neville :45+2'
Mirallas (46' Gueye) Fellaini
Jelavic

Subs not used:
Mucha, Hibbert, Heitinga, Hitzlsperger, Vellios.
Unavailable: Pienaar (Suspended), Gibson (injured), Barkley (on loan), Bidwell (on loan)

That was the team selected for last season's meeting at Goodison Park with the other lot; very different in midfield and up front – of course Pienaar couldn't play due to suspension.

But give me today's team any day of the week – less the set-piece goals of course,

Mike Gaynes
794 Posted 24/11/2013 at 01:26:38 Outstanding report as usual, Lyndon... just how I saw it too.
Phil Friedman (768), that's got to be the biggest Osman stretch ever... might as well blame him for the weather. Just because the goal followed the substitution doesn't mean the substitution was to blame for the goal. Neither Naismith nor Mirallas could have done more to prevent it.

100% of the blame for that goal goes to Distin and his ridiculous challenge. How such an intelligent player can suddenly turn into a blockhead every time we play the RS is beyond me.

Dick Fearon
801 Posted 24/11/2013 at 02:54:32 What the hell was Pienaar thinking about when he gifted Suarez such a clear cut opportunity. It did not say much for Howards positional organising either. either
Pat Finegan
803 Posted 24/11/2013 at 03:40:54 Phil Friedman, Mike Gaynes might not be too thrilled with your post but I'm simply impressed that anyone could blame Osman for that, far too impressed to even bother disagreeing. Well done, sir.
Steve Brown
807 Posted 24/11/2013 at 04:08:14 Osman on the pitch in derby equaliser shocker. Well done Paul Friedman.
Steve Brown
809 Posted 24/11/2013 at 04:15:23 The person solely at fault for that goal was Distin with his idiotic foul.
Norman Merrill
828 Posted 24/11/2013 at 08:36:57 A typical derby in as much it left us with many a talking point?
I'm biased so I will say from the start, we were the better team, the RS relied too much on Sewerage, and to be fair he was their best player.
As I've mentioned on another thread on this site, our defending of set pieces, has to be addressed, poor organisation, surely Roberto will show the team the video of the game & smack arses.
Next up Stoke, and as for football we should see them off, but only if our defenders, learn from yesterday, as Stoke rely on corners etc, because of the size of the players.
The pace of our new, Little Spaniard Deulofeu, will rape them, but with better finishing than yesterday.
Mark Tanton
829 Posted 24/11/2013 at 08:58:44 We were the better team, and in the second half, honestly, we battered them and should have caved the door in. Barkley was absolutely class, and I wonder if Martinez has played him just right by giving him some bench time before bringing him back. Deuleufeo (never spell it right) is surely on the verge of being a regular starter (though he bottled his one-on-one).
We played with bravery that was alien to Moyes in these fixtures, we went toe to toe with them and showed no fear. I hope Martinez has won over some doubters with his approach to this game, one we traditionally collapse in. I actually can't wait for the Anfield one now, and that feels alien to say - as I nearly bottled watching it yesterday.

- See more at: http://toffeeweb.com/season/13-14/comment/reports/26120.html#sthash.bMRfPXCV.dpuf

A hard fought point gained on Saturday by the league leaders (nearly 8 weeks at the top now) at Nottingham, with Forrest's rather obnoxious manager winging after as usual... Onwards and upwards.

Late silly free kick gave you a draw Dil. I said you be tougher than the soft southern gunners.

Rooney was lucky to stay on the pitch, very lucky.

Well lets see if the ref apologises this week

Bunch of hypocrites

Rather dissapointed at Mirrallas's tackle on 'Rat Boy' Suarez he got up :O)

LOL.

Bill Foulkes snuffs it http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-25084845

We were robbed.

Yes of course you were -):

Dil, If you want beat Manure U. Then this is the way we did it -):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAHoahsd3Uw

Excuse the quality as it's a well used video as you can imagine

More good news from the Fortress:

http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/news/article/burnley-u21-2-sunderland-u21-1-241113-1198324.aspx

In a pulsating display tonight little old Burnley knock Pre-Madonna Sunderland out of the U 21 Cup with another last minute winner!

Oh ffs .. I thought this was a proper football thread not Mickey Mouse sh*te Stan :)

Any Arsenal players get seriously injured tonight ? Already tipped CCFC to beat Man City at 8's , lay Man U v CCFC ( was 1.67 at the time) but this week stick your mortgage on Arsenal to murder us at 1.66 !

Giggs got booooo'd on Sunday when he came on , done bugger all for his hometown Cardiff and turned up for Wales when he felt like. My best guess is Ramsey will get applauded wen the teams are announced before the game ... cos he's a real Cardiff boy and turns up for Wales games !

Hasn't shagged his sister in law either as far as I know :-)

Poyet still waiting for a Riley apology

http://www.thefa.com/news/england/under-21/2013/nov/san-marino-ings-reaction-201113

Never mind your Pre-Madonna lot Dil... Just listen to Danny-):

Whatever next!

Six arrests in football match-fixing investigation

Six men have been arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency investigating alleged match-fixing in English football.

At least three footballers are reported to be among those held across the country, but the BBC understands that none is linked to professional clubs.

The NCA said the focus of the operation was a suspected international illegal betting syndicate.

It is thought the suspects are being held by police in the Midlands.

Fine them very heavily and then ban them from "All football" for life, just like they did in the 60's with Lane, Swan and Kay.

But back to the U21's, our next apponents are Notlob http://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/article/u21s-cup-opponents-confirmed-271113-1200222.aspx