Month Review | January In review

It was a busy month for Everton. The blues played in six matches this month and the January transfer window was insane, so let’s talk about it.

Off the pitch

The January transfer window opened up giving Everton one last chance to improve their squad for a potential push into a European spot in the table. The holes have been pretty evident for a while with Everton. The full back spots on both side of the pitch are severely lacking. Despite this there were no players brought in for either left back or right back. There were plenty of links and speculation, but nothing that came to fruition.

As the window was winding it was looking like Everton might not make any additions at all. On the last day of the window however, Everton were able to add another attacking option to the mix. The blues secured the loan with an option to buy for the talented winger from Chelsea Tyrique George. George had only made 13 appearances for the London club this season, and only four of those appearances had come in the Premier League. George like Tyler Dibling is a highly touted winger who has a ton of potential. He might not have a huge impact the rest of this season, but if Everton make his move permanent this summer it could pay huge dividends for the club down the road.

There was a sour note to the end of the window for Everton as well. In the last few hours of the window it looked like Dwight McNeil was on his way to Crystal Palace for a fee reaching near 20 million pounds. It was a great move for both parties with McNeil looking for regular game time, and Everton looking to get a nice fee for a player on the fringes of the roster. From all the reporting, McNeil had his medical done and was on his way to London, with just paperwork needing to be filed before the window closed. The only problem is Palace never submitted the paper work and the deal fell through. All the facts have not yet come out but it really seems like Crystal Palace have done something awfully shameful and could heavily damage their reputation. With all the Oliver Glasner drama and form dipping on the pitch too, Palace are looking like a real mess. Dwight McNeil will now stay at Everton and it’s hard to imagine Everton supporters not standing tall behind him after what had to be a very stressful end to the window for him and his family.

On the pitch

Everton v Brentford

The new year started off on a sour note. Brentford made the trip to Hill Dickinson Stadium with Everton looking to turn around what had been pretty terrible form in their new ground. From the first few minutes of this match you could almost tell it was not going to be Everton’s day. After a nice attack a few minutes in Everton were pinned and having to defend for their lives. With just over 10 minutes on the clock Igor Thiago scored for the first time in six matches and it was a sign of things to come. After only trailing by that single goal at the half Everton were still in the match. Five minutes after halftime hope was pretty much extinguished from the stadium. Nathan Collins scored a header off a corner. Not even a full minute later Brentford got their third and the match was over. Everton would get goals from Beto and Thierno Barry, but Igor Thiago also completed the hat trick and Everton were well beaten on the afternoon.

Everton v Wolves

As bad as the Brentford match was, everyone was anticipating a bounce back performance against the worst team in the Premier League with Wolves coming to Merseyside. Wolves were coming off their first win of the season, and they clearly carried those good vibes into this match against Everton. Everton kicked off the scoring in this match with Michael Keane scoring off a free kick that was not cleared out of the box by Wolves. Keane almost had a brace after 30 minutes, but his header from a free kick smacked the post. Jose Sa did make a good save on Garner with about 10 minutes left in the half, but Everton would only hold a one goal lead at the break.

What followed in the second half was almost indescribable. A young referee in charge of only his second ever PL tilt lost all control of the match. Strange foul calls, numerous head scratching yellow cards and the second most bizarre red card involving Michael Keane this season. During all of the referee chaos Wolves had pulled back level with Everton. A sloppy giveaway in the midfield was swiftly punished by a great pass from the recently introduced Jørgen Strand Larsen. Larsen Played it to Mateus Mane and the 18 year old cooly found the corner and just like that the score was leveled. In the 83rd minute all hell broke loose. There was a simple 50/50 ball that Michael Keane and Tolu Arokodare both went up for. It looked like any other jump ball you have ever seen. Maybe 30 seconds to a minute after play stopped it was suddenly being looked at by VAR for some reason. In the replay, Michale Keane accidentally pulls the dreadlocks of Arokodare. Clearly Keane is trying to just grab his shirt. The inexperienced ref is called over to the pitch side monitor and then issues Keane a red card for violent conduct. A baffling decision by everyone involved.

While Everton are trying to survive the final seven minutes of the match Everton are handed a second red card. After being taken down near midfield Jack Grelish gets tackled and a foul was called on Wolves. Grealish was already on a yellow for dissent earlier in the match. After the foul call Grealish does a sarcastic clap and is issued a second yellow and gets sent off. Everton were able to hold on for a point, but it was a very strange night of football.

ö Everton v Sunderland (FA Cup)

With Everton already bounced from the league cup, the FA Cup was their last chance to win a trophy this season. David Moyes picked a strong starting 11 for the cup tie appearing to be going for it unlike when they played Wolves in the last league cup match. This was probably a fun match to watch if you were a neutral. Both teams having spells of possession, both teams creating a fair few chances and some top class goal keeping as well. Sunderland opened the scoring after 30 minutes a great ball from Eliezer Mayenda found Enzo Le Fée who hit it first time into the bottom right corner. No keeper was keeping that shot out.

