The Telegraph
Everton's poor home form continues as Burnley win at Goodison Park
Everton look more suited to play in the conference than the Champions League next season. For clarification, that is not quite how it sounds and is entirely Uefa’s fault. European football’s third tier competition - which starts next season - has been appallingly named the Europa Conference League, thus ensuring the joy of those qualifying is instantly diluted by the negative connotations of its awful branding. The winners of the Carabao Cup get England’s solitary place, but if Manchester City win that again, it goes to whoever finishes 6th in the Premier League. Everton remained there after the latest expensive Goodison defeat, this time to Burnley. They have one win in seven at home, and the manner of this loss offered little evidence they can aspire to higher over their remaining games. Chris Wood and Dwight McNeil delivered what might be the killer blow to Everton’s lingering top four chances. McNeill’s was stunning, finding the top corner from 25 yards. Burnley arrived still ten points short of their annual safety target, but once more demonstrated why even if Sean Dyche will never be the most admired coach in the country, his capacity to get results against the aristocrats by playing exactly the same tune is worthy of applause. Whenever opposition managers praise Dyche before meetings with Burnley, you can never be too sure of their sincerity. Especially when they moan about having to break through so many defensive blockades afterwards, and make withering asides about ‘playing the right way’ for the rest of the season. When Carlo Ancelotti lavished praise on Dyche he seemed to mean it. Why shouldn’t he? Everton’s template has not been so radically different on occasions this season, albeit Ancelotti is more tactically flexible. You can never accuse Ancelotti of not trying every formula, some more radically experimental than others. Following a cryptic social media post complaining about never being used in his ‘right position’, the Italian indulged Alex Iwobi’s demand to play as a floating number 10. Never again. It lasted 26 minutes, by which time Burnley were two-up, had been denied a strong penalty claim for handball against Mason Holgate, and Johan Gudmundsson had clipped the post. Iwobi was summoned and moved back to right midfield. Until then, Burnley had outplayed Everton in all departments. This was no rearguard action seeking a smash and grab, Wood and McNeill’s finishing of the highest quality. Yes, they were assisted by the imbalance of Everton’s initial diamond formation, leaving Allan exposed as sole protector of his defence. Here was the evidence how much the injured Abdoulaye Doucoure will be missed for the next two months. The punishment was brutal. McNeill created the first on 13 minutes after Josh Brownhill robbed Tom Davies in midfield. McNeill’s cross was diverted to Wood off Michael Keane, and the Burnley striker gave Pickford no chance. McNeill’s goal on 25 minutes was a work of beauty, side-stepping Allan and striking a goal of the season contender. Burnley should have had more both before and after Ancelotti’s inevitable reorganisation. He does not often make tactical errors, but his starting strategy was costly. Six minutes after Everton returned to their more familiar 4-4-2, they introduced themselves to the fixture, Calvert-Lewin’s header converting Davies’ cross. Finally, Ancelotti could disconnect his head from his hands, because he had spent the first 30 minutes failing to disguise his emotions. His mood was not helped when Pickford had to be replaced by third choice keeper Joao Virginia shortly before half-time, England’s number appearing to suffer a muscle pull. Everton were more competitive after scoring, Calvert-Lewin’s touch deserting him on a couple of occasions when good control would have given him a one-on-one with Nick Pope. But Burnley dealt with that improvement comfortably enough and should have secured the points in a two minute spell midway through the second half. Vydra should have taken advantage of a Virginia error, miskicking a volley when the sub keeper’s misjudgement offered an empty net, Everton scrambling to an escape. Ben Mee then headed McNeill’s resulting corner against the crossbar, before Vydra was one more wasteful after a counter-attack placed him in space in front of Everton’s keeper. Ancelotti has seen this episode too often at Goodison now, which is why he has been playing weekly hokey-cokey when it comes to addressing top four hopes - declaring his side in and out of that particular race after each promising or desperate result. He still can’t be sure whether an impressive away record or dismal home one is the fairest reflection of their talent. The answer is probably neither. There is no way Everton would be so bad at Goodison in a normal season, and it is unlikely they would have had so many good results elsewhere in more pressured environments. What is certain is if this squad does hold onto a European place - in whatever tier of UEFA competition - there must be significant steps in the next stage of Ancelotti’s evolution. Everton’s season has had more ups and downs than a trampolinist. This may have been their lowest point.
"wood" - Google News
March 14, 2021 at 12:46AM
https://ift.tt/38CGAv9
Wood smashes Burnley into the lead v. Everton - Yahoo Sports
"wood" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3du6D7I
No comments:
Post a Comment