Everton Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours 2018 NEW WARNING FROM MODS

Lumbo wrote: »

Mirallas has had some good performances for us this season. Unfortunately, it looks like Suarez broke his metatarsal yesterday.

Columbia wrote: »

God damn if he's out for a couple of months with that, right when he was clicking beautifully.

Gibson better be back soon, we can't defend without him. Wasn't the original prognosis 4-5 weeks out? That was 8 weeks ago.

rarnes1 wrote: »

I thought it looked accidental tbh.

If it was intentional it'll surely be looked at retrospectively.

NEITHER Liverpool FC or Everton FC claimed the ‘bragging rights’ at Goodison Park on Sunday.

But that didn’t stop both sides from trying to claim the tactical high ground.

Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers claimed that Everton were a long ball team, while Steven Gerrard suggested “only one team came to play football and win the game.”

Everton boss David Moyes, however, was disappointed that his team didn’t go on to win the game, while goalscorer Steven Naismith pointed out that Everton were the only team pressing for a winner while Liverpool relied on counter-attacks.

But what do the stats say?

Did Everton try to punt their way to victory, or were Liverpool lucky to hang on?

The impressively analytical English Premier League Index covered every pass, punt and tackle of Sunday’s 219th Merseyside derby.

And their stats showed that while Brendan Rodgers is trying to construct a Liverpool team which dominates possession and passes teams into submission, they had to settle for second best at Goodison Park on Sunday.

Everton recorded significantly better passing stats than their visitors, attempting 478 passes to their neighbours’ 357, and making over a hundred accurate passes more than the Reds (359 to 257).

Everton made twice as many crosses into the box, created more chances and forced their opponents into more tackles.

And while Liverpool also made almost three times as many backpasses as Everton, this probably highlights Brendan Rodgers’ desire for his side to build from the back, passing the ball across the backline rather than asking Brad Jones to kick the ball from his hands (although Tim Howard recorded a 59% pass completion rate, while Jones was just 38 per cent – and Howard actually made more open play passes than his rival).

The difference in the sides’ respective attacking styles was highlighted in the stats.

Only 39% of Everton’s passes were forward, with 26% passed to the left – trying to utilise the strengths of Leighton Baines – and 24% to the right.

It proved a successful tactic in terms of creating crossing opportunities, with Everton firing 34 crosses compared to just 17 from the Reds.

Some 32% of Everton’s crosses were accurate – including one from Marouane Fellaini which found Steven Naismith for the equaliser – while Liverpool’s crossing accuracy was a disappointing 11%.

But getting the ball wide wasn’t Everton’s solitary tactic.

The Blues played 40 long passes throughout the afternoon, presumably attempting to utilise the aerial strengths of Marouane Fellaini, while Liverpool hit 26, more so in the second half as they defended deeper and tried to use Sterling and Suarez’s pace on the counter. But while Everton attempted more long passes, their attacking third stats were also revealing.

Everton successfully completed 100 of 154 attempted passes in Liverpool’s final third, with Liverpool completing 63 of their 103 attempted passes in Everton’s final third.

That suggests if Everton did try to get the ball into Liverpool’s final third early, it often stuck and allowed them to build further attacking moves in that area.

Of course the only statistic which mattered in the end was the final score, which read Everton two goals Liverpool two goals.

Until the next time.

And for that we’ve got to wait until May 4.

Melion wrote: »

Is that the same Fellaini who was given a free kick for kicking Allen in the stomach? Or was given a free for pulling Dan Agger back by the shoulder?