by Douglas Higginbottom » Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:40 pm
2.2 away at Everton isnt a bad result on the face of it but we really should have won. 1 up at half time and 2 up shortly after before allowing Everton to claw it back.
For the first 20 or so minutes we gave Everton a lesson. Playing good stuff in the City way we dominated the ball and when it got to Rogers and Poveda on the wings we looked a real threat. One attack saw Rogers brought down for a pen as he cut inside. Doyle scored well. Everton woke up a bit and started pressing more and started to get at us and it was helpedby us looking shaky playing round the back as they pressed more. Not too many alarms though and 1 nil at half time.
I reckoned Everton had been given a rollicking at half time and came out more determined and aggressive but we scored again with an excellent break with a well taken goal by Touazi. We did have a good number of excellent breaks but didnt get the final part right but at the other end we were getting exposed a little too easily at time.
One occasion brought them a free kick on the edge of the box given away by McDonald as I think he had to as the ball had been knocked past him.That free kick flew into the top corner. At no time did we remotely shut up shop, plenty of breaks by us but still times where they got at us too easily and often but just lumping it forward to big guys who almost always held it up.
The trouble is we didnt have the right set up to handle them when that happened and the 2nd goal came from that. 2 of our players converged on their number 9. Good pressing? Not if they allow him to turn through and find the way to the edge of the box with nobody to get past. From there he hit a great shot which hit the bar bounced down to find their guy totally alone to head in.
Strange that from there to the end , including 7 minutes of injury time ( not a clue why so much) we were much the more threatening. Despite all this I find it hard to simply blame the defenders as I feel the team, midfield and wide players , just dont seem to do enough.
Wheter thats down to the manager or the players being rubbish at it I don't know. I cant honesly remember Poveda or Rogers getting back to help at all. If they did it wasnt often. Pozo I like as a holing midfield player but some how Bernabe and Doyle, despite always working hard, just dont seem to get it right. Trying to nick balls rather than being on the right side in good defensive positions and winning challenges but at least stopping attackers having easy possession and making things happen.
Doyle had a rare off night and was substituted, Touazi , his goal apart was disapoointing. His work to stop the central defenders playing the ball forward or carrying it was basically no existent. So a draw isnt too bad but we need some wins as relegation is a real possibility