Michael Ball tackles the big issues at Hill Dickinson Stadium following Everton's 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur
Jordan Pickford inhales smelling salts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton
Jordan Pickford inhales smelling salts during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton
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Congratulations to Jordan Pickford on keeping his 100th Premier League clean sheet in Everton’s goalless draw at Tottenham Hotspur, but both others and myself have spotted worrying signs from him in these past couple of games.
There seems to have been an issue with Jordan where it looks like he is carrying a knock. He’s been jumping up and down, stamping his foot and Mark Travers was given a prolonged warm-up at Tottenham.
It appears to have affected Jordan’s kicking. He’s one of those keepers who is loud and demonstrative and when team-mates aren’t doing their jobs properly, he’ll call them out for it.
However, he needs to help them too. While James Garner, who hasn’t had a pre-season because of injury, did well to break opposition play down, it’s a lot of lung busting leg work, so it’s making it difficult when with giving the ball away too easily.
That starts with Jordan and the backline. Don’t be attempting 60 or 70-yard passes when it’s not on.
Jordan kicked the ball out too many times and the poor kick which gave the ball away and then led to his fantastic save showed the worst and then the best of Pickford within a matter of seconds.
Going to London’s ‘Big Three’ of Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur has been Everton’s Kryptonite for a number of years now so we were just hoping for a change. We all know what happened with Spurs over the summer when it came to recruitment, spending a lot of money, but they were also under a lot of pressure to get a first win and a first goal.
As Evertonians we feared that we were going to tick all the boxes to give Spurs the timely boost like we’ve done with so many other opponents, but I thought it ended up being a very strange game. Tottenham were quick out of the traps and Everton seemed half asleep for the first 10-15 minutes and couldn’t get a foothold into the match as they were swarming all around us.
After that, things settled down but what I learned was that while Spurs manipulated the ball very well and had us chasing shadows for prolonged periods, Pickford didn’t have much to do – other than making a great save after he’d given the ball away himself. Tottenham made it difficult for our midfield to get any kind of control of the ball but while they had the majority of the play, we had the three best chances.
Thierno Barry was unlucky with his header which Antonin Kinsky saved with his face, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall should have done better with his opportunity and Brennan Johnson had a fantastic chance to score against his former team. They were key moments for us and if one of those opportunities had gone in, we’d have probably come away from the capital with three points.
We can take the positives from maintaining the unbeaten start to the season and keeping another clean sheet but there is still a lot to learn. We know that our squad is very small and any injuries or suspensions could severely hamper our season, but while our players are fit, we’ve got to learn how to keep the ball to calm things down when you’re under the cosh rather than turning over possession easily.
When we did win our tackles and break Spurs down, we gave the ball away far too cheaply which allowed our opponents to get back into their rhythm again. Ultimately, they didn’t hurt us but as the season goes on with fixtures coming thick and fast, fatigue will set in and other teams will punish you.
It was an uncomfortable watch as we couldn’t get anywhere near them. When you look at other squads and they start make substitutions there are often options on their benches who can make a difference to win games as players get tired and defensive lapses can happen.
It’s a good point but we cannot carry on that way for the rest of the season and need to find solutions to be braver on the ball. While I understood our substitutions, I thought David Moyes could have tried something different.
Tyrique George was the outlet. He was trying but it wasn’t working for him other than one cross for Barry’s header.
When he was switched to the right wing against Manchester United, that seemed to free him up a bit more, so I would have liked to have seen him given a go on that side again. He’s the guy who gets us up the pitch and can creative opportunities to put the opposition on the back foot.
There are a few players for whom it’s not quite clicking right now. Dewsbury-Hall looks like he’s still finding his feet and has looked a bit off it and lost in the last couple of matches.
Again though, when it’s our key moments, he’s part of it, so he’s getting in the right areas. I just think the games are bypassing him a little bit but that might be down to a new-look midfield with different team-mates.
Jack Grealish and Hayden Hackney both came on as substitutes again and the way that they hold on to the ball will hopefully benefit Kiernan in the coming weeks.
I don’t think we’ve got a style of play right now. It all feels like it’s off the cuff at the moment but hopefully that will come.
We’ve sat back against Manchester United and Spurs but when you’re playing lesser opposition, especially at Hill Dickinson Stadium, you need to find that rhythm and taking responsibility.
Rolls-Royce Branthwaite needs to be kept running
For me, the outstanding player on the pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, I thought he was immense and showed how important he is to this football team. It also showed that need to look after him as he’s putting everything out there, including blocking shots with his head.
His composure on the ball though and reading of the game is exceptional and when he’s not in the side, we really miss him. On the ball or off it, he makes such a difference as he’s got that turn of speed which means we can play a bit higher up the pitch.
Everyone says how he’s a Rolls-Royce of a player but there’s no point having a car like that if it’s stuck in the garage. I know there has been talk from both Jarrad and David Moyes about him getting back to being able to play three games in a week but maybe that will come after this international break as it feels like it still might be a little bit early for him.