Fan View: Bolton vs Everton and on THAT selfishness

There are things I dislike to see on a football field. Two of them are embarrassing, schoolboy defending, especially when it is being done by Everton football Club; unfortunately yesterday was the day that we saw much of it. The other is when a footballer of incredible potential is, sadly, selfish on the football pitch. In the case of Dan Gosling on Sunday afternoon, it was even sadder when you consider the potential that he has, and the high esteem he is held in by all Everton supporters.

Dan is a young footballer at this point in your footballing life, and in my opinion, has good potential, which if developed in the correct manner, could see higher honours to follow. I watched the Reserve Match between Manchester United and Everton, and Gosling captained that side. He played in the centre of midfield that day, and the one thing that stood out was how he always wanted to take one touch too many, one stride too many, one pass too little.

I remember thinking maybe it’s because he’s young, maybe it’s because he’s the Captain that he thinks he has too lead by example. Well, if those were his thoughts, he should take a leaf out of Tim Cahill’s book of captaincy. In this match against Bolton, he ran, cajoled, tracked back, tried to make something out of nothing; he would not give up. And I promise you that if he had Jack Rodwell and Jo waiting for a little inside pass across the penalty area, he would have rolled the ball across the area with his foot, shoulder, hand or even his tongue to ensure that the ball reached them, so that they could score that goal for Everton.

Sadly, poor defending cost us in this match. Balls were floated into the box by Bolton, we did not clear, and we paid the price. However, with Heitinga at Centre Back, Hibbert at left back, Lucas Neil playing his first match at right back, I thought they might need a little time to gel, and so it was. All Bolton’s goals were from set pieces or the like, with especially the last two goals being very “soft”.

Our goals were brilliant, especially an exquisite finish from the masterful Frenchman. Indeed, a lot of our attacking football was delightful [I was pleasantly surprised] with once again Tim Cahill at the centre of a lot of the good attacking play, especially in the second half. Then, with about ten minutes to play, and the score deadlocked at two apiece, came that moment when a footballer is defined, when people look at young Dan and say, I remember that day you won the Cup match against the Shyte; but the match that really stands out for me is that day you unselfishly played the ball across the area for Young Jack to slot home against Bolton at The Reebok.

Unfortunately for Dan, we now remember yesterday as the day he potentially cost Everton Football Club against Bolton at the Reebok. The match we desperately needed to win, not only for our confidence, but also to show the watching supporters that we are Everton, the never say die team of the Premiership; that despite eleven players being on our injured list, we will prevail.

Unfortunately, we did not.

By Hadley Lakay