Overall, pretty content with what I saw. Thought we competed well. My Everton supporting mate that I travelled with said "You lot will be fine mate, that's a decent side you've built".
The new ground is massively impressive from the outside, access was really easy, and looks good from pitchside. Pity that they didn't finish the inside concourses, or built a few more toilets. The Blue Wall at the far end was more of a curtain... not sure what was up with the Everton fans, but barely a noise all day, apart from a few minutes after the VAR and around the sending off.
Outtara looks a massively impressive footballer, really impressed with what I saw from him.
Bit concerned about the play out patterns at the back. Diop really doesn't look that comfortable being primary receiver from GK, and we seemed completely committed to going that way, even when there was a huge amount of space on the left.
I thought we really struggled to play out through their press when they committed to it, but after the goal, they inexplicably sat off, and let us into the game. Played some nice stuff, without really threatening too much. They stepped up again at the end of the first half, and again we struggled a bit. There's a repeating pattern of us firing it at Fatawu on the half way line, and if he loses it, there's a diagonal attack straight to the left back area, that resulted in the liverpool goal, and also a couple of chances yesterday. we need to find a safer way out a bit more.
Problem yesterday was that Emerson was immensely well marshalled by the Everton centre backs. Got no change all day, and that meant that the long ball from Walton wasn't a great option. Perhaps without the Fatawu sending off ( which was a shame, as he'd been having a decent game), we might have changed Emerson earlier, as Flemming definitely caused more issues, although not without getting the wrong side of the ref a few times. Shame he couldn't take the late chance, as like others have mentioned, we looked a threat when he and Akpom came on.
Overall, disappointing to concede the goal, but they had a few more decent chances that on any other day would have scored one. We could also have done better with a couple of chances, but I don't think we can be too hard done by with a close loss.
Lots of positives, but also lots to work on still. |  |
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