Rooney rescues Everton as Koeman's side look uninspired in Brighton draw
Wayne Rooney's 90th-minute penalty cancelled out Anthony Knockaert's opener to salvage a point for Everton at Brighton. Wayne Rooney's 90th-minute penalty cancelled out Anthony Knockaert's opener to salvage a point for Everton at Brighton. Ronald Koeman acknowledges the pressure he's been put under after Everton fought back for a draw at Brighton.
The problems facing Everton seem clear to everyone bar the one man paid to notice and attend to them. While a late Wayne Rooney penalty snatched a 1-1 draw at Brighton & Hove Albion and papered over numerous cracks within this setup, this was a case of same old, same old for manager Ronald Koeman.
For the ninth time in the past 10 games in all competitions, the opposition scored first. That this did not result in defeat owed more to a needless Bruno elbow on Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the penalty than anything the visiting players or manager conjured up.
Fifteen games into their season in all competitions, this team looks anything but a cohesive unit. The late equaliser may provide a stay of execution but the club hierarchy need to act as there is still no sign of Koeman averting these wretched performances or shifting from dire tactics and a non-existent style of play.
Brighton & Hove Albion Everton 1 1 FT Game Details Live football odds with bet365. Bet Now » Highlights GameCast Lineups and Stats
Positives
Amid another dull and lifeless team display, the invention of Nikola Vlasic brightened the picture somewhat. Demonstrating the invention and pace sorely lacking elsewhere in the team, the 20-year-old could have opened the scoring earlier in the match but for an unfortunate slip when well placed.
Negatives
This draw takes Everton to 12 successive away league games without a win, the worst such run since a 13-game sequence in the final months under Walter Smith in the 2001-02 campaign.
Without touching on the more immediate and newer issues facing Everton, six points from the past 36 on the road and just four Premier League away wins in his entire tenure is reason enough to question Koeman's position. Everton have won one away league game since December.
Manager rating out of 10
4 -- With young players ignored or out of position, there is still no attention paid toward correcting the pace and width deficiencies that make effective possession or attacking football nigh on impossible. Substitutions and tactics toward the end smacked of desperation.
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK Jordan Pickford, 7 -- Aside from one mishit clearance, the £25 million summer signing again demonstrated his value, commanded his penalty area and kept Everton alive with a couple of smart saves in the second half.
DF Mason Holgate, 6 -- With a rare effort on target and a chance created later in the match, the young right-back convinced more in the opposing final third than the defensive third.
DF Michael Keane, 7 -- Back on form and in determined mood, making three timely blocks in front of his own goal during the match, the centre-back also showed more enterprise in possession than several attack-minded teammates.
DF Phil Jagielka, 7 -- Save for a misdirected header putting his team under pressure, the club captain was one of the better performers on his return to the starting XI after injury.
DF Leighton Baines, 5 -- Ineffective for the most part with support on his flank still in short supply and fortunate to escape after a lapse in concentration almost gifted Brighton a goal not long before their eventual opener.
Wayne Rooney scored an equaliser from the spot, but his Everton looked uninspired vs. Brighton.
MF Morgan Schneiderlin, 5 -- Slow to react and weak in his attempts to prevent the opposition scoring for the second match in succession and barely noticeable for much of the match. Fortunate to survive in place of Idrissa Gueye when Koeman made changes.
MF Idrissa Gueye, 6 -- Sloppy in possession at times and notch or two below his best but one of the few willing to try things and twice went close from distance.
MF Nikola Vlasic, 7 -- A threat whenever he had the ball and open space ahead of him and just about the only player that seemed capable of conjuring up anything beyond the ordinary.
MF Gylfi Sigurdsson, 5 -- On the periphery throughout, attempting just 23 passes in the entire match, although Rooney dropping back into the same areas left him with little room to operate in.
MF Dominic Calvert-Lewin, 5 -- There were occasional moments of promise but midfield is clearly a misuse of his potential and the young forward snatched at his only sight of goal with a tame left-footed effort in the second half.
FW Wayne Rooney, 5 -- Ended the first half as the player with the fewest touches of the ball on either team. Tendency to drop deep as the lone striker left Everton effectively playing with nobody up front, though his well-taken penalty secured a barely deserved point.
Substitutes
FW Oumar Niasse, 5 -- Fired wildly over and struggled to make an impact.
MF Kevin Mirallas, NR -- Denied by a fine double save at the death.
MF Tom Davies, NR -- Inexplicably left on the bench until the 90th minute.
Luke is ESPN FC's Everton blogger. Follow Luke on Twitter @lukeofarrell.
Comments
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.
Source: espn.co.uk
Comments
This article has 0 comment(s) , give your comment