A fan’s eye view: Everton 1-1 Wolves

Cast you mind back a couple of seasons to the dark dour days of Lee Carseley and Phil Neville in the middle of a five man midfield. Those days when Everton Football Club were hard to break down, but found it oh so difficult to score goals; two albeit very good defensive minded players, but whose visionary skills to deliver a killer pass were limited [sorry Phil]. Then Lee left, and Davey was “forced” to switch the best little Spaniard we know into midfield, and boy was that a masterstroke. We played with confidence, panache, and style. Then, he got injured. 

So back to Saturday, and we are playing a promoted side, at home, who have lost their last two matches in succession and what does Davey do? He plays a five man midfield, with two defensive midfielders, Jack the Lad and Johnny Heitinga underpinning the midfield. 

Rodwell, who had been playing brilliantly of late, seemed to lose his stride somewhat on Saturday, and in the first half, he was strangely subdued spraying passes backwards and sideways, but not once trying a defence splitting pass, not once running from deep and driving into the box. Johnny Heitinga unfortunately was lost in the centre of midfield, for the entire first half. As I sat watching I kept thinking back to the Carseley/Neville days, as we huffed and puffed, but could not find any way past a resolute Wolves defence. 

So the first half passed; a blur of mediocrity, pinpricked by bad misses from Timmy the Kangaroo and Louis the Frenchman. I really thought it would be easier for Timmy to score, but he blazed over. The rest of the half was all about Rodwell’s back and sideways passes, Heitinga’s ability to remain anonymous for almost the entire half, Joey hoofing it at every opportunity and Leon’s inability to hold the ball up for more than three seconds before either miscontrolling, being outmuscled by an opponent or just misplacing a pass; not good enough for a side with top four aspirations I’m afraid Leon. . In a nutshell, we were back to the good old days, or bad old days I guess.

Wolves were controlling the attacking phases of the game, Doyle forcing Howard into a very good one handed save from a well taken curling shot that was on its way in. A change was needed, and after the half time break in came the Yak for an unlucky Hibbo, who was sacrificed again in favour of Osman, a trait which I see Moyes making more often now.     

With the Yak back, two upfront, Heitinga at right back, and Rodwell now paired with Cahill in the middle, Everton perked up, and so did the crowd. Heitinga seemed like he was enjoying himself again, Rodwell looked more at ease, the Yak and Saha were causing the Wolves defence problems; 4-4-2, oh what a joy! 

Saha came close with a brilliant effort well saved by the Hennessy after Osman; yes Osman had played him in. Billy was starting to come off the flanks, and was becoming more influential as the game wore on. Baines was whipping in some great crosses, and some poor ones, from the flanks and Distin was being his calm collective self, swatting away any crosses coming his way with disdain. That’s why it was so unbelievable that, in the 70th minute, a long hopeful punt upfield from the keeper caught him asleep at the back, Doyle raced in and tucked the ball expertly under Timmy’s body. I was shocked, as I’m sure were you. 

Seventy minutes had come and gone, as is his want, once we fall behind, Moysie takes action. On came Fellaini for Osman, and from then it was all hands to the pump, as first Cahill has a terrific shot blocked, the Yak saw his feeble shout for a penalty rightly waived away by the ref, as did Jo when he fell over his feet in the penalty area and then had the audacity to ask the ref for a penalty.

Without Pienaar and Arteta and therefore bereft of creativity, we were becoming desperate, and in all honesty, we did not look like scoring. Then Baines strode down the touchline, played a lovely ball inside to Cahill who slipped it through to Jo; the touch of the match. Jo then drove into the box, played the ball across the box [what a sweet left foot he has] and Billy beat the keeper with a little side footed belter; lovely stuff. We then had a chance to win it, as did Wolves [another great save by Howard], as Baines hit a curler of a free kick just pas the upright; what a win that would have been, but it was not to be. 

This match was there to be won. Once again, a defensive minded team selection, coupled to a bad mistake by Distin sees us drop two points at home to a promoted side; that’s five points now to promoted sides, and that’ why we sit 11th in the league table. We can only but hope that Pienaar, Arteta, Anichebe, Pip and Jagielka come back sooner rather than later, not only to give us more options, but also more creativity.

By Hadley Lakay