It was looking for a long time that the goal from Le Fée was going to be the only one. Until a fresh Adam Aznou came on for Everton and ended up winning a fairly weak penalty for the blues, but with no VAR to take it away Everton had a lifeline. James Garner stepped up to take the penalty, and scored the equalizer headed into the final minute of the match. Neither team could find a winner in extra time so the match went to penalties. Everton made a little history with all three penalty takers missing their kicks. It was the first time in Everton’s history that all the penalty kickers for Everton missed their kicks. Just like that Everton crashed out of another cup competition and the wait for a trophy to be won goes on another season.

Aston Villa v Everton

After what had to be a bitter disappointment in the cup Everton had a daunting task facing them for their next match. They were traveling to Villa Park where no visiting team had won all season. Everton were in a string of lackluster performances and badly needed a good performance against a great Villa side. And just one minute in Everton had already fired a warning shot. On a long ball over the top Barry flicked a header to Merlin Röhl whose shot hits the post and Villa were let off with a warning. After a bit of control from Villa through the first 30 minutes it looked like Everton had found the breakthrough on a Jake O’Brien header. In another baffling decision by VAR, Harrison Armstrong who was in an offsides position was deemed to have interfered with the play even though he never touched the ball and was not impeding the goalie or a defender from getting to the ball. Another terrible decision that cost Everton a goal and it remained 0-0.

Pickford was forced into a good save not too long before half time and Villa hit the cross bar as well with both Everton and Aston Villa not taking all of their chances to go ahead. With 30 minutes left to play though Everton found their breakthrough. Dwight McNeil took a shot at the Villa goal which was saved by Emi Martinez, but the keeper could not collect the rebound before Thierno Barry chipped it into the net with a really clever finish. Pickford had one more show stopping save in the 72nd minute. Morgan Rodgers had been shooting all afternoon, but not getting many on frame. His latest attempt however was headed right for the top corner of the net. A flying Jordan Pickford got just enough of the shot to send it over the crossbar. A save so good it could be a save of the year candidate. Everton were able to hold on for a 1-0 win and hand Villa their first home loss of the season.

Everton v Leeds

Everton have a really bad habit of coming out in the first half of matches at home and just playing horribly. That was once again this case for this match. Leeds were dominating possession and creating chances from the jump, and Everton were barely able to sniff the ball. Everton couldn’t hold back Leeds forever though and the visitors scored first with 25 minutes on the clock. It was all too easy for Leeds with two players making runs in the box unmarked and James Justin scored the opener. It very easily could have been 2-0 Leeds after Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit the post a few minutes later. Once Kerinan Dewsbury-Hall and Jarred Braithwaite came on for Everton at the start of the second half things started to go in Everton’s favor a lot more. They were getting more possession and creating some actual goal scoring chances. Thierno Barry and Ndiaye almost had equalizers, but a good block by a Leeds defender and an incredible save from the Leeds keeper kept them in front.

Despite the good defending and excellent goal keeping Leeds couldn’t keep Everton at bay forever. With just under 15 minutes to play Barry scored the equalizer. It was a great bit of play by KDH who played Gana down the right wing, and Gana hit a low hard cross towards Barry who just had to redirect it past Darlow. Gana nearly scored the winner a few minutes later, but his shot from near the top of the box hit off the crossbar. Everton once again shared points and their winless streak at home continued on.

Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton

Everton played their sixth and final match far away from home on a trip to the south coast to take on Brighton. This is another match where Everton just didn’t look ready to play in the first half. To be fair, this time Brighton weren’t crating a ton of chances either. Despite that Brighton still should have been ahead with Kaoru Mitoma missing a golden chance to put the home side up. Everton did start to pick it up in the second half and they were looking more likely to find the opening goal. KDH missed a great chance to score the first goal and James Tarkowski someone didn’t put the ball in the net after some chaos off a corner. Despite having the better chances and looking more likely, it was Brighton who found the opening goal. It was a wonderfully worked goal. A nice ball from Yasin Ayari played towards Charalampos Kostoulas, Kostoulas dummies it and Pascal Gross has a tap in. It looked for sure like that was going to be the only goal but Everton never stopped pushing. With just about the last kick of the game a cross was played in towards Jake O’Brien, O’Brien hits it the shot is saved, but Beto is there to pounce on the rebound and tie the match for Everton. The away. end is sent into raptures and David Moyes is running around on the pitch. Everton steal a point as the Match finished 1-1.

A whole lot went on in the month of January hopefully Tyrique George can gel quickly and help Everton pick up some more points and maybe push for one of the last European spots. Still all to play for in the last few months of the season and it could be a very successful season in the end.