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Everton - Ipswich
Everton
IMV, our worst performance of the season. The first 20 minutes I
considered our opponents to be the worst team we have faced so far this
season. Their midfield was appalling, with Grant and Speed giving the
ball away with nervous repetitiveness.
Unfortunately, we failed to capitalise on any of the chances presented
to us. We thought we might pay for it and we did.
Although we dominated we weren't clicking. Lambourde was excelling
alongside a sluggish-looking Newton (caught in possession too many
times, but excusable as he's only been training for a week). Clarke and
Sinclair's judgment was horrific and they, along with Leboeuf and
Hughes, contributed to our managing to squander possession as swiftly as
we'd won it.
The warning signs were there as soon as we saw the team sheet on Sky TV
in The Arkles (btw, great to meet James, Paul, Solomon etc in there,
however briefly, before the game). No Di Matteo (suspended, as we
knew,), no Zola, no Wise, no Vialli, plenty of Sinclair.
It looked like a patched-up 4-4-2 rather than a bite-the-bullet 3-5-2 or
3-4-3, and that's how it proved.
Following the opening 20 mins we settled into a rhythm without creating
any chances. They barely threatened. Our first shot on target was the
goal. Great ball to Clarkey down the left, cross to Flo who turned
strongly to face goal and slotted it swiftly to the keeper's left from
six yards. Six minutes to half-time. Goodbye Everton, you would think.
Sadly, ridiculously poor defending -- a knock clear from our box fell to
their man on the right, and a ball down our left was cut across the
goal. De Goey did well to palm the ball out but it fell to Madar, whose
header Sinclair chested on the line. Unfortunately Frank's subsequent
reaction was too slow and the ball was forced past him. Pathetic.
Second half it was clear Sinclair needed to come off and that Newton was
tiring. We should have switched to three at the back (as we did with 10
mins to go).
With Petrescu barely involved (as one Scouse wit observed "Mulder's gone
missing"), Hughes more intent on his battle with Short, Newton
knackered, Flo less busy, Duberry awful, quality and experience lacking
throughout, and the absence of a leader in any department of our team,
we looked ragged in the second half, and Everton came storming back into
it.
It was inevitable that they would score after a build up of pressure and
some good saves from Lan, and score they did, Duberry leaving Ferguson
alone (that's right *leaving* Ferguson alone) to head in from a corner.
Pathetic.
We chased the game and brought Vialli on, switching to 3-4-3 and adding
Rudi. Both immediately added some ingenuity and determination but were
unable to provide the killer ball required.
Duberry killed the game with an own goal when Ferguson was put through
behind him. The big Scot miscontrolled the ball and was going nowhere.
Doobs decided to clear, but whacked it in the corner to Lan's left.
Pathetic.
Ruud, in the press conference afterward, looked well pissed off. "You
don't deserve to be at this level when you do things like that," he
said, referring to our giving the ball away and scoring the own goal.
I think we'll be buying again soon. A right-back, please!!!
One final point -- I overheard Martin Tyler afterwards claiming that
"these continentals are okay until they get roughed up a bit and the
weather's nasty", or words to that effect. Two things to say about that,
and they both bounce!
Lambourde, Flo, Vialli and Gullit were our best players.
Clarke, Sinclair, Duberry, Hughes and Newton were easily our worst. But
that doesn't fit in with "the story", does it?
Until we have the personnel available, we *must* play three at the back.
TOP
Ipswich
<Short version: Bloody traffic! Bloody Leboeuf!>
Longer version:
Travelled by car - big mistake. Took over three hours. Arrived to see
another changed line-up:
Lan
Sinclair (Clarke, 45) Leboeuf Myers (Gullit, 20) Granville
Lambourde Wise
Di Matteo Le Saux
Zola Flo (Hughes, 91)
Not used: none
A shaky start in which we seemed to want to absorb inevitable pressure
from the First Division hosts was based on passes going astray (main
offenders Sinclair, Lambourde, Leboeuf) and meant that, almost up until
our first goal, there was barely an incident worth reporting. Cundy (the
most booked player in the 1st Div, apparently, followed through on Zola
and was booked), but we weren't troubling them at the back. The goal
arose from a launched 40-50-yard ball by TheBeef, Ipswich keeper Wright
(thank god we didn't buy him!) advancing halfway towards an unchecked Le
Saux on the flank, Le Saux's swift and clever flick into the middle over
the stranded Wright, and Flo forcing his way between two defenders to
nod home.
We picked up confidence from that goal. The second was even better.
Gullit played the ball to Zola on the right edge of the Ips box, but the
Italian dummied it and peeled off left on the blind side behind him, and
as the ball ran to Flo the Norwegian cleverly played it perfectly for
Zola to lay a great pass to Bergerac who could do nothing but score.
Just before half time, playing our way back to form.
Then disaster. their impressive left wing-back (they played 3-5-2 first
half, then switched to 4-4-2 second) Tarrico played a ball in that The
Beef completely misread and committed himself to absurdly. Mathie was
able to turn unimpeded and drove a shot that Lan did well to parry
(though he may have palmed it away at a more oblique angle). Tarrico had
followed up without being tracked (Robbie?) and with Lan lifting
himself relatively slowly slotted under the keeper's arm.
Pathetic, to be honest.
Second half was more midfield stalemate, though we began to dominate
with our passing in patches and retained possession more consumately.
Their goal came from what appeared to be a misunderstanding between Le
Saux and Granny Danville ("Who seem too similar to me" - Motty.), and
poor tracking back by both Granny and Lambourde. The cut-back to Mathie
(who side-footed pass De Goey's starnded flail) from Williams' ball down
the left of our box -- so obvious even I was shouting out before the
Ipswich man played it back -- was not picked up like it should have
been, and we were under pressure until around ten minutes before the end
when we woke up and looked like grabbing the winner with some better
approach play and consistent possession. Zola and Flo were combining
well, Rudi was showing loads of class on the ball. The ball didn't fall
well to us, though, and shooting -- ain't it always the same at the
moment -- left something to be desried. Just before 90 mins an appeal
for a penalty, as the ball was floated in towards Dennis, challenged by
the cumbersome Mowbray, fell on deaf ears. It looked 50-50 on the TV
replay, but there and then appeared a strong shout, though equally Zola
and Wise again had been challenged dubiously in the box beforehand.
Extra-time: First half dominated by us with Hughesie going close twice.
Again, no real clearcut chances created, and Ipswich could have stolen
it when Petta found himself free from Gullit and Lebouef, with the
advancing De Goey to beat. Lan closed him down sufficiently and --
according to Burley in the press conf. afterwards -- glanced the ball
onto the post. Phewwwwwww.
Penalties were won -- as Ferguson might say -- as soon as we saw who was
lining up for them:
Leboeuf powered his straight, and home, having seen the keeper move. The
first man, Scowcroft, had never taken one professionally in his life.
Lan read it, stretched fully to his left and saved it with a mighty
strong, outstretched left hand. Brilliant. Ed-die!
Zola's penalty gave Wright no chance -- driven to the Italian's left and
in the corner.
Their second was almost saved by Lan, who dived the right way.
The ball slapped his thigh but he wasn't quick enough to make the
contact count.
Robbie's strike hit Wright and went in, more by power than placement.
When Tarrico's feeble effort was also smothered by Lan, it was virtually
all over.
Sparky slammed his left giving Wright no chance at all.
===========
Marks:
Lan: 6
Sinclair 4
Clarke 5
Lebouef 5
Gullit 6
Granny 5
Lambourde 6
Wise 7
Di Matteo 7
Le Saux 5
Zola 6
Flo 5
Hughes 6
Hughes
